WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?:
When I saw how much my fifth-grade students enjoyed reading great books for fun and not just as an assignment, the writing bug bit me and I decided to try writing stories too. I hoped, through my stories, to help young readers discover that they were not alone in their troubles, and that there was hope in most situations.
AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Either a ballerina or an opera singer.
HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?
The idea for Star of the Team came to me while I watched my granddaughter play basketball and saw how competitive the girls were. For I Live in a Doghouse, one night a little voice whispered in my ear, "I live in a doghouse." I asked the voice "why?" And a story was born.
WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?
I have published twelve books to date; two of which are also CLC award winners:
WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?
Margaret Mitchell
WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?
Gone With the Wind
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?
Winning the CLC Awards, along with Sharp Writ and Next Generation Awards
HOW DID IT FEEL TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR?
Becoming published is one of the highlights of my life, right after giving birth to my sons and marrying a wonderful man.
CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?
Try different things. If one promo effort doesn't work, there are a lot of other ideas. See what successful authors do. Make friends. Be friends. Help others.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?
Just enjoy and follow your heart.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
Yes, I'm delighted to say that my latest YA novel Under a Purple Moon has just recently been released. It's the story of four teens helping each other survive their families and school. The novel will be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the publisher Dancing Lemur Press and just about everywhere.
I also have two Middle Grade novels due out in 2016. A Family for Leona, historical fiction about the Orphan Trains, loosely based on my mother's life, and Princess Breeze, sequel to Just Breeze.
LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org
Thank you for an awesome review. I'm so happy to accept these awards and hope that my stories make a difference in the lives of children that read them.
ReplyDelete