Author/Publisher, Danielle Wilkinson Steiner 
Danielle Wilkinson Steiner decided to pursue her great desire to write after fifteen years in the publishing industry and the birth of her daughter. The inspiration for her children’s book series, The Great Adventures of Nina Puppalina and Lizzy Lou, is based upon her spirited daughter Elizabeth Louise (Lizzy Lou) and the relationship she has with her feisty canine companion, Nina. Together they make for whimsical fun and share the story of enduring friendship between a child and her dog. Danielle hopes her books will inspire other families to adopt pets through their local SPCA and other nonprofit, animal-rescue organizations. Danielle is a freelance writer living in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband Wes, Lizzy Lou, and Nina Puppalina.
Artist, Sarah Ashmun

Sarah is a mixed-media artist and illustrator also living in Charlottesville, Virginia. She strives to help people communicate their ideas through bold visual interpretations, drawing inspiration from her diverse background in urban design, studio art, and graphic design. Some of her favorite mediums include watercolor, pen and ink, colored pencil, marker, and digital drawing techniques. For The Great Adventures of Nina Puppalina and Lizzy Lou series, her goal is to help the reader see through a dog's eyes. She creates illustrations that are inspired by general features of the animal's eyesight. Dogs see the world in a more expansive, panoramic view than humans, and also see certain colors more prominently than others including blue and green. This series is a glimpse into what may be considered a doggy-dream world.
Damaris Curran Herlihy, Editorial and Publishing Consultant

Damaris Curran Herlihy is the mom of two little boys who love bringing their own stories to life. Their imaginations inspired Damaris to bring stories to other children and to forge her own path in publishing. A lifelong lover of reading, a career path with big publishers, and an entrepreneurial spirit led her to launch Curran Press and Editorial Consulting, LLC. Serendipity brought old colleagues Danielle and Damaris together for The Great Adventures of Nina Puppalina and Lizzy Lou. Damaris lives with her husband and two sons in the coastal village of Rockport, Massachusetts.
Nina Puppalina

Nina is the beloved dog of the Steiner family and Lizzy’s best friend. Nina’s birthday is October 26, 2012. Her adopted parents tell her it’s also their 10th anniversary. Nina spent the first few weeks of her life with her rescue-dog Mom and her six siblings. It was two days before Christmas when Nina saw Lizzy Lou at a local SPCA adoption-day fair; it was love at first sight! Nina went to her new home with Danielle, Wes, and Lizzy Lou on New Year’s Eve 2012. 

Nina loves to play tug of war, chase Lizzy Lou and butterflies in the yard, and really enjoys snuggling next to anyone who wants to cuddle with her. Her favorite thing to do when she meets someone new is to run in circles and tell that person how excited she is! Her favorite person is her beloved Lizzy Lou. She lives with Lizzy Lou and the rest of her adopted family in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Lizzy Lou

In her own words, Lizzy Lou has a great sense of humor and loves to hug. She lives with her parents and dog Nina. She loves to dress up and play games. She has also started her own cooking class. Stay tuned for new recipes! She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. She also has a pet fish named 
Sapphire Shores. The best part about her is her fabulous friends--especially, Nina Puppalina! The End.
*Portrait photography 
of author and illustrator by 
Brianna LaRocco. 


Publisher portrait by
Esther Mathieu.