PUBLISHER Q&A

1). Could you tell us three interesting facts about yourself?

- I learned how to fly and soloed in a Piper Archer when I was 16 years old!

- The earliest poem I remember writing was in 5th grade to a boy named Matthew <3.

- I chose Pegasus publishers because my lifelong dream is to go to England someday.

2). In your own life, what influences and inspires you to write?

- I take inspiration from everything around me. I have many poems and stories about my hopes and dreams, but I also write about the beauty in creation that I see as well as from life experiences. Most everything that I write is connected to an experience I have had with something or someone. And when inspiration strikes I cannot help but get it out. Many times it feels like a boiling pot that begins to spill over.

3). Which book or author has had the biggest impact on you, and why?

- How to pick just one? The Bible is the most precious book to me. But when it comes to children’s books and authors, I think I’d have to say Reading Magic by Mem Fox. I found her encouragement incredibly motivating to read aloud with my own children, and then from there I found the books that were the most fun for me to read to them and then started writing based on those things. 

4). Can you tell me about the book?

- I See Pumpkins was actually born in a craft store one Fall when I was walking around seeing pumpkins at every turn. I had been reading a lot of rhyming books with my youngest boys (the twins) and the words started spilling out. I knew we were learning certain things in preschool at that time regarding shapes and textures, so I incorporated those types of descriptions. And it went from there. I then shared the poem with my family and my little sister replied with the adorable artwork you will see when you get your copy. 

5). What were your first experiences with writing?

- I remember beginning to love writing in 11th grade. I wrote a lot of papers that year and one particular story is memorable because my father helped me write about an Egomaniac. I had so much fun with him as we searched for interesting vocabulary and put it into words.

- Then in college I began to find my voice and started a blog. Several of my friends would share my entries and started calling me “the girl who could write”. That title meant so much more to me than any of the grades I received and I knew I wanted to continue writing well beyond college.

6). In your opinion, what are the key ingredients for a good story or novel?

- For children’s stories, I think it is so important for the adults who read them with their children to enjoy them. For me, that means that it either rhymes or has great voice acting opportunities. I think a good moral is important or interesting points that parents can discuss with their little ones. I also think that adorable illustrations are very valuable with children’s stories. 

7). How long should an author spend on their craft each day? 

- I think that depends on the season. If I am inspired, all caution is thrown to the wind and I will be up all night. But, in a regular season of life as usual, I will try to dedicate 30 minutes to an hour per day to writing. It doesn’t sound like much, but it will add up to quite a bit by the end of one week. 

8). What was the most challenging part of writing this book, and what did you learn from writing it?

- I See Pumpkins was one of those books that spilled out of me. It wasn’t really a challenge to write it, but the challenges came when I decided that it could be worth seeking publication. I did not acquire an agent so I had to really tap into my old business degree as I researched publishers and submitted it to them. Thankfully, I had several offers to choose from! 

9). What common pitfalls should aspiring writers avoid?

- I think it can be easy to get bogged down in the one special story that you know you have in you.
I currently have a few stories that are very close to my heart and those are harder to complete because we are usually more delicate with things we deeply care about. I also think writers often want to be the next “insert your favourite author”. It is important to see the value in what YOU have to offer and not try to be someone you aren’t. I also think it is good to write about what you know. If you don’t know about something, spend a lot of time getting to know it before you ever pick up your pen, and then the words will flow out of you.  Branching out to different styles of writing can also be a fun experiment. I have short stories, novels, and many poems in my portfolio. 

10). What writing advice would you offer to your younger self?

- Keep it up! Keep learning, keep writing and most importantly, keep reading. I would also tell myself to keep all of my writing in one place. As writers we can be inspired in the strangest places and some of my favourite poems or thoughts are scribbled on napkins or receipts from my glovebox. Thank the Lord for our modern phones with Notes Applications.