Author Spotlight - Adam Leitman Bailey on his award-winning book

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
Home came from the combination of the birth of my sons and the memories of my childhood, moving cross-country on the journey to find a new home.


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?
I cannot write it here as it will give away the ending. But here is part of it: “So the boy ran into his apartment and hugged his parents, knowing that in the entire world...”


Although the book is active, lively, and full of items to discuss with your kids about the journey the boy takes, it is also a heart-warming story. On my reading tour, I have learned from the children many lessons from the book that I never conceived, especially from those readers who have been forced to move or have reasons to really want to move or simply love their current homes. Sometimes the book also reminds readers of their different homes or friends’ homes. No matter how rich or poor, all of the children appreciate the love a caregiver provides. Ergo the explanation for my favorite line.


WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE IS MOST LIKE YOU?
When I read Home to my 4-year-old, Benjamin, and I say “the boy,” he immediately looks at me and says “Benjamin.” So if it fits your child’s demeanor, substitute his or her name. Or if reading to a female say “the girl” instead of “the boy.” The book is for your children and is no longer my baby.

On a much deeper, maybe Freudian level, the boy in the book is a happier version of myself. Home mirrors my childhood in a fun, exciting, adventurous way. At the age of 5, I may have been on a journey searching for a home, but for my unemployed teacher parents moving from New York City to California, these were not good times.


WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING BOOK?
I am so flattered and amazed at each school where I read the book by the excitement in the children’s voices and movements and hand waving. And I highly recommend that parents be active readers – I included so many things to discuss on each page so parents can ask questions or point out details like the billy goat on top of the small barn house on the farm. But the story is about the love of family over all else, no matter how small one’s home is or how few toys there are to play with.


WHO INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?
I am not sure I was a very good writer at a very young age but I had the biggest fan, my mother. She kept telling me how good a writer I was, and I believed her and developed a love for writing. She believed in me and I developed the confidence to believe in myself, and I never looked back.


WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR WRITING STYLE?
I am a student and my writing style is the product of literature of the greatest American authors pre-1960. Yet both my award-winning books followed the formats of a variety of books – Finding the Uncommon Deal was based more off self-help books like Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People and Home was based on children’s books from the 60s and 70s, like Where the Wild Things Are and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The first allowed it to be an easy-to-use book with a lot of information and the latter provided beautiful landscapes with interesting stories.


IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE?
I cherish the writings of so many greats who have written classics that may live on for centuries—from Homer, to Shakespeare, to Dickens, to Fitzgerald to Faulkner, to Clemens to Hemingway, to Truman Capote to Harper Lee. At this point, I do not even have the courage to reach their heights but I do believe that somewhere inside me is that book that may take years to write and be crushingly painful to finish but completely satisfying to publish. At this time, I can only dream and think of the plot.


WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?
I have been blessed to have the means to have donated Home to a few thousand (and counting) underserved communities and children, and have seen the impact pictures and words can have on these communities. My first book, Finding the Uncommon Deal, has taught thousands of first-time homebuyers how to be better educated on buying homes and has provided a vehicle for television appearances and giving speeches on the subject.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS?
Someone needs to write our generation’s Great American Novel and right now I can only dream about being able to put together the story and then writing it.


DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
I am acting as the editor of and co-writing a definitive real estate primer that I hope will be a must-read for every real estate lawyer in New York.



LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Diane Mae Robinson on her award-winning book, The Dragon Grammar Book

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?  Even as a writer, when I had to look up a particular grammar rule, I often found grammar books or grammar site explanations hard to follow. The thought occurred to me that I’m probably not the only one. I decided that grammar needed to be explained in simpler terms, starting with the basics.  To make the book more fun, I incorporated the zany fantasy characters from my multi-award-winning children’s series The Pen Pieyu Adventures to be in the example sentences. The book is fun and has cool illustrations too. I’m glad that kids, and adults alike, are appreciating the book and that the book is helping them to learn grammar with its easy-to-understand lessons and examples.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING BOOK? Learning can be fun!

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER? Many authors have inspired me, ever since I first learned to read, but the person who inspired me the most is my mother—she taught me that I could be whatever I wanted to be in life, and I wanted to be a writer.

WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR WRITING STYLE?

