I have written several things over the years, mainly short stories, most of which were inspired by my family.  My current work, The Adventures of Freddie Spaghetti and Meat Ball, was also motivated by my family.  I want my Freddie Spaghetti books to become a successful series, partly to remember a great man, and partly so I can simply say that I played my role in making children everywhere smile. When I was a little girl, my granddaddy grabbed a pad of Post-Its and randomly started doodling. He drew a stick figure with a squiggly body, and wrote "To Brandy: Freddie Spaghetti ... Love, Granddaddy" Though he passed away when I was in third grade, I still have that note to this day. Since making children happy would be the best way to honor his memory, I decided to write a book based on the character he created.