l. Congratulations!
You have written over 35 titles of children's books! Tell me about your history
in writing.
Six
years ago I began writing children’s stories. Initially, I wrote my first book
for my two-year-old grandchild, Zoe who
was afraid of a blue dinosaur in her closet. For her benefit, I decided to
write The Blue Dinosaur, a story about a friendly dinosaur that
included her and her cousin as story characters. From that point on, I have
written, illustrated and published over 35 titles, some fiction and some
non-fiction.
Three
years ago, I met a publisher at a book festival, Billie Johnson from Oak Tree
Press. We signed a contract to publish Ants
on a Log. Since then, she has
published two more of my books, The
Mysterious Case of the Missing Birthday Cake and Camouflage. Two
additional books will be released in June, When Caterpillars Dream and Butterfly
Girls. Both these new books are about Monarch butterflies in a fiction
format.
Recently,
I self-published through CreateSpace, a series of four wildlife books. These
books, containing my photographs and text in verse about various animals, are entitled
Wild
Africa, Elephant Families in the Wild, Wild Hippos, and Backyard
Birds. All the African animal
photographs were taken on safari in Africa. Additional books will follow
including books on zebras and camels.
2.
Did you illustrate and do the photography for all of them, and why do you
illustrate in mixed mediums?
To
illustrate most of my books, I first draw my characters using watercolors and
pencils and then select backgrounds from my own photograph collection. Using my
MAC, I float the drawn and scanned characters onto the photo backgrounds,
slightly blending in the edges of the characters with a blur tool. Sometimes, I
also blur the backgrounds a bit so that they look more like drawings.
I
use this technique in order to combine reality and fantasy in my illustrations. Children do this process naturally, often not
differentiating between fantasy and the real world. In addition, stories by
their very nature are often a blending of these two elements.
In
a few books, I have drawn the backgrounds as well as the characters, as in Ants
on a Log and The Littlest Dinosaur. In my wildlife series, I only use
photographs because these books are non-fiction, and I want to convey the
immediacy of the natural world. In a few books, I have collaborated with other
artists as illustrators.
I
wrote this story because my publisher, Oak Tree Press, has numerous mystery
writers. At one point I was the only children’s author, so I thought it would
be fun to write a children’s story that was designed as a mystery.
A
missing birthday cake from a party seemed the ideal starting point for children
to enjoy. Such a story would teach
children about following clues while using deductive reasoning in an engaging
way. Each animal has certain
personalities based on their characteristics, for example, a raccoon who is fearless and persistent
teamed with a mouse who is shy and easily frightened. And, of course, young
children welcome happy stories that promote friendship and sharing, understanding
that working together can solve problems.
4.
Tell me why you write for children?
For
me, becoming a grandparent was a profound experience. For the first time, I could enjoy children without having all the
parental duties and responsibilities. In
addition, I also have my own fond
memories of sitting with my grandfather in a rocking chair by our fireplace as
he told me stories about the Three Jolly Fleas. Writing my first book, The
Blue Dinosaur, was going to be a once-in-a -lifetime adventure. I found that I enjoyed writing and
illustrating this and later books, first just for my grandchildren and then for
other children. The more I produced
stories, the more I enjoyed this experience. Being an artist, as well as a photographer,
means I can combine my talents in a meaningful way.
Connecting
with children, whether at a signing, a school or workshop, is a joy. It reminds
me of my teaching days many years ago. Although I taught high school English
and Social Studies, I find teaching and relating to young children is similar.
Moreover, I can combine several of my talents into one media and have fun as
well.
5.
Are you currently working on any other title?
I
am working on more books for my wildlife series, including books on zebras,
camels and giraffes. I have several, self-published books with Blurb which are
being revised and will be submitted to Oak Tree Press. New books include a
story about a persistent black bear wandering down from the mountains, invading
suburbia. This story is awaiting
illustrations by another artist. There
is a long list of stories I’d love to write some day, including a book about
children in Burma. I have traveled extensively throughout the world and there
are other exciting ideas to be gleaned from those travels.
