Fifteen years ago Suzie Gilbert and Kim Doner met on an online forum where people licensed to take care of injured and orphaned wildlife share information. It turned out the two wildlife rehabilitators were writers, as well. They have stayed in touch and periodically swap stories, complain about their lives, and remind each other not to take themselves too seriously.

Suzie lives in New York’s Hudson Valley and Kim in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Between them they have written articles, blogs, and books, and Kim is an artist and illustrator as well. Please join them as they discuss creativity, inspiration, their latest work, and how to deal with interruptions to the creative process, whether it be the arrival of an injured animal or a pandemic.

Suzie Gilbert’s funny, suspenseful debut novel Unflappable has been called “the perfect escape for 2020.” She is the author of her memoir, Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings (HarperCollins), and an illustrated children’s book, Hawk Hill (Chronicle Books). She is also the founder of Flyaway, Inc., a wild bird rehabilitation center, and writes for the renowned birding site 10,000 Birds.

Kim Doner is the author and/or illustrator of over a dozen award-winning children’s books, including Buffalo Dreams and On A Road in Africa. She also illustrated novellas for P.C. Cast’s YA series, House of Night, and collaborated with Ms. Cast as both writer/illustrator for The Fledgling Handbook. She is one of the founders of WING IT (Wildlife In Need Group - In Tulsa), an organization of wildlife rehabilitators, and writes for Tulsa Pets magazine.

Author Conversation with Suzie Gilbert and Kim Doner