Lemony Snicket and his series A Series of Unfortunate Events. The author has an incredible sense of humor that kids understand. No matter the tale, he flawlessly suspends disbelief through excellence of building characters and writing style. I greatly admire that.

TELL US AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

My first book was rejected 29 times before being accepted by a traditional publisher—about the same amount of times as Dr. Seuss’ first book was rejected. 

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS: My creativity comes and goes in waves, and I never push it. When the creativity wave hits me, I’m often up at two or three in the morning and write for twelve hours straight, for days on end.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE AS A WRITER?  It takes me a long time to produce a book because I’m extremely particular and I don’t write when I’m not feeling creative. I’ve tried to take the advice of many well-known authors and write every day, but it just doesn’t work for me and it’s frustrating.

IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE? C.S. Lewis because I think it’s important to incorporate good values in characters and stories while creating a believable world.

HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED? For several years I was with a traditional publisher, which was very hard to find: 29 rejections later, my first book was published with a traditional publisher. In 2017, I decided to become my own publisher, got back my rights, learned the self-publishing business, and never looked back.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? From my experience, publishing my own books has allowed me more access to promoting and putting my books on sale without the restrictions of a traditional publisher.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT? Winning a Gold Award and a Lumen Award in 2018 from Literary Classics for The Dragon Grammar Book.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS? To always write the best books I can and have the reader enjoy the books.

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING: I’m an artist but I don’t illustrate my own books.

WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? 

Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra’s Mission – The Pen Pieyu Adventures

Sir Princess Petra Coloring Book

The Forest Painter

All can be found on my Amazon Author Page

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? I’m working on another grammar book, with the same fun Pen Pieyu characters giving the grammar lessons, that will elaborate on grammar terminology. The book will be available on Amazon and with most online book distributors, and on my website: www.dragonsbook.com

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Sandra L. Rostirolla on her award-winning book, Cecilia

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?

The story was initially written for a ballet that I was working on with my husband, composer Kurt Oldman. We knew the story would center around good vs evil and that there would be an underlying love story. Using Leonardo da Vinci artwork to inspire the Characters (e.g. The Annunciation - Siersha appearing to Cecilia; Five Studies Of Grotesque Faces - The Senators), Kurt came up with five-titles for the five-act ballet (e.g. Cecilia in Plockton, Cecilia and Amalardh’s Journey, Cecilia Inspires the People). Using each title as inspiration, I built the story, world and mythology. The rest just kind of fell into place. As the world I built continued to grow my 12-page ballet story blossomed into 90 pages. At that point, Kurt’s schedule ballooned and he could no longer commit to his side of the deal - writing the music. With a printout of my voluminous ballet story in hand, I marched into his studio and said, “What am I supposed to do with this?” “Write the novel,” was his reply. So, I did. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?

"The challenge in life is not to force oneself to change. The challenge is to know one’s real self and have the courage to be that person.” This advice was given to Cecilia by one of her village elders. I love this line because I can relate to feeling pressured to conform with expectations of others. Growing up, I was an academic student who was expected by teachers and friends to follow an academic career path - which I did. The entire time, I never felt comfortable in my own skin. I kept toying with the idea of writing but was too scared. It took me some time to truly know my real self and a bunch of courage to actually walk away from my career and pursue my dream.

WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE IS MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY?

The feisty, stubborn side of Cecilia is most definitely like me. All her insecurities are basically my own and her belief that life is for living; we are not simply existing for the betterment of others, is extremely close at heart with myself.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING BOOK?

My main message for my readers is really a question: Are you more willing to play it safe and accept the status quo, even if that means living an oppressed life; or are you prepared to take a stand, fight for the truth, even if that means death. Death, of course, does not necessarily mean a literal death. What I mean is, are you willing to risk losing your job, friends and/or social standing? I work in the entertainment industry and know of many abuses, from those we hear about in the media related to the #MeToo movement, to personal experiences of people taking credit for other’s creative work. Standing up to someone in a position of power is scary and emotionally challenging, especially when they are surrounded and supported by other high powered enablers (i.e. agents, managers, etc.). I hope that if any of my readers find themselves in a position where they must either take it up the you know what or fight, they choose to fight. I hope they can find their own inner Cecilia to help them through their tough times. 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?

