Diane’s experiences as an animal shelter volunteer, a rescuer, and a spay/neuter advocate have profoundly affected her personally and as a writer. When she and her husband, Chris, began their life together, they assumed animals would be part of their family. But neither could have imagined the sheer number of critters they would foster or adopt.
Over the years, the Calkins family has shared their home with abandoned dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, guinea pigs, rats, a parakeet named Pokey, and a chicken named Zoe. Their stories have provided fodder for her children’s books and a memoir called “An Ark of Sorts.”
Zoe stars in Diane’s first picture book “One Happy Chicken. “A Very Naughty Beagle Named Bonnie” and “What to Do With a Ginormous Puppy” made their debut in 2022.
The "Ark" will set sail in 2023.