Listening to the Right Advice: Author Interview with Jeanne Bender

I had to do an interview with Jeanne when I discovered she went from being a Realtor to writer as I've done. I hope you'll enjoy her writing journey and learn from her marketing points.

Prior to writing your first children's book, you were a successful Realtor. What made you decide to make the jump from a high pressure, but rewarding job in real estate to the highly competitive business of writing children's books?
I have always enjoyed writing. In grade school, high school, throughout my real estate years, and later on, I wrote stories about my travels.

When I retired from a rewarding career in real estate, I decided to fulfill a long-term dream of traveling all over the world. I traveled to many places with my dog, Lindie Lou.

One day I decided to write my travel stories over the shoulders and through the eyes of Lindie Lou, and the Lindie Lou Adventure Series was conceived. I love literacy and I wanted to write a series with educators so the Lindie Lou Adventure Series books could use with their students.

How did you go about finding a publisher?
I didn't want to self-publish my books because having the support of a publisher was important to me. I found Pina Publishing in Seattle, where I was living at the time. We had an immediate connection and I felt it was a good fit. Pina Publishing began publishing my book series in 2016. Their mission is to “create published works of the highest quality with an emphasis on education”. Today they represent many writers. The Pina Publishing team continues to be a great support and helpful advisor.

What does “Team Lindie Lou” consist of?
"Team Lindie Lou" is my educational team and book collaborators who work for Pina Publishing. It consists of: myself the Author, a Creative Editor, (Pina Publishing), Educational Consultants, a Technical Editor (Pina Publishing), a Marketing Director, (Pina Publishing), an Illustrator, a graphic designer, and a Social Media Specialist (Pina Publishing).

How many rewrites did it take to get your first Lindie Lou book ready for publishing? 
The first book, Flying High: Flying on an Airplane for the Very First Time, which came out in April of 2016, took 50 edits and three years to write. When we sold out of the first printing and were ready to reprint, we republished a 2nd edition with 3 more chapters and 18 revised and/or new illustrations.

Each book thereafter has taken about a year to write. Book 5, On Ice: Exploring the Arctic with a Polar Bear Cub, was published in April of 2021. There were about 30 edits and took 1 year to write, plus a visit to the arctic to learn more about my subject. My books have reliable realistic stories about places in the world.

I've been working on the storyline and outline for book 6, New Year's Eve Surprise, with my creative editor for about 4 months but the idea for the story has been in my mind for a long time. Now we are working out the characters, their traits, the details of the setting, the timing, the flow from chapter to chapter, and the social/emotional life lessons which are an integral part of the series, and the plot. All before writing a single word!

Why did you choose to write a chapter book for young children upwards of 200+ pages as opposed to a standard picture book of 32 +/- pages?
The original idea was to write a non-fiction travelogue with my dog as the main character. I was advised by my Creative Editor and Educational Consultant that a realistic fiction series with illustrations which was longer than the typical beginning chapter books (Magic Tree House) would fill a much needed niche. Research showed in 2015 that many 5 to 9 year-olds were interested in longer chapter books like the Harry Potter series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and Minecraft books, even though they weren't able to read them. 

Educators told us they wanted a fiction series with an Interest Level of ages 5-9, a Reading Level of Grade 2/Lexile 400-600 which could be used as a read-aloud as well as a literacy tool. We decided that in order to encourage beginning readers to transition from picture books into their first chapter books the Lindie Lou Adventure Series books should be 150-250 pages, with short chapters, creative fonts, and color illustrations.

As a writer, you imagine what your characters will look like as you write their stories. When your illustrator was brought on, how close did she come to your initial imaginings?
The first illustrator we worked with was unable to achieve the concept we were looking for. After several attempts, we knew we needed to look elsewhere. When our current illustrator, who writes under the pen name Kate Willows, was recommended to us, we knew right away there was a good chance her style would work for us. It only took a few tweaks for her to create our protagonist Lindie Lou exactly how we imagined she should look. Team Lindie Lou has been amazed by our illustrator’s talent ever since.

