Meet the Creator of Stubby's Destiny

I’m proud to have children’s author, Dixie Phillips with me today. As fellow angels at Guardian Angel Publishing we may have never met without being part of this wonderful publishing company. Come along on this heartwarming interview and you will surely be inspired by Ms. Phillips intriguing life.

DMc: What has been the most rewarding/memorable experience in writing for children?

DP: My husband and I have been in fulltime ministry for nearly thirty years. Because we are actively involved with Lighthouse Academy, a Christian school in our church, we deal with children on a continual basis. There have been some children, who have come to us, whose young eyes have already seen more hurt and abuse than many adults. Many of these wee ones already believe they have been “born wrong.” My heart has been thrilled to see hope flicker in their eyes when I read “Stubby’s Destiny” to them. (Stubby was a little donkey who thought he didn’t measure up to the elegant stallions, but one day Stubby discovered his divine destiny.) I never get tired of hearing their little voices cheer for Stubby and my eyes fill with tears when I see them have their own “light bulb” moment and realize they have a divine purpose, too.

DMc: Your have also written seasonal plays for children. How do they differ from writing a children’s book?


DP: I seem to have the gift of gab. (I think I just heard my husband say, “Amen!”) Writing dialogue comes easy for me. Plays and skits are completely different than writing a children’s book because you mainly deal with only dialogue.
Sometimes I get an idea for a play, only to discover it works better as a children’s book or vice versa.

DMc: You recently became a grandparent, has this inspired you even further in continuing to write for children? If yes, how?


DP: Yes, I have contracted grammyitis and I don’t think I’ll ever recover! When I hold our grandsons (Tristan and Easton) I have this overwhelming wave of love that sweeps over me. (I told you it’s bad.) Already they are little sponges soaking up what is happening around them. My prayer is that my love for them and the stories I write will leave eternal “footprints” in their hearts and help shape their small souls.

DMc: Please share with us your current work-in-progress.


DP: As a little girl, I had a special bond with my paternal grandmother. I have written a story about her and an apron she sewed for me. Of all the stories I have written, I am very excited about Apron Strings.

DMc: What can we expect from you in the publishing pipeline?


DP: I have three new children’s books coming out in the near future with Guardian Angel Publishing – Cinderfella and the Furry Godmother, Stilts the Stork and The Cat Came Back.

I also have new Christmas plays, skits and recitations, which will be coming out with Standard Publishing this fall.

I am excited to be writing downloadable curriculum for Randall House. Presently I am working on some curriculum for children, which will be available later this year.

Guideposts has included one of my stories in their Extraordinary Answers to Prayer – Love and Forgiveness series, which will soon be available.

DMc: A signature request I like to ask every author, illustrator, editor, etc., I interview is for the individual to share with us a tidbit from their lives that the reader will find either humorous or surprising. Dixie, can you please share one with us?


DP: I have been an avid southern gospel fan since I was a young girl. When I was a teenager, most girls had pictures of David Cassidy on their wall. I hung a poster of Vestal Goodman and the Happy Goodmans on my wall.

I was born and raised in northern Iowa. There wasn’t much southern gospel in northern Iowa at that time. In the mid ‘90s, my husband and I started the Floyd Gospel Sing, a two-day, all-day Sing. Over thirty gospel groups from across the United States come and minister through testimony and song. The population of our small rural community (population – 350) swells when around 2,000 southern gospel fans arrive for two days of good old gospel singing.

I enjoy writing songs and have sung in a ladies’ southern gospel trio called Three Redeemed for over fifteen years. We have recorded three projects.

To learn more about Dixie visit: http://writing4littleones.blogspot.com/