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Oak Mountain resident Kerrin McMahon didn’t set out to write a children’s book in early 2020, but that’s exactly what happened.

A graduate of Auburn University’s School of Nursing, the nurse practitioner wanted to share her love of all things Auburn with children. While looking for a book to share with them, McMahon had a specific idea in mind.

McMahon grew up watching Auburn games and knew all about the game day traditions. She has always enjoyed her books as an educational tool and needed the perfect book to teach her son all about ‘Auburn Her Game Day’. After being unsatisfied with her available book selection, she decided to write her own book.

Her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter were the inspiration for “Touchdown Auburn!” It’s a familiar phrase to her fans of Auburn football, and it’s also the title of her new book.

“When my son was three years old, I was thinking of taking him to his first game in Auburn,” McMahon recalls. “The COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from taking him in 2020, but in 2021 he was able to go to his first game.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do, but it was a fun process,” she said.

McMahon said she wants to begin her writing journey with what she knows and loves most: Auburn football. The whole process from coming up with her idea to getting her book took McMahon about two years.

Intended to capture the Auburn University game day experience, “Touchdown Auburn!” is aimed at parents and grandparents who want to share their love of Auburn football with the next generation. McMahon has also written a similar book for young fans in Alabama, but it has yet to be published.

Because of licensing restrictions imposed by Auburn University (one thing McMahon didn’t know when she started), she had to use an established publisher with a licensing agreement (Mascot Books). She said most of the two years were spent getting approvals, layouts and fonts from the university, and each step along the way had to be approved by Auburn University.

“I’m really just getting my feet wet with this book,” she said. It’s certainly not off the table, but my plate is full now.

I really got my feet wet with this book. I’ve dabbled in other ideas for children’s books and love reading them to my kids. It’s certainly not off the table, but my plate is full right now.

Kerrin McMahon

McMahon encourages young authors to consider alternative publishing avenues, especially if the book does not have to comply with licensing restrictions. She encourages prospective authors to consider self-publishing as one way to get their work published faster than traditional publishing routes.

The book will first be published in early April 2022 and is already in many Auburn bookstores. McMahon said her family and friends are buying it to support her.

“Fortunately, we have already sold enough copies to need a second printing,” she said.

McMahon will be hosting a book signing on the Auburn University Bookstore campus this fall.

For more information on her book, visit touchdownauburnbook.com.

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