Sarah and Chad Zueck are a husband-and-wife team who share a love of adventure, storytelling, and family life. Originally from Rock Springs, Wyoming, they now live in Missoula, Montana, with their daughter, Maddie. They enjoy golfing, mountain biking, running, hiking, and reading together. Their debut children’s book, I Camped with Bigfoot, was inspired by the joy of reading together as a family—an experience they hope to share with others through their storytelling.
Q: What inspired the idea behind your book?
A: After our daughter was born in 2023, we’ve found reading together as a family to be one of our favorite activities. It has been so much fun watching her enjoy so many different stories already. We wanted to write our own children’s book to dedicate to her. We hope that other families will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed some of our favorites over the past few years.
Q: As an author, what tips would you give anyone who wants to get into writing?
A: Don’t let your background hold you back. Neither Chad nor I have any experience or secondary education in writing. In fact, our jobs are within the healthcare and business industries and don’t involve much creativity at all. If you have the ambition to write, embrace this desire and let your mind lead the way.
Q: What is your favorite book?
A: The Giver by Lois Lowry. I remember when I first read this book in elementary school, and I still enjoy it to this day.
Q: Was your main character modeled after anyone in your life?
A: Daryl was modeled after the one and only Bigfoot!
Harper was modeled after our vision of what we anticipate our daughter may be like when she’s a little bit older.
Although Kayden was not modeled after anyone particular in our lives, we believe he encompasses the innocence and curiosity of all young children.
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
A: My favorite part is having that initial spark of an idea begin to take off in your mind. There are so many ways a story can develop from a single topic/idea, and it’s fun to see that take shape in your own mind.
Q: Do you believe that being a “good writer” is a developed skill or a natural talent?
A: I believe that anyone can become a writer if they are driven and dedicated. However, I also believe that there is natural talent at work in our best writers.
Q: Do you have a favorite book, poem, TV, or movie quote?
A: A simple and classic Dr. Seuss line: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Q: Would you write another book (or are you already writing another book)?
A: If another unique idea strikes, we’d love to share it with the world again. Although we don’t have anything in the works, I think it’s possible that Kayden’s and Harper’s story could have a sequel.
Q: Is there an author you look up to, and why?
A: Dr. Peter Attia. His values and beliefs really resonate with me and align with my own, since we both have a background in healthcare. I share his same vision for trying to help others, one that is outside of the typical healthcare model. So much goes back to the basics—diet, exercise, and sleep—but the current healthcare model does not support or train its providers in helping patients really achieve their goals within these foundational habits.
Q: If there were an apocalypse and you could only take five books into your doomsday bunker, what would they be?
A:
- The Giver by Lois Lowry: As mentioned above, it’s been a favorite for most of my life, and I could never get tired of re-reading it.
- The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton: I only recently read this book, and I can’t wait to read it again and to be able to connect details that I did not the first time. The complex intricacies in this novel are incredible.
- Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan: I really enjoy reading fiction and find historical fiction fascinating. The story is so compelling, and I was unable to put this one down.
- Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling: If I don’t choose a single title, that means I can bring the whole series, right? How could you choose just one???
- I Camped with Bigfoot by Chad and Sarah Zueck: Of course this would be coming with me!
Learn more about Sara and Chad Zueck's new children's book, I Camped With Bigfoot, here. Coming soon February 24. 2026!