Please welcome three amazing
MeeGenius Authors...
Terri Rowe, Lisa Rose and Romelle Broas!!!
All three authors have their second book published with MeeGenius. First, I asked each author two specific questions about their book with MeeGenius. Then, I asked all three authors the same five questions.
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TR-With Emily Cat's Tale-I again drew
inspiration from a true incident in my life. My niece was about 8 or 9 and she
was going to be the flower girl in my wedding. She was already very poised and
a great singer/performer/dancer even at that age. Someone said in
passing-because she is also very good natured-that no one would ever have to
worry about her being a diva-and she had never heard that term before---and
wasn't sure if it was a compliment or otherwise. So I built the story around
that. My husband and I have rescued cats before-so it seemed natural to have
animals tell this story.
JLY- Will you consider making this book into a play like your last picture book, GREEN GOO?
TR- I would love to see
this storybook come alive as a play-maybe be part of a set of sketches based on
other storybooks.
Terri's blog-http://terrikrowe-writer.blogspot.com/
Terri's Twitter @TerrRowe
The writing of this essay is what helped me focus myself and change how I related to my work and life: http://workstew.com/2011/08/31/my-secret-identity/
Facebook page for Green Goo. https://www.facebook.com/GreenGooStorybook?ref=hl
Second up...Lisa Rose
JLY- Lisa, what inspired you to write your first picture book OH NO! THE EASTER BUNNY IS ALLERGIC TO EGGS!?
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| http://meegenius.com/book/6071/oh-no-the-easter-bunny-is-allergic-to-eggs |
LR- I wanted to write a holiday book that was fresh and new. Something that wasn’t done and redone so many times. On a long family ride to visit my in-laws in Syracuse, I composed the first draft. Sometimes good ideas happen in weird places. But also something very unexpected happened with this story. As I said, my inspiration was “holidays” but I received an even bigger reaction from families with children who have food allergies. Parents expressed how much they loved how I addressed the issue in such a fun way. They said that their kids loved that even the Easter Bunny had food allergies. Also, the ironic thing about this story is that I don’t celebrate Easter. I am Jewish.
JLY - How is your second picture book, OH NO! THE TOOTH FAIRY BROKE HER WING! similar and different than your first book with MeeGenius?
LR-This book is similar in pattern. I
consider it a second book in a series.
Third up...Romelle Broas
JLY- Romelle, what inspired you to
write TUMMY MONSTER?
RB- It was two years ago when I participated in the Picture Book Marathon with Jean Reagan and Lora Koehler. I was sitting at my desk scribbling in my notebook trying to come up with a story to write when my tummy monster growled. He would not leave me alone. As time passed, I realized that my tummy monster was trying to tell me something. So I wrote about him.
JLY- Was your experience with publishing your
second picture book any different than when you published your first picture
book through Flying Books?
With MeeGenius, they have a creative director who manages the entire illustration process. So much of the design was left to them. When my book was done, it was like opening a present. Sam Luu did a wonderful job.
Casey Chameleon (eBook) by Romelle Broas available now at: Flying Books or visit the app store. Coming Soon in 2014: Running Boy and Tummy Monster published by MeeGenius
Terri, Lisa and Romelle answer the same five questions...
Is there anything you find particularly
challenging in your writing?
Terri: I find that I start off
with wild enthusiasm, but I still need to work on my focus when it comes to
seeing projects through to the end.
Romelle: Ideas come pretty easy for me, but it's the execution of the idea that I find challenging. Writing a story with a complete plot in under 500 words is one thing. Writing a story that is supposed to create a visual experience with very few words, as in a picture book, is another thing. Writing picture books is so much different from writing magazine stories. It's a big learning curve for me.
Romelle: Ideas come pretty easy for me, but it's the execution of the idea that I find challenging. Writing a story with a complete plot in under 500 words is one thing. Writing a story that is supposed to create a visual experience with very few words, as in a picture book, is another thing. Writing picture books is so much different from writing magazine stories. It's a big learning curve for me.
2. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Terri: My advice-besides never
give up-is-you never know what shape/form your dream will acquire along the
way. When I started dreaming of being a writer at the age of 4...I could not
have envisioned the digital era we live in now. We had just started using
computers when I was in junior high. So far, all my books have been digitally
published. It has been a great experience for me.
