Elise Shaver
Elise Shaver is the author of Wally the Wellfleet Oyster. She is a wife and mother, living in the Capital Region with her husband and two children.
Elise grew up spending her summers in Wellfleet, Cape Cod with her family while creating lifelong memories. Now, Elise is sharing her love of Cape Cod with her children and creating new memories with them. She hopes to bring the same joy she feels for Cape Cod to other children through her debut children's book.
"I was inspired to write Wally the Wellfleet Oyster when I was sitting on the beach - in Cape Cod of course - watching my son play in the sand with all of the little critters. That moment brought me so much joy, seeing him captivated by the ocean and all that it has to offer.
I wanted to freeze that moment in time. But we all know that isn’t possible. So I wanted to create a story for my son incorporating all of the creatures of Cape Cod, while teaching him the importance of being himself."
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The inspiration...
A few questions for Elise...
Did you go to school to be a writer?
"I have no professional schooling for writing. I started writing a novel based off a dream I had. In the midst of that I came up with the idea of Wally and pivoted to see that through."
What do you do in your free time?
"When not writing, I enjoy gardening, baking, crafting, and spending time with my family.
I plan to continue forward with my novel now that my Wally book is done!"
Any fun facts to share?
"Wally the Wellfleet Oyster was originally going to be just a handmade book for my children! However, when my son continuously asked me to read it to him night after night, I thought – why not? – let’s make this a real book! That's how Wally the Wellfleet Oyster truly came to be."