Dandi Daley Mackall has written over 450 books for adults, young adult, and children. Her website is:http://www.dandibooks.com/
Her blog is: http://dandimackall.wordpress.com/
I own one of her book series for young adult titles, 'Winnie the Horse Gentler'. It's a great book series for Christian girls who love horses, and, more importantly, God! Here's the interview:
1. Did you grow up in a Christian home?
I grew up in a wonderful home that was very Christ-like, but none of us had actually found that personal relationship with God through Christ. We operated under a works system: If I’m good enough, I’ll go to heaven (which didn’t work and didn’t result in any kind of peace). It wasn’t until I got to college that I discovered grace and accepted what Christ had done for me in dying on the cross. At first, my parents thought I was crazy, and so did my big sister. But within 5 years, God had led them all to himself, giving me the Christian family after all.
2. What is the genre of your books?
Ha! I’ve written for absolutely every age group (over 450 books—You can see some of them on my website: www.dandibooks.com. I’ve written nonfiction and fiction for grownups and teens and little tykes. I love writing teen novels, like Winnie the Horse Gentler and Starlight Animal Rescue series, and the BlogOn series, and I love writing I Can Read books, like Ali Cat. I also write a number of young adult books for teens, aiming at the general market, instead of the Christian reader, hoping to draw in teens who don’t know Christ yet.
3. What are you working on now (if you're allowed to say)?
I’ve just finished a young adult mystery, and I’m waiting for a YA novel to come out: MY BOYFRIENDS’ DOGS (Check out the book trailer—fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoxDy-vMCag; and my book-specific blog: www.dandimackall.wordpress.com. ) My secret prayer is that this one gets made into a movie (all prayer warriors welcome to join in that one!). I’m also working on an all-animal devotional, with cool animal facts and what they show us about our Creator. It’s a one-year devotional with Tyndale House, so that’s 365 chapters! This Christmas Tiny Baby Jesus comes out with ZonderKidz, a beautiful new picture book; and next year, It Was Not Such a Silent Night will come out. I’m finishing up some new I Can Read books, a series: Bob the Horse, to follow the Ali Cat Books. And I have a fun new series, Natalie Books, or That’s Nat! She’s like a Junie B. Jones, but with consequences and even more heart. I did just have another horse book come out, a nonfiction for teens on how to be a horse whisperer, even when you don’t own a horse: YOU AND YOUR HORSE. I’m probably forgetting some….
4. Are any characters from your books based on any of your family members?
Most characters have a piece of me in them—even the bad ones. Winnie the Horse Gentler may be the closest to my personality at that age. I thought too much and got along with horses better than I did with my classmates.
5. Do you have any tips for young writers?
Read! Listen to God and realize that God is building truths and stories and ideas into you that nobody else on earth will have—unless you write them. That’s inspiration! You have stories to tell.
6. What is your favorite Bible verse?
I have so many favorites. The entire chapter, John 14, is one I’ve memorized, just in case anybody ever took away my Bible.
Thanks again for agreeing to the interview!~Katie
P.S. This is a copy of her reply when I asked her for an interview. I know that Winnie the Horse Gentler readers will like this! Dandi is a nice, gracious, Christian woman!
Hi, Katie,
I love your site—great dogs, too!
You’ve got to read Starlight Animal Rescue. It’s a spin-off from Winnie. The new characters email Winnie and the gang on the Pet Helpline. PLUS, in the 4th book, Catman and Winnie travel to the rescue to help—and they’re now graduating from high school. So you get to see what’s happened to everybody. It was fun to write.
Sure—I could work in a short email interview, and I’d be honored to join your website. Thanks for asking--Dandi
Her blog is: http://dandimackall.wordpress.com/
I own one of her book series for young adult titles, 'Winnie the Horse Gentler'. It's a great book series for Christian girls who love horses, and, more importantly, God! Here's the interview:
1. Did you grow up in a Christian home?
I grew up in a wonderful home that was very Christ-like, but none of us had actually found that personal relationship with God through Christ. We operated under a works system: If I’m good enough, I’ll go to heaven (which didn’t work and didn’t result in any kind of peace). It wasn’t until I got to college that I discovered grace and accepted what Christ had done for me in dying on the cross. At first, my parents thought I was crazy, and so did my big sister. But within 5 years, God had led them all to himself, giving me the Christian family after all.
2. What is the genre of your books?
Ha! I’ve written for absolutely every age group (over 450 books—You can see some of them on my website: www.dandibooks.com. I’ve written nonfiction and fiction for grownups and teens and little tykes. I love writing teen novels, like Winnie the Horse Gentler and Starlight Animal Rescue series, and the BlogOn series, and I love writing I Can Read books, like Ali Cat. I also write a number of young adult books for teens, aiming at the general market, instead of the Christian reader, hoping to draw in teens who don’t know Christ yet.
3. What are you working on now (if you're allowed to say)?
I’ve just finished a young adult mystery, and I’m waiting for a YA novel to come out: MY BOYFRIENDS’ DOGS (Check out the book trailer—fun! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoxDy-vMCag; and my book-specific blog: www.dandimackall.wordpress.com. ) My secret prayer is that this one gets made into a movie (all prayer warriors welcome to join in that one!). I’m also working on an all-animal devotional, with cool animal facts and what they show us about our Creator. It’s a one-year devotional with Tyndale House, so that’s 365 chapters! This Christmas Tiny Baby Jesus comes out with ZonderKidz, a beautiful new picture book; and next year, It Was Not Such a Silent Night will come out. I’m finishing up some new I Can Read books, a series: Bob the Horse, to follow the Ali Cat Books. And I have a fun new series, Natalie Books, or That’s Nat! She’s like a Junie B. Jones, but with consequences and even more heart. I did just have another horse book come out, a nonfiction for teens on how to be a horse whisperer, even when you don’t own a horse: YOU AND YOUR HORSE. I’m probably forgetting some….
4. Are any characters from your books based on any of your family members?
Most characters have a piece of me in them—even the bad ones. Winnie the Horse Gentler may be the closest to my personality at that age. I thought too much and got along with horses better than I did with my classmates.
5. Do you have any tips for young writers?
Read! Listen to God and realize that God is building truths and stories and ideas into you that nobody else on earth will have—unless you write them. That’s inspiration! You have stories to tell.
6. What is your favorite Bible verse?
I have so many favorites. The entire chapter, John 14, is one I’ve memorized, just in case anybody ever took away my Bible.
Thanks again for agreeing to the interview!~Katie
P.S. This is a copy of her reply when I asked her for an interview. I know that Winnie the Horse Gentler readers will like this! Dandi is a nice, gracious, Christian woman!
Hi, Katie,
I love your site—great dogs, too!
You’ve got to read Starlight Animal Rescue. It’s a spin-off from Winnie. The new characters email Winnie and the gang on the Pet Helpline. PLUS, in the 4th book, Catman and Winnie travel to the rescue to help—and they’re now graduating from high school. So you get to see what’s happened to everybody. It was fun to write.
Sure—I could work in a short email interview, and I’d be honored to join your website. Thanks for asking--Dandi
