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Book: The Mystery of the Blue Goo

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Q1. Hello Maám, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

My name is Teressa Hill I grew up in Oregon, primarily the Columbia Gorge. As a child I spent much of my time outside riding horses, with my dog always trailing behind. We always had pets or fur family as I like to refer to them. When I was not spending time outside in nature, I trained as a competitive figure skater five days a week and travelled extensively. During my downtime from training, I liked to write short stories and poetry. I also loved to sketch and later I enjoyed painting. I used oil as my medium; although I loved the look of watercolours, it was so hard to control, so I stuck with oils. As a young adult I sold several of my paintings. After my competitive figure skating career, I transitioned into a career as a film and television hairstylist in the eighties. That is when I began writing screenplays. In 2005, I wrote a children’s animated series, a Bible if you will, which I have now developed into “The Wildly Whimsical Tales of Gracie & Sniggles,” a series of children’s books. My first, “The Mystery of the Blue Goo,” is available online and through any local bookstore. 100% of my royalties from “The Mystery of the Blue Goo” are being donated to Saint Jude Children’s Hospital. My second “Boo Who?” will release in the fall of 2021, my third “Magical Mo” will be released spring of 2022. There are many more beautifully illustrated books to come of this whimsical series. Ever reminding us of the importance of kindness, acceptance and tolerance above all friendship.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Mystery of the Blue Goo’ book?

Never having written a children’s book before. It’s not easy and can be a bit intimidating. There are many great authors past and present who have several degrees from prestigious colleges, who have developed amazing careers, agents and traditional publishers. So I would have to say working through my own stuff, not fitting the mold of a typical author. My children’s books are books are well over the traditional 30 pages, they have lots of illustrations, and they tell a story. So they don’t really fit into the picture book category, and then yet they’re not novels
– I consider them story picture books.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Wow! Good question. So many to name A.A. Milne: Winnie the Pooh. L. Frank Baum: the wonderful Wizard of Oz (my favorite all-time movie). E.B. White: Charlotte’s Web (I never ate pork again). Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic.
Love the whimsical Dr. Seuss, Beatrix Potter, Robert Louis Stevenson

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

Northern California. Specifically Mendocino. I like to think of it as where the redwoods with the ocean. It’s real, it’s serene.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?

Yes of course. It’s important that the atmosphere in which I’m writing is conducive to helping me stay focus. I have my favorite sweater and my favorite socks that I like to wear. Because I like to be very comfortable when I write. Deciding on storyline, subject matter and how it plays out. I write my endings first. I’ve always done that whether it’s a screenplay, or a book. Character research is important. For instance, if I am introducing a new character like Wise Old Owl I want to know a little bit about owls, so I’ll do research on owls.

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Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Mystery of the Blue God’ book?

From start to finish, first draft, editing, creating and developing the characters-illustrations with my amazingly talented illustrator Karine Makartichan, layout, the cover, to print — about 8 months.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Mystery of the Blue Goo’ book to buy?

Use the ISBN # below and you can order it anywhere

Hardcover | 8.5 x 11in | 74 pages | ISBN 9781665506014 Softcover | 8.5 x 11in | 74 pages | ISBN 9781665505994

E-Book | 74 pages | ISBN 9781665506007


Available at:

Any Local bookstore

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Mystery of the Blue Goo’ ?

Going through the process I pretty much envision it, or at least an idea of what the cover is going to look like from the storyline. Of course, it is then solidified once I sketch out illustration ideas with my illustrator. The title of the book, “The Mystery of The Blue Goo,” came from the storyline. Besides, everyone at every age loves a good mystery!

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I think keeping the storylines interesting, relevant, the adventures whimsical, and the characters lovable and intriguing. Right now I’m just trying to engage my audience and introduce the characters. As the series involves so too do the characters. The characters teach children by working through a situation or problem, showing both their vulnerabilities and strengths. The last book of the series is going to be quite wondrous and very unexpected.

Book Is Available On Amazon

The Mystery of the Blue Goo

Book: Ancient History

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Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

Hi, and thank you for interviewing me. I grew up in the South West of England, close to the ocean, and I’ve always loved reading and losing myself in the pages of a book. I enjoy everything from Jane Austen to contemporary romances, and my first bachelor’s degree encompassed everything from Shakespeare to 20th century Italian literature. I now live in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, which has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. I have a master’s degree in education and for me writing is very much a creative outlet. I find I can lose myself in the creative process in the same way I can when I’m reading.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Ancient History’ book?