From as far back as I can remember, I always thought that I would like to write but since English (the subject at school, not the language) was not my strong suit, I never attempted to do so. Teachers placed me on an academic track and there I stayed. My biggest champion is my husband. He first noticed me through my lyrics, which were basically a collection of poems I wrote for my own enjoyment. He encouraged me to continue writing and fully supported my Cecilia journey. I can honestly say that Cecilia would not exist if not for him.

WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR WRITING STYLE? - PLEASE ELABORATE:

Not meaning to be cliche but the truth is: Stephen King. And I don’t mean his novels, I mean him. One of the biggest roadblocks I gave myself when it came to writing a novel was telling myself that I can’t (or rather shouldn’t) write because I'm not a literary genius. I didn’t study Creative Writing at University. I struggle with grammar. And as someone with a math and science background, I told myself that I had no business writing, of all things, a fantasy novel. Stephen King’s ‘Toolbox’ Chapter in “On Writing” evoked a simple and effective message in me, which was basically: Don’t be afraid of the tools you currently have, and don’t try to use tools that you are not proficient in. One can always expand their toolbox over time. A wooden box crafted from a handsaw can be just as exquisite and precise as one built with power tools. After reading “On Writing” I threw my insecurities to the wind and gave myself permission to formulate a whole bunch of words on a page.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

One of my young readers (a 12 y.o. girl) was applying to be a judge for the Inky Awards. Part of the application involved answering the question: “What is the best young adult book you have read and why?” Her answer: "For me, the book that takes the cake is Cecilia by Sandra L. Rostirolla. This book is my favourite young adult novel for two reasons. Firstly, it pulls in the reader - not one page of the book is even slightly boring, it keeps their attention. Secondly, the way the book is written makes the reader put themselves in Cecilia’s shoes, the use of vocabulary really drives home just how persistent she is on saving her town.” #TheBestWriterMomentEver.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS:

I went to a seminar once and one of the speakers said: “Don’t fixate on trying to come up with a story. Come up with interesting characters and they will tell you their story.” I usually have a basic idea about what the story (i.e. what the plot might be) but I can never start writing it until I’m clear on the main characters. When I am actually writing, I try to do so everyday. My ideal would be to lock myself in a cabin for 6 weeks with no interruptions (take this to also mean that someone is doing all the cooking and cleaning). Once I have started writing, I plow forward. If I don’t know how to finish an idea or need to research something, I make a note and move on. There is a time and place for research and that time and place is never when one is in the throes of story inspiration. I try to set myself a goal of writing ‘x’ amount of words a day. This really helps when I find myself wanting to procrastinate. During my first draft, I don’t try to make things perfect and I don’t worry about word count. I let the characters be who they need to be and edit them at a later date.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE AS A WRITER?

My greatest challenge is finding time for marketing. Setting up reads and book signings is labor-intensive and I know I probably don’t do as much promotion for my work as I probably should. When it comes to my writing, however, I am disciplined and pretty much stick to my deadlines.

IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE AND WHY?

Jane Austen because she is known for being a game-changer of her time. She bucked social convention and did her own thing. She wrote about complex relationships and infused much comedy into her stories. She understood her characters, all of which leap of the page. Her books are used for school curriculums and have been made into film and TV shows. If I could go down in history as someone with her level of respect and admiration then that would be pretty all right by me.

HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED?

I self-published Cecilia. Thankfully, I have a bunch of friends who had also self-published and they were able to help me navigate the daunting process.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?

I like using Amazon Marketing Service for targeted Amazon Ads. I briefly tried Facebook ads but the experience was confusing and nowhere near as transparent as Amazon. I used to love Goodreads Giveaways but they changed their model and now their giveaways are cost-prohibitive. Entering into competitions is a fabulous way to promote one’s book and I will most certainly enter Literary Classics again. I recommend finding like-minded writers who you can share experiences with. I have a writer friend who also self-published around the same time as me. We Skype once a month to talk about our marketing experiences, what’s working, what isn’t. If you do decide to self-publish, don’t go it alone. Save your precious marketing time and money by learning from other people’s experiences.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

Winning my two Literary Classics Awards for Cecilia. Gold for Best, YA/Adventure and Silver for Best YA/Fantasy.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS?

My husband has been immensely supportive of my career, as such, I want to be able to show him that his support has not been in vain. I want my writing to be my career, one that will support me financially and one that will earn the admiration of my peers. 