Your book is a chapter book, which has numerous illustrations to go along with it. What is the determining factor in deciding how many illustrations are needed? One or two per chapter? Less? More?
We typically include two illustrations per chapter. The illustrations often show some sort of movement, an image of one of the new characters, or something we feel a child can't imagine because they haven’t yet experienced the subject matter I am describing. We often also show maps so our readers know where our books take place.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I had known more about the process of writing a book. There are so many parts.

The concept, title, the cover design, the outline, the editing, the illustrations, the research, the outline, the layout, the plot, the characters, the printing, the marketing, social media, and I’m sure I’ve missed many more.

Writing is more than being an author and having a book published. It is a lifestyle. It includes being a public figure and loving to meet those who are interested in my books.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
The best advice I’ve received was the day my creative editor said “your book is good but it can be great if you are willing to take the advice of a few educators who are looking for a book like this.”

The best advice I can give is “writing is a way of giving to others the insights and experiences about a subject, readers may be interested in. If you have a compelling story, write it down, develop it, share it, and enjoy the outcome.”

What's been your most productive marketing tool for getting the word out about your books?
Word of mouth. If you write a GOOD BOOK, the masses will read it. :).

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
One more point I like to live by…”If you do what you love and the rest will be a pleasure.”

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
There will be 12 books in the Lindie Lou Adventure Series.

Book 6 will be published in September 2022.

Here are the details...Follow Lindie Lou to a remote group of islands known as New Zealand. Learn about the people, their culture, the fauna, and the flora of this amazing place. Lindie Lou thinks she is playing with her family and friends, but she is actually changing their lives!

That's all for today's interview. I hope you'll take the time to review the links below and learn more about her books. 

Lindie Lou website: https://lindielou.com/index.html

Lindie Lou Educational Materials https://lindielou.com/educational-activities.html
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lindielouadventureseries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindielou_books/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjg0HWu6Yh8KSvXh8yEq4tQ

Get it Written: An Interview with Davina Hamilton

What made you decide to write children’s picture books?

As cliché as it sounds, my children were my reason for writing children’s picture books. Throughout my career as a journalist, I’d always harbored ambitions to write a book (as so many journalists do). But it was after my children were born – and I realized how much they enjoyed being read to at bedtime – that I decided I’d like to create a book that could be added to their reading collection. 

Long before that, I enjoyed writing poems for my friends and family for special occasions, so when it came to writing a children’s book, it felt quite natural to write a rhyming story. 

How long did it take you to write your first book?

I wrote my first book in a couple of weeks. There weren’t many re-writes, as such. More a lot of stopping and starting, as I was juggling my full-time job, parenting, and life in general with trying to write a book. Thankfully, my husband was on hand with lots of encouragement, which really gave me the added drive to get the book written.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Dialog? Tension?

Getting started was definitely the most challenging part of writing my first book. There was always something that prevented me from putting pen to paper. My job as a journalist enabled me to write articles week after week, thus my passion for writing was continually being fulfilled – so there was always a reason to put off writing a book.

But one encounter had a particular impact on me. I interviewed the British playwright, Roy Williams, who happens to be one of my favorite playwrights. I asked him what advice he would give aspiring writers and he said, ‘Don’t get it right, get it written.’ That really spurred me on to stop dithering and start getting some ideas on paper.

How did you find your illustrator?

Our illustrator, Elena, was actually my children’s nanny. While she was looking after my children, she used to draw with them and when I saw some of her drawings, I was really taken aback at how talented she was as an artist. I soon discovered that she was an experienced illustrator, so I asked her if she would be able to illustrate my books. She said yes and the rest was history!

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

The aforementioned advice from playwright Roy Williams: Don’t get it right, get it written.

We have all experienced rejection. How did you learn to write past it?

