Local author publishes third children's book about wolves
Nov. 29—Forming a bond with an animal is something that a lot of people have experienced and enjoy, but for Rick Parent of Commerce, the special relationships he's formed with wolves he's taken into his home have served as inspiration for multiple books.
"Wolves are the most misunderstood species in the world, and I was determined to change that," Parent said.
In 2018, Parent published his first book, "The Hunter Chronicles," a collection of anecdotes about his first wolf, which he named Hunter.
Parent and Hunter's time together started in 2000, when Parent, his wife and his children visited Arbuckle Wilderness Park in Oklahoma. As it turned out, the zoo was selling members of a litter of wolf pups. His wife (at the time) was smitten with them, and he reluctantly agreed to adopt one.
"It made my wife happy until he began repeatedly walking to my lap during the drive home to Texas," Parent said. "He was determined to proclaim me the 'Alpha' and he would happily take the role of the beta wolf.
"By the end of the three-hour drive, I was in love, but I had concerns."
Parent then read several books and watched several DVDs about wolves to learn how to properly care for Hunter. The two then lived 17 happy years together.
About a year before Hunter died, Parent was contacted by Texas Best Choice Animal Rescue to help socialize a litter of wolf pups, where he made a particularly good impression on a female pup he named Windsong.
"During my visit, I was so impressed by one female that crawled into my arms and refused to leave," Parent said.
"Hunter raised her and taught her even more about love," Parent continued. "Where Hunter was majestic, Windy is goofy, childlike and innocent, trusting everyone."
Windsong's playful "childlike" demeanor eventually inspired Parent to write a series of children's books about her life and times.
The series, so far, consists of three books, titled "My Beginning," "Coming Home," and the recently released "My Training Day." All of the books are written in first person point of view, describing real life events the way Windsong may have understood them.
"I decided to teach children the truth about wolves in a series of books that was illustrated with photos, not cartoons," Parent explained.
All three books are for sale online on Amazon, and Parent will be doing a book signing at At the Top Art Gallery in the Uptown Forum in Greenville on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 1-4 p.m.
Currently, Parent plans for his Windsong series to eventually include 10 books.
"This series is Windy's story of love," Parent said. "A Wolf's 'love of pack' is something to behold.
"Being loved by a wolf is sacred," he said. "Thank you, God."
