Shiloh Blog

Was Shiloh real?

Comment:

hi, did you recue Shiloh if he is real? I rescued my dog and I love her.

Phyllis replied:

Sometimes rescued dogs are the most lovable!   Actually, this dog followed my husband and me back to our friends’ house in West Virginia, when we were there visiting.  I could tell she (this dog was female) was hungry and abused, and later heard that my friends adopted her and named her Clover.   We went back to visit a number of times before she died, and she was, indeed, “the happiest dog in West Virginia!”

shiloh

Comment:

Hi,I read the book “Shiloh” in class. I love it! I have 2 questions. 1.Is Shiloh a dog that relates to your live. 2.How did you come up with that name if it is not the name of a dog that relates to your life.

Phyllis replied:

Hmmm.  Sounds like a class assignment.  1.  Shiloh was the name I gave to the dog character in my book, based on the abused dog I found in West Virginia.  2.  The place where I actually came across this dog was a small community called Shiloh.  I’m glad you liked my book!

Shiloh is amazing!

Comment:
I absolutely love Shiloh’s books! You came up with very interesting and informative ideas! I have two question though… why did you decide  to have Marty have such a great connection with Shiloh? Also, did you like the idea of the new character in the 1st Shiloh movie? Great job on all of your writing!

Phyllis replied:

If Marty had not had such a great connection with Shiloh, it wouldn’t have been much of a plot, would it?  I didn’t feel that the addition of a new character in the movie was necessary, but the producers wanted to make sure that girls would enjoy the movie as much as boys, so they added a girl, and called her “Sam.”

Favorite Dogs

Comment:

I was a big fan of where the red fern growS as a child.My favorite dog was a coon hound red color named atlas.

Phyllis replied:

We grew up with a Springer Spaniel named Pepper.  I still remember the night my Dad brought her home.  We had made her a nice warm bed in our basement, but when we left her alone she whimpered.  So we gave her my younger brother’s teddy bear, and she snuggled right up to it and went to sleep.

 

which book should i read first?

Comment:

I have 2 Shiloh books Saving Shiloh with a boy holding the dog and a man on the cover and the other is just called Shiloh with the dog on the cover. which one do i read first in order to understand the book?

 

Phyllis replied:

Read Shiloh first.  There are a total of four books in the series.  Here is the order you should read them if you can:  Shiloh, Shiloh Season, Saving Shiloh, A Shiloh Christmas.

 

Author Letter From Ethyn

Comment:

Shiloh was the best book I have ever read in my life. You had a good ending at the end of shiloh. I have studied some good facts about you. Like you are best known by children’s novel books.
Out of all your books I have read I think shiloh is the best. You are the best author I have studied. You are one of my favorite authors.

Phyllis replied:

Thank you for your email.  I’m glad you liked the ending to the story.

My connection with Shiloh

Comment:
I’ve seen a hurt dog, In fact, my dog had been bitten and scratched on his face. I saw him at the pet store and just knew something had happened. He was so frail and fragile. Judd had been so cruel to Shiloh and it seemed as if Shiloh would be “scarred” in a way. I can’t imagine the way Shiloh looked when Marty saw him.
When Judd just gave up, Shiloh was safe and couldn’t get hurt anymore by him… but I thought that the horrors would never quite be forgiven or forgotten.
The way that Judd had changed in the way he thought about Marty and Shiloh had been so unexpected. After all the beating and abuse he caused to his dogs, he seemed like a forever selfish man, wanting only bad things for others and fortune for himself. When he gave the poor beagle to Marty it made me happy that Shiloh had finally gotten a permanent home with a loving family, that Judd would just let him go.
I realized Judd was broken and had only known the wrongs in his life, never being able to really help others. He needed to see the compassion between Marty and Shiloh to really understand selflessness so he could finally pull himself back together. Shiloh just needed a home where he was cared about, where his “feelings” were important.
No matter who or what you are, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, you need to see love and you need to experience love. Kindness is essential to life, even if people say that they don’t need it. I hope that nobody can go without that warmth of care.
Phyllis replied:

You seem like a very compassionate person, and it’s wonderful that your dog found a home with you.  Thanks so much for your email.

shiloh rocks!

Comment:

Dear Mrs. Naylor,
I am a 4th grade teacher in Palos Verdes, Ca. My students absolutely love reading Shiloh! We are just about to read the last chapter and they are on the edge of their seats. We have 2 questions…..1) Does your life relate to the story in any way? Do you personally know anyone who acts like Marty or Judd? 2) Why did you choose Friendly as the setting of your story? Have you been there before.
Thanks for being awesome! We hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Mrs. Cummins’ 4th Graders:)

Phyllis replied:

Since I found the dog in Shiloh, West Virginia, who inspired the Shiloh books, yes my life relates very much to the story.  And the fact that friends eventually adopted her (it was a female dog), meant that I got to see her again when we went to visit.  All the characters in my books are from my imagination, and I would love to think there are many kids around like Marty.  Shiloh is a real place, and so is Friendly.  Since that’s the location where I found the dog, that’s why I used real places in the story.

 

translate into Chinese

I am translating into Chinese, and would like to introduce it to Chinese kids. Would u please grand me the permission to do so?
Phyllis replied:

You would need to contact the rights department at my publisher, but I think there is already a Chinese translation.

Would you call me about Shiloh?

Comment:

id love to talk to you about your book Shiloh if you would please call me

Phyllis replied:

I’m sorry I can’t call you (even though you gave me your phone number).  I really wish I had time to call readers who write to me, but I’m trying so hard to concentrate on my next book.