It's Beginning to Read a Lot Like Christmas: Featuring Carla Jansen

How did you come up with the idea for your book Christmas book? Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?      

Last year my daughters (then 5 & 8 years old) told me I needed a Christmas yeti book, so I did what I was told! Ten Very Merry Yetis is a fun counting, rhyming Christmas story for preschoolers about a group of yetis trying to find and decorate the perfect Christmas tree! 

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Our family has a tradition (that we got from my husband's family) of eating Swedish Meatballs and Lefse on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, we either have dry cereal or leftover meatballs for breakfast!

What’s the latest scoop about your writing? 
A Dinosaur Made Me Spill was released in October --it's a hilarious story about how an ancient dinosaur wrecked a modern-day tea party!      

Also, the yetis arrived for a fun fall adventure with pumpkin pie in A Very Yeti Pumpkin Pie!

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?
Don't be afraid of major edits! My first book (A Dinosaur Made Me Sneeze) went through more than 50 major changes! Sometimes I will save a copy of my story and then make a new version of it to experiment with major edits. I'm always happier after the changes, but somehow having that "backup" version makes it easier to tear apart (and rebuild better!) the newer version!

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I think a lot of self-publishers don't realize that publishing during November or December doesn't help you or your books. I didn't realize this for my first book, but I wish I had just waited until January or February.

Any last words or tips?
Don't be afraid to try something new! I like to try everything, so I still feel like I have a lot to learn!

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?
I have 3 series right now:
1- A Dinosaur Made Me Sneeze; A Dinosaur Made Me Spill; A Dinosaur Made Me... (this one is a surprise...it's still a year away!)

2- Nonfiction Books for Young Children: Do You Have a Heart?, Who Needs a Volcano?, When Will Cicada Sing?, Can You Swim?

3- (Coming Soon!) Books for Emergent Readers: I am a Dinosaur (coming soon!)

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Carla's books, here are some links to get you started.

Ten Very Merry Yetis: https://www.amazon.com/Carla-Mae-Jansen/e/B08QTT4FQG
Website, Turtle Trails Publishing: https://www.turtletrailspublishing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/turtletrailspublishing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carla.mae.jansen/