When I finally penned my first book, I submitted the manuscript to numerous literary agents – and none were interested in taking the story on. The rejections were hugely deflating, especially as I believed at the time that having an agent was integral to getting your work ‘out there’. Thankfully, I learned that much could be achieved without an agent or a major publisher, as both my books have enjoyed success without either. 

What frustrates you the most about writing and publishing?

At times, it has frustrated me that certain doors haven’t been opened to my books because they don’t come from a major publisher. The mainstream publishing industry at large is – in my opinion – very set in its ways, which means that only a select number of books will reach the masses. 

This is particularly critical for children’s books like mine, which feature a BAME (Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) main character, as such books are hugely underrepresented by major publishers.

The children’s publishing industry has a lot of catching up to do where diversity is concerned, but I’m immensely grateful that my books have achieved all they have through the independent publisher, The Ella Riley Group.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

Nothing can happen unless you make a start, and taking that first step is often what drives you to keep going.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?

Just as unsigned music artists can get their music out there without the assistance of a major label, writers can also get their work out there without a major publisher. It is entirely possible for authors to enjoy success with their books by taking an independent route, so if you feel you have a story in you, get it written and take it from there.

What is the next book that will be coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

In my second book, Riley Knows He Can, an integral character is Riley’s big sister, Ella. As such, I plan on making Ella the protagonist in my next book, so watch this space!

That’s all for today’s interview. If you would like to learn more about Davina’s books, you can do so with her website at www.davinahamilton.com In addition, both books are available on Amazon. 

Encouraging Young Readers: An Interview with Pepper Springfield

What was your inspiration for your first book? 

One night, several years ago, one phrase popped into my head: “Bob the slob.” That was it.  I had been thinking about how I wanted to create funny, entertaining books with relatable characters for kids who aren’t necessarily great readers. I wanted the books to be written in rhyme and be easy to read so kids who struggle with reading could feel successful.  And, because adults (teachers, librarians, parents and grandparents) are gatekeepers of children’s books—I wanted to create a series that grown-ups would also want to pick up from the shelf and have fun sharing with children.

Bob the slob is definitely relatable. Where did you go from there?

Little by little, I built a world around that one phrase—“Bob the slob”— and created a story about a family of slobs named Bob and a family of super neat characters all named Tweet. (Except that the youngest member of each family is not like the others.)  Encouraged by a flamboyant character named Mo the two families independently—and unwittingly—both move to Bonefish Street—and end up living across the street from each other.  It’s a real “Hatfield vs. McCoy” moment.

I had no idea where that one phrase—“Bob the slob”— was going to take me or how hard it was going to be to get there. I just got to the point where I couldn’t stop thinking about “Bob the slob” so I finally sat down and started to write to see where it would lead. 

Did you originally have the idea of writing a series? Or did the Bobs and Tweets (your book characters) just take over?

Yes! I knew I wanted to write a series because I know that once kids get hooked on a book they are hungry for more stories about those characters.  But I certainly didn’t know—and still don’t—where those characters want to go in their next book so they are definitely driving the bus.

Was there any particular author you read that made you think:  “I could write like that.”?

I am inspired by great children’s (and adult!) book creators whose characters and series feel timeless and continue to captivate readers across many decades.  There are many, many authors I admire and strive to emulate in different ways, but some of my favorites who have created series with lasting appeal to a wide and diverse population of readers are: Dr. Seuss, Dav Pilkey, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Mary Pope Osborne, Jerry Pallotta, and Jeff Kinney.  It is no small feat to ignite kids’ interest in reading and reach millions of kids and their families year after year—and these authors have all done that.

I make many school visits each year and talk to hundreds of kids about books and reading.  Kids have a lot going on in their lives and reading can take a back seat, particularly when kids struggle with fluency or can’t find anything they are interested in.

