When Stories Find Us - The Heart Behind Ziva the Great

Yesterday, I lost my sister.

And in the quiet that follows a loss, I’ve been thinking about how love never really leaves us. It lingers in memories, in the things we create, and sometimes, in the stories we tell without realizing how much of ourselves are tucked deep inside them.

When I started writing Ziva the Great, I thought it was simply about a Maine Coon cat with a mysterious past. She is cautious, proud, and unsure who to trust. But as the story grew, I began to see it was really about healing. About finding safety again after life has left its marks on us. About learning that love can be gentle and fierce all at once.

In the story, Ziva meets a young girl named Elsie, whose heart only sees love when it comes to a cat. With patience and kindness, Elsie helps Ziva feel safe again, and in her own way, Ziva helps Elsie heal too.

There’s a part of Ziva that reminds me of my sister, as she had such a soft spot for cats. She had a way with them, and they always seemed to find her. I think she would have loved Ziva’s story.

As I prepare to share Ziva the Great with readers in the new year, I’m reminded that stories have a way of finding us right when we need them the most. This one feels like a gentle reminder that love, once it’s here, never truly goes away.

With warm thoughts,

Cindy