An Interview with Ashley Scott

Ashley Scott writes stories and journals that celebrate magic, wonder, and the extraordinary connections that shape our lives.

As an author of cozy fantasy, humorous fantasy adventures, and heartfelt animal fantasy, Ashley creates imaginative worlds filled with clever dragons, unforgettable cats, unlikely heroes, and characters searching for where they truly belong. Her books blend humor, emotion, friendship, and found family, reminding readers that courage often comes from the most unexpected places.

Her fantasy series include Corbin & Company, a witty adventure through a magical world of dragons, quests, friendship, and wonderfully complicated bureaucracy, and The Marvelous Cats of McFarland Park, a moving animal fantasy series about loyalty, survival, love, and the bonds between animals and humans.

Through her Enchanted Pages guided journal collection, Ashley also creates spaces for reflection, creativity, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-discovery. From cat-inspired gratitude journals to magical journeys through dreams, moonlight, and personal growth, her journals invite readers to slow down and reconnect with their own stories.

Whether writing about a dragon with a fondness for tea, a cat searching for home, or the quiet magic found within ourselves, Ashley believes the greatest adventures are not always the ones that take us far away—sometimes they are the ones that lead us back to who we were meant to become.

The truest journeys are not the ones that lead us away, but the ones that carry us home.

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Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I started out calling it The Marvelous Cats of McFarland Park, but I just thought that it was so generic and boring. I didn’t think it really told anything about the book except that it was about cats and set in my fictional McFarland Park. As time passed and I delved deeper into the world of cats, I realized that the story was about two cats in particular: a young female who, by the time the book ended, would have had at least one litter of kittens, and her relationship with an aging tom who teaches her how to live wild and helps her find her place. Cats who have had kittens are no longer mollies; they are called queens. So, the story was about one particular queen and one specific tom. Before I knew it, it became The Queen and the Tom.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was knocked out! Of course, I approved the electronic proof, but it was so brilliant and vivid when I held it in my hands! Holding the physical proof of the book was almost overwhelming, but nowhere near as exciting as when I lifted the first printed book out of my first shipment of books. I did an unboxing video of it, and people on my FB page said that it was clearly visible how emotional it made me. I don’t ever want to lose that feeling, regardless of how many I may write!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I kept trying to write my mother’s and our family’s journey through her Alzheimer’s disease, but it just wouldn’t come. This story began with a two-page short story I wrote in college. When I found it again, I realized I could make something of it.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I worked for the federal government for twenty-one years: the Department of Defense where I wrote nuclear, biological, and chemical courses for soldiers (I even trained in a Chemical Defense Training Facility with live biological nerve agents), for the Department of Labor, and for the Department of Education, where I retired. Before that, I worked at the grassroots level of helping people with job training. But the sexy job I had was when I sang in a band and wrote songs that I performed.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Knowing that people would hold the book in their hands and hopefully enjoy it. Of course, the most meaningful part was knowing that a little piece of my cat Rudy would live on in this and other stories.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I don’t know. I created a cinematic trailer for it and came across the perfect music for it. I would probably ask the person who did that piece of music to write the entire soundtrack for it because it was so perfect! It gave me chills!

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

What I always tell people at my book events: It is about love, loyalty, found family, and finding your place in your world.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I actually have several I am working on. One is the backstory of Rudy, or Sir Evinrude Underfoot, which my editor urged me to remove from the original draft and make into another book. The second is the redemption arc for Diego. I just couldn’t leave him never knowing love. And then I have a collection of “cat tails” that are told to the kittens before they go to sleep, and, finally, an activity book for children based on The Queen and the Tom. I also have a collection of paranormal/horror stories I have written (I was watching too many crime documentaries).

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Atmosphere Press has been amazing to work with. From the editorial team to the artists. It is a well-oiled machine that keeps you in the loop every step of the way. Everyone has been professional, encouraging, and really made me feel at home with them!

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