
SC: Thank you for inviting me here to share a bit about my life and my children’s picture book allegories.
I always knew I wanted to publish someday. I started to journal in childhood and then in adulthood, multiple careers and varied life experiences provided lots of material from which to choose. For seven years I taught elementary school and adult education. When my husband and I adopted our two children, I wanted to be at home with them while they were little. So I opened and operated my own horseback riding school. Ten years later an illness caused me to close the riding school. But, after recovering, I entered graduate school to fulfill an earlier dream. As a result I’m celebrating my 10th year as a psychologist, working with children and their adults.
My inspiration comes from the people I live, work and play with. I learn something new every day from children and their adults, about relationships. I am especially fascinated by children’s feelings, how they learn about themselves, what they think, feel and do, and how that can change the way they relate to themselves and to others. Relationships are the key to our well-being. This is the focus of my work and the two books in the “Between You and Me” series, released in 2013.

SC: I believe relationships are key to understanding ourselves and each other. “Between You and Me” seemed to be the right way to immediately suggest to readers that we need each other and healthy ways of relating. My message is also that kids depend upon their adults to provide good relationships and also to model how to treat ourselves and others. I purposefully write the books to be read aloud because I want adults to interact with their children. When they allow children time to talk about the feelings and situations Twee’ faces, it can help kids to share their own.
What do you think children will like most about your book, Twee’?
Kids love the character Twee’ and they identify with her. I regularly receive feedback that children and adults resonate with her universally experienced attitudes, feelings, and situations. When Twee’ discovers something new about herself, as she does in each successive book, children can also learn something new about themselves and how to relate to others.

SC: Although my 2nd book I Am Twee’ can stand on its own, it is meant to be the continuing story of my little character. So book #1 titled Twee’ is about how she sprouts on a mountainside, and like most young children declares that everything belongs to her, even the right to complain. However, Twee’ soon learns that some of the things we complain about may actually be good for us.
In I Am Twee’, she is a bit older, but not necessarily wiser. In this book she notices the apple trees in the valley get lots of attention from children and adults. They visit to smell the blossoms, climb and swing on branches and pick the juicy red apples. Twee’ experiences a lot of feelings, and tries hard to get attention, but sadly no one visits Twee’. Twee’ begins to wish she could be an apple tree, until an unusual event helps her to see that being herself is best. By being different, she is special and has gifts of her own to share.
BBB: Are you currently working on another book?
Yes! The 3rd book in the “Between You & Me” series is on my table. It should be out in the winter of 2014. I also began to work on a kindle book for parents. Additionally, there may be more children’s picture book allegories to develop from Twee’ in the future.
You can find more about Susie Caron and her books on:
Amazon. http://SusieCaronOnAmazon.com
My web site & blog is: http://www.susiecaron.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/T.Twees
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CGPsusiecaron
Email: contact@susiecaron.com