Author’s Bio: Jae Sherwood lives in Annapolis, MD
and writes creative nonfiction and poetry for children and adults. Previously a stay at home mom to three
amazing people and then later a middle school English teacher, she is now
redirecting her time and energy to focus on her writing. Jae is currently working to expand the Little
Leona safety series with more picture books that tell stories of how kids can
keep themselves safe in various situations.
What inspired you to write your book?
JS: As
a mother, I loved reading quality books to my children, books that were
interesting to me as well and had some sort of message to them. When I started the poem about a little girl
playing dress up and fighting imaginary monsters, it morphed into her fighting
a dragon, then morphed into the dragon being a metaphor for a fire. Finally, I saw that I could relay a message
about fire safety through the text and illustrations.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any
way either growing up or as an adult?
JS: Yes, I was heavily
influenced by an older version of Beauty
and the Beast and The Boy Who Drew
Cats. Both were large hardback books
with gorgeous illustrations. I loved
reading these to my children. Also, Dr.
Seuss played a role in that I found my children loved the rhyme.
Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and finish
your book?
JS: This is my first book. From
start to finish it took a year to have a printed copy in my hand. Much time was spent with the illustrator
getting the illustrations exactly right.
Do you write with an outline, or just let it flow organically?
JS: It just came out, almost all at once. Of course I edited over months, but the body
of the poem came out in one sitting.
Do you listen to music when you write? If yes, is there a theme
song for this book?
JS: No, I don’t listen to
music. I find it too distracting. I do love opening the window and listening to
the wind or if I’m really lucky, the rain.
What are the keys to success in getting your book out to the public?
JS: Perseverance. Plain and
simple. I went on my own to the
Annapolis Fire Department and asked them to read the book and then asked them
for an endorsement. Not only did they
endorse Little Leona, but they are now using it in their child safety
education programs in the schools. I
applied for awards and won the silver award from Mom’s Choice. I held book signings at my own expense, gave
almost 100 copies of my book away to organizations I thought might endorse the
book, I begged local vendors to carry my book in their stores, etc. etc. When the job of marketing my book started to
interfere with my writing time, I hired a publicist to help me out. Eclectic PR was able to get me a television
interview and helped with scheduling more book signings.
What advice would you give to new authors?
JS: Don’t write unless you’re passionate about it. But if you are, just persevere and in some
way, shape or form, you will be successful.
How about sharing an excerpt from Little Leona Of Monsters and Fire?
Little
Leona learns quite young
That
there are monsters to be slayed
So
she dons her dress
And
combat boots
For
she is not afraid.
Her
mother’s mismatched earrings
She
wears for luck, you see
And
Daddy’s old tie
A
scarf around her neck
Hangs
way down to her knees.
Her
baby blanket becomes her cape
Flowing
from her back
And
in her hand
Is
Grandpa’s cane
With
which she can attack.
Leaping
Leona emerges at last
From
behind her bedroom door
Tilts
her head
Listens
closely
Is
there stomping on the floor?
Hearing
nothing she takes a breath
And
marches forth in stride
Looking
amid the shadows
And
all those places
Where
monsters tend to hide.
What’s next for you?
JS: I’m working on the next book in the series titled Little
Leona and a Chessie Tale. It’s a
book about water safety which takes place on the Chesapeake Bay. Leona and her crew go sailing one day and run
into Chessie (our own Loch Ness monster legend) which is a metaphor for a
storm. In the chaos, someone goes
overboard, but because Leona knows what to do, she gets all of her crew safely
to shore. It should be out later this
year.
Where can readers find out more about you and your
book(s)?
·
Twitter: @poetsdaughtr
·
Book buy Links:
Amazon:
Barnes and Noble:
From Maple Creek Media:
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