Dr. Mitzi Scotten, a local pediatrician and teacher at New York Institute of Technology College of Medicine at Arkansas State, has added a new title to her resume — fictional author.

Her debut coming-of-age novel, “Mark of the Pteranodon – The Rise of the Chosen One” takes readers on an unforgettable journey with Kai, a 12-year-old boy with ADHD, who embarks on an epic adventure through the lush landscapes of Hawaii.

With the help of his genius dog and red-footed tortoise equipped with GPS, Kai must fulfill his destiny as the leader of the Pteranodons, which are giant flying dinosaurs once thought to be extinct. On his journey, Kai discovers not only his own strength and bravery but also the deep connection between family, nature and Hawaiian culture. In this heartwarming and thought-provoking tale, Scotten weaves themes of perseverance, belonging and the timeless bonds between humans and the natural world.

Born in Excelsior Springs, Mo., Scotten grew up in Kansas City, Mo. She attended the University of Kansas, where she earned degrees in nursing and medicine. After getting her first taste of the South during her residency in Louisville, Ky., she moved to Jonesboro in 2014 to accept a position as a pediatrician with The Children’s Clinic. In 2018, she began working at the New York Institute of Technology College of Medicine (NYITCOM), where she currently sees patients one day a week in addition to teaching five courses and running the simulation department.

Understanding the challenges of ADHD came directly from being a pediatrician, the author said.

“There was no question that the main character had to have ADHD, had to be a science nerd, and had to be a potential hero for every neurodiverse kid out there that doesn’t know how great they are and how their neurodiversity is an incredible gift that brings amazing gifts like creativity, empathy and intelligence,” said Scotten. “I have read some current books out there with ADHD characters, and the authors tend to treat ADHD like a disability. I wanted to make it clear that Kai, my protagonist, was not disabled just because he had ADHD.”

Scotten says she and the main character have much in common.

“My father was one of the first readers of the book and emailed me and said, ‘You know that Kai is you, right?’ I’ve thought about that a lot since, and without a total psychoanalysis of my life, I have to admit there are some strong similarities between Kai and myself,” said Scotten.

Although the author says she has never had the opportunity to live in Hawaii, she and her husband began visiting more than a decade ago and fell in love with Maui and the Big Island.

“As I have researched the culture of native Hawaiians, I have built a very deep respect for who they are and what they accomplished centuries ago,” said Scotten. “It was so perfect that one of their myths was the existence of a creature that was half-man and half bird, and this served as the basis for bringing the Pteranodons into the story. It is always a sensitive matter when a person who is not a native Hawaiian writes about another culture, and I want to make it clear that I have done my best at paying a deep respect in my book for the land and the people of the Hawaiian islands. I hope this book spurs fascination in many others on the amazing things that Hawaii can teach us.”

Occasions recently visited with Scotten about the inspiration for her first novel and future projects that she has planned.

How have your experiences as a pediatrician and researcher informed your writing choices?

When I was a nurse, I took care of children with cancer. One specific patient named Ross was obsessed with dinosaurs. He was not allowed to leave his room, so I spent a lot of time playing games and keeping him busy, and I began to jump on the dinosaur train. By my 20s, most gifts I received were dinosaurs of some type, and I have a dinosaur-themed bathroom in my house. So, this book would not have been written without Ross. He survived his cancer, and I recently sent him a copy of the book, thanking him for his love of dinosaurs and dedicated the book to him.

As I have been working with children for 30 years, I feel more comfortable with them than I do most adults. They are inspiring and talking to them daily helped me find my writing voice that is used in “Mark of the Pteranodon.” It is irreverent, not too serious, and loaded with seventh-grade humor and sarcasm.   

As I watch kids maneuver the world, I can’t help but notice that the very worst part of childhood has to be middle school/junior high. I have erased nearly all memories I have of that time because of the trauma of being an unpopular nerd that was not good at sports, who circulated with the music and honor roll types. Plus, the sheer torture of wearing braces, developing into an adult body – it’s not for the weak of heart. I decided from these observations to set the stage in this book at that cringy time of life on purpose. I also wanted to feature kids as the focus next to the dinosaurs because it was just a familiar place.

Was it challenging to balance your career with the process of writing, editing and publishing a novel?

