Mitzi Doster

Video Transcript

Inspiration for the Story

I started writing when I was little – poems and songs and stories. In 2008, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I spent the whole year of 2009 going through radiation, chemotherapy, surgery – all those things. And in 2010 I was declared cancer-free. The Lizard in the Laundry came from wanting to go back and do something that I love. I love writing children’s stories, and I love illustrating, and I decided I wanted to start writing again.

I wanted to use my nephews as the characters in the book and so The Lizard in the Laundry came from thinking of the typical things little boys do. The primary message of The Lizard in the Laundry is the simple pleasures of doing something with your family – curling up with a book and sharing laughter with them and going on an adventure.

Giving Back

I found out this year that the breast cancer recurred. I felt like God gave me that extra year in between there in 2010, and He gave me a new story. I wanted to find something that I could use the story to help other people, and I researched the Granting Dreams Foundation and then I thought, “I think this is the organization that I would like to work with.” I wanted to leave a literary legacy ,and I wanted a publisher to publish my book. I wanted a portion of the books to go to children who are facing life-threatening illnesses and I wanted a portion of the book’s proceeds to go to Granting Dreams to help other people’s dreams come true.

The Granting Dreams Foundation

The Granting Dreams Foundation actively pursued my dream. They contacted Thomas Nelson publishing and they agreed to do my book through their subsidiary, WestBow Press. Working with WestBow Press has been a pleasure. They were sincere and professional and they took my dream and perfected it. When I first held the book in my hands, I thought, “This is the cutest book I’ve ever seen.” I’d like to recommend to other authors to be bold and courageous – not wait a lifetime to follow your dreams.