5th Annual Literary Classics Book Awards Celebration - Los Angeles, California

It was with great pleasure that we recognized the Fifth Annual Literary Classics Book Award Recipients in Los Angeles, California this week.  Authors, illustrators, publishers, and more gathered the weekend of April 2nd, 2016 as we honored these incredibly talented individuals for their contributions to literature for children and young adults.

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 Title

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

 Ever since I was a child I’ve had a love for books and all of the creative arts. I became serious about my writing in my 30’s when I decided to go to college for journalism and English literature, then branching off into children’s literature. My heart and soul is now in writing children’s literature where my creativity and skills are strongest. In writing for children, I believe it’s important to write about characters with good values, who have a sense of humor, and a love of adventure. I also strive to inspire young readers to use their imagination.

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? 

As early as age eight, I was making up, and starring in, plays for the neighborhood kids to watch. I knew I wanted to do something in the creative arts. I thought being a cartoon character or a mime would be a cool job.

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

  Sir Princess Petra’s Talent is book two in The Pen Pieyu Adventures and continues the adventures of Sir Princess Petra (book one), an unconventional princess knight, and her dragon friend, Snarls. The title “Sir Princess Petra” came to me when I was writing book one. I was gazing into the forest and imagining characters in the tree barks when I imagined a tomboy-type princess holding a sword. The subtitle, The Pen Pieyu Adventures, came to me in a dream.

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The newest book in the Pen Pieyu Adventuers,  Sir Princess Petra’s Mission, was released December, 2015

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TELL US SOMETHING FUN ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER

At an award ceremony where I was to receive a medal for Sir Princess Petra’s Talent, my sister was in charge of taking the pictures with my phone camera. She accidentally switched the phone to selfie mode (she didn’t know the camera could do that and didn’t know how to correct it), so all the pictures of me receiving my award are of my sister with different surprised faces. 

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?C.S. Lewis. He created incredible adventures while maintaining good moral values for children.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

Black Beauty. It was the first book I ever read by myself.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

The first two books in this series have won six international awards, and one prestigious provincial award.  I consider them all great accomplishments. 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS? 

Before my first book received a traditional book contract, even though I had done my best writing and extensively researched the publishers before sending out my submissions, the book was rejected 27 times by different publishers over a period of nine years. My advice to aspiring authors is to perfect your writing, research what publishers are looking for before submitting, and be very, very patient.

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

I think having an author website is very important, and also getting legitimate reviews for the book.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?: Grammar for Kids and Dragons, forthcoming, Fall, 2016.  This is a grammar book with a sense of humor, with all the grammar lessons being provided by my characters from The Pen Pieyu Adventures series (they are a zany bunch). The book will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all major online seller sites.

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

Annie Boochever on her award winning title, Bristol Bay Summer

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

I’ve always loved reading but didn’t begin to write until I was an elementary music teacher and tried to find musical plays for my students that didn’t ‘talk down’ to them. I did find a few but ended up writing nearly a dozen of my own as well as several readers' theatres based on traditional Alaska Native stories. I decided I needed to study creative writing and was able to complete a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts during a two-year sabbatical from teaching. Bristol Bay Summer began as my thesis.

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 AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

I loved acting and wanted to be a famous actress (imagine that!) but I also loved my kindergarten teacher and wanted to be just like her. My first teaching job was as a kindergarten teacher in the very same room where I had sat as a shy 5-year-old. Some of my old teachers were still there hard at work! 

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

Bristol Bay Summer is based on my own experiences growing up and living in Alaska. Forced to produce a thesis novel in grad school, those memories wouldn’t leave me alone. The book practically wrote itself. The first time that is. The rewrites did not come so easily.

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WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?

A play I wrote, Goodbye My Island, based on the book by that name, was produced professionally. Getting the plays published, however, is still on my to-do list! I also have experimented with poetry. Sestina to Paul Allen’s Yacht was chosen to represent Alaska by YARN, the Young Adult Review Network in their National Poetry Month project “Crossing Country Line by Line”. Some of my other poems are on my website – annieboochever.com 

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TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

There is an important difference between asphalt and tarmac, and any Alaskan bush pilot will be sure to point this out. However, I still have no idea what it is. Go ahead. Google it.

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

A.A. Milne or E.B. White? E.B. White or A.A. Milne? It’s enough to make one say, “Oh bother,” and strike out north to find Margalo.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

I love all of Kate DiCamilla’s books, but especially the Mercy Watson series; then there’s The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, (I even reference it in my book!), and E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web to mention just a few. Anywhere a protagonist is struggling to find his or her true self, I love to be along for the ride. Mercy Watson, Claudia Kincaid, Fern Arable, Christopher Robin and Pooh, himself. Young people struggling to come to meet the world on their own terms. 

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

So far, finishing Bristol Bay Summer! It took a long time because I was teaching high school English at the same time. 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

I was lucky. As a school librarian, I knew a number of publishers and editors. I sent a manuscript to what I think is the best publisher of Alaskan books – Alaska Northwest Books - and they liked it. Tips for getting published?? Network! It really helps to know people in the publishing world. But, you also have to put bottom in chair and write…and write… and write. 

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

Promotion seems to take as much time as writing the book. If you can, hire a publicist. In any case, never let up. There are endless ways to get your book noticed: social media, clubs and organizations related to your topic, special interest magazines, etc. And did I mention leaving time enough to write? 

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

This I learned as a former librarian and music teacher: Keep a book by your bed and a song in your heart.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?

I am working on a non-fiction book. A picture biography for grade four through eight. I can’t tell you too much but I’ll give you a hint. The subject was a famous Alaskan Civil Right’s leader. I’m also working on new Alaska adventures for Zoey, Eliot and Thomas, the stars of Bristol Bay Summer. 

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To be announced…

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