Inspired to Write for Children: Author Interview with Mistie House

You’ve now published 6 picture books, but what made you decide to start writing the first one? 
Yes, it’s hard to believe I’ve published six books— five Christian picture books and one Christian nonfiction book for women.There’s a true story behind my first children’s book The Father’s Princess: The Story of the White Daisy.

In 2014, I was in a season where I was battling with my health and some of the pains from my past. I spoke to my pastor and said I wanted to receive prayer for physical and emotional healing. When the prayer ended, she invited me to ask God  “How do you see me?”

In the vision God showed me, I saw a little girl in a sundress with long, golden blonde hair that had curls on the end. She was running through a field of white flowers, smiling and laughing. She was glowing as sparkling rays of sunshine shone down on her and the glittering field. The little girl felt light, free, and joyful!

That incredible encounter I had with God at that moment changed my life. It changed the way I saw myself. I had seen myself  as weary and burdened but then saw myself as a radiant child. 

God doesn’t view His people the way we view ourselves. He sees us as His precious children. In that vision, God’s peaceful, golden light was shining down on me and I was shimmering in incandescent beauty. I was as pure and innocent as a white flower to Him.

It had been over a year since I saw the image of the little girl in the field of white flowers. God revisited me and gave me the vision to write and illustrate a children’s book built around the image I saw. The Father’s Princess is an allegory of the believer’s journey to the Kingdom. 

The story would be of a lost and lonely orphan girl who was adopted by her heavenly Father—The King of kings. The princess tells her story of how she was grafted into a new family, enthroned in royalty, and given a new identity, and a new name, all thanks to the hands of her loving and gracious Father!

I wrote The Father's Princess for three reasons: To share my story and give God Glory. To remind the children of God how He sees them and of their true identity in Christ, and for what purpose they were created—to share His story. To invite many to come to know King Jesus and welcome many into God’s royal family

You do both the text and the illustrations. Do you consider yourself more of an author or illustrator?
I consider myself equally an author and illustrator. I’m thankful for the gifts, talents, and abilities God’s given me and hope to continue to use my gifts to bring Him glory and share my inspiring creations with others.

Could you tell me why you republished that first book, The Father's Princess: The Story of the White Daisy? I thought the first book was charming. 
Thank you! I think it’s charming as well. J Being that it was my first book, I just felt I could improve it even further. The illustrations are the same, but I did choose to update the cover—making it even brighter and more colorful! I also tweaked the text a bit. But, the most significant changes I made were the addition of Bible verses to the bottom of every page that correlate with the text.

Finally, the book closes with a very special prayer that was extremely important to me to have in the book. I always felt the prayer was missing—now (in my eyes and my heart) it was finished!

You’re an indie author, which means you’re in charge of everything from writing to publishing and marketing. Other than writing, what other parts of the process do you personally do? What do you hire others to do? 
Starting out, I didn’t do everything completely on my own. Although, I did all the writing, illustrating, and marketing, I hired some incredible self-publishing services to help me with the publishing side. I self-published the first edition of The Father’s Princess through WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan.

My next nonfiction book for women, Emergence, would have been a huge undertaking for me to attempt to release all by myself. Fortunately, I was introduced to BOSSMedia, now Holland Robinson Publishing, to complete this title.

 Next, I hired Victory Vision Publishing & Consulting to help me publish Let Us Rejoice. At this point, I had learned so much through my experience with teaming up with these amazing book publishers. I had also done a lot of research and had gained enough knowledge to tackle the publishing side of things.

Therefore, I successfully self-published my next three children’s books The Perfect Prize, the new edition of The Father’s Princess, and God Made You Wonderfully under my publishing imprint, Castle House Books.

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks?
Marketing is an area where I’m still growing and learning. I don’t believe I’ve utilized a single successful tool for producing sales. Rather, it’s more a combination of strategies that works best for me.

Aside from reaching out to my audience through creating a personal website, Facebook Author Page, and Instagram profile, I also have a podcast called the Beloved Bride Podcast. 

Apart from social media advertising, I occasionally run ads through Amazon. I've also worked with PR From the Heart for marketing and media assistance.

What do you know now about publishing you wished you had known sooner?
Pay attention to book sizing. For example, Amazon doesn’t offer a Hardcover option in the size of my children’s books. So, I published each of my Hardcovers through IngramSpark.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
Don’t give up and be patient with the process. Writing is a long journey. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The worst thing you could ever do is quit before you reach the end. It’s tempting to give up when you’re in the messy middle, or when you feel you’ll never cross the finish line. Keep moving forward—one step, one day at a time will get you to where you need to be. Finish the race! 

Proverbs 29:18 says, Where there is no vision, the people perish. Whatever you do, don’t take your eyes off the goal or the vision God’s given you. Throughout my writing journey, as a follower of Christ, I’ve always relied on Him to show me my next steps. He’s always been faithful to guide me when I’ve asked Him to lead the way.

He’s a good Shepherd!

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
Why you write is just as important as what you write. Being able to create something truly inspirational, meaningful, personal, and completely original from a blank sheet of paper that touches hearts, impacts souls, and leaves a lasting legacy is an extraordinary gift.

I thank God for the gift of creativity He’s given me and for the ability to transform lives through my testimony, teaching, and storytelling.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me some details? 
I recently released my children’s book, God Made Your Wonderfully: The Curious Crayon Who Discovered Her Worth. There are several children’s book stories that I’m working on. I’m not sure which one will be next, just yet. Stay tuned! J

That's all for today's interview. Here's how you can get updates on what's next and buy a book or two. 
https://www.mistiehouseauthor.com/

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mistie-House/author/B071XVFT67

https://www.facebook.com/mistiehouse.author/

https://www.instagram.com/mistiehouse/

And here's a bonus for my readers, leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive a copy of Mistie's latest eBook, God Made You Wonderfully. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner next Tuesday!