Michael Murillo

Angie Albrecht-Smith brings her cat, Willie, to any speaking engagements or book signings where he’s allowed.

He’s not there just for moral support. It’s his event as much as hers.

Willie, a Maine Coon, is the main character in Albrecht-Smith’s line of children’s books. The Land O’ Lakes resident released the second book in the “Willie’s Critter Tales” series earlier this year by Tate Publishing. “Willie’s Friend Visits” is the follow-up to “Willie Meets A Possum,” which was published in 2010.

In the stories, Willie encounters a variety of animals: Possums, deer, doves, chipmunks and other cats. He’s always eager to meet someone new, even if they’re very different than he is, with their own ways of eating and living.

While Albrecht-Smith confirms that the stories come from true events with a little imagination thrown in, there’s a parallel between Willie’s welcoming attitude and her own life.

Her husband, Frank, is a construction manager with specialized skills, and the couple have traveled all over the world during their 43 years together.

Every few years Albrecht-Smith has made a new home, sometimes in a different state, and other times in a different country. Whether it’s England, Trinidad or Saudi Arabia, Albrecht-Smith had the same open attitude toward different experiences as she gives Willie in her books.

“You have different mindsets and you have different cultures, but what God’s always shown me is you can find common ground,” she said of the people she’s met in her travels. “They want to provide for their family. They want to have a good life, and most people want to treat others well.”

Albrecht-Smith made an effort to live among the people in that particular country, rather than in a community with other Americans living there. She would go from house to house, introducing herself and her children, Abraham and Patience, to their new neighbors.

Even though some were hesitant, she soon forged friendships that way, and was able to bond with each community, even if they didn’t stay long.

Albrecht-Smith is used to making an impact on people in a short amount of time, and she wants to do the same with her book series.

Because they’re intended for children, the books aren’t long and are easy to read. The idea is that parents can read them to their children, or have the children read to their parents. In either case, the act of sharing fosters communication at a time when she sees too many people staring at a cellphone instead of interacting with someone close to them.

“We’ve lost the art of conversing,” Albrecht-Smith said. “Either that child reading to you or you reading to them — There is nothing that will replace that bonding experience.”

While the books aren’t overly religious, readers will usually find a mention or two of God in the story.

That’s also by design.

Albrecht-Smith is an ordained Christian minister, and faith plays a big role in her life. She’s also active with animal rescue organizations; her pets, including Willie, are rescues.

While the book aims to help people communicate, it also helped the author with communication when she went through a difficult time in her life.

The author’s son, Abraham, passed away (Albrecht-Smith prefers the phrase “called home”) around the time her first book came out. Doing publicity for the book became a cathartic experience, and the warm reception she received when she spoke was a help to her as both a writer and a mother.

“That is when I started breathing again. I love people. I love talking to them. I love listening to their stories,” Albrecht-Smith said. “That helped me more than anything.”

Albrecht-Smith is still talking to people, whether it’s talking to children about her latest book, or writing workshops with young adults.

And she’s still writing.

She plans to speed up the releases of her books, with a goal of the next one being published in 2016.

She wants to complete six books in Willie’s series before moving to a separate group of stories with her other cat, Ernie. Those stories should be more whimsical to match Ernie’s personality, she said.

Future stories will cover different topics, such as caring for a rescue pet, and what plans people make for their pets when they pass away (Patience now cares for Abraham’s cat). But they’ll keep the same respectful tone regarding meeting new people, sharing a variety of experiences and searching for common ground with those who seem different.

The same kind of respect for others that Albrecht-Smith maintained in her travels around the world.

“I never preached. I just tried to treat everybody like God treats me, which is very kind and very forgiving,” she said.

For more information about the “Willie’s Critter Tales” series, call (888) 361-9473, or visit TatePublishing.com.

Published July 1, 2015