Maranda Russell
ON HER AWARD WINNING BOOK: In Memory of Dad
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING? I've been writing for enjoyment since early elementary school, I started writing professionally probably around 2 or 3 years ago.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN WRITING? My love for the written word. I am a reader foremost and all the great books I have read inspired me to write my own stories.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE? The loss of my father when I was a child. I wanted to write a realistic, but inspiring story about a girl losing her father.
IS THIS YOUR FIRST BOOK? In Memory of Dad is my first published book. I have since published the following additional titles: Weezie, the Elephant with Allergies, Ode to Icky , Not Afraid to Be Real - A Poetry Collection
DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
Yes, my next book will be a picture book entitled Pumpkin Pie Birthday and it will be published by 4RV Publishing. The story is about a little boy who decides he wants a pumpkin pie instead of a cake for his birthday, but then he decides he wants all the normal cake toppings on the pie (frosting, chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc). By the time he is done, will the pie even be edible?
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF: I am 30 years old and I currently live in Dayton, Ohio. Besides writing, I love to read, hike, dance, put together Lego sets, watch horror movies, listen to music and spend time with my family. I am also a foster parent, so I spend a lot of time doing stuff related to that.
TELL US SOMETHING FUN THAT OUR READERS MIGHT FIND INTERESTING ABOUT YOU: I have five cats and their names are Captain Jack, Einstein, Spyder Fli, Po Poe Mao and Ichabod.
WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Reading, spending time with nature, eating chocolate and taking bubble baths.
WHAT SHOWS DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH IN YOUR SPARE TIME? For TV shows I love "Dance Moms", "The Twilight Zone" and cartoons. As for movies, I like scary movies, but not those that are gory, I like psychological thrillers and paranormal stuff.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE AS AN AUTHOR? Probably motivation and keeping my attention on one project. I tend to have a bunch of ideas at once and sometimes struggle to just pick one and concentrate on it.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS? If you don't really love to write, find something less frustrating to do, if you really do love to write, keep at it and don't give up.
CAN YOU OFFER ANY TIPS ON GETTING PUBLISHED? Build relationships with other authors, publishing houses, agents and anyone else in the business. Also, make sure your work is really top notch before submitting it.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? Just that I am deeply honored to have received this award and hope my readers enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it!
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