Whitesboro resident becomes published author

Whitesboro resident Deborah Ward has recently published her first book, “Fielder Montgomery’s Space Adventure.” The first in a series aimed at readers ages three to five, Ward’s books follow the fun, backyard adventures of a little boy (accompanied by his loyal dog, Max) imagining what he wants to be when he grows up and the quirky things he thinks up in his head. 

“I’m a mom of two boys who are older now,” Ward said. “I miss the fun ages of make believe. Now, through these books, I get to hold onto those precious memories of when my kids were that age.”

When developing the book series’ main characters, Ward drew from her own experiences raising her boys (Fielder Montgomery is a combination of her older son, who is more reserved and responsible, and her younger son, who has a wild imagination) and her family’s dogs (Max from the book is a combination of Ranger, an Australian shepherd mix; Max, an English sheepdog who was Ward’s biggest back yard protector; and Nipper, a black lab, all of whom were favorite childhood companions).

As a young girl, Ward would spend her Saturdays watching movies like “You’ve Got Mail” which sparked a passion for literary art.

“The emails back and forth, the lifestyle of having a book shop, it all sparked a passion for art and wanting to get something published,” Ward said. “And now, I’m a published author. The words, the illustrations, the formatting – I did it all.”

Ward isn’t the only writer in her family. Her aunt is an editor, who has been a big help in this project, and her dad, Frank Brown, won awards for his short stories published in Grayson County when Ward was a child.

Ward self-published her book through Barnes & Noble (where “Fielder Montgomery’s Space Adventure” can be purchased) and is working to schedule a date for a book signing with the store. As this time, Ward has three concrete ideas for her series (the second book will be a pirate theme), but she doesn’t yet know how many books the series will include in all.

“I had a rough first decade of adulthood,” Ward said. “I’ve decided that I want to live life to the fullest. I’m going back to school for graphic design. I’m diving into my hopes and dreams of writing. I don’t want to live life with regrets,” Ward said. “You only live once.”