How do you go from a name like “Little Four” to the name “Bangali Sher Ka Dil?” You’ll find out when you read this book.

I love to travel. Maybe that’s one reason I chose India for the setting of Heart of a Tiger. I’ve never been to India, although I hope to travel there some day. In a way though, I did travel to India while writing this story—through books. I did a lot of research about the geography, the weather, the plants, and the animals of India.

I wanted to use Hindi names for the names the kittens chose for themselves, but unfortunately, I don’t speak Hindi! So I found Dr. Laxmi G. Tewari at Sonoma State University. He did speak Hindi and he had lived in India. He graciously translated the animal names into Hindi, and he was most patient in helping me make a pronunciation guide for the Hindi words.

I believe that through my character Little Four (later to become Bangali Sher Ka Dil) I was trying to teach myself about the value of having a dream and of having the courage to take action to make that dream come true.