1.
What
inspired you to write this book? This
book was written years before I had Norah, so it was my nephews that
inspired me. They were the first of the grandkids in our family. We were
fascinated by them. The both rejuvenated the family home and the buying of
story books for them began. The older boy Ben loved books because it meant you
were near him and he loved that connection. And his younger brother
Leon loved the story and the characters and expected a performance of different
voices for all characters. Great bonding experiences with my nephews.
2. What is the book about and who is it for? The
book is about being brave and the acceptance of others especially if there are
differences. It’s about having self-belief and courage to do the right
things in life, when help or kindness is what’s needed. It’s about closing the
idea of a gap between them and us, culturally geographically and
environmentally. Whether is global warming or war. That’s why I chose the
polar bear and the panda bear. Two totally different looking bears, different
habitats, different characteristics and both endangered. This book is
part 1 of a 3-part story and because of the wonderful Norah I was able to write
the other 2 parts with her in mind.
3.
What do you hope
readers will get from reading your book? I
hope that kids will see the importance of kindness and empathy for others
including animals who are also part of life. Now in the war times
that we live in, the “THEM AND US” have met and are living near
other. It’s not just on the news anymore. Kids have arrived to towns and
villages in West Clare and they haven’t got a lot. And I think the message of
kindness is important. This is why I used animals in my book. A polar
bear is just a polar bear! He isn’t judged by the clothes he wears or the bike
he rides. He isn’t judged at all. I feel kids need to see past these
things and just see the potential for friendship and fun and practice a little
kindness and acceptance.
4.
How did you
decide on the title and cover of your book? I’ve
always known what my book cover would look like. I love art and the symbolism
of someone on your shoulders or back has always to me represented the “I
got you” message. The
Title: Noah Finds A Panda is a very simplistic title and was purposely picked to
show that simple acts of kindness or consciousness can have huge butterfly
effects. And that happens is this story and the other 2 parts as they travel
back to the berg and set off a huge change of events for everyone.
5.
What advice do you
have for fellow writers? I
don’t know that I am the person to give advice to anyone about writing but I
would say that it does for your soul what sleep does for your body. It’s like
the inner you talking and the outer you taking notes. The idea of
producing something that you have tucked away secretly inside is a wonderful
thing
6.
What trends in the
book world do you see? Again,
I’m not an expert but I love giving books to kids and there is nothing nicer
than a kid with a book under their arm. And let them off down that rabbit hole
to go and experience the world that is hidden in those pages. But I think
because of the effect of reading to someone, I like the idea of seeing
more books being designed to be read to a child rather than a child going off
and doing their own thing.
I
remember being 9 years old in primary school and a sub teacher came into the
classroom to cover for an hour. This teacher was a Nun and honestly a little
scary. She decided she was going to read a book to us and went to the
cabinet to take out this big ugly brown leather binding book. I thought, Oh
Jesus! I’ll never make it through the hour. She was a strict person with
perfectly starched uniform which composed of a blouse buttoned up to choke
her and brooch at the top button just in case breathing got easier, a waistcoat,
a wool cardigan and a veil that covered her ears tightly. So, no
ventilation meant she was always flush faced. And to a nine-year-old it meant
that anger flowed through her veins. But boy was I wrong. She spoke about Oisin
and Grainne and the puka in the underworld. She totally blew my mind but time
was up and she could not finish the story. I had never heard Irish
folklore stories before and really wanted to know how the story went. I asked
her if her would come back and finish another day. I would never have spoken to
that Nun voluntarily. That was my first experience of someone reading to
me. That is why I like books to be read to kids also
7.
What experiences in
life helped you write this book? I
suppose I’ve always been observant as a child when it came to animals and how
they are treated. I wasn’t a meat eater except when my mother would force
us to eat meat but I avoided it as much as I could until old enough to make my
own decisions. I was always aware of the wars on the news growing up and
getting stressed for people only to be told don’t worry that has
nothing to do with us. My parents couldn’t understand why I was
worried about people on the other side of the world. I think this shaped how I
saw the world going up and I never shook it off for popular things. I was a
typical child totally aware of my immediate needs but also the bigger picture.
So, this has influenced my writing.
8.
How would you
describe you style of writing? I
suppose my childhood books were Enid Blyton books. They were filled with mini
adventures. I liked that the animals and toys were having the
adventures. So, I’m an old soul and loved my Enid Blyton childhood.
9.
What challenges did
you overcome when writing this book? Not
many challenges when writing part one of the story but part 2 and 3 were done
during covid. Covid pretty much caught a hold of you by the scruff of
your neck and said sit there and don’t move! That was hard for me because I
don’t settle easily. I really had to learn how to go slow and stay within the
set boundaries. I was of course minding my little one Norah so any
writing that was done happened at night. And suddenly the clock meant
nothing. There was no start or end to your day, no set times for meals
and I struggled without structure. But I eventually found a freedom at
night time to write. A note pad and sitting on a chair wrapped up under
the stars in the back garden was a secret place to hide and write.
10.
With all the books
that are out their why should people read yours? I
hope my book gets picked up off the shelf by someone that want to have a
bonding time with their kids before bed. I Hope they buy the book with the
intention of reading it to them. And know that there are 2 other parts to this
amazing adventure. I Hope they buy other people’s books too because books
are like vitamins for your imagination.
About
The Author: Linda O’Brien is 48 years and I live in the seaside
town of Kilrush on the Wild Atlantic Way in the west coast of Ireland. We
are very lucky where we live, it’s kind of a hidden gem with all season
swimming, local hiking in our woodlands and a little island off shore via ferry
if off the grid is your thing. My main interests in life are gardening, art,
(hardware shops). I can’t explain that that one. And of course, books, I live with
my beautiful daughter, Norah Tess, who is autistic and our “hopefully one
day will be a good boy, German Shepherd” Cooper. I have passed on my love
for books to Norah so we both love book shops. I’ve worked in sports retail for
a long time and have always liked it. I’m also a carer for Norah as she has a lot
of obstacles on her path. Norah is essentially a forever child so I have daily
doses of magical moments with her. And when we are outside in the elements,
psithurism is like being at an orchestral concert for her. So, autism has
hugely impacted our lives.
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About Brian
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Brian Feinblum should be
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copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a “best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
