Donna Beserra was inspired to write books because of a hobby she shared with her children. When they were very young, the kids loved to act out their favorite fairy tales. To encourage their creativity, Donna began making costumes and allowing the children to perform the stories on home video. Donna and the kids produced their own versions of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and a variety of other children's tales. Donna eventually decided to create a fairy tale of her own. She designed a set of spinning braids for her daughter Shereene, who starred as Twirly Shirley, a little girl whose braids began spinning whenever she was nervous or excited. Donna created costumes for her other children (Nadia, Sabrina, Donnie, and grandson Trent), who also became members of the cast of characters. Together they performed "Twirly Shirley in My Sister the Twister". In this story, Shirley becomes nervous while trying out for a play of the "Wizard of Oz". Her braids spin her into a funnel cloud, and the Twirly Shirley Twister rages through the town, creating sheer panic among the townspeople. This homemade movie turned out so well, that Donna decided to publish it as a book, so she and the children could share the story with others. The original Twirly Shirley story evolved into a series that includes, "Twirly Shirley in Hurricane Shirley", "Twirly Shirley and the Brother Like No Other", and "Twirly Shirley and the Tsunami Mommy". Donna has recently published animated cartoon versions of the stories.Donna went on to add the Creative Creatures Series of interactive books to her collection of published work. These stories were designed to inspire children to discover their talents. Each book features a different child and creature, emphasizing that each child is unique, with his or her own special set of talents. Stories in this series include "Buffy the Butterfly's Apple Orchard",, "Barton the Bat's Pumpkin Patch", "Maurice the Mouse's Cornfield", and "Pirate the Parrot's Tropical Treasure".Donna has taught multiple classes, and organized performances based on her children's books. She has also produced her own "Discover Your Talent" television show. Donna has added books and classes for adults to her collection. She desires to inspire children and adults of all ages to discover their God-given interests and abilities.