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING:

I once ate caustic soda and lived to talk about it. In Australia, we have a chocolate powder (similar to Quik) called Milo. One rainy day, Mum left the grocery bags on the kitchen floor to take the clothes off the line. Rummaging the bags for goodies, I happened across a tin with similar size and shape to Milo. With the lid opening the same way as Milo (i.e. stick a spoon under the rim and pry it open) and contents sealed behind a layer of foil, my four-year-old brain thought it was Milo. The white crystalline contents did not deter. In fact, upon seeing them I was even more excited as I thought Mum had bought some white chocolate Milo (as an FYI, white chocolate Milo does not exist). Grabbing a spoon, I dug in. I don’t remember too much else. I can’t imagine the panic Mum must have felt, coming in to find an open tin of crystalline poison and her daughter lying in bed. I must have spat out most of the powder as nothing went down my gullet. I do have some telltale scars on my tongue though.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

I really want to thank my readers for their support. The fact that many decided to click on an Amazon Ad and take a chance on an unknown author is amazing.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?

I have a YA/Coming of Age that I hope to release soon. I don’t have any set date as I’m still working with my editor. A common answer to a writer’s question, “What should I write about?” is “Write what you know.” Sadly, I know more than I care to about suicide and mental health issues. When a friend of mine was dealing with suicide in her family, she told me that the worst was when her daughters asked her, “Why did Daddy do it?” At that moment, I knew I had to write a story that spoke to young adults about this very topic. I’m not sure anyone can ever fully understand the “why” but I’m hoping my story will give teenagers (or anyone) an understanding of “how” such an awful thing can come to pass and ways to hopefully prevent it. My story is called “Making Friends With Monsters” and centers around twelve-year-old Sam and his struggle to understand the Monster that he is beginning to see in his older brother. When a tragic accident brings Sam’s own Monster front and center, he must figure out how to deal with it before the hungry creature opens its enormous mouth and swallows him whole. In the telling of this story, I’ve made a conscious effort not to use the word, “Suicide”.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Nelda LaTeef on her Award-Winning Book, Animal Village

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
As an undergraduate at Harvard, concentrating in Anthropology, I was awarded a grant to do field research for my senior honors thesis in Senegal. After completing my research, I traveled to Niamey, Niger, to visit friends. We would often travel into the bush to enjoy the sight of giraffes roaming free in the savanna as they grazed on thorny acacia trees. On the return trip, we would often stop at a small Zarma village to visit an elderly woman who was the village griot. Soon, there would be dozens of children and a few adults gathered and she would tell stories in her native Zarma language. On the way back, my friend, who spoke Zarma, would give me a recap of the stories in French—a language we shared—and I would take notes in my little blue notebook. Years later, when I became an aunt, I always loved reading bedtime stories with my nephews and niece.

One day, cleaning out a closet, I came across my old blue notebook. This notebook has been the source and inspiration for two award-winning children’s books: Animal Village (Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2018) and The Hunter and The Ebony Tree (Moon Mountain Publishing, 2002). The idea of gathering threads from an old story from West African oral tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation and then weaving the threads into a new tapestry relatable to my audience is very exciting. Always take notes. You never know when they will come in handy!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?
“The moon moves slowly, but it crosses the sky. Everything is possible, by and by.”

I find the visual aspects of this line inspirational. It is sung throughout the story by the main character and captures the essence of the book: how a tortoise, through sheer will and perseverance saves her village from the ravages of drought with wisdom passed down from an “old story.”

WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE IS MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY?
I share with my main character, a tortoise named Timba: patience, stubborn perseverance and utter confidence in the merit of my story. Like Timba, who was certain water could be found by digging deep in the earth, I, too, was certain stars would align and a publisher for Animal Village would emerge.

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
The message I would most like readers to glean from Animal Village is that with determination and the power of perseverance you can accomplish anything.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?
The question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” inspired me to write my first book interviewing outstanding female achievers entitled, Working Women for the 21st Century: 50 Women Reveal their Pathways to Success. This was an exciting book to work on because I had the opportunity to meet and interview so many extraordinary women who forged careers in a wide range of professions such as Geraldine Ferraro (politician), Debbi Fields (entrepreneur), Wendy Wasserstein (playwright), Joan Goody (architect), Jeana Yeager (pilot), Jacqueline Barton (chemist), Cathy Guisewite (cartoonist), Judith Jamison (dancer/choreographer), Susan Seidelman (film director), Ellen Goodman (journalist), Alice Rivlin (economist), Kay Unger (fashion designer), Diana Walker (photojournalist), and Anita Flynn (scientist). I sought their advice on how best to pursue and to prepare for a career in their particular profession and they were generous in sharing their knowledge and wisdom. Researching and writing this book, I discovered my calling as a writer! The book, published in hardcover and paperback, was recommended by the New York Public Library as one of the best career books for teens and those interested in second careers.

WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR WRITING STYLE?
Freshman year in college my expository writing teacher returned one of the first assignments I submitted with a sobering message scrawled on the top of the page in red ink: “Nelda, more women are ruined by Roget’s thesaurus than by drink.”

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:
Quotes taped to the wall next to my computer that I glance at for comfort as I am working include:
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” –Nathaniel Hawthorne
“I spent all morning taking out a comma and all afternoon putting it back.” –Oscar Wilde

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS:
Writing is easy; editing is the hard part! When I am done writing my children’s story, I read the story over and over again and always out loud to hear how it sounds. Each time I read the story it amazes me how much I delete. When I think there is nothing more I can add or delete I like to set the story aside. After a couple of weeks, I pick the story up again and read it anew with fresh eyes for yet another round of edits. With each new round of edits, the wonder is seeing the story evolve.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE AS A WRITER?
Being ruthless with a red pen and the delete key! Not so much for deleting words and sentences but for deleting whole paragraphs and entire pages that I have grown attached to having invested time and effort.

HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED?
The mantra “persistence pays off” and Winston Churchill’s exhortation: “Never, never, never give up!” both apply to my getting published. I was persistent. I believed in my work. And I was unwilling to give up.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?
My advice to writers is the same exhortation directed my way by my wonderful editor Bob Holzman (and yes, this is taped on my hallowed wall): “Book sales will depend on your efforts. Ask friends for reviews. Get on social media and talk it up. Send copies to friends in the media. Solicit signing and reading opportunities, etc.”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?
After receiving a starred review by Kirkus Reviews, Animal Village was selected by the editors of Kirkus Reviews as one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2018. Also, a Spanish edition has just been printed by a Chilean publisher who will be distributing the book not only in Chile but in Mexico where the government will be purchasing Animal Village for inclusion in their public school curriculum and for their public libraries.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS?
To keep writing and continue to get my works published and recognized!

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING:
When I write children’s picture books I am both the author and the illustrator.

WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?

The Hunter and the Ebony Tree (Moon Mountain Publishing, 2002)

Working Women for the 21st Century: Fifty Women Reveal their Pathways to Success (Williamson Publishers, 1992)

Women of Lebanon: Interviews with Champions for Peace (McFarland & Company, 2012)

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
Yes! Always!





LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Lisa Anne Novelline on her Award-Winning Books

Piccadilly and the Jolly Raindrops

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK? Each of the books in this book series takes place during one of the seasons. Even though it may be read in any season, each book usually integrates the environment into the story to encourage young readers in this technological society to stay connected with the outdoors. For Piccadilly and the Jolly Raindrops, the target season was spring. Developing the story around the rain followed very naturally. Integrating the deeper metaphor of rain as representing adversity and offering reframing suggestions to strengthen resiliency again followed naturally. Situating these themes into Piccadilly’s magical world to empower the young readers while also helping them play with possibility and continue to strengthen their fantastic imaginations was truly the final impetus that led to this story.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?

            “Nobody will believe us,” said Otis.

            “They don’t have to.” Piccadilly smiled.

I love this line because it supports the aura of safety so necessary to encourage young children to explore and create, the idea that caregivers love and support them even when they don’t necessarily understand them. This deceptively simple but powerful concept helps to encourage emerging young problem solvers to take intellectual risks without fear of judgment.

WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE IS MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY? I think there is a bit of me in all of my characters. 

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK? I want them to feel safe and supported and then to let their super, duper imaginations soar! If they also gain insight into strategies to increase resiliency that would be marvelous.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER? I loved to write as a very small child. I began writing poetry and keeping a journal at the age of six. I never lost my love of writing even throughout other pursuits. Returning to this passion full-time was a very natural circling back for me.