Lisa: If you want to be a writer, you have to be persistent
and be prepared for lots of disappointments. I was a swimmer, before I
was writer. I was used to swimming as fast as I could to cement
walls. It was excellent training. Writers must always go hard and
be prepared to make sudden flip turns.
Romelle: Try to be an expert in the genre of your choice by participating and reading all things related to it. For me, I tried to enroll in writing classes specifically for picture books. I joined a picture book only critique group, and I read a lot of picture books. Get the picture?
3. Can you share a little
of your current work with us?
Terri:. I am still editing my
mid-grade chapter-book from last year...it is a mystery-as that style of book
is my first love. I am also converting a screenplay I wrote to a novel for
young adults. It turns out that the screenplay is like an awesome, detailed
outline!
This is from my mystery
book: "Leah sleepily wondered what she might do as she chased the last
fruity flakes in her bowl of neon pink tinted milk. It was so relaxing to be
able to still be sitting in her pajamas at 8:30 in the morning. It was contrast
to how the last few weeks of school had been. There had been the class picnic,
the field trips, and field day. And of coursed, there was now the wait for the
end of the year report cards that would be mailed out soon. Leah was a good student,
but she worried anyway. All the time, actually. Today was Leah’s day to clean
the bathroom she shared with her messy brother. She would rather clean the
chicken coup. Her great hope was that Noah would trade with her. He didn't even
like the chickens. Leah loved to gather their warm eggs and place them
carefully in the kitchen towel that was folded in the basket. Her girls would
come running, clucking their greetings. Thinking of the chickens running always
made Leah laugh out loud. "What?" asked Noah as he stuffed the last
of his toast in his mouth. "Nothing. I was just thinking," Leah
answered, still giggling. "Why? We're not in school. My brain's on break.
I don't have to think any more," said Noah. “Haven’t you learned anything
in school yet? You think all the time. It’s automatic, like breathing,” said
Leah."
Lisa: . It is a really exciting time to be a writer. The traditional publishing model is not the only way to produce books anymore. Currently, I am working with rapper Eminem’s former producer, Jeff Bass. He has a Grammy and Oscar for the film 8 Mile. Together, along with a fabulous team we are developing a new way to add music to digital books. It is called BookJAMZ. Also, I am developing a chapter book series for urban boys. Fel3000ft who is a well-known graffiti artist in Detroit will be working on the illustrations. Visit Fel3000ft at: www.fel3000ft.com
Romelle: I have another eBook coming out with MeeGenius, hopefully by the end of the year. It's titled, RUNNING BOY. I also have three other picture books that are making its rounds in the agent circuit. And soon, I will be fleshing out my story ideas from Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo into picture books when Julie Hedlund's 12x12 rolls around again in 2014.
4. If you could know the
answer to any question, besides “What is the meaning of life?” what would it
be?
Terri: I would want to know so much...so it is hard to narrow it down...I
suppose...how to have confidence in any new situation. Now that song from The
Sound of Music will probably be stuck in my head all day-"I have
confidence in sunshine, I have confidence in rain..."
Lisa: I have always been interested in tales about the Loch Ness Monster. (I like Bigfoot, Mermaids, and Aliens too.) But I think I would like to know if Nessie exists.
Romelle: Is there life beyond planet earth? You know, an alternate universe. It would be cool to find out how far along they are in technology.
5. What was your favorite food when you were a child?
Terri: At first I didn't like tomatoes-but by the time I was around 9-I loved
them-and I still love a tomato sandwich-bread, mayo, tomato-or bread Miracle
Whip and tomato!
Lisa: My favorite food as a child is still my favorite
food. Ice Cream!!! I believe a person can survive a long time on
ice cream and diet pepsi. I love chocolate, but as I grow older I like
vanilla more and more. There is something very comforting in the
flavor—like mother’s milk. It nurtures and loves you.
Romelle: I was a picky eater as a child. But there is one thing that I loved to eat- Mangos! I grew up in Hawaii so mangos were plentiful. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert!
Thank you for the interview Terri, Lisa and Romelle!
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