Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Hello and thank you for having me. My name is Kimberly Daley and I’m the author of two interesting and empowering new children’s books, Meatloaf Beatloaf and Raise your voice for Courtney.
I am a self published author and CEO-President of JEANIE BEAN BOOKS LLC.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing the ‘Raise Your Voice For Courtney’ book?
Well, one of the first challenges was an emotional one for me. Being that the story is about an issue that affected myself as well as my niece when we were children. Working through the story really opened up a lot of hurtful emotions while writing. I went through a bit of a therapy session you could say. Looking back at the shy, insecure little girls we once were and realizing how much we have both grown and learned about ourselves. What we have accomplished is really surreal and empowering. It took us both some time to realize we always had it in us , we just had to believe it for ourselves.
The second challenge was editing it down to fit into a children’s book format. I wanted it to be a story that was short and sweet, not too dark but still getting the message across. Teaching children to be brave and to find the courage to speak up and be themselves, share their ideas, thoughts and feelings. All humans share that need to be seen , heard and understood.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
As a child I loved all books by Dr. Suess. I know it’s probably cliche’ but it’s true. Horton Hears a Who? was my all time favorite. For some reason I was really struck by the idea that there could be an entire living species so small they could hardly be seen by the naked eye. A hidden world that existed on the allium flower. I’ve been obsessed with the tiny details and internal intricacies of flowers, plants and mother nature in general ever since I read that book!
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
One of my absolute favorite places to visit is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a mountain region that stretches between North Carolina and Tennessee. It’s full of lush forests, rivers and waterfalls not to mention the amazing wildlife and history the area holds.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
No, I try to let the stories choose for me. I’m always carrying around little pads and notebooks that I constantly jot down ideas, details and bits of stories in. So the hardest part is deciding which story to concentrate on first. The next step is writing outlines for each in folders and waiting to see which one is jumping out more than the others wanting to be heard. When this happens I give that story my full attention and work on bringing it to life.
Q6. How long did it take you to write the book ‘Meatloaf Beatloaf’?
That story was written in a shorter rough draft years prior to publishing. I had written it for and about my son who was a bit of a picky eater when he was little. When my niece Courtney Soden approached me with the idea about publishing the book for her college thesis, I got to work right away. I did a lot of editing and rewriting the story to fit into a 32 page children’s book format. It took us about a year from start to finish, there was so much to learn! We are still learning but are amazed by how far we have come!
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?
Our books are available online at amazon and Barnes and Noble as well as over 39,000. The easiest way to find them is by clicking on our website with links to purchase as well as free shipping! http://www.authorkimberlydaley.com
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title of your books?
When I start working on a new story I draw rough sketches depicting ideas for illustrations, page layouts as well as cover art. After I get the story outline cleaned up to be a properly formatted book,I make up two dummy books. One for myself, the other for Courtney. I send my niece a copy to get started on the illustrations. After she has had a chance to go over everything and come up with her own ideas, We brainstorm over zoom meetings discussing what works,needs changing or improving on. Courtney works in publishing during the workweek and has a much better idea as to what guidelines and formatting is required. The titles are usually something that come to me in the beginning phase of writing the story, based on the ideas and context of the book and characters.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I drive a school bus for a living and am around elementary school age children on a daily basis. This has been an incredible resource for me over the past twenty years as a writer. I’ve been able to gather content for future stories as well as bounce ideas and bits of stories off my students. This helps me to stay up to date on what kids find funny as well as their ever changing lingo, trends and social issues. I’m constantly in awe of their strength, intelligence and ability to transform and adapt to speed in which the world around us is changing.
Books Are Available On Amazon
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