Book: Amber Tambourine and the Land of Laugh-a-Lot
Q1. Can you please introduce yourself so that the readers can know you better?
I was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. I started off my career as a primary school teacher, and now work in the field of online education.
Q2. From where did you have the idea to write your book “Amber Tambourine and the Land of Laugh-a-Lot”?
I started thinking about my first house as a child, where I used to love wandering through the back woods and discovering hidden places. So that is where the book starts off…Amber wandering through the back woods with her dogs and stumbling upon a magical, hidden place.
I have always been obsessed with magical “otherworlds” I guess you could call them. My favorite movie has always been “The Wizard of Oz” so obviously the Land of Oz was an inspiration. And I also loved “Brigadoon” about a magical Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years. All inspiration for my “Land of Laugh-a-Lot” for sure!
Q3. What do you hope your readers will take away from your book?
At its core, the book is about friendships lost and new ones found. It is also about transition in one’s life and how difficult it can be, and how it seems things will never get better…but they do, in time. And good friends are always worth the wait.
Q4. What are your hobbies apart from reading and writing?
I love being outside in nature, exploring the natural beauty of our world – beaches, waterfalls, mountains. I also love road trips, music, dancing, watching good TV and movies, and spending lots of time with my family. And I insanely love dogs.
Q5. Please tell me something about yourself that will astonish me and the readers?
That I didn’t start publishing my writing until my forties…although my mom said technically I wrote my first book when I was like 5 or 6. I always wrote in some form or another growing up, but on my fortieth birthday I had some kind of mid-life epiphany, I think. I promised myself I would start writing more and actively pursued it. I started writing and publishing articles for online platforms like Blasting News and Medium. I created a personal blog, Life Lessons for My Daughter. Then from there, just started writing children’s stories.
Q6. How do you select the names of your characters?
I really wanted to write a book with a character based on my daughter, Amber, who is now 7. Then our two dogs, Bandit and Roxy, got added in as well. “Amber Tambourine” was a nickname I gave my daughter as a toddler – I don’t even remember why now, to be honest – I have just always made up cutesy nicknames for her – this one just kind of stuck.
Q7. How is life in Canada?
Canada is a beautiful country and being such an outdoorsy person, I truly value and enjoy all of its breathtaking scenery. I think my best writing ideas have come to me while walking and being out and about in nature.
Q8. Can you please tell me and readers about your debut book publishing journey?
I was so fortunate that Austin Macauley Publishers USA believed in my little book and took a chance on me as a first-time author. It really is difficult to get your first book published but Austin Macauley is all about giving first-time authors a chance, and they are fantastic! I will be forever grateful to them.
Q9. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?
I definitely want to keep writing children’s books, so my goal for the next 10 years is to keep writing and hopefully get more books published.
Q10. Who inspires you the most in life?
My daughter Amber is my biggest inspiration – I love watching her grow and play and dance and discovering her own unique talents and interests. I find myself jotting down story ideas all the time just from things she is interested in.
Book Is Available On Amazon
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