WHO HAS HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR WRITING STYLE?  As a children’s book author, I have been most influenced by Beatrix Potter, Margaret Wise Brown, Maurice Sendak, Madeleine L’Engle, and Shel Silverstein. I think Potter helped me to feel comfortable with trusting young readers with sophisticated and often witty language. Wise Brown helped me focus on the importance of the small special moment. Sendak helped me to giggle and keep it imaginative and fun! L’Engle helped me to stretch my mind and integrate the power of possibility. And Silverstein helped to strengthen my resolve to cherish the beauty, elegance, and poetry of the actual words. Beyond children’s books, my writing is probably most heavily influenced by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, and Shirley Jackson.

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER: Besides actually creating new stories, the most fun I have as a writer often comes from meeting my readers and their families. For example, last year a family told me that her daughter recreated Piccadilly’s outfit from Piccadilly and the Waltzing Wind and wore it so she could “play Piccadilly.” Another young reader asked me at the end of a school visit what I was doing for the rest of the day, and if maybe I could stay at the school with his class instead. These are the moments that mean everything. These are the types of joys that keep me going, not necessarily “haha” funny, but as Piccadilly and her brother Sam would say, “funny as in unexpected!” (Piccadilly and the Fairy Polka)

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR WRITING PROCESS: I generally write my first drafts very quickly, within one week. Then I rewrite and edit and rewrite and edit and rewrite and edit… you get the idea! With both of the last two of my books, I threw the working drafts away after months of work and rewrote the entire stories, reusing some key elements but discarding the rest. I did this because of the tendency to defend and hold onto phrases. I wanted sweeping tonal changes, so I challenged myself to relook from the beginning, having already immersed myself in the stories. After that, rewriting and editing began again. Finally, when I thought I had taken it as far as I could, I hired a very seasoned professional children’s book editor and started the process again, incorporating her experience and helpful suggestions. Each of my books took about a year to get to the stage where I felt ready to publish, and then I moved to the next steps: working with the illustrators, editing the images, formatting the pages, working with the printers, etc. Two years of diligent work preceded the publishing of each of my first three books.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE AS A WRITER? I think being a self-published author is so filled with challenges that they are almost impossible to list. Tenacity is the key.

IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR, WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE AND WHY? I appreciate kind comparisons to any admired author. But I also know only too well that I can never outshine someone within their distinct arena and using their parameters, so I cherish the notion that I have created my unique style as well, and perhaps in this small way, I, too, cannot be surpassed.

HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED? I only sought an agent/publisher for my first manuscript and even then only queried a few. I became enamored with the degree of control I could have over my finished product, and once used to it, was tremendously reluctant to relinquish it. I have been approached since then by several publishers. Perhaps one of these days I will agree, but it is probably more likely I will enter into a distribution arrangement and maintain control over my words, illustrations, print quality, intellectual property, length of time in-print, etc.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? I believe in social media, not as a panacea or a guaranteed way to make sales, but as a means of developing relationships with readers who understand and appreciate one’s work. Additionally, I think mailing lists are very important. They correlate more directly to sales.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT? I am not sure how to qualitatively compare those accomplishments of which I am most proud. I think the completion of each of the three books, after two years of diligent effort per title, being able to see and hold each of the finished products topped most anything else.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS? I will finish the “Piccadilly and Her Magical World” Book Series with at least one more book. I am also writing a young adult novel, but beyond that, I plan to keep writing. I do suspect a spooky tale or two to be in my future!

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING: If you look around my writing room you will see I surround myself with books, small felted animals, puzzles, statues, etc., things that inspire me, but what you might not expect to find is Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z! I love his character design. I keep him right in front of me on my desk. The determination on his face inspires me to press on through adversity.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? I want to thank anyone who invested the time and energy into reading this and other author interviews. There is so much wonderful literature being self-published these days, and yet there remains an unfair stigma that being self-published is second-rate. I think the mainstream industry is less willing to take risks on unknown, innovative artists, in favor of playing it safe with what they know will sell. The self-publishing book scene seems somewhat comparable to indie music and indie movies, offering fresh voices and points of view to those willing to look a little deeper.

WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? 

Piccadilly and the Fairy Polka

Piccadilly and the Waltzing Wind

     

Piccadilly and the Jolly Raindrops

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? At the moment I am focusing on promoting Piccadilly and the Jolly Raindrops, as it just came out. I am also brainstorming Piccadilly’s next adventure, and continuing work on my novel.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org