What inspired you to finally write your first children’s book after years of wanting to do so?
After I retired from teaching, I realized that I now had the time to write a children’s book, which I had always wanted to do. So I started writing my first manuscript. My husband inspired and encouraged me to keep at it by volunteering to take over many of my household jobs.
Why did you choose frogs as the focus of your very first story? Is there a special meaning behind them?
One day when I was in second grade and had never given a second thought about frogs, my best friend’s brother, who was in fourth grade and loved frogs, took us out to a meadow to show us how to catch one without hurting it. As I held my frog gently in my cupped hands, I didn’t know it then, but this experience would stay with me. Years later, I decided that I was going to write a children’s book and, of course, it would be about frogs. And I did. I called it Meadow Pond.
You initially didn’t plan to write more than one book—what changed your mind and led you to continue the series?
I had planned on writing only one book, but the truth is that I love writing. It’s fun, creative, and I find it relaxing. I had several ideas for another book but wasn’t getting anywhere. One day, a black spider ran across the kitchen floor. I tried to kill it three different times, but each time it escaped by running under the stove, refrigerator, or China cupboard. Finally, I gave up and decided that I would not try to kill it. Instead, I would capture it in a jar and take it outside. However, I never saw it again. My husband then suggested that I write a story about a spider and make it talk. I took his suggestion and typed on my computer “write a story about a spider that talks.” Finally after a long while, a story started to form.
Can you tell us about your book, “Winter Stories,” and what readers can expect from it?
I wanted to create a book of short stories and I wanted them to take place in the winter because all my other books took place in the summer or fall. There are five very different stories in Winter Stories. I write about a boy who takes something unusual to school for Show and Tell; a squirrel who is taken from her family in the forest and whether she will ever find her way back home; three snow ladies who, with the help of magic, affect the lives of the bunnies they visit; a rat from the garbage dump who finds a new home and friends, but is not safe in its large backyard; and a lost boy who meets the colorful Christmas Bugs that live in a magical forest.
Your journey into illustration is unique—what was it like teaching yourself to draw your own characters?
I never thought I would illustrate my books. I didn’t believe I could do it. It was hard. I started by practicing drawing a line or something simple. If I liked it, I added on to it. If I didn’t like it, I erased it and drew it again and again until I got it the way I liked. An artist I heard speak at Spokane Authors once said that if you could see it in your mind, you could draw it. So I started visualizing objects and drawing them using my “draw, erase” method.
You mentioned your first character took seven hours to draw—how has your illustration process evolved since then?
I still didn’t see myself as a true artist until one day I thought that maybe since it was a children’s book, I could draw pictures like a fifth grader would draw. Encouraged by that thought, I drew my first Meadow Pond illustration. It took me seven hours and I was happy with it. It was of Miss Gertie and her tadpole students. Drawing, like everything else, takes practice. The more I drew, I found I could draw my illustrations faster and better. However, each new book is a challenge because I have new characters and scenes to create.
What challenges did you face when you couldn’t find an illustrator, and how did overcoming that shape your creative confidence?
Whenever I tried to hire an illustrator, they wanted to put me on a “wait” list for one or two years, or they wanted to illustrate my book without reading it first, which I found unacceptable. I didn’t know what I was going to do until one day one of my sisters-in-law said, “Why don’t you do it yourself?” I had never considered that, but gradually I thought I would give it a try. I found that many people were impressed with my drawings and this encouraged me to go on with my illustrations.
How did your experience as a fourth and fifth grade teacher influence your storytelling style?
Being a fourth and fifth grade teacher helped me write for children. I also briefly taught third grade. All of this helped me to know their reading levels, what kinds of books they liked, subjects that were taught, what they liked to play at recess, and how they acted in the cafeteria during lunch time. All my books are fun to read, but they also have parts that are educational. Readers learn interesting facts about frogs, spiders, flies, tomato plants, and much more.
Your second book is award-winning—what elements from your classroom experiences made it especially impactful?
My second book, Mr. inky: Spider with an Attitude, won the Northern Lights Book Award for pre-teen fiction. Except for Mr. Inky who talks, I made this story as believable as possible, especially the classroom, recesses, and cafeteria scenes.
How do children respond to your books, especially knowing they are inspired by real classroom moments?
My books, especially Mr. Inky: Spider with an Attitude, have been read to students in many classrooms from grades K-5. Children and many adults love my books and read them over and over again. Mr. Inky is my most popular character, so I put him in my later book, Poopie the Fly and Friends.
What is your typical writing and illustrating routine like? Do you prefer one over the other?
I usually write my stories first and then draw my illustrations. I don’t have a regular writing/drawing routine. I try to write or draw as often as I can. It’s a time thing.
As both an author and illustrator, how do you balance storytelling with visual creativity?
I draw my illustrations to match the descriptions of characters in my story. Sometimes I find I haven’t described a character very well and have to change or add to it so that I can draw a better illustration.
You also write poetry and create art on wooden blocks—how do these creative outlets influence your books?
One of our local authors had painted hundreds of scenes on small wooden blocks. She gave me around twenty of them to hand out to customers who purchased my books. They were very popular so I painted thirty plus paintings of my own to give away. Some of them were of animals, Halloween ghosts and pumpkins, Santa Claus, trees and flowers, or characters from my books. They, too, were popular, but I stopped doing them after a while because of time. Now I paint one every once in a while just for me.
I started writing poetry just for fun. The last story in Winter Stories is in poetry form. My brothers are good at writing poems. I’m not as good as I would like to be. It’s a work in progress. I’m hoping to be able to write poetry much faster than I am doing right now.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who feel discouraged, especially when facing obstacles like finding collaborators?
My advice to aspiring authors who feel discouraged is to never give up. Join your local authors or writing groups. Talk to fellow authors and artists. Read books by authors you admire. I read tons of children’s books and studied their sentence structure, how the book was laid out, the copyright page, etc. You can sell you book at book signings and craft fairs. Join groups that help promote your book like AllAuthor.
How would you rate your experience of working with AllAuthor?
I love the cover of the month contests. Sometimes I even buy one of the books to read. If I have a question about anything, the allauthor support team gets back to me quickly with answers. I like most of the mockups of my books to use for advertising. My book sales on Amazon have gone up since participating in the contests. Overall, I feel it’s worthwhile and I enjoy being a member of AllAuthor.
