1) NOTHING SAYS LOVE AS SWEETLY AS TREATS

In my debut novel, Shattered Blue, the heroine Noa and the mysterious Callum bond

over, among other things, a delicious game involving salt-water taffy. Inspired by

Ninja’s love for all things yum-related (we all know those pleading doggy eyes!)

2) BIG SISTERS AND LITTLE SISTERS ARE THE BEST KIND OF DUO

In Shattered Blue, Noa and her little sis Sasha are very special buds, just like my girl

Ninja and her older rescue sister, River!

3) YOU CAN LEAD A DOG TO WATER… OR TRY TO, ANYWAY

Ninja’s learned to walk on her leash, but by far she prefers to run free and make her

own choices. The Fae characters in Shattered Blue have powers that can manipulate

the mind and the emotions, making it hard to tell sometimes who’s making the

decisions.

4) DO NOT FEAR UNKNOWN WATERS

Sometimes the idea of creating a whole other world—like the Fae world Aurora in

Shattered Blue—can feel overwhelming. But paddling out fearlessly is the best way

to discover incredible places!

5) LISTEN TO COMMENTS

Ninja often has suggestions, just like editors. It’s important to learn how to use

them—they often make things much, much better!

6) WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAP! #FOURPAWSUP!

In the end, sharing your writing is a big leap of faith—go #fourpawsup and never

look back!

You can follow more exploits of Ninja on Instagram @birdaileen, where our

many adventures are chronicled.