So I saw a hole to be filled. I was looking for the next book for kids who had outgrown early readers such as Frog and Toad and were ready for more complex plots but couldn’t handle longer chapter books.  I really wanted to find books that would help stop kids from dropping out of reading because they weren’t having enough fun—or feeling good enough about themselves—doing it.  Eventually, I came to realize that I could try to create these books myself

How long did it take you to write your first book? 

It took me five years from that first phrase “Bob the slob” and the first concept of Bobs and Tweets to the final published book. If you search through my laptop you will find hundreds of false starts!

How many rewrites did you do on it? 

When I started writing in earnest I had to print everything out to be able to re-read and re-write so I also have bunches of tote bags stuffed with printed drafts and revisions.  (By now, I have trained my brain to work on my digital drafts and I don’t need to print everything out.)

I was also very disorganized.  I think I was so self-conscious about trying to be a writer that I didn’t allow myself to develop a real system for tracking my latest drafts. So I often started rewriting everything from scratch. It took me a really long time to accept the fact that I actually was writing a book, give myself permission to come up with a process that worked for me, and act like a real writer.

But for me, the writing is all in the rewriting.  Sometimes, when my writing isn’t going well, I will force myself to get something—any nonsense—down, just so I will have something to revise from.  I hear writers talk about the process of rewriting but I didn’t fully understand what they meant until I sat down to write myself. Ideas do not come out of my head perfectly formed.  I need to get them down in words and then start shaping and reshaping and reshaping some more.

 Were you active with any writing critique groups?  

I was so self-conscious and so terrified about telling anyone I was writing a book that I didn’t know where to go for feedback.  In my day job, I am supposed to be an expert in children’s publishing and I really feared that if a book I wrote wasn’t well-received that I would be exposed as a fraud who didn’t know what she was doing.

I was too embarrassed to join a writer’s group.  I didn’t even tell my close friends and family that I was working on a book.  Eventually, I got enough courage to hire an independent editor to work with me and give me feedback long before I submitted to a publisher and then I started to get the helpful feedback I needed.  

Who encouraged you along the way?

Nobody encouraged me along the way because I didn’t let anyone know what I was doing.  I stood firmly in my own way. I was really my own worst obstacle.

Tell me about your experience in writing for Scholastic. How did it come about?

Initially, I didn’t expect Scholastic to publish Bobs and Tweets.  I really just got up enough nerve to ask a publisher friend in the Trade division what she thought of it. 

I found Kristy Caldwell—a brilliant illustrator—on the SCBWI website. Kristy didn’t know me and I didn’t have a deal for the book yet but she was brave and interested enough to meet with me and together we created a dummy of Meet the Bobs and Tweets.

I also wrote up a survey for kids to answer questions about the book and the characters.  I made some copies of the black and white dummy and sent it with the survey to a few teachers I know to share with kids in their classes.  I got incredible feedback from those 
surveys—the kids who read the dummy said they loved the story and the characters. 

What happened next?
I took the dummy and the survey results to my publisher friend at Scholastic to ask for advice and she said they would be interested in publishing it.

I was thrilled but also very nervous.  I work very hard to make sure my editor, Celia Lee, knows I am totally receptive to all editorial feedback.  I try to make myself very coachable.  I have so much to learn as a writer and I didn’t want my day job (President of Scholastic Book Clubs) to be intimidating in any way.

One note: I don’t think a snazzy presentation necessarily gets your book submission noticed but it was important for me to show my concept and provide some supporting materials for my idea. Even though the finished book doesn’t look anything like that original dummy, it --and the surveys from kids --did a lot to help me convey what I was trying to do.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Creating a scene? Dialog? etc?

I am happy to be distracted by Facebook updates, texts from my kids, and flash sales of any kind (!), so it takes me a while to sit down and fully concentrate on writing without giving in to interruptions and fun distractions.

Even when I get rid of all the distractions I have days when I sit in front of my computer for hours and get nothing. And I find if it’s not coming, I will fall asleep.  That seems to be my stress reaction.  So I’ve learned to go with it: just put my head down for a few minutes, wake up, then get on with it.

