Former Memphis mayor now a children’s author

Daniel Weaver has written six books so far

By Barb Pert Templeton

Real estate appraiser, politician, sign designer and maple syrup maker.

It seems the list of the talents of former Memphis resident Daniel Weaver are endless and now he’s adding author to his impressive resume. He most recently self-published the children’s book, “Tails of Love – Canine Parables for the Heart” via the publishing company he founded called, ‘Woven Dreams Press.’

A native of Tennessee, Weaver and his family moved to Memphis in 2001, returning to his wife, Jaci Welbes-Weaver’s hometown.  While working as a real estate appraiser, Weaver served a year on the Memphis Planning Commission, six years on city council and then three terms as mayor. 

In 2015 he resigned his mayoral seat and moved out of state. After initially moving to New England in 2015, the Weavers found their current home in New Hampshire in 2016.  It’s a colonial house in the mountains of New Hampshire that was built in 1790 and is known as Blackwood Farm. He resides there with his wife plus dogs, chickens, and turkeys.

“I still am a real estate appraiser, and I appraise commercial properties throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire as well as provide consulting services,” Weaver said. “I have stayed out of politics as much as possible, keeping myself busy with hobbies like our Sugar Shack making maple syrup right now.”

Blue Water Healthy Living caught up with Weaver and posed some questions about his new book writing ventures.

Blue Water Healthy Living: When did you decide to write a book and when was the first one published?

Author Daniel Weaver: This was a bit of a funny story. We have heard moose at night on our property but have never actually seen a moose and Jaci and I joke about the fact that moose are really good at hide and seek.  Early one morning I was driving Jaci to the airport to fly to Michigan to see our grandchildren, and she told me to watch out for deer. I said, “we will see the moose first.” To which she said, they would not be together, because they are not in the same family.  When I got back home, I looked it up and deer and moose are actually from the same family. It made me think of the first story and I figured I could write it and Jaci could read it to the grandchildren. I wrote the first book that morning, and I hired an illustrator in Indonesia and then I had it published on Amazon. I received such good feedback, especially from families with adoptive children, that it made me want to write more. (The book, is called “We are Family” featuring Darcy the deer and Melvin the moose and was published in 2021 – there are currently three books in the Darcy and Melvin series.)

BWHL: Why children’s books?   

Weaver: The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it seems like some of the moral lessons that children need to know are not being taught as much as they used to be. Cartoons, ever since Bart Simpson, seemed to have moved further and further from education and more toward a “base” humor and entertainment.  So, I wrote a few more books with a moral lesson.  

BWHL: Where do you get ideas for your stories?

Weaver: Anyone who knows me will tell you, if there is one thing, I never run short of its ideas.  I remember Bart (Dunsmore, Memphis DPW Director) used to say he knew when his caller ID showed it was me calling, he was going to hear “I was thinking, I have an idea.” I am filled with ideas.

BWHL: How long does it take to create a book – start to finish?

Weaver: Not long, really. I wrote my latest book – after getting up with the idea in the morning -and had it done, including illustrations, by the end of the day.  If I get the spark of inspiration, I can get the initial story completed in 15 to 20 minutes, it is usually between 1,000 and 5,000 words, which is hardly anything. In my profession I write several 200 to 500 page reports each week so a few thousand words is no issue at all.

BWHL: What is the most challenging aspect of being an author?

Weaver: Marketing is where I am still learning. Technology has made it where there are many choices and standing out in the crowd is not something that is easy to accomplish.

BWHL: What do you enjoy about the process?

Weaver: Two things I enjoy are the act of creation and the response from readers. I really enjoy taking a spark of an idea and creating something from that spark.  For me writing has always been a release valve for my emotions, this is especially true if you read my story “My Very Bad, Very Sad Day” which was my outlet for when I lost my 18-year-old Peke Gizmo. I recall the way that Dr. Stacy Schramm-Williams of Greenwood Veterinary Associates in Memphis had made the previous loss of Cheeto (a Britney spaniel I had in Memphis) so much less traumatic on me. 

BWHL: I see you have three books on the market now, do you have plans for more?

Weaver: I actually have six books published and I also have several more written just waiting to be illustrated. The new series will be about my grandchildren asking me questions and me coming up with an off the wall answer that is a bit crazy, but in the process teaches a lesson.  

BWHL: Is there a specific message you hope to relay with your books? 

Weaver: Each book does have a message, and they are messages that are an attempt to address some of the things that children need to know. 

BWHL: Are people surprised to learn a former businessman and mayor is now an author?

Weaver: Not the people who know me. My friends know if I have an idea, I often run with it. 

BWHL: Any plan to pen something about your time in Memphis, Michigan?

Weaver: I actually have started a book about politics and much of it, so far, does focus on how lucky I was to be able to experience politics in a town like Memphis. There were so many times I feel I was given credit for an entire community that was ready for change and ready to do everything in their power to recover that lost sense of community. Pride was the fuel for the renaissance that Memphis experienced. My ‘politics’ book talks about those very things based on my experience.  

To find out more about Weaver’s books including purchasing them visit https://danielgweaver.com/books/.