BY KAYLEIGH FREEMAN FOR THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — Regis Blalock became a first-time chicken owner over a year ago. Little did she know, the experience would bring more than just eggs and early mornings — it would lead to the publishing of her first children’s book.
A story of perseverance and friendship, “A Hen Named Tarin: A True Story of a Hen From the South” was written by the mother of two after watching her newfound flock interact, particularly her hen Tarin.
“[Tarin] is the smallest hen, so she’s at the bottom of the pecking order,” Blalock said. “Just watching her face adversity, being on the bottom, being the underdog — I was always rooting for her.”
Tarin was isolated further when she sustained a serious eye injury suspected to have been caused during a scuffle within the flock. With the injured eye requiring intensive care multiple times per day, Tarin and Blalock alike experienced a challenging month-long recovery process.
When Tarin was reintegrated into the flock after her injury, she was met with rejection from the other chickens — all but one.
Blalock saw a parallel to the challenge that children face everyday in making friends or feeling separated from their peers, inspiring her to begin the three month process of writing her book.
“A Hen Named Tarin” aims to help children going through isolating life events feel encouraged to still see the beautiful things in life, Blalock said.
“I hope the story will help kids realize to be observant and be kind,” she said. “It’s a message of perseverance and kindness.”
“A Hen Named Tarin” is set in the Auburn-Opelika area, giving the book a special, local connection.
“This town has a unique feel — it’s got such a charming thing to it, and I noticed there are not too many children’s books that encompass or capture a little bit of that,” said Blalock, who moved to Opelika three years ago. “I thought this would be fun for local kids to see the landmarks and be like, ‘Oh, I know that.’”
Whether through her past work as a civil litigation assistant at a law firm or her current endeavor of building a food blog, Blalock has always been immersed in reading and writing.
“I’ve always loved literature — I always loved writing as a kid,” Blalock said. “I was able to get scholarships through writing, and I was in love with the library. So I always grew up with the literary interest.”
Driven by her creative passion and encouraged by her family, Blalock self-published her book through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, a platform allowing individuals to distribute their own works.
“A big part of the reason why I stepped out and did it is because I want [my kids] to have the courage to pursue something, to step out and make a dream happen,” Blalock said.
Currently, “A Hen Named Tarin” is only available on Amazon, but Blalock hopes to expand the book’s accessibility to local bookstores.
“It’s been really fun,” she said. “The kids around my local area have their parents sending me messages to see if they can have an egg from Tarin.”
Following an outpouring of support, Blalock is already working on her next children’s book, one highlighting a friend of Tarin and set in downtown Opelika. She said she intends to have this new work published within the next four to five months.
