Interview Questions...
1. Let’s start with a little something about you. What do you want the readers to know?
I am a children’s librarian, a single mother and a writer. I have wanted to write children’s books my entire life. A lot of things got in the way of pursuing this dream, including being a single mother, needing to earn money, and more recently, loss and grief. But I have just published my first children’s book, which I wrote and illustrated, and I am so happy about it! I hopefully have a million more fun books for kids up my sleeve!
2. Now? Tell us about your book(s).
My first book is called TRICK OR BEEP. It is a Halloween book, about robots that go trick-or-treating. It is a rhyming book, and also has a guessing game element. I am lucky that I get to do storytimes for toddlers, and this allows me to see what they like and what they don’t like. I hope my book is one that they will really enjoy!
3. List of favorites…
A. Quote?
“It is the sweet simple things of life that are the real ones after all.” - Laura Ingalls Wilder
B. Color? Green!
C. Food? Thai food!
D. Lucky number? 12
E. Movie? Actor? Actress?
Movie, DEAD OF NIGHT (1945) starring Michael Redgrave
Actor – Peter Capaldi (swoon!), Actress – Norma Shearer (I love old movies from the thirties!)
F. Song? I do not have a favorite song, but I have been hearing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” a lot in my head lately!
G. Memory? The very first moment of my very first date with my boyfriend David, who has since crossed over. The beginning of the happiest time of my life. I can still remember exactly what he looked like as he walked up and smiled at me.
H. Way to spend your down time? Reading, or walking in the woods!
I. Word? Love.
J. Author? Louisa May Alcott, Emily Bronte, E.M Delafield and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’m sorry, I can’t pick just one!
K. Secret indulgence? I like to splurge on fancy bath gels from places like Crabtree and Evelyn! Beautiful smells like rosemary, eucalyptus, lilac and lavender make me happy! I don’t have enough money to splurge on anything fancier than that!
L. Perfume/cologne? I stopped wearing perfume after my boyfriend died. Nothing smelled the same anymore. I am convinced that trauma and grief actually alter your body chemistry.
M. Place you’ve visited? England! I am obsessed with the UK!!! I dream of living there someday!
N. Guilty pleasure? Theoretically, it should be sweets since I am chubby and need to lose weight. But honestly, I never feel guilty about pleasures; I always make the most of them!
O. Cartoon? The Simpsons and old Daffy Duck cartoons!
4. Do you have any rituals when you write?
I do not have any rituals at all, in fact I write anywhere and everywhere. The greatest boon to my writing and drawing has been the iPad, because I have it with me at all times and can write or draw as soon as inspiration strikes. I drew the pictures for my book TRICK OR BEEP everywhere - my sofa, my car, coffee shops. This really helps me because I get bored easily and I don’t think I could handle sitting at a desk and trying to be creative!
5. What/who encouraged you to be a writer and what/who inspires you to keep writing?
I have loved books since I was born and always wanted to be a writer. My earliest inspiration in terms of artwork would be Lois Lenski, whose tiny books I adored. Probably one of my earliest idols in terms of writing was the character of Jo March in Little Women, because she was so determined to be a great writer, and she was an incredibly independent tomboy. I loved the fact that Jo March insisted that women could create works of genius!
6. Writing plans for the future?
I have just published my first children’s book through Amazon Kindle Publishing. My plans are to create more books for kids, and also to learn about marketing myself and my books so that more people will hear of my books! My dream is that kids will love the books I create for them, because I love kids!!!
7. What is your opinion on S’mores? Burnt marshmallow or not? I never eat s’mores but I don’t like burnt marshmallows!
8. Tell us a story about something you’ve witnessed that made you laugh.
Once, my mother saw a mouse in our house and said that our dog Buster should be hunting down the mice and killing them. I yelled to Buster, “Did you hear that Buster? There’s a mouse in the kitchen!” Buster immediately flopped down on the couch and pretended to be fast asleep to get out of hunting duties. I went over and looked at him. He was lying very still but his eyes were open. I said “I know you are faking, Buster, because if you were REALLY asleep, your eyes would be closed!” He immediately closed his eyes really really tight! My dog was a crazy character!
9. Most embarrassing moment ever?
Sometimes I think my entire life has been one long embarrassing moment. I couldn’t possibly narrow it down.