In general, the hardest part of writing for me is keeping my main characters—Dean Bob and Lou Tweet—front and center and giving them agency.  I love to develop lots of interesting tangential plot lines and I also tend to focus on some of my adult characters (such as Mo, the self-appointed Mayor of Bonefish Street; Ms. Pat, the kids’ teacher, and Mark, the Bonefish Street Pool lifeguard) and have to keep pulling the main plot back to the kids.

Do you have a daily writing commitment? 

It does get tricky when I can’t get my writing to flow because I don’t have a regular schedule and I have a day job, so I constantly have to find scraps of time to write.  I plan my weekends carefully and try to make sure I block out at least a few hours to write.  I have learned, it comes out bit by bit.

Does rhyming come easily to you?

Rhyming is really hard.  I have to work to create very “tight rhymes” which will be read the same way, with the same cadence, by most readers.   I began asking my family to read the rhymes aloud to me as I wrote so I could hear pitfalls in the rhyming structure.

Of course, the only person forcing me to write in rhyme is…me! But the Bobs and Tweets books are designed to be easy to read and I think rhyming helps that so it’s worth the struggle.

We have all experienced rejection. Give me an example of one you’ve had, and how you learned to write past it.

Even though I experience all kinds of rejection in my corporate job every day, the fear of rejection for my writing held me back for years.  I was so terrified of rejection that I created a pseudonym—Pepper Springfield—and I didn’t tell anyone but one close friend and my immediate family that I was really Pepper. 

I was so afraid of being “outed” as a fraud. As I said, in my day job at Scholastic, I’m supposed to be an expert on children’s books—how could I hold my head up if my books weren’t bestsellers or didn’t inspire great reviews? In a way, I rejected myself so no one else would be able to.  I didn’t allow anyone to support and encourage me or my writing life.

Finally, I realized that people are not lying in wait, hoping that I will screw up.  And even if there are people who don’t love the Bobs and Tweets, there’s nothing I can do to change that!

Although this fear of rejection still holds me back to some degree, I know now a snarky review can be hurtful but it won’t kill me.  I need to promote my books unapologetically, because if I don’t love them publicly then I cannot expect readers to discover and love them too! My advice to myself is to just keep going and not let fear hold me back.

What is some of the best writing advice that you’ve received or could give?

It’s funny until I sat down to answer these questions, I never put into words how The Bobs and Tweets got started.  And I realize I was actually unknowingly following some great advice I heard Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, give during his Harvard commencement speech when I was there with my Dad for his 65th college reunion last month.

 Addressing the graduates and alumni Zuckerberg said,  “Ideas don’t come out fully formed. They only become clear as you work on them. You just have to get started…The idea of a single eureka moment is a dangerous lie.”

When I first began the Bobs and Tweets series I only had one phrase “Bob the slob,” but as I kept working on it that phrase became two families, two best friends, a neighborhood, a community, and an entire world that I now love so much!

Are there any other points about writing that you would like to add?

Well, you have to tell a good story.  Otherwise, it’s just words. You have to have characters that people are rooting for.  Once you have that you can fill in the technical details but if you don’t have a good story, who cares?

I offer this from my perspective as Pepper Springfield, but also from my experience in my day job:  you need to step back and act like the intended reader of your own book. I get lots of submissions from writers and I wonder: would YOU really want to read this?  It might be an interesting concept but is it really an engaging read? Are you, the writer, interested in your own story? Because if you’re not, then no agent or publisher or editor or reader will be either!

I think I knew Bobs and Tweets was going to work because I would laugh out loud when I re-read the story. But when I read it back to myself I also have to be honest about the parts that are slow or overwritten.  I learned to pay attention to my own thought process.  Was I skipping over parts or reading them from a distance? If so, they weren’t connecting even to me and they had to be edited. Of course, that’s where editors come in.  If you can’t find one, use your friends or network and be open to their feedback.  You don’t have to take every idea everyone gives you but you do want to be approachable and listen. You can even learn a lot from bad feedback.

