Check out our interview with A.J. Symon, the author of "Golden Boy."

What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?

Ironically for a book that’s meant to lift people up, the inspiration for my new novel Golden Boy came from a very painful moment in my life. I lost my golden retriever service dog of ten years very suddenly. It pretty much broke me.

I could barely get out of bed for weeks. All I could do was watch TV and read. But everything was so dark and cynical that it made me feel worse. I’m a writer by trade — screenplays mostly — so I just started writing. It wasn’t really a conscious decision. I just did it. And a couple of months later, out came Golden Boy.

Golden Boy isn’t a memoir. It’s a fictional story that captures the feeling that my dog awoke in me for all those years. There is, obviously, some heartbreak. But mostly it’s about joy and fun and unconditional love. When I look back on the experience today, I realize that I ended up writing the story that I needed to read myself.

So if I can offer your readers a bit of unsolicited advice… When you’re in a funk, if you’re sad or angry or feeling misunderstood, write. If you can turn that feeling into art, and share it with the world, so much the better. Write a story. Write a poem. Because if you’re feeling that way, there are plenty of others who feel that way, too, who could be helped by your story.

But even if you have no aspirations to write, just get those feelings out in a diary or whatever. Writing is amazing therapy. No one has to read it. It helps you clear your head. It heals.

What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?

Personally, it means hearing other voices, exploring different perspectives, developing empathy. It’s such an honor to get an unguarded look inside the head of someone who’s lived a different experience than yours, to feel what it’s like to live in their shoes.

Reading is a vital tool for building bridges. It’s hard to hate someone when you see their humanity. And that’s what books do.

Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when writing books?

Imagine what it must feel like never to recognize yourself in the stories you read. You feel small, insignificant, unimportant. Diverse stories are a way of showing that you matter. That your story is worth telling. That you are seen and heard. That you’re part of the fabric of the world.

Diverse stories also help build bridges, as I mentioned earlier. Even though the stories are about people who are different in some way, we all live universal truths. We have the same fears, the same joys, the same aspirations. Diverse stories show our common humanity, and when we see each other as real, fully realized human beings, it’s much harder to hate and much easier to love.

Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.

Golden Boy is really a wish-fulfillment fantasy for me because I was able to accomplish through fiction what I couldn’t in real life. The main character Emma is a teen science prodigy who refuses to accept that her golden retriever is dying. And in her attempt to save his life by enhancing his genetic code, she accidently transforms him into a human boy. (Hijinks ensue when he becomes the hero of the failing high school football team.) I think of it as a comedic take on Frankenstein where the “monster,” i.e. Emma’s golden-turned-human, goes on a rampage of unconditional love and ends up transforming the hearts of everyone in town.

What can fans expect from your book?

I think anyone who’s ever felt misunderstood or lonely or bullied or a combination of all three will relate to Emma. I based her on my own high school experience, feeling alienated from everyone including my family with my dog as my only friend. Emma has been burned, but having her dog at her side gives her the confidence to take some risks, start connecting with people, and begin to understand that she’s not alone.

Readers can expect some laughs and some tears. I hope Golden Boy touches their hearts and adds some joy to their lives.

What’s up next for you in the bookish world?

I’ll be touring so please check my event schedule on ajsymon.com and feel free to e-mail me if you’d like me to visit your town. I also have some sequels and prequels in the works. I’m very excited about exploring Emma’s family history and how she inherited this quirky fascination with science and love for animals. I have my fingers crossed that readers will enjoy the ride.