Interview with Shelley Jukanovich

Author of A Dog and His Duck

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I am from Snohomish, Washington, and I now live on Camano Island.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

I live about 45 minutes from my home town. I still drive there to get my haircut! I went to college in Bellingham, Washington. By the time I graduated, my parents had moved from our home town. I met my husband shortly after college and we settled down in Edmonds, Washington then migrated further north every year! We love owning land and the Island life appealed to us-so we ended up buying twelve acres on Camano Island. We love it here!

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I attended the Institute of Children’s Literature in my 30’s. I took a course on, “Writing for Teenagers & Children”. I had dreamt of writing a book since I was child, but was busy raising young children of my own at that time. In 2012, my family and I moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where I spent two years writing for a local sports magazine. I loved my job! We moved home in 2014 and I wrote for a couple of local magazines. During that time, we found our precious Mastiff, Bo Bear. Bo Bear became best friends with our pet duck, Duck Duck. It was through watching their friendship that I was stirred to write “A Dog and His Duck”. Their story of friendship just had to be shared! A couple of my friends encouraged me to write the book, and I finally took a leap of faith. I sat down and wrote the book in about two hours time then forward it to an Illustrator friend of mine. She loved it and agreed to illustrate the book! I immediately got to work searching for the right publisher.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

A Dog and His Duck is a heart-warming book based on a real life friendship between two polar opposite animals. If you love animals and have an appreciate for God and His creation, you will love jumping into the pages of “A Dog and His Duck”. A combination of true-to-life antics and Whimsical illustrations, makes this book come alive with playfulness!

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Anyone who loves animals will connect with this story. Christians who believe in prayer and in the Trinity, will connect with the spiritual aspect of this book.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

The most unexpected thing that I learned during this process was how much time it takes to publish a book if you want it done right! The editing process took so much longer than the writing process! My job was the easy part! The amazing illustrations by my friend, Jaime Wickstrom,created-took months to perfect.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Be patient and don’t have any illusions as to when your book will be in your hands! It will be worth the wait!

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

There is no limit. I want everyone to read my book. Animals bring so much joy to our lives. They bring comfort to the hurting, friendship to the lonely, and unconditional love to all-just like God.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Honestly, I would change the word from challenging or frustrating to disappointing. The most disappointing thing for me during this process is when close friends or family do not buy the book because of the spiritual content or other reasons. To be fair, I have not had anyone specifically tell me they won’t buy it because of its spiritual content, but I know that is sometimes the case. I understand if someone does not know me personally, but if someone I love does not buy a book because they disagree with my faith then I think that is really sad. Publishing this book was a big deal for me-my greatest dream come true. Not having the support of those closest to me hurts.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Writing is definitely my biggest strength. Writing has always been easy for me. I can sit down and write about any given topic with very little effort. I love to be creative in my approach to writing-depending on my mood or the story I am sharing.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

Marketing is my biggest weakness by far! How do you market yourself?! I don’t like selling things and I am basically selling something (my book) AND myself! Like most people, I sometimes doubt myself with negative thoughts like, “Maybe the book isn’t very good and no one will like it”.

When do you think you will write your next book?

My second book is already written and a third and fourth are partially written! Two things need to happen for me to publish a second book: First, I need to make money on this one, and second-my Illustrator has to be on board!

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I used Christian Faith Publishing. They are a full-service book publisher. I sent them a copy of my manuscript and they accepted it. They were wonderful to work with. There were a few snags in the process, but that is to be expected. What matters is that we are thrilled with the end result!