As a part-time author I think one of the biggest challenges is finding a big enough chunk of time to get fully immersed in my writing. I like to have several manuscripts in progress at any one time and that way I can move to a different project if I get stuck. Once things start to flow, it becomes a lot easier.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

That’s a really hard question. I think I am probably influenced by every book I have ever picked up, so it’s hard to pin down just one author or book. I also think it’s really important to find your own voice as a writer. There are so many amazing authors out there, more so now than ever before, but I think I realized very early on that I couldn’t be those authors – I had to be me.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

Well, I spent much of my formative life growing up in England and I always loved visiting the historic homes that looked like they had come straight out of Pride and Prejudice. Here in Canada we are blessed with mountains and forests and coastlines, so we are really lucky. A few years ago we had a sailboat and sailing to a quiet cove and anchoring for the night was very special.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

It all starts in my head. I start to get ideas and formulate part of the story before I start to write. I’m not someone who tends to plan everything out in intricate detail. I prefer to let things evolve a little more organically than that.

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Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Ancient History’ book?

Probably about a year all together. The first draft was finished in a few months, but then it went to my developmental editor and I spent another couple of months re-writing, before it finally went to a copy editor.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Ancient History’ book to buy?

It is available on Amazon, Kobo, Nook, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and it will be available from libraries with Overdrive.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Ancient History’ ?

I am very lucky to have an amazing designer from the UK who designs my covers for me. I give her the basic premise of the story and she does her magic for me. She is very talented at interpreting my vision for the book.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

I think the best way to keep things fresh is through characterization. My characters are very important to me and they tend to develop as the story progresses. By the end of the book I’m definitely very attached to them, and it’s sometimes hard to let them go!

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

I’m not sure I want to give anything away that would spoil it for my readers, suffice to say that all my books have a happy ending and there is definitely a happy ending with Ancient History.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Ancient History

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Q1. Hello Maám, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

My name is Annika Jeras, and I am a first-year elementary school teacher! I have worked with young students for several years and have always had a love for children’s literature. Now with writing and illustrating my own children’s books, I feel that I have something special to share with both my own students and young learners everywhere!

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Freddie Yeti Goes To School’ book?

The most challenging part of writing “Freddie Yeti Goes to School” was creating a character that was relatable for all children. Inclusion in a big part of my classroom, so I wanted to also create a story that reflected that. I tried to create a character and story that every child could relate to, and I think Freddie’s nervousness towards starting school is something many can understand.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Mo Willems has influenced my writing and illustrations tremendously. I have often read his books to my students and am often just as entertained with them as the students are. When writing and illustrating my own book, I tried to take a note from his stories and create something that was entertaining for both adults and children.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

My favorite spot to visit is Flagstaff, Arizona. I went to college there, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. The scenery is also beautiful, with forests of pine trees and high mountains. Being in Arizona, a notoriously hot state, Flagstaff is one of the few cities that actually has all four seasons and is a great place to escape the heat!

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Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

With creating a children’s book, there is quite a bit to do before I can actually begin writing. Since I illustrate my own books, I have to consider what images will engage young readers before I fully develop the written portion of a book. I have to make sure that I have an illustration in mind for each part of the story before I can actually begin to create my book.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘‘Freddie Yeti Gets A Pet’ book?

It took about three months to write and illustrate “Freddie Yeti Goes to School” and another three months to create my second book “Freddie Yeti Gets a Pet”. Once I get started on a project, I constantly want to continue working on it, so that drive allowed me to create each of my books fairly quickly. I also absolutely love to draw, so once I begin working on the illustrations for my books, it quickly becomes all I want to work on!

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?

Both of my books, “Freddie Yeti Goes to School” and “Freddie Yeti Gets a Pet” are available as both paperbacks and as Kindle eBooks on Amazon!

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Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your book ?

Before creating a story, I first came up with the character of Freddie. In the midst of some mindless doodling, I sketched a cartoon yeti that I thought might make a good character for a children’s book. I named him Freddie Yeti, since rhyming is very popular in children’s literature. Once I had the character and name created, I was able to easily create titles and covers that clearly show young readers what the books are about.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?

Working with young children as a teacher, I am constantly entertained by the creativity and enthusiasm of my students. Since Freddie, the main character of my books, is a young child, I try to give him some elements of my own students’ behaviors and personalities. Children are full of constant surprises, so I think giving Freddie some of the characteristics I see in my students helps to always keep things fresh!

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Freddie Yeti Goes To School

Freddie Yeti Gets A Pet