1.
What inspired you to write this book?
I
have always been fascinated by children. They are all born knowing what is
right and wrong, fair and unfair and it’s a privilege to be around them. When
my two sons were small, I used to invent simple stories for them. Later I began
to write novels for adults but then, an incident with my boys, got me writing
tales again. This incident involved their lack of appreciation for a matcha
cake I had baked for them. As they didn’t eat it and there was too much for me,
I set it out on a low wall for the forest creatures. And an old crow showed up.
The first tale, Horace, the Crow who flew East, started there, and others
followed.
2.
What is it about and who is it written for?
The
tales are about life and experience conveyed through the adventures of animals,
so that it can be easily assimilated by children from age 9. The tales have a
happy ending and the creatures with bad intentions don’t get away with their
wrong doing.
3.
What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
I
hope they will spend a good time among the various creatures whose lives they
share for a short moment. Perhaps bring them closer to nature and its wonders.
4.
How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
I
spend hours checking out premade covers, on the lookout for something that
would
appeal
to children but not be oversimplified. When I spotted the cover with the bear,
I knew that was what I had been seeking. I then decided to use the second
story’s title as the book title.
5.
What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers –
other than run?
That’s
a tough question. Read a lot, fill your head with words, expressions, plots.
Start when you feel you have caught hold of an episode, an event that interests
you, stimulates you. And then walk a lot. Go for a hike with your problem -how
to get out of the locked room, how to get rid of a character, etc – and ideas
will start popping up.
6. What trends in the book world do you see –
and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
Not
too sure about trends in the book world. People are beginning to use kindles
more and more often. They are great when travelling as you can take along as
many books as you want. But how many readers will there be in 50 years’ time?
Do that many people take the time to immerse themselves in a book? And looking
at people’s spelling, it would seem that literacy is falling behind…
7.
Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came
in handy when writing this book?
That’s
a good question. I’ll go back to the past. As a child one is somewhat
bewildered by the world around us, the world of grownups. If you are attentive
you
soon
realize that sometimes people exaggerate, tell lies. Not all adults are as
“good” as children are expected to be and that can come as a shock. So, trying
to sort things out, I looked to knowledge which I accumulated pursuing degrees
– one in business administration, one in English and philosophy and 4 years of
sociology both in Helsinki and Geneva universities. And all this served well
during my job as a teacher but also when I began writing.
8.
How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books
is your writing similar to?
I
don’t know if I have a style. I try to be clear and avoid boring the reader. To
write a text I would like to read. As to the second part of the question, I’m
sorry, but am unable to answer it. I know I have not tried to copy anyone’s
style, but it’s difficult to be both judge and interested party at the same
time…
9.
What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
I
really enjoyed writing these tales. At times, as I am bilingual, the French
word would come instead of the English word, but online dictionaries are always
at hand. This book was written after 12 novels, so I had had some practice!
10. If people can buy or read one book this week or
month, why should it be yours?
I
don’t know if these tales would provide enough food for thought for a whole
month, but I am sure they are uplifting. The little creatures always manage to
overcome hurdles or outwit their adversaries and this leaves the reader with a
feeling of content.
About The Author: Born in the States, I have been living most of my life in
Switzerland. After 10 years spent studying at university, I taught English in
Geneva. I enjoy being outdoors and lived two years in Finland. I draw and
paint, decorate furniture, work in the kitchen garden and am a jam maker. Quite
a few times a year I travel, often hiking over tough terrain.
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About Brian
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Brian Feinblum should be
followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
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.
