Author Spotlight - Award Winning Author, Kathy Stemke

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING?
I’ve been writing officially for 4 years, but really all my life in one form or another.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN WRITING?
My first writings were in a poetic form designed to express my feelings. More recently I wanted to share my knowledge as a teacher for over 30 years with children, parents and other teachers.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE “Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep”?

My inspiration started with writing a rhyming couplet for each of 5 consonant blends as a teaching tool. Then I wove them into a story about a young boy who turned into a superhero and was determined to keep his new baby sister asleep. Each blend became a problem he had to solve. “Gr, gr, gr,” said the grizzly bear, huge and scary with his red hair.

IS “Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep” YOUR FIRST BOOK?
I’ve published three books to date and have several in the works. I’m also a contributor to two Gryphon House resource books for teachers.

I self-published my first book on Lulu, “Moving Through All Seven Days”. This book inspires movement as children learn about the days of the week. The lyrical rhymes also teach them how to spell each day. The activities are designed to reinforce the concepts as well as give impetus to movement exploration.

My next book titled, “Trouble on Earth Day” is a picture book and a resource book for teachers with 23 pages of crafts, songs, worksheets, and activities. This colorful picture book will facilitate dialog between parents, teachers, and children about conserving the Earth's natural resources.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
“Winnie’s War,” my first young adult historical fiction, is underway. This is an important book for me because it is based on the life of my mother during WWII in the heavily bombed port city of Birkenhead, England. Three of her younger siblings were evacuated with millions of children. Her search to bring her family back together will bring the reader into the horrific, but sometimes humorous life of a teen during this agonizing war.

I just finished a resource book for teachers titled, “Spin, Swerve, and Swim: A Book of Songs to Get Kids Moving.” The subjects range from dinosaurs to polar bears and shapes to transportation. The tunes you know and the words will get your kids moving, learning, and having fun. This will be available on Teachers pay teachers.


TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF:
I’ve always had a passion for writing, the arts and all things creative. With a teaching degree from Southern Connecticut State University and a BS from Covenant Life Seminary, as well as graduate coursework from New York Institute of Technology and Columbia University, I taught for over 30 years. Hanging my hat in Mount Airy, Georgia I have been a dancer, choreographer, teacher, tutor, writer and an antiques dealer for many years.

As a freelance writer and ghostwriter, I have published over one hundred articles in directories, magazines and on websites. I’m a reviewer for Sylvan Dell Publishing and I have several activities published with Gryphon House Publishing.

TELL US SOMETHING OUR READERS MIGHT FIND FASCINATING ABOUT YOU:
Dance has always been an integral part of my life. I’ve taught dance to children and adults as well as choreographed pieces for Community Theater and churches.

WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Photography and poetry fill my spare time. In fact, I’ve put together a book titled, “Visual Dance Poetry” which combines dance poetry with dance photos.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
Of course, I love all musicals and dance movies. As far as TV is concerned, I love “Dancing with the Stars,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and ‘America’s Best Dance Crew.”


WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE AS AN AUTHOR?
Marketing my books is the most difficult challenge I face. The time and effort it takes to schedule school and library visits can be taxing. Getting your books to the right audience is the key.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?
Read, read, and read. Get into a good critique group, and learn all you can from your peers, mentors and the many free on-line conferences available to you. Then write, rewrite and rewrite again to produce the best product you can. Selling articles to magazines and on-line websites is a great way to gain experience.


CAN YOU OFFER ANY TIPS ON GETTING PUBLISHED?
Research as many publishers as you can, and make sure they have published in your genre before. Talk to other authors about their experiences, and get the contract looked at by a legal advisor before you sign on the dotted line. Never pay to have your book published.


IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?
Like just about every other professional, building relationships with other authors, editors, and publishers as well as paying-it–forward will prove to be your most valuable tool. You may just make friends all over the world which will definitely improve your quality of life. 

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com

Author Barbara Bockman, on her Award Winning Title - Fantastic Flight

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING? I began taking courses in children's writing over twenty years ago. It took me a few years to get up the courage to start submitting [my work to publishers].

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN WRITING? I was inspired to write by my love of reading and also by my love of the English language. In school, I was one of the few students who enjoyed parsing sentences and diagramming them. From Dick and Jane onward, I became an avid reader. One of my greatest joys in life is reading a well-written passage. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Library Science (my first was in English), I realized as much as I love physical books and handling them, I love the stories even more.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE, Fantastic Flight ? Fantastic Flight was inspired by an incident involving my husband and our granddaughter. He was kidding around with her and pretended her balloon was carrying him away. They were having such fun; and it became the germ for my story.

