C.A. Goody never planned to be a writer. When her curious cat Charlie disappeared from home for five days and was found 20 miles away, she and her children became curious about what had happened to him. She sat down to write a short letter, from Charlie to her kids, about what he had been up to, and the first book in the series was born. With 9 books in the Charlie's Great Adventures series, Mrs. Goody decided to give Pepe the Chihuahua, one of the most loved characters from the Charlie stories, his own set of hilarious adventures. Many parts of the story are true, including Charlie's hatred of riding in cars (he will yowl constantly until you let him out), his love of music and chasing flashlight beams, his ability to hug the people he loves, and his refusal to let the technician at the Humane Society give him any shots. The book was so well received by local children that Mrs. Goody began writing more stories about Charlie. She has many more story ideas, as Charlie continues to inspire new adventures on a daily basis. Mrs. Goody lives with her family and many pets just outside Phoenix, Arizona. Interested in a school visit? C.A. Goody's favorite part of being an author is school visits. Speaking to students and getting them excited about the writing process gives her such joy! All of her children's stories are written in the first person by Charlie the cat, so she uses that perspective to teach students how to reach inside their own imaginations and see things from a different point of view. Imagine what the world would look like if your face was only three inches above the ground and you walked around on four legs. How would everyday things appear? Now apply that to a thirty-foot tall monster. How is everything different? She tells funny stories about the actual events that inspired each of her books, showing how things that happen every day can spark the student’s creativity to write. Keeping in mind the age level of the students she is speaking to, she walks through the process of creating characters and then bringing them to life on paper, while using humor to make it all fun. Students leave the room wanting to get right to work on their own stories. Each presentation lasts 30-40 minutes, and includes time for students to ask questions. She specializes in presenting to grades 1-5, by grade level or similar grades (1/2, 3/4 etc.) so she can address the writing process from what the students are currently learning. Mrs. Goody is very aware of the funding problem in most schools, and knows that many have no budget for bringing in an author. For schools within Phoenix and the surrounding valley, she will do up to 3 presentations free of charge if certain conditions are met. Outside the Valley: Contact us by email. Mrs. Goody will do everything possible to keep traveling expenses and fees to a minimum depending on where you are located. Contact 1charliethecat@gmail.com