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A seasoned CEO, entrepreneur, consultant, and marketing veteran, over the course of her career Summer Nilsson has represented the biggest names in publishing, fashion, and the arts, including People, Food Network Magazine, House Beautiful, Who What Wear, among many others. She is the founder and co-CEO of LINQ, author of The Land of the Pines, and founder and CEO of Loodor.
Loodor is built on the belief that life always comes full circle. We entertain with premium content that invokes thought, inspires communication, and fuels creativity. Through storytelling, products, and purpose-driven partnerships, we strive to spread a message of positivity, reinforce kindness, and underscore the power of one’s voice, beginning with the first tale, The Land of the Pines.
Raised in the small East Texas town of Daingerfield, Summer developed a deep appreciation for animals and nature. Though her career eventually led her to the city, her heart never left her hometown roots. The fictional Grey of the Loodor Tales was based upon Summer’s own cat, rescued at five weeks old from the side of a
rural road on a visit to her hometown in East Texas. The real-life Grey inspired Summer to establish the Nilsson Open A Dor Foundation, which aims to support organizations working to place sheltered animals in forever homes.
Summer lives in Dallas, Texas.
Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite
The Land of the Pines by Summer Nilsson is a debut novel about kindness, connection, and friendship. The Buzzy Bark has the important job of reporting the truth, and today it has delivered exciting news. Three kittens have been born! One of the kittens, Grey, knows she has a bigger destiny than being a barn cat. Though she has Miss Jay the Bird as an amazing mentor, she can't help wondering where else her destiny could take her, even if it means leaving the farm. Miss Jay helps her seek out Biggie the deer who knows the land better than anyone else and asks him to guide her on her journey. While she embarks on her search for destiny, the animals catch wind of a potential takeover of the farm. Poor Grey is caught in the middle with a decision to make between forging her own path or becoming a spy against her beloved home.
The story has an ensemble of characters interwoven in Grey's life as she embarks on her self-discovery tour to find her true destiny. Summer Nilsson has created layered and dynamic characters with vivid personalities which are used to teach about friendship, purpose, kindness, and destiny. Each of the animals is personified with their habits and activities reflecting the type of animal they are. Each of their stories connects to Grey's but each character faces their own obstacles and has their own agenda and purpose. Every chapter possesses several layers to dissect, such as tidbits about the animals and their motivations. Each chapter creates another notch in Grey's journey. The story contains charming and witty humor with little lessons about the behavior of specific animals subtly woven into the plot, such as Grey coming across an opossum playing “possum” and meeting a two-faced fox. The illustrations are incredibly detailed and stunning black and white images show you moments along Grey's journey with vivid expressions and attitudes clearly seen in the characters. One debut you don't want to miss, The Land of the Pines is the ideal read for all ages from child to adult with lessons in kindness, friendship, and characters that shine on the page.