And I can’t say this enough: be prepared to cut! I cut at least 50% of what I write.  Just because I got it down on paper doesn’t mean it’s going to work as the book evolves. But often what I end up cutting makes room for something better and the result is a much stronger rhyme or scene. 

One more thing: writing and publishing are not the same thing.  There is an audience for everything written—even if the audience is only one person—the writer.  But publishing your book and trying to get others to read it is daunting.  On the one hand, these days, with social media and on-line booksellers, there are so many opportunities for you to connect your book to all kinds of possible audiences. But on the other hand, it takes a huge amount of time, energy, and attention to satisfy them all.

A book isn’t going to find a market without your help.  That’s why I had to stop hiding behind Pepper Springfield and get to work helping people discover my books.

My daughter helped push me to be a better “self-promoter.” She said, “Mom, people want to support you—they just need to know how!” So I finally sent an email to my friends and family and asked them to check out my book and they did and that momentum really encouraged me.

Do you have another book in the series? Can you give me a short synopsis?

I spent a lot of time building the world of Bonefish Street and the characters who live there and Kristy Caldwell spent years developing the characters visually so there is no way they are going to stay confined to two books!

We introduced the characters and their world in Meet the Bobs and Tweets. In book two, Perfecto Pet Show (pub date: 6/27/17) Lou and Dean along with their pets Chopper and Pretty Kitty perform in a Kid/Pet Talent Show. And I am excited to say I just got the go-ahead for Book Three—a Halloween title scheduled for Fall 2018.

Sounds like you have a full schedule ahead of you. If you would like to learn more about Pepper's current and upcoming books, here are some ways to do that. 

https://www.pepperspringfield.com/

https://twitter.com/peppertheauthor

https://www.instagram.com/pepperspringfield/

Publishers Weekly Article

Helping Children Cope Through Divorce: Author Interview with DK Simoneau

What inspired you to write your debut children’s book?
My first book, We're Having A Tuesday was a direct result of the issues I was facing at home with my two kids after a divorce. I went looking for a picture book that might help, and at the time was unsuccessful finding one. So I decided to write my own.

When did you actually start writing the first book?
Oh, it was many years ago. My kids are now in college. It probably took a day to write the first draft, as it was completely inspired from wanting to help them.

Who encouraged you along the way to complete your writing and publish it?
I have had many people who encouraged me. My Dad was a huge supporter, and always was someone who said I could do anything I wanted.

Since your book is about children of divorce, how much of it is autobiographical?
It is very much based on events in our real life.

What are your children's reaction to the book?
They enjoyed being able to say that their Mom was an author. They didn't enjoy having people think they were the characters in the book!

What type of research did you do in writing this book?
It is a fictional children's story. I didn't do any research to write it, but have since done quite a bit of research in marketing it.

Were there any specific details in that research that surprised you?
Not really.....just the staggering numbers of how many kids are in these kinds of situations.

What made you decide to go the indie route in publishing your books? Did you send your manuscripts out to other publishers or agents prior to that?
The book had been sent out (among others) and it was always receiving incredible feedback and hints that it would be published. But then it always sat. It would sit for months with nothing happening, and eventually a pass for one reason or another. Sometimes it was the timing of someone moving on to another job, or they decided to go with a different kind of book etc.

I started attending a local publishing group and learned about all of the benefits of doing myself. I decided nobody would love this story to its fruition as much as I, so off I went.

How did you go about finding an illustrator?
At the time I was a member of SCBWI, and they had a very beginning of a portfolio type discussion board. I started looking through. I found one illustrator who I was particularly interested in, but their email didn't work. So I posted a comment directly on their board. Interestingly I never did hear back from (nor do I remember their name!) them. But, another illustrator contacted me and asked if I would be interested in looking at his work. I did. I fell in love. I asked him to do a sketch based on just the first few words of the story.  He drew exactly what I had in my head without me telling him what that was, so I figured we were going to work well together, and I hired Brad Cornelius right then.