10. You can teleport anywhere and any era you wish. You can only bring 3 things with you. Where do you go and what do you bring?
I would go to the Bronte household in the early 1800s. I would bring my iPad, the iPad charger… and some shower gel!
11. What are your feelings about chocolate milk?
I can never have enough! And I like it super chocolatey!
12. Pet person? Do you have them? If so, tell us about them?
I am definitely an animal lover, and dogs and horses are my favorite animals. I had a dog named Buster but he is in doggie heaven now. He was a Boston Terrier and the funniest craziest character! I hope to own more Boston Terriers someday!
13. Tell us about your first kiss.
I only remember my first kiss with my boyfriend David, because when I kissed him, all the other kisses vanished. We were standing near the water somewhere on Riverside Drive. There were a lot of people around so I felt shy, but David said Manhattan was so busy, nobody ever noticed what anyone else was doing. So he kissed me, and as I said, everyone else I had ever kissed evaporated into thin air, forever. Not because he kissed in any special way, but because he was that one person I was meant to be with, and once we kissed, I knew it.
14. Have you ever walked down a toy aisle at a store and pushed all the buttons?
Yes, I also push buttons for coupons in the grocery store, even when I don’t want or need them!
15. It’s raining outside, you’re completely alone, what do you do?
Walk in the rain, and I never carry an umbrella either! It isn’t any wonder that I feel a strong affinity with Peppa Pig!
16. Words of wisdom for our readers?
I am just starting on this journey of self-publishing, so I can’t claim any special wisdom. What I will say is that we all have a calling, and deep within our souls we know what that is. The longer we put off embracing that calling, the more it hurts. And as soon as we dive headfirst into that calling, the joy is unbelievable. I am so thrilled that I have published my first book, and I can’t believe how right it feels. I am now on the path I feel destined for, and I’m not straying from it ever again!
***
Cheryl!!! Thank you SO much for doing this! I love that you're our first author of children's books! Eeeek! I absolutely LOVE your answers! And what beautiful words of wisdom. Thank you again. <3
Here's the link to Cheryl's book! Go, get it... NOW!!!
1. Let’s start with a little something about you. What do you want the readers to know?
I am a children’s librarian, a single mother and a writer. I have wanted to write children’s books my entire life. A lot of things got in the way of pursuing this dream, including being a single mother, needing to earn money, and more recently, loss and grief. But I have just published my first children’s book, which I wrote and illustrated, and I am so happy about it! I hopefully have a million more fun books for kids up my sleeve!
2. Now? Tell us about your book(s).
My first book is called TRICK OR BEEP. It is a Halloween book, about robots that go trick-or-treating. It is a rhyming book, and also has a guessing game element. I am lucky that I get to do storytimes for toddlers, and this allows me to see what they like and what they don’t like. I hope my book is one that they will really enjoy!
3. List of favorites…
A. Quote?
“It is the sweet simple things of life that are the real ones after all.” - Laura Ingalls Wilder
B. Color? Green!
C. Food? Thai food!
D. Lucky number? 12
E. Movie? Actor? Actress?
Movie, DEAD OF NIGHT (1945) starring Michael Redgrave
Actor – Peter Capaldi (swoon!), Actress – Norma Shearer (I love old movies from the thirties!)
F. Song? I do not have a favorite song, but I have been hearing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” a lot in my head lately!
G. Memory? The very first moment of my very first date with my boyfriend David, who has since crossed over. The beginning of the happiest time of my life. I can still remember exactly what he looked like as he walked up and smiled at me.
H. Way to spend your down time? Reading, or walking in the woods!
I. Word? Love.
J. Author? Louisa May Alcott, Emily Bronte, E.M Delafield and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’m sorry, I can’t pick just one!
K. Secret indulgence? I like to splurge on fancy bath gels from places like Crabtree and Evelyn! Beautiful smells like rosemary, eucalyptus, lilac and lavender make me happy! I don’t have enough money to splurge on anything fancier than that!
L. Perfume/cologne? I stopped wearing perfume after my boyfriend died. Nothing smelled the same anymore. I am convinced that trauma and grief actually alter your body chemistry.