Yes. When I worked at The Children’s Clinic, I had a four-day work week and thus three days to write a week. At my current job, I have much less time. Moving to Jonesboro was critical to the book because I found myself living in a new town with no friends and needed an outlet. I am usually a very extroverted person, and so not having my past social life was hard. Honestly, I don’t even remember the exact moment I decided to write a novel. It just became a project.

How long was the process of writing your novel from beginning to end?

Almost seven years – three years writing, two years editing and two years getting the publication on Amazon. Writing fiction and trying to sell your book in 2025 is not for the faint of heart. It’s brutal. There are so many people pitching their books.

The protagonist, Kai, struggles with ADHD, and you’ve mentioned that you have also struggled with this obstacle. Do you have any advice for anyone who is diagnosed with or suspects they may have ADHD?

My advice is to accept ADHD as a gift and not a disability. Are there challenges for people living with ADHD? Absolutely, particularly anxiety and poor self- esteem. Being neurodiverse means that you spend your whole life trying to blend in with everyone else and not let parts of your unique perspectives, thoughts and observations out for fear of being called out as rude, strange, quirky or too sensitive. Find friends who understand and love your quirks and odd sense of humor. Don’t be afraid to share your brilliance, and believe in yourself.

I know there are a lot of misconceptions regarding medications for ADHD. I had not been medicated until last year, and I cannot believe how helpful it is to have a pill that keeps me on my mental leash to complete work instead of chasing after every squirrel I see out the window. One of the most rewarding parts of treating children with ADHD is seeing them go from feeling like a failure and “not working hard enough” to becoming a straight-A student or citizen of the month.

What advice would you give a parent who is trying to get their child more interested in reading?

Not everyone is a natural reader, and not everyone likes to read. My observations as a pediatrician are that many children who don’t like to read have some type of disability in regard to reading, like ADHD or dyslexia, and have perhaps not been diagnosed and are just doing poorly in school. Books today have to compete against video games and YouTube, and it takes a pretty phenomenal book to match up with Fortnite or TikTok.

Find a book that shares an area of your child’s interest and is reading level appropriate. I encourage parents to read the book, also, so they can discuss it with their child. Start reading to your child as an infant and continue until they are reading the book to you every night. Purchase used books and then pass down books through the family. Set reading as a family priority by providing time in the day for reading.

What has been the most rewarding part of bringing this story to life?

Hearing back from readers. A very dear friend of mine lost her husband last year and had a very difficult time navigating without him. She called me several months ago and thanked me for the book. She said “Mark of the Pteranodon” was the first thing she was able to focus on for more than five minutes since her husband passed. She would wake up in the middle of the night feeling sad and say, “I wonder what happens to Kai next?” Being a dear friend of mine, she could see my humor throughout the book and laughed a lot as she read. The book helped her grieve. That was the best feeling – knowing that my story made such a positive impact.

The other not so much rewarding, but important impact is the degree to which I hope that “Mark of the Pteranodon” can help the Hawaiian crisis that is going on in Lahaina, Maui. My book is set in Maui because I have been to the island so many times and I know it well. Lahaina is a favorite place for me and was the natural choice for the location of the story. Then, just as I was so elated with getting the book published, there was a terrible fire in Lahaina that killed hundreds of people and destroyed the most iconic place in Maui. I remember watching the fires live on TV and feeling so depressed, and when I saw the images, it was at that time that I realized this book had one mission for being written. It was a potential vehicle to help rebuild Lahaina. I vowed that all money I make from “Mark of the Pteranodon” will go to the families in Lahaina, and last December, I was very elated to be able to send the first book donation to the Lahaina Strong Foundation.

Do you have plans for another book in the future?

My vision is as a trilogy, or possibly four books if the story doesn’t want to end. I have the initial thoughts on what happens next, and while the first book focused on the petroglyphs, the second will incorporate the Hawaiian lunar cycle in which each moon of the 30-day calendar has a unique name and expectations for what you should and should not do on that day. I will explain some of the unanswered questions from the first book also.

Scotten says she plans to introduce her book to any local school wanting to use it in their curriculum for free, and to also provide the book to students who might not have the opportunity to purchase it. “Mark of the Pteranodon – The Rise of the Chosen One” is available for purchase or download on Amazon. To learn more, visit mark-of-the-pteranodon.com or contact Scotten at (816) 807-9395 mitznmutts@yahoo.com.