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR OTHER PUBLISHED WORKS
My first published book is a middle grade e-novel, Wounds, published by MuseItUp Publishing.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? My work in progress is another middle grade novel, with the working title of RANIL AND THE BABY ELEPHANT, set in Sri Lanka. I can’t say when it will be available; it’s requiring a lot of research. I also have three other books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF: I grew up in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and I still love to visit there from my home in Florida. I married an Army Officer and we lived in various places in the US, Europe, and Japan. I have four children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. After my husband retired from the Army and we moved to Florida, I obtained my Masters Degree in English and taught at Pensacola Junior College.  I love to travel with my grandchildren. I took four of them to Alaska, three of them to Europe, two others to the UK and Ireland. When my granddaughter was an undergraduate, I went with her and her class to China one year and to Italy and Greece the next year. My head is still spinning.

WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? My favorite hobby is raising butterflies. I grow the flowers that attract the females. The caterpillars eat those plants, so I supply other nectar flowers for the adult butterflies. The green chrysalis of the monarch, with its flecks of gold, is one of the most beautiful sights in nature. The butterflies most common in this part of Florida are monarchs, gulf fritillaries, zebra longwings, and various swallowtails.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SHOW? I like both Masterpiece Classics and Masterpiece Mystery and also dramas that do not involve forensics, such as White Collar. I suppose I’m a bit squeamish.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE AS AN AUTHOR? My biggest challenge is procrastination. With so many projects to choose from, sometimes it’s hard to decide which to work on, so I put it off.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS? My advice to other aspiring authors is to write the kind of books you like to read, learn the craft, get to know your genre, join a critique group, and have faith in yourself.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY TIPS ON GETTING PUBLISHED? An author should study the market and make sure she is submitting her finest work to the right publishers.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? I feel that writing for children is a moral responsibility [for me]. My hope is that all of my writing will be uplifting to my readers.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com

Author Richie Frieman on his award winning book, Terple Always Dream Bigger

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING? Children’s books, 5 years. Writing in general for 10.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BEGIN WRITING? I’ve always loved children’s books and always promised myself one day I’d not only write but illustrate my own original book. Finally, the concept and passion met at the same point and I did it.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND Terple - Always Dream Bigger? I’m a father of two and take my role as a parent incredibly seriously, especially when it comes to reminding kids to stay true to the dreams and never give up. I never settle for making my dreams come true, so it’s one thing to just dream, another to just dream BIG but I want my kids to aspire to always dream BIGGER!

IS THIS YOUR FIRST BOOK? [This is] My second children’s picture book. My first was called, Terple - The Sky Is Just The Start.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?  I’m also a manners and etiquette writer known as Modern Manners Guy. My new book Quick and Dirty Tips for Life After College (Macmillan Publishing) is now available in eBook on iTunes, Kindle and Nook!

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF: I’m 33 years old, a columnist, writer, entrepreneur, children’s clothing line owner and designer (Charm City Babies) and a former professional wrestler! Bet you weren’t expecting that. But it’s true.

TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT OUR READERS MIGHT FIND FASCINATING ABOUT YOU: Well, the fact that I was a professional wrestler, yes, like the kind of TV (my ring name was Buster Maccabi) for 8 and a half years and now writing/illustrating children’s books is pretty different I think.

WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? My family comes first, so every free minute is devoted to my wife Jamie, daughter Maddy (4 years old) and newborn son, Cole (4 months old).

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW/MOVIE? My favorite movie of all time is “Goonies”. I have it memorized. And as for TV, I love “Walking Dead”, “Hell on Wheels”, “Newsroom”, “Daily Show”, and “Parenthood”.

HAS YOUR BOOK RECEIVED ANY OTHER AWARDS?  “Terple - Always Dream Bigger” won the 2012 Gelett Burgess Award for best Poetry and Rhyming Children’s Book.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE AS AN AUTHOR? Making sure you are able to get your book out there is the hardest part. I want children and parents to enjoy my work and [I] work hard every day to make more people aware of Terple.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS? Never stop. Never, ever, ever stop writing and trying. Nothing worth anything ever happens over night. This is a tough job to have but it’s a job of passion, so always keep trying.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY TIPS ON GETTING PUBLISHED? Make yourself visible. Join writing groups, network, and just do what you can to reach out to people.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? I hope to bring attention to children’s books, especially picture books. I want people to be aware of the importance of childhood literacy and early education. Also, always feel free to reach out to me! Tweet me @RichieFrieman



LITERARY CLASSICS Book Reviews & Awards http://literaryclassicsreviews.com