1.
What inspired you to
write this book? The enjoyment of recalling memories of shared
places, events and people. A love of the Australian environment of sea, sand,
rivers and the ‘Bush’ A knowledge of the pioneering history of early
Australia and a desire to pass these stories on to the next generations.
2.
What exactly is it about and who is it written for? Mimi and Co are true stories, written about a family of three
sisters, their father and grandma who are the principal characters in each
story (their mother also makes appearances). The first stories describe early
childhood events but the later ones continue to trace the sisters during their
summer holidays as they grow and develop. It is written for young readers
and parents who would enjoy sharing the sister’s holidays and experiences – and
they will probably relate to many of them!
3.
What do you hope readers
will get out of reading your book? Increased knowledge and understanding and of the beautiful natural, environment –
including the wild coast of southwestern Victoria (Australia). Increased
pleasure and enjoyment as they come to know the sisters better, and appreciate
their diverse personalities and different ways of facing up to new experiences
and new challenges.
4.
How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? My three granddaughters, Mimi, Sami and
Nina, were always the central characters of these true stories, and the reason
for writing them. The cover was designed by their father, Tim Lindsey, who
also illustrated the stories, drawing on his memory of the events they
describe. It recalls the unfortunately-named but very beautiful Worm Bay, a
special beach where we loved to swim and picnic.
5.
What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers- other than run!?
Be
prepared to be very patient at every stage of your work. Edit, edit, edit
– and then put it to one side and edit it again. Don’t be distracted by other
people’s suggestions. Read your work aloud, and imagine it in other places and
situations, for example, as a library book, being read to a group of children,
being given as a gift. Be patient with the editing, and marketing
processes. Give your work time to be nurtured and to grow.
6.
What trends in the book
world do you see. Where is the book publishing industry heading?
Quantity
rather than quality seems to be the name of the game at the moment, both in
children’s and adult fiction. More and careful editing before publication could
help resolve a general deterioration in quality. Encouragement of the
vernacular is all very well but it does reflect a rather limited and
unimaginative style and vocabulary.
7.
Were there experiences
in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?
Definitely
– and those experiences in the stories themselves, which describe actual
events. How can a writer divorce him/herself from their own world?
8.
How would you describe
your writing style. Which writer or book is your writing similar to?
Books
about children that have been written for children. They may be fictional or
factual – for example, the Peter Pan stories, The
Railway Children and Milly Molly Mandy.
9.
What challenges did you
overcome in the writing of this book? Because
they were written at different times in the children’s lives, I had to be very
alert to avoid repetition. When it came to the final collection, I also needed
to be careful about matching spoken vocabulary with age vocabulary.
Finally, ‘Grandma’ and ‘Dadda’ are background characters and needed to be kept
firmly in their secondary roles.
10. If people can buy
or read one book this week or this month why should it be yours?
Because
it will introduce them to wonderful new people with diverse characters to think
about and get to know, make them think about how children deal with challenges,
describe some beautiful new places for them to appreciate, and suggest
some new ways of relating to the natural world around us. A week would be
ideal!
About
The Author: Jennifer
Lindsey (more often referred to as Jenny or, within the family, Mum,
Grandma or ‘G-ma’) is now aged 83 and lives with
her husband in the Yarra Valley, a semi-rural district outside Melbourne in
Australia. She was bought up in a small rural town near the southwestern
coast of Victoria (Australia), remaining there until leaving to complete an Arts
degree at the University of Melbourne, where she met and married her husband,
Paul. After bringing up their four children and retiring from teaching English
and History, Jennifer has remained in close contact with her children and
grandchildren, sharing their bucolic retreats and annual holidays along
the familiar and much-loved southwestern coastline. Community activities, the
environment, friends, and family, continue to be a significant part of her
life. For more info, please see: https://www.amazon.com/Mimi-Co-Jennifer-Lindsey/dp/1398498114.
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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
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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
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