Michael Conrad Kelley and Keith Renninson, local authors of
“Zooch the Pooch: My Best Friend,” will present a workshop on
“Writing for Children & Parents” from 2:30-4 p.m. Feb. 25 at
the Philip S. Miller Library, 100 Wilcox St., Castle
Rock.

A booksigning will follow the workshop. The workshop is
sponsored by the Castle Rock Writers. Participants will learn about
writing for children, self-publishing and marketing works for
children.

“What we have written is an illustrated specialty book designed
to help parents guide children through the emotional challenges
connected with death, daily moral decisions, caring for one
another, friendship, tolerance, and courage,” Kelley
said.

The book was released in late 2005 through Kelley and Rennison’s
self-publishing company, Twinkletopica LLC. “Zooch the Pooch” is a
story about a pack of neighborhood dogs, each with a distinct, but
loving personality. The doggy friends, Scully, Zooch, Biscuit,
Linky, Huckle, and T, are a close-knit group, so the loss of a
friend from within the group is hard.

The book was inspired by the untimely death of Kelley’s best
friend and brother-in-law, Darrell F. Garza. Author Kelley and his
friend Garza married identical twins, Heidi and Heather. The four
golfed, traveled, attended sporting events, and dined out often. At
the time of his death, Darrell and Heidi were expecting a baby.
Their daughter Darian was born into a close, loving extended family
that has tried to live life with the same “dedication, passion, and
humor” that Darrell brought to their lives.

A companion guide for parents and guardians is included at the
end of the book, providing information on guiding children through
the death of a family member or friend. In addition, the authors
suggest parents develop a “family philosophy of life and death,”
which will help them cope with loss as well as prepare them for the
questions their children may have.

“Children usually mimic their parents,” said Rennison.
“Unfortunately, many parents don’t know how to handle grief well
themselves, so it’s hard for them to be good role
models.”

Kelley grew up in Littleton, and Renninson is a Louviers native.
They met as neighbors in Littleton, and later decided to
collaborate on the children’s book. They have two additional books
planned, one for ages 9-13, and another for ages 14-18.
Twinkletopia LCC is planning to establish a scholarship foundation
for children who have lost a parent. A percentage of book sales
will fund the foundation.

Renninson is also co-owner of Golden Years Videos LLC, which
produces and markets exercise videos for seniors and the disabled.
Jeff Forman, currently serving in the U.S. Army, is
co-owner.

“Between the three of us, we have products for both ends of the
age spectrum, and although it wasn’t planned that way, they are
related in their demographics,” Renninson said. “Seniors often are
the ones who help their grandchildren with life’s most challenging
issues. Those same individuals also need to take care of themselves
physically to live healthy, purposeful lives in
retirement.

“When performed regularly and property, our yoga and chair
exercise programs offer seniors – or those recovering from an
illness, stroke or accident – a way to regain strength and
stability. It is rewarding to produce products which help people,”
Renninson said. “Writing a children’s book or producing a video for
seniors requires a sense of purpose and caring for the ultimate
viewers. It also demands a lot of research, creative forethought
and patience. Anyone can write a book, if they just work at it. We
hope to convey those needs and much more at the Castle Rock Writers
workshop.”

For information on Kelley and Renninson, go to
www.zoochthepooch.com.

The Castle Rock Writers meets from 1-3 p.m. the third Wednesday
of every month. The group is sponsored by the Philip S. Miller
Library, and recently produced a book, “Douglas County, Colorado: A
Photographic Journey” with financial backing from the Douglas
County Libraries Foundation. All proceeds return to the foundation
for future community projects.

The books is available for purchase at any Douglas County
Library. For information on the Castle Rock Writers, contact
Marjorie Meyerle at 303-663-9119.