The Author

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Linda Harkey is a multi-award-winning children’s author formerly from Angel Fire in the Sangre De Christo Mts in the U.S. state of New Mexico, now Oklahoma City in the state of Oklahoma. When she lived with her late husband Mike on their thirty-acre ranch in Angel Fire she was surrounded with spectacular scenery and wildlife such as black bears, mountain cougars and elk. It had its advantages and disadvantages living ten thousand feet above sea-level something Linda is going to miss very much, but since the passing of her beloved husband Mike earlier on this year that lifestyle was proving too much of a challenge for her and she has decided to move back to Oklahoma. 

Linda is a past teacher and an enthusiastic hunting dog owner for more than thirty years. Plus, she has spent at least twenty odd years as a volunteer docent at two of Oklahoma’s outstanding museums. Linda was married to Mike a retired surgical pathologist for more years than she cares to recall, she has two children and three grandchildren to date, and one great grandchild, again to date. 

R.I.P Mike, who was ‘The Master’ character in the books. 

Check out our video chat here!

The Book

Well, what can I say about this latest children’s book Linda Harkey has put out, Well! It’s WOW! WOW! WOW! She’s poured her heart and soul into it. It’s the story of four farmyard animals venturing out on a journey from Cowlick Ranch to Rancher Girard’s Cow Retirement Ranch. What unfolds on this daring escape, simply to avoid the dreaded Cooking School hmm…! Well let’s find out. 

Middle-Grade Readers are going to love this book!!!

List of Characters Starring in this book

Lova-Bull: A small but powerful dark-red Hereford Bull
Mud-Pie: A Black Angus Cow
Bernie: A Silver Black Raven Chick
Blue Moon: The Chihuahuan Raven
Gracie: The Gray Burro
The Huntress: A Cougar with her two cubs.

The story is told across nine chapters all backed by bright, vivid, adorable illustrations done by Jeff Yesh.

List of Chapters 

Chapter 1: Going to Cooking School
Chapter 2: Planning the Escape
Chapter 3: Escape from Cowlick Ranch
Chapter 4: The Lightning Storm
Chapter 5 Four-Wheeled, Two-Eyed Monsters
Chapter 6: Safe at Duck Pond
Chapter 7: The Huntress
Chapter 8: Ravens to the Rescue
Chapter 9 Ready for Retirement Life

Awards and Recommendations for Linda’s book The Great Animal Escape

Outstanding Creator Awards- Winner- Best Children’s Book of Summer 2024(2nd Place)
Rural Life/Farm (2nd Place)
Comedy/Humour (2nd Place)
Animals (1st Place)
Best Character (Honourable Mention)
Best Villain (Honourable Mention)
Cutest Character (Honourable Mention)
Best Team (Honourable Mention)
Funny/Strange/Bizarre (Honourable Mention)
Coolest Character (Honourable Mention)

NYC Big Books Award – Chapter Books 2024
Best International Book-Winner Best Cinematic Project of the Year 2024
Summer 2024 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards- Best Book Juvenile Fiction
Children’s Book Council, Every Child a Reader
Ideal International Film Festival: The Great Animal Escape- Selected
S.O.F.A. Film Festival- The Great Animal Escape-Selected (Animals, Wildlife, Environment, Conservation)
London Movie Awards: Gold Award Feature Script 2024
New Mexico Books Association, Southwest Books Design and Production Award- Winner 2024
World Film Festival in Cannes: Best Original Story-Winner 2024
Best Indie Book & Best Writer: Telluride New Stories Film Festival 2024

Other Books

Hickory Doc’s Tale Series
All about the adventures of a pack of German Shorthaired Pointer Hunting Dogs

Hickory Doc’s Tales: The Pack First Generation
Solitary Toes and Brown-Headed Cowbirds (A Hickory Doc’s Tale)
Doc, Willie and the Pack: Secrets. Gifts, Family (A Hickory Doc’s Tale)
Doc’s Dog Days (A Hickory Doc’s Activity Book)
The Remarkable Story of Willie the Crow (A Hickory Doc’s Tale)

Chatty the Hen Pheasant Travels with the Pack
Blake Jake’s Unusual Day Travels with the Pack
Desert Friends 2nd Edition Travels with the Pack
The Wayward Path of the Devil and Mr Snake in the Garden of Eden

Publishers

Story Monsters Press: www.storymonsterspress.com / store/ search Linda Harkey.
Archway Publishers: www.archwaypublishing.com/bookstore/lindaharkey

Social Media Sites & Webpage

Please visit Linda’s webpage to find out more about herself and all her books and awards: www.harkeybooks.com

www.storymonsters.com/bookstore/lindaharkey
www.facebook.com.harkeybooks/
www.instagram.comharkeybooks

Awards For Linda’s other Books

Linda has countless literary awards too many to mention, we’d need another podcast interview just to talk about them, so let’s just say she’s a multi-award-winning author and leave it at that. Have a look at her webpage to see what they are.

Podcast Info 

This podcast is available to listen to on all major social podcast platforms, search Talking Books hosted by J T Crowley. The video is available on YouTube search Talking Books hosted by J T Crowley and now on Roku and Amazon Fire Stick streaming devices. Download the Experts and Authors App on your Roku or Amazon Firestick Device or visit: www.Expertsandauthors.tv online and click TALKING BOOKS.

Thank you, Linda, for coming back on my show to talk about your latest book 
‘The Great Animal Escape’
What a book! I wish you every success with it and of course with all your other multi-award-winning-Children’s books. Zeke is still my favourite character out of all your books, even though he thought he was a cut above all the other dogs in the pack.

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