M. Place you’ve visited? England! I am obsessed with the UK!!! I dream of living there someday!
N. Guilty pleasure? Theoretically, it should be sweets since I am chubby and need to lose weight. But honestly, I never feel guilty about pleasures; I always make the most of them!
O. Cartoon? The Simpsons and old Daffy Duck cartoons!
4. Do you have any rituals when you write?
I do not have any rituals at all, in fact I write anywhere and everywhere. The greatest boon to my writing and drawing has been the iPad, because I have it with me at all times and can write or draw as soon as inspiration strikes. I drew the pictures for my book TRICK OR BEEP everywhere - my sofa, my car, coffee shops. This really helps me because I get bored easily and I don’t think I could handle sitting at a desk and trying to be creative!
5. What/who encouraged you to be a writer and what/who inspires you to keep writing?
I have loved books since I was born and always wanted to be a writer. My earliest inspiration in terms of artwork would be Lois Lenski, whose tiny books I adored. Probably one of my earliest idols in terms of writing was the character of Jo March in Little Women, because she was so determined to be a great writer, and she was an incredibly independent tomboy. I loved the fact that Jo March insisted that women could create works of genius!
6. Writing plans for the future?
I have just published my first children’s book through Amazon Kindle Publishing. My plans are to create more books for kids, and also to learn about marketing myself and my books so that more people will hear of my books! My dream is that kids will love the books I create for them, because I love kids!!!
7. What is your opinion on S’mores? Burnt marshmallow or not? I never eat s’mores but I don’t like burnt marshmallows!
8. Tell us a story about something you’ve witnessed that made you laugh.
Once, my mother saw a mouse in our house and said that our dog Buster should be hunting down the mice and killing them. I yelled to Buster, “Did you hear that Buster? There’s a mouse in the kitchen!” Buster immediately flopped down on the couch and pretended to be fast asleep to get out of hunting duties. I went over and looked at him. He was lying very still but his eyes were open. I said “I know you are faking, Buster, because if you were REALLY asleep, your eyes would be closed!” He immediately closed his eyes really really tight! My dog was a crazy character!
9. Most embarrassing moment ever?
Sometimes I think my entire life has been one long embarrassing moment. I couldn’t possibly narrow it down.
10. You can teleport anywhere and any era you wish. You can only bring 3 things with you. Where do you go and what do you bring?
I would go to the Bronte household in the early 1800s. I would bring my iPad, the iPad charger… and some shower gel!
11. What are your feelings about chocolate milk?
I can never have enough! And I like it super chocolatey!
12. Pet person? Do you have them? If so, tell us about them?
I am definitely an animal lover, and dogs and horses are my favorite animals. I had a dog named Buster but he is in doggie heaven now. He was a Boston Terrier and the funniest craziest character! I hope to own more Boston Terriers someday!
13. Tell us about your first kiss.
I only remember my first kiss with my boyfriend David, because when I kissed him, all the other kisses vanished. We were standing near the water somewhere on Riverside Drive. There were a lot of people around so I felt shy, but David said Manhattan was so busy, nobody ever noticed what anyone else was doing. So he kissed me, and as I said, everyone else I had ever kissed evaporated into thin air, forever. Not because he kissed in any special way, but because he was that one person I was meant to be with, and once we kissed, I knew it.
14. Have you ever walked down a toy aisle at a store and pushed all the buttons?
Yes, I also push buttons for coupons in the grocery store, even when I don’t want or need them!
15. It’s raining outside, you’re completely alone, what do you do?
Walk in the rain, and I never carry an umbrella either! It isn’t any wonder that I feel a strong affinity with Peppa Pig!
16. Words of wisdom for our readers?
I am just starting on this journey of self-publishing, so I can’t claim any special wisdom. What I will say is that we all have a calling, and deep within our souls we know what that is. The longer we put off embracing that calling, the more it hurts. And as soon as we dive headfirst into that calling, the joy is unbelievable. I am so thrilled that I have published my first book, and I can’t believe how right it feels. I am now on the path I feel destined for, and I’m not straying from it ever again!
***
Cheryl!!! Thank you SO much for doing this! I love that you're our first author of children's books! Eeeek! I absolutely LOVE your answers! And what beautiful words of wisdom. Thank you again. <3
Here's the link to Cheryl's book! Go, get it... NOW!!!