Janice (nee Watterson) Milusich published her first children's picture/story book Off Go Their Engines and Off Go Their Lights by Dutton Children's Books in June 2008. According to Milusich, her son Peter, inspired her to write the book, which features illustrations by David Gordon and is aimed at children ages 4-8.

"One night, he was not able to go to sleep and we were watching the headlights of cars that drove by. I asked him if he thought the cars were going home to go to sleep and that led to a long discussion as well as the idea for my picture book," Milusich told the Hicksville Illustrated News. "After I told him the story of where I thought the cars were going and what had happened during their busy days, he finally fell asleep." She added that along with Peter, now 6, along with her two daughters Grace, 12, and Eve, 9, are the "inspirations behind most of her stories."

Milusich grew up in Hicksville, attending the Old Country Road Elementary School as well as Hicksville Junior High and Senior High Schools. She went on to attend St. John's University, where she earned a bachelor of science in special education. At the age of 24, she married her husband, John, and the couple moved to Jackson Heights for three years before returning to her hometown and purchasing their first home, which they resided in for 11 years before moving to Port Jefferson in 2005. Her brothers, Robert and Philip Watterson, and her sister, Barbara Kaiser, still reside in Hicksville.

In addition to being a married mother of three and published author, Milusich, who also holds a master's of science in education of the blind and visually impaired from Hunter College and a certificate of advanced studies in educational technology from C.W. Post in educational technology, is currently employed as a teacher of the visually impaired.

On a local front, she serves as co-chair of the Long Island Writers and Illustrators Group and, in her "spare time" is busy working on the final draft for a second picture book "about a little girl who prefers to live in her imaginary world of creatures rather than a world that focuses on little girls' manners." She is also awaiting, "eagerly," her editor's decision on a middle-grade novel she describes as a "fantasy book about dragons" that is in editorial limbo right now.

When asked, Milusich said the best advice she can give to aspiring writers is to "write every day, join critique groups [which will] assist in honing skills and have patience when seeking publication." "I have been working at the craft of writing for 12 years," she added.

Milusich will conduct storytime at Dolphin Book Shop in Port Washington on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Additionally, Off Go Their Engines, Off Go Their Lights can be purchased from Barnes & Noble, Borders and Waldenbooks as well as several online retailers.