Shiloh Blog

Book or the movie?

Comment:

I got finished reading the book Shiloh and watching the movie Shiloh in class. I loved both of them so much! I have a question, have you cried before while writing the book, cause I was pretty close to. Also which do you prefer, the book or the movie, I can’t decide.

 

Phyllis replied:

I cried when we had to leave that little dog behind when we left our friends in West Virginia.  We had two big cats waiting for us at home, and we really didn’t know if the dog had an owner or not.  (I was so glad to finally hear from our friends that the dog was still hanging around, and they had adopted her).  I think an author would always prefer her own book, no matter how much she loved the movie, which I do.  But the book tells more about Marty and Judd than a movie possibly can.

Why didn’t Shiloh speak?

Comment:
this book is awesome! I wanted to ask why did Shiloh not speak much? I also wanted to ask why did you write the book Shiloh, not just because you found a dog but why did you write the book Shiloh? I also would like to say if you would have not found a dog would you have still wrote this book? I hope you make more Shiloh Books

 

Phyllis replied:

You  know, I never thought about Shiloh barking–and I think that’s what you meant by asking why Shiloh didn’t speak much.  Just didn’t occur to me, which does seem a little strange.  If I had not come across such a dog on our visit to  West Virginia, then no, I would never have written the Shiloh books (there are 4 of them).  It was my worry about that little dog we left behind (that was eventually adopted by our friends) that made it impossible for me to work on any other book, and the plot began forming in my mind.

What is your favorite part?

Comment:

Your book was extraordinary! One question I have is what part of the book is favorite? My favorite part is when Judd makes a deal with marty that if he works 20 hours he will get Shiloh. The last question I have is why did you make Shiloh in the book a boy but the real Shiloh is a girl.

Comment:

To be honest, Shiloh started out in my book as a female dog.  But there were too many places where I talked about Marty “hugging and stroking her,” and I was a little afraid that if a boy who didn’t know what the book was about, picked it up and read a sentence like that, he  might think Marty was hugging a girlfriend and not want to read any more.  So to be on the safe side, I turned Shiloh into a male.

Why were Judd’s parents mean?

Comment:

Your book was amazing we just finished reading your book Shiloh it was amazing. Bot one question I have is why were Judd`s parents so mean to him? But your book was amazing and are whole fourth grade class loved it.

 

Phyllis replied:

So often, when parents mistreat their child, it’s because they also had a very difficult childhood and their own parents were mean to them.  Sometimes parents just have so many problems of their own that they take their anger and disappointment out on their children.  It takes a special person to say to himself, “I don’t want to turn out like my own parents, so I’m going to show kindness and love to my children, the way I wish my parents had been to me.”

Why did you become a writer?

Comment:

In the book Shiloh why does Marty have such a strong love for Shiloh? What inspired you to become a writer? I’m your biggest fan!

 

Phyllis replied:

Marty simply has a big heart, and he wanted to save this frightened little dog.  I think I became a writer because my parents read aloud to us every night, almost until we were in high school.  Of course we could read for ourselves, and we did, but when my parents read aloud, especially Mark Twain’s books–Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn– they were very dramatic, and it was almost like watching and listening to a performance.  I loved stories so much I decided to write them, and had my first story (not book) published when I was 16.

 

Are Judd’s dogs mean?

Comment:

I adored your memorable book, Shiloh!I watched the movie too in school and really liked it. I have some questions to ask. One, why did you turn the Shiloh trilogy into the Shiloh quartet. Also, are Judd Traver’s dogs as nasty as the Baker’s German Sheperd.

 

Phyllis replied:

I had thought that the third book would be the last  Shiloh book, but then I realized I really wanted to write a bit more about Marty’s relationship with Judd, so I wrote the fourth book, which made it a quartet.   Judd’s dogs were in danger of being as violent as the German shepherd, but once Marty helped build a fence around Judd’s yard so that the dogs wouldn’t have to be chained up anymore, and once he and Judd began to play with them, they became much more friendly. But I won’t be writing another Shiloh book, as there are too many other books I want to work on.

How old was Marty?

Comment:

Me and my classmates read your book Shiloh. Everybody enjoyed your book and didn’t like Judd. I have a couple of questions. One what was your favorite part about Shiloh? My favorite part is, well I have a lot of favorite parts like when Marty first finds Shiloh or when Marty was alone and finally got to really play with Shiloh inside and outside. Two why did you decide to make Judd curse? Three can you make a book about Marty and Shiloh after the three books or is one of the other two books that, I’ve only read the first Shiloh book. My final question is how old was Marty when the first book took place?

Ps, me and my classmates watched your movie today and loved it.

 

Phyllis replied:

I made Judd cuss a couple of times, because when you portray a character, you have to imagine how he would walk, he would talk, he would look, he would treat other people…and it seemed to me that he was a man who would swear.  I believe that Marty was eleven in the first book.  If you read the final three books, you will see how things end up with Marty, Judd and Shiloh.

Did you like it too?

Comment:

Me and my classmates finished the book an the movie Shiloh. We liked it. I hope you liked it, too.

 

Phyllis replied:

If I don’t like a story I’ve written, I don’t send it to the publishing company.  I’m glad you liked it.

when did the story happen?

Comment:
You’re book Shiloh is beautifully written. Shiloh was the highlight of our day in my 4th grade classroom.Whenever my teacher stopped reading we all begged her to read more. All of my classmates tensed up at the scary parts. We cried at the sad parts, and we laughed at the funny parts. That goes to say you’re book has so much emotion.
One question after reading your book is when did it take place? I noticed that you said that the Preston’s didn’t have a phone, and there was no mention of I-phones, so I was not sure. Thank you so much for writing Shiloh,and Happy Holidays!

 

Phyllis replied:

The book takes place around the 1980’s.

Love the suspense

Comment:

Did you ever cry during the book when you wrote it? My favorite part was when at the end of chapter 8 when Ma sees Marty with Shiloh and then the chapter ends. I absolutely love the suspense. Also why is Judd so mean, was he the person who was supposed to be mean to Shiloh?

 

Phyllis replied:

Some of the scenes brought tears to my eyes.  If Judd hadn’t been mean–mistreating his dogs, what would the plot have been?   Something has to happen in a book–something has to change.