Shauna Taylor has always loved two things; taking care of children and writing.
Taylor moved to North Bay in 2010 to pursue a degree in English Literature after taking part in the Early Childhood Education program at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall.
"I have always wanted to be a writer, I used to write and tell stories as a kid, so it was something I was always passionate about," said Taylor.
Now fast forward to 2021 and Taylor has lived in North Bay for over a decade, is a mother of two, and is currently a part-time teacher in Canadore's Early Childhood Education program.
She recently decided the time was right to put her two passions together and write a children's book called "The Door."
"I ended up writing the story when my daughter was about a year old," recalls Taylor.
"It was kind of inspired by her, by her fear of the dark and her door kind of being big and scary. I thought I would try it out and you never expect it to go anywhere and I just sent it out to some publishing companies and I got lots of 'nos' and finally, I got one 'yes' and it was a pretty crazy moment but I guess it was kind of like the universe telling me I was on the right path."
She says the children's book for ages three to seven is an ideal bedtime story.
"The story itself is basically about a little girl who was going to be one night and could hear laughing and noises outside her bedroom door and as her eyes got more tired, and her mind got more tired, children's imaginations start to create all sorts of fun things and scenarios," she describes.
"The last thing that she heard became louder and spooky sounding, creeks in the floor - the house shifting.
"Then she started to think the door itself was laughing and it was starting to come alive."
She believes the story is a prime example of how children's imagination can go wild.
"It is kind of inspired by an old century door, so she has this belief that the door is coming alive and she envisions sounds and tapping on her window from branches and her imaginations start to take off," she said.
"Suddenly though, light enters the room and her Mom comes in and realizes it wasn't the door alive it was her parents talking and laughing outside her bedroom in their house."
While Taylor is excited about the new book, she is also hoping to do a series of children's books branching off a similar theme. She says she is in negotiations with the publishing company on creating a series of books about children's different fears.
"I am hoping that it will become a few books at least of different things that parents can sit down and address certain fears that kids have that may not be the typical ones," she explained.
You can purchase the book by going to Chapters-Indigo HERE and on Amazon HERE
