BOOKS BY PAULA VAYAS
Gentle Stories for the Big Feelings of Growing Up
Fort Both-of-Us
Oliver & Clementine, Book 1Oliver is building a Lookout Tower. Clementine is building a Dragon’s Nest. They both need the same pile of blankets, and neither says a word about it, until one simple question turns a tumbled heap into something better than either could build alone.A warm, funny early chapter book about communication: say what you mean, listen, and ask.Ages 3–8 · Kindle pre-order available now
Paperback coming November 10, 2026
Kingdom Both-of-us
Oliver & Clementine, Book 2It’s a rainy afternoon. Oliver wants to build the tallest tower in the world. Clementine wants to play Dragon Hunters. Neither will budge, until one small question turns a tower and a dragon into Kingdom Both-of-Us.A warm, funny early chapter book about conflict resolution: cool down, ask why, and build for both.Ages 3–8 · Kindle pre-order available now
Paperback coming November 10, 2026
The Tree
A fantasy chapter bookGrace and Sam’s mother used to tell them bedtime stories about a secret world inside an enchanted tree. Months after losing her, Grace is certain the Magic Tree is real, and it’s the old banyan tree in their own front yard.A tender, funny, wonder-filled story about grief, love, and imagination, and how the people we lose are never as far away as they seem.Ages 9–12 · Kindle pre-order available now
Paperback and hardcover coming November 10, 2026
About the author
Paula Vayas is a lifelong storyteller who writes stories that inspire imagination, resilience, and hope. She first wrote about Oliver and Clementine in the early 2000s, when they were, frankly, a disaster: two thoroughly naughty children dragged along on their mother’s business trips abroad, in stories with titles like Patience in Paris. Nearly three decades later, they’ve mellowed into the imperfect but fundamentally kind siblings of Fort Both-of-Us and Kingdom Both-of-Us. Paula likes to think Paris humbled them.She is a founder of MotivationCheck™, a soft skills training company whose tools help adults strengthen their communication, conflict resolution, teamwork, and leadership skills. The lessons are the same ones Oliver and Clementine are learning; the players are simply taller. Paula also serves on the board of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, where she champions creativity, education, and child-centered discovery.The Tree grew out of years of bedtime stories for her son, recorded on her Apple Watch while he pushed against going to sleep and his Sandwich Generation mama tried to stay awake long enough to switch the laundry. Woven through them is make-believe from her own childhood. The book took its final shape after Paula lost her own mother, and writing it helped her and her son heal together.Originally from Manhattan, Paula lives in Naples, Florida, with her husband, her son, and two rescue dogs: Estia, a Belgian Malinois, and Homer, a black Lab who mostly watches and occasionally gets underfoot, much like his fictional counterpart.
get in touch
Questions, school visits, or a story about how Oliver, Clementine, or the Magic Tree touched you or someone you know? I'd love to hear from you.
Be encouraged,
Paula
Follow along on Instagram:
@paulavayasauthor
© 2026 Paula Vayas. All rights reserved.
Published by Turtle on a Fence Publishing