Author Gail Underwood Parker chose non-fiction writing, not because it was dearest to her heart, but because she could do it in chunks of time. With four foster children living in her Cape Elizabeth home, chunks of time were all she could afford.

Parker spoke recently about her book “It Happened in Maine,” published by Globe Pequot Press, for the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club at the Purpoodock Golf Course in Cape Elizabeth.

A series book, “It Happened in Maine” captures 24 Maine stories, from “the forgotten colony” of 1607 to the inspiring tale of 10-year-old Samantha Smith’s 1983 letter to the leader of the Soviet Union, Yuri Andropov. In her letter, Smith asked Andropov why he “wanted to conquer the world or at least our country?”

This letter sent Smith into the international spotlight, and she acted as an unofficial child ambassador to the Soviet Union during the Cold war. Smith died in a plane crash at age 13.

“It happened in Maine” was not the first book Parker proposed. Initially, she intended on writing a historical cookbook of recipes collected from government employees in all 50 states. She would have called it “Capital Cooks.”

Her first book, which was written to be used as a resource for music teachers, was the result of the cookbook pitch. Parker taught music for 18 years before teaching fifth grade. A piano player since second grade, performing was her first career.

Parker teases that all of her current book projects are the fruit of former failed book projects. She calls her unpublished projects “audition” pieces.

“They don’t ever get chosen, but they get me other jobs,” she said.

Parker, divorced and living with her four foster children, seizes snippets of time throughout the day to write. Non-fiction allows her to patchwork her writing. Rather than needing a lot of time to immerse herself in the world of fiction, she is able to perform multiple tasks at once. Parker theorizes she couldn’t take time to write fiction because “one of the kids would come in with a splinter.”

Parker was nearly independent from the restrictions of motherhood when her foster children came to her home eight years ago. “I went from my youngest being in high school to remembering if I had enough diapers for the day,” she said.

Her foster children are also her grandchildren. She said they will live with her until they are adults. Parker could not discuss the circumstances of her foster children’s arrival because of state confidentiality rules.

With four children in the home, hobbies are limited. A night on the town costs Parker $40 just for a babysitter. It’s more sensible for her to stay home and write, she said.

Writing has become her hobby of choice and a source of supplemental income, though she concedes that the book royalties will never make her wealthy.

Parker is working on another Globe Pequot series book called “More than Petticoats, Remarkable New Hampshire Women.”

She is planning on pitching a parenting training book called “The Dishonest Child.”

Cape resident and former school teacher of 32 years Gail Underwood Parker spoke about her book, “It Happened in Maine” for the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Wed. night.