How do you come up with ideas for your stories?
When I write, I never think what genre my story will fit. A good story always finds its place and reader. I often mix realistic fiction with modern fantasies. I think these two styles describe my books best. I twist true events with unrealistic characters, which teach children to conquer problems, build self-esteem, and overcome challenges in their lives. They also show young readers the beauty and power of nature and help them learn about the true meaning of friendship and family. It also helps them better connect to the surrounding world and care for our younger friends, the animals. I do not think that mixing two genres confuses young readers. Children easily connect to imaginary characters and often see themselves or their behavior from a different perspective.
Writing for children is like playing a game: you win or you lose. There is no middle ground. I must surround myself with their imagination. I must go to their level and see the story from their viewpoint. Children have a most unpredictable imagination and hunger for knowledge. If I do not get their attention from the first paragraph, then I have lost them. I must also see the story from the viewpoint of their parents. It is hard to be a grown-up and a child at the same time, and that is why writing for children is not an easy task. What I like most about writing for children is reliving the special moments, when I feel as if I am a child again. When my story makes me laugh or cry, then I know I got it right. In my opinion, children’s books must teach both child and parent.
I am presently working on advertising my two new books from the “Grandpa’s Stories” series:
and “My Grandpa is a Werecow.”
Both books are beautifully illustrated, size 8.5×11, around 30 pages each, fun to read and good for children to learn something useful.
What projects are you currently working on?
Also, I am polishing my new novel “The Chinese Princess,” working with the illustrator on “The Kitten’s Stories” series, and correcting another children’s series, “The Lost Baby Tooth.”
Also, I am collecting some ideas for the “Carlo the Mouse” series. 2022 will be a very busy year for me.
What do you expect to accomplish in 2022?
I love to write children’s stories, but I also love to write in different styles. I just finished my new book “The Cat ThatWandered by Itself,” a beautifully illustrated, black-and-white style, size 6×9, about 325 pages, for readers age 12 and up. It is a heartwarming story told from the perspective of an unusual calico kitten named Nyda that went on a dangerous journey, practically using all her nine lives, if the old saying is true, but always managing to return safely to the people she loved. This book is for older independent readers.
Also, I hope to finish my new novel “The Chinese Princess,” publish three books from “The Kitten’s Stories” series (“The Kitten in the Window,” “The Day Before Thanksgiving,” and “The Forgotten Christmas Tree”), and illustrate a few books from “The Lost Baby Tooth” series.
My books are not simple; they are intended to make the young reader stop and think about the message that the story is delivering. I am a strong believer in good-quality illustrations, calming, but fun; nothing drastic or overpowering. They are colorful and represent the story before a child starts reading it. They are also creative and perfect for a child’s growing mind. Parents can easily discuss or explain them to a child who cannot read yet. All these new stories are awaiting their turn to be published. English is a second language for me, and it takes me much longer to correct my writings before I submit them to the editor.
What is your target audience for your book?
I do not choose the story; the story chooses me. Mostly, I write for children ages 4 to 10, but I have books for older readers, like “The Little Girl Praying on the Hill,” “Taste of Bread,” and my new book “The Cat That Wanders by Itself.”
Stories are everywhere. I write what I know, not what sells. This may sound like a bad business decision, but this is the only time I do not treat writing like a business.
Please share your books with us and a synopsis of each.
I have too many books to describe each separately, but here are a few:
Carlo the Mouse—A full series of six books. This series of enchanting books is an entertaining look into the life of a little mouse born inside a hospital’s walls. His insatiable desire for adventure gets him in constant trouble with the exterminator, the head cook, Fidel the cat, and the hospital manager, who becomes his worst nightmare.
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge? Series of three books.
These fun rhyming stories introduce young readers to delightful
food characters with goofy personalities, real feelings, passions and fears, who always disagree with each other about who will feed a hungry little girl first.
The Mysterious Life Inside a Closet. A humorous story about the mysterious life inside the closet and a curious little kitten, which sneaks inside the closet and causes mayhem.
The Royal Palm. A teaching story about a snobby silver palm, which learns a valuable lesson and the meaning of real friendship.
Runaway Clothes. An instructional story about a little girl who didn’t like to take care of her clothes and toys. In the end, she learns how easy it is to lose something you love.
