Carol Fiore
Hi Mia! That's an excellent question. I draw on life experiences--the people I meet, the journeys I've taken, the animals I have cared for and studied. Several of the characters in "Countdown" are loosely based on real people.
As a former humane educator, I taught "troubled" high school kids and was inspired by their love of animals, but concerned about their apathy toward environmental change. The character of Skye was inspired by the teens I want so much to encourage.
My background in conservation and science motivated me to weave actual facts into a fun plot. I call it "hidden" learning. In order to be accurate about the settings in the book, I traveled to the Australian Outback, and I hiked the Milford Track in New Zealand--my notebook and pen in one hand. I lived in Colorado, where the book begins. "Countdown" took seven years to publish, dozens of rewrites, multiple editors, and advice from many teens.
Perhaps more than anything else, I was inspired by animals I have tried my whole life to save--like prairie dogs, my favorite mammals; I hoped to raise awareness for their plight. I have had a 30 year love for the New Zealand kea, an amazingly brilliant bird that I had the great honor of caring for as a former bird zoo keeper. That is why I give 100% of my NZ royalties to the Kea Conservation Trust. As I am so fond of saying, I can live with less money, but I can't live in a world without kea (their numbers, sadly, are continuing to decline). I give over half of my US royalties to other environmental nonprofits.
All the best to you and thanks for your question!
For the planet (and the kea),
Carol
As a former humane educator, I taught "troubled" high school kids and was inspired by their love of animals, but concerned about their apathy toward environmental change. The character of Skye was inspired by the teens I want so much to encourage.
My background in conservation and science motivated me to weave actual facts into a fun plot. I call it "hidden" learning. In order to be accurate about the settings in the book, I traveled to the Australian Outback, and I hiked the Milford Track in New Zealand--my notebook and pen in one hand. I lived in Colorado, where the book begins. "Countdown" took seven years to publish, dozens of rewrites, multiple editors, and advice from many teens.
Perhaps more than anything else, I was inspired by animals I have tried my whole life to save--like prairie dogs, my favorite mammals; I hoped to raise awareness for their plight. I have had a 30 year love for the New Zealand kea, an amazingly brilliant bird that I had the great honor of caring for as a former bird zoo keeper. That is why I give 100% of my NZ royalties to the Kea Conservation Trust. As I am so fond of saying, I can live with less money, but I can't live in a world without kea (their numbers, sadly, are continuing to decline). I give over half of my US royalties to other environmental nonprofits.
All the best to you and thanks for your question!
For the planet (and the kea),
Carol
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