Episode 6

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Published on:

23rd Mar 2026

Carmen Oliver

Episode 6 – Carmen Oliver

How did a magazine quiz, an episode of Oprah, and her daughter’s school reading buddy program set Carmen Oliver on the path to her first published book, Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies?

Find out in this episode of My First Book Story, where Meredith Davis talks with award-winning picture book author and founder of The Booking Biz, Carmen Oliver. They’ll trace the winding journey from stay-at-home mom to published author of the beloved Bears Make the Best Buddies series. Carmen shares how a magazine quiz and an Oprah episode first sparked her writing path, how years of volunteering with SCBWI built the community and mentorship that sustained her, and how research for one manuscript planted the seed for the book that would introduce her to readers worldwide. From a pivotal conference-floor conversation to a Christmastime phone call announcing her first deal, Carmen shares her story with warmth, faith, and hard-won encouragement for every writer still on the path.

Books mentioned

  • Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Bears-Reading-Buddies-Fiction-Picture/dp/1484691415)
  • Bears Make the Best Math Buddies (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Bears-Make-Best-Math-Buddies/dp/1684460794)
  • Bears Make the Best Writing Buddies (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Bears-Make-Best-Writing-Buddies/dp/1684460816)
  • Bears Make the Best Science Buddies (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Bears-Make-Best-Science-Buddies/dp/1684460832)
  • A Voice for the Spirit Bears (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Spirit-Bears-Inspired-CitizenKid/dp/1771389796)
  • Building an Orchestra of Hope (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Building-Orchestra-Hope-Chavez-Children/dp/0802854672)
  • A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes by Liz Garton Scanlon (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Sock-Pocket-Your-Toes-Book/dp/0060295260)
  • The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Little-Engine-That-Could/dp/0448401010)

Links

  • Carmen Oliver (https://carmenoliver.com)
  • Meredith Davis (https://meredithldavis.com)
  • Institute of Children’s Literature (https://www.writingforchildren.com)
  • Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (https://www.scbwi.org)
  • The Booking Biz (https://thebookingbiz.com)
  • The Writing Barn (https://www.writingbarn.com)
  • Highlights Foundation (https://www.highlightsfoundation.org)
  • Texas Library Association (https://txla.org)
  • Episode Webpage (https://meredithdavis.substack.com/p/carmen-olivers-first-book-story)

Theme music by Nate Davis

Produced by Clay Davis

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About the Podcast

My First Book Story
Interviews with successful authors about their journeys to their first published book
Welcome to My First Book Story, where I interview successful authors about their journeys to their first published book. Whether you’re still chasing your first book contract, going after the next one, or pursuing some other dream, these short interviews will inspire you to keep going.

Have you ever wondered how to break through an editor’s slush pile and breach the publishing wall? There are many paths to success, and each one is different. Mine was more than a decade in the making, others happened almost overnight. But the one thing each of these stories has in common is that it ends with a published book in the hands of readers.

I’m Meredith Davis, a traditionally published children’s book author living in Austin, Texas, a hotbed of talented book writers and illustrators. I’ve been in this world for thirty years, I’ve heard some great stories, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

About your host

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Meredith Davis

Meredith Davis is the author of THE MINOR MIRACLE and THE MINOR RESCUE, books one and two in THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF NOAH MINOR series (Waterbrook, 2024/25) and co-author of HER OWN TWO FEET: A RWANDAN GIRL’S BRAVE FIGHT TO WALK (Scholastic, 2019). She once worked at an independent children’s bookstore, started the Austin Chapter of SCBWI, and earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults at VCFA. Her superpowers include reading, grandmothering, and finding ways to fit more books in her Austin, Texas home.