Behind the Story: The Inspiration Behind the World of The Moonkeeper’s Cat

People often ask me where the idea for The Moonkeeper’s Cat came from.

The truth is, there wasn’t one single moment when the story appeared. Like many of life’s most meaningful things, it grew slowly over time from the people, places, and experiences that have shaped my heart.

At its core, The Moonkeeper’s Cat began with a simple hope.

I wanted to create a world where children could feel safe.

A world where kindness was never considered ordinary, where curiosity was celebrated, and where children could learn that every emotion they experience—even the difficult ones—belongs and deserves to be understood.

As both an author and someone who has spent years working with young children, I’ve watched little hearts experience enormous feelings. Joy. Excitement. Worry. Frustration. Fear. Grief. Disappointment. Hope.

Children feel these emotions deeply, often long before they have the words to explain them.

I wanted to write stories that could gently help them recognize those feelings, talk about them, and understand that they are never alone in experiencing them.

That dream became the foundation for everything in Moon Bay.

Long before I knew what the story would be about, I knew what I wanted children to feel when they closed the book.

Comforted.

Encouraged.

Seen.

Hopeful.

Those became the true heart of The Moonkeeper’s Cat.

Of course, every magical world needs someone to lead readers through it.

For me, that someone had to be a cat.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore cats—especially my own three Maine Coons, Toulouse, Cezanne, and Booter. They have been constant companions through countless writing sessions, curled up nearby while I worked or insisting that they were far more important than whatever chapter I was trying to finish.

If you’ve ever shared your home with a cat, you know they have wonderfully distinct personalities. Some are playful. Some are quiet observers. Some are endlessly curious. Others seem wise beyond explanation.

Watching my own cats over the years inspired me to imagine what life might be like if one of them lived in a magical lighthouse.

That’s where Miro was born.

Although Miro is her own character, her gentle spirit, quiet curiosity, playful wonder, and loving heart were inspired by the joy my own cats have brought into my life every single day.

As Moon Bay continued to grow, I realized that many of the people who inspired the story weren’t fictional at all.

My three boys have been one of my greatest inspirations as a writer.

Watching them grow has given me a front-row seat to childhood—to the questions they ask, the adventures they imagine, the fears they quietly carry, the friendships they build, and the resilience they discover as they navigate the world.

Children see magic where adults often overlook it.

They notice tiny details. Tiny bugs, seashells, flowers.

They ask questions adults would never think to ask. Why is it like that? Where does it live? How was it made?

They wonder “what if?” without hesitation.

That beautiful sense of curiosity found its way into nearly every corner of Moon Bay.

Some of the personalities, conversations, and relationships throughout the series were inspired by moments I’ve shared with my own children. While none of the characters are direct copies of my boys, pieces of their kindness, imagination, humor, and adventurous spirits are woven throughout the world.

I’ve always believed that the best children’s books don’t simply entertain—they help children grow.

That belief shaped every decision I made while building Moon Bay.

Rather than creating adventures where the greatest challenge is defeating a villain, I wanted to write stories about the challenges children experience every day.

Learning patience.

Helping a friend.

Feeling left out.

Making mistakes.

Saying you’re sorry.

Trying again after disappointment.

Missing someone you love.

Learning that it’s okay to ask for help.

Celebrating someone else’s success.

Finding courage when something feels scary.

These are the moments that quietly shape who we become.

That’s why every story in Moon Bay is intentionally written with social-emotional learning at its heart. While children are following Miro’s magical adventures, they’re also practicing empathy, emotional awareness, resilience, problem-solving, self-regulation, kindness, and compassion.

My hope is that these lessons never feel like lessons at all.

Instead, I hope they feel like conversations shared between trusted friends.

As the emotional heart of Moon Bay took shape, another image kept returning to my mind: a lighthouse.

I’ve always loved lighthouses. There’s something deeply comforting about them. They stand faithfully through every storm, quietly offering light to anyone searching for their way home.

One evening I found myself wondering:

What if there was a lighthouse whose job wasn’t to guide ships?

What if it cared for something even more precious?

That simple question transformed into the Moonkeeper’s Lighthouse—a place where the moon itself is lovingly tended before its light rises into the night sky.

From there, Moon Bay seemed to build itself.

The winding stone paths.

The glowing moonflowers.

The little cottages nestled among the cliffs.

The lantern-lit gardens.

The woodland creatures.

The friends who gather to help one another without hesitation.

Each new detail felt less like something I was inventing and more like somewhere I was being invited to visit.

One of my favorite symbols throughout the series is the moonflower.

Unlike most flowers, moonflowers wait patiently until evening before opening their beautiful white blooms.

I’ve always loved what that represents.

Not everything blooms at the same time.

Not every child learns in the same way.

Not every heart heals on the same schedule.

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline.

Courage grows differently for everyone.

Healing is personal.

Growth is personal.

There is no race.

That gentle reminder quietly became one of the guiding messages woven throughout Moon Bay.

If readers remember only one thing after closing The Moonkeeper’s Cat, I hope it isn’t simply the lighthouse or the moonlight or even the magic itself.

I hope they remember that kindness matters.

That emotions are never something to hide.

That asking for help is brave.

That our differences make us stronger.

That hope can shine even in difficult seasons.

And that every child deserves to know they are loved exactly as they are.

As I continue writing new stories, Moon Bay continues to grow alongside me. New adventures, new friendships, and new lessons are waiting beyond every winding path. Returning there feels less like creating a fictional world and more like visiting dear friends who always have another story to tell.

Thank you for visiting Moon Bay with me.

I hope these stories become more than books on a shelf. I hope they become gentle companions for children and families—stories that spark meaningful conversations, encourage empathy, bring comfort during difficult moments, and remind every reader that even the smallest light can brighten the darkest night.