That Is How Things Are. A beautiful story about friendship between a kitten and a sparrow, and how the little kitten learns about the power of nature.
Good Morning, World! A happy and uplifting story about Baby Thomas and his grandpa. Baby Thomas wants to hug and embrace a beautiful world full of amazing things, but Grandpa takes the
world very seriously. They see the same picture, but each takes a different approach.
City Kittens and the Old House Cat. A beautifully illustrated, heartwarming Christmas book about sharing and giving.
Runaway Clothes: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
The Royal Palm: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
The Little Girl Praying on the Hill (short story)
A Taste of Bread (novella)
Somewhere Between Two Worlds (novel)
Who Let the Cookies Out?
Who Let the Cookies Out?: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
Baby from the Moon
What Is GOOD and What Is BAD
What Is GOOD and What Is BAD: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
My Grandpa Is a Werecow
To order paperback copies of my published books, please visit Amazon.com, or my website, www.mrsdbooks.net.
E-book versions are also available through Amazon.
What advice would you give prospective authors?
When a story is told, it is not forgotten. I strongly believe that the best stories live inside each of us. Look around and write! Let your stories see the world! Use your imagination and make your story uniquely yours. Write what you know, write what you feel, write what you love, write because you want to.
When you are ready to publish your book, do your homework and make sure your book is professionally edited. Create a
professional-looking book, one which will not get lost among the millions of poorly published books. Make your book one that you would want to buy for yourself or for your child. If you are a children’s writer, forget your age and envision your book as children would. Get involved in each illustration. Nobody knows and feels your book better than you do.
Writing is an easy task; publishing and marketing is a business. These days, an author must also be a smart businessperson. To be a self-publishing author, you will have to learn every aspect of publishing. Lastly, when you publish your book, you will wish that the day had 48 hours, because there will be no time left for writing. Writers today must be very business- oriented and be devoted to social media to promote their books. So do not quit your day job yet. Wait until you become famous.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I long for people to see the internal beauty through the eyes of a child. Usually I turn for help to nature when I write. It never refuses to give me the inspiration for the characters I am looking for in my stories. I am fascinated by the wonders of nature, especially with the wind, trees, palms, and all kinds of animals. They are wonderful characters for children. With the help of these characters, children will learn about how things change and behave in nature, and sometimes how they misbehave.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I’ve traveled a lot, but have never visited China. I would like to learn more about this country’s culture and life. It would help me to better understand my main character from my new book The Chinese Princess. I am afraid that my title will mislead some of my readers, because my book is not about the life of royalty or any historical event. It is a story about people who immigrated from different countries at different times. It is interesting to observe how they are mixing with different cultures and how they accept each other. How the older generation understands the younger generation and how they act when outsiders join their traditional families. This book is fiction, but is based on my experiences as a foreigner.
If you could have one wish, what would it be?
Go back to where were before COVID-19. I would like people to be kinder and see goodness in small gestures, be more tolerant and respectful to each other, respect different opinions, and just get some sanity in life.
What would you do if you were not a writer?
I am not sure... I have been running businesses all my life. But I think I could make a good nurse or doctor. When I was young, I wanted to be a detective. I am observant and love analyzing things around me. My husband does not like watching movies with me because I often predict the ending. I admire tough professions that make people think, act, and take risks.
I am a restless soul. I need to know as many things as my poor brain can handle. My mom said I was a very determined child, always hungry for knowledge. I do not think I ever settled for anything in my life. I like challenges.
I am a good cook, organizer, and decorator. I love order, beauty, and harmony. Throughout the years, I’ve tried many things. In some I succeeded, in some I didn’t. But I learned a very good lesson: every one of my failures was a blessing in some way. I am who I am now because I failed many times, and every time I fell on my face, I learned how to fight. I did not necessarily like it, but each of my failures made me get up and look for a new way out. It forced me to move forward and pushed me closer to my destination. I cried, I complained, and I hated it. I doubted my strength, my dignity, and my ability. I thought I would never forget my devastations. But God always works in mysterious ways; as soon as one door closes, a second door opens. Now, looking back at my failures, they look more like successes, a good graduate school. As my grandpa would say, if you want to get somewhere, you must move; if you want to cross the river, you must wet your shoes. Simple and true.
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