Did you input your ideas of what you wanted in the illustrations or was it more of a brainstorming session between the two of you?
I let him draw what came to his mind when he read the story. Then if I had some things that I really wanted added, like hearts put on the "very special backpack" I would ask him. But mostly it was his own inspired ideas from reading the story. We worked similarly on Santa's (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!) Night Before Christmas. It has been an easy delightful experience to work with Brad.

I see you have won an award for your Santa book. With so many options to enter books for award programs, how do you make a decision as to which ones to enter?
Well we entered just a few, and so far of those that have been announced, we've won in each one. (Some hopefully still to come!). I purposely chose ones that I thought would bring attention to the book from an Independent Press standpoint.

So many people give independent presses such a bad rap. And.....there often times is good reason. But, that doesn't mean books from independent publishers can't be of high quality, and I think ours have been. We also considered what kind of publicity might come of winning such awards, as of course in the end we really just want people to find our books and enjoy or benefit from them.

What has frustrated you the most in the process of putting together your books?
 The most frustrating piece is the doors that are slammed because you are a small independent press. Some won't even consider looking at it. And I know that there are some bad ones. But when you are winning awards and going on national television I would think that there might be some consideration for that.

What has pleasantly surprised you in the process? 
The most pleasant surprise is the wonderful feedback I get. I have had so many people tell me how much We're Having A Tuesday has helped their kids etc. And for Santa's (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!)Night Before Christmas we have had some very inspired reviewers. We had one really fun video posted about it, and one fan who created her own recipe for cookies to go along with it.

I love how contagious the fun has been for people sharing that book. I can't wait to hear more ideas as this book catches on and is shared in classrooms and libraries and so on. I love silliness, and I love how that book inspires it.

What are some of the promotions that you’ve done for your books that have been the most successful?
I have loved using Pinterest to get people thinking about how this book could be used in the classroom or in starting traditions or in White elephant parties.

What advice would you give someone who wants to write children’s stories?
Just write what you love........and don't think because you write it and proofread it that you don't need an editor. Everyone can use an editor!

What is the best writing advice you’ve been given?
Two things, that are similar. One was from my Dad who said to write about what you know. The other was from a publishing coach who recommended that if I decided to self-publish to choose the book that I cared the most about. That way I wouldn't give up, and I would see it through all of the ups and downs of learning. We're Having A Tuesday met both of those words of wisdom for me.

What do you wish you had learned sooner in the publishing process?
Marketing is a never ending job, and that once you have your book in hand, the hard part is only just beginning. That just because you get great publicity doesn't mean people will buy your book. Being on national television gave me some credibility but did not translate to sales.

How much time daily do you have for writing?
I write when I'm inspired. I don't ever write if I'm not inspired. So there might be a day when I write all day and night, and their might be 4 months when I don't write a thing.

What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books?
I think that the messages are both very different. We're Having A Tuesday has a message that no matter what a split family life is like that both parents always love their kids and that they can recall that whenever they like.

For Santa's (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!) Night Before Christmas, I would like for parents and kids to stop the business of life and enjoy their time together by reading out loud and just have fun. We work hard, and we need to connect, play and enjoy time with our families.

What plans do you have for other books?
Oh I have dozens of ideas.......will have to see where I am inspired to go next. I've really enjoyed turning Santa into an app for kids, and I have some ideas for those that I would like to further explore. But I also have some other non-fiction types of things I would like to get moving on as well.

Thanks for taking the time to tell me about your writing experiences. If You would like to learn more about these books, here's some options.

We're Having a Tuesday - www.werehavingatuesday.com    
Santa's (Zany, Wacky, Just Not Right!) Night Before Christmas - www.purplesantasuit.com
 the Santa app: http://store.interactivetouchbooks.co...
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