Oh Susannah Interview with Carole P. Roman
Q: You have the wonderful If You Were Me series about different countries, different time periods, and you’ve even added one about Mars. Then you also have other stand-alone titles like Rocket-Bye. How do you come up with so many different ideas?
Q: You have the wonderful If You Were Me series about different countries, different time periods, and you’ve even added one about Mars. Then you also have other stand-alone titles like Rocket-Bye. How do you come up with so many different ideas?
A: I write about what I love. I enjoy reading about culture and history. I’m that family member that gets called when someone has to write a report and needs help. The books are written just as much for my enjoyment as for my readers. Mostly I pick a country or time period because I want to learn about it. The poetry books Rocket-Bye, One to Ten, and Can a Princess Be a Firefighter? are love letters to my children and grandchildren. They are personal, and when I read the books to my kids over the phone, I think we all got teary. Captain No Beard is a celebration of imagination. Each book is based on an experience with different members of my family. I love space, so If You Were Me and Lived on...Mars was a present to myself. Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag is dedicated to working moms and the girls who will become them. We have to remember to pace ourselves.
Q: Do you work on more than one book at a time? For instance, do you have several books you are writing at once, maybe brainstorming ideas for one and rewriting a draft on another? Or do you wait until one has been sent off for printing before you start on something else?
Q: Do you work on more than one book at a time? For instance, do you have several books you are writing at once, maybe brainstorming ideas for one and rewriting a draft on another? Or do you wait until one has been sent off for printing before you start on something else?
A: I am always writing and when I decided to do the cultural series I wrote five books at once. The same thing happened with the historical series, I wrote the first five in one weekend. I have at least three manuscripts going all the time.Q: Where do you write? Do you have a home office, a quiet garden shed, a favorite corner in your local library?
A: I write at work. I share an office with my brother who is visually impaired. He never knows when I am writing, so he’ll talk to me. I have the unique ability to write and have a conversation at the same time. I also write in my bedroom at night. I have a library in the house. I pretty much write wherever the computer is sitting.
Q: When you are writing, how do you set the mood? Is there certain music you listen to, or a special cup of tea you like to sip, or a lucky pair of comfy slippers that you wear? Do you have to turn off the telephone and close your email so you won’t be distracted?
Q: When you are writing, how do you set the mood? Is there certain music you listen to, or a special cup of tea you like to sip, or a lucky pair of comfy slippers that you wear? Do you have to turn off the telephone and close your email so you won’t be distracted?
A: Nope, nothing. I just write. Nothing bothers me. I can get up, make dinner and go right back to it.
Q: How many drafts and how much rewriting do you generally need to get the text “just right”? Do you have anyone read your drafts and give you feedback - like family, friends, or a writers’ group?
Q: How many drafts and how much rewriting do you generally need to get the text “just right”? Do you have anyone read your drafts and give you feedback - like family, friends, or a writers’ group?
A: I have several beta readers, good, honest friends that will tell me if a story is missing something. I usually add, but never really hit the delete button. Every time I reread I will fix it up to sound better. It’s like sculpting . . . you are constantly perfecting it. The books go into two editors, one for grammar and another for copy. They get one final edit from another good editor and then I press publish. Believe it or not, some errors still slip through. I always fix them.
Q: Was there ever a teacher who encouraged you to be a writer when you were in school? Did you enjoy writing for class assignments, or is this something that has developed as you grew up?
Q: Was there ever a teacher who encouraged you to be a writer when you were in school? Did you enjoy writing for class assignments, or is this something that has developed as you grew up?
A: I loved school, particularly history. I had a social studies teacher who allowed me to write plays, direct them and then we showed them to the school. They were parodies about whatever subject we were doing that year, and hysterical. I won the highest honors in social studies in the school when I graduated.
Q; Is there anything you would like to tell us about upcoming projects? Or any fun facts about yourself that we should know?
Q; Is there anything you would like to tell us about upcoming projects? Or any fun facts about yourself that we should know?
A: Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag is my first early reader chapter book. If it is well received, it will have a book two by this summer. I am a radio show host. I think that is a fun fact—I never expected to be hosting my own talk show and I am very excited about it. It’s called Let’s Say Hello to Our Neighbors and I have other authors on as guests.
Enter to win an autographed copy of Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag, by award-winning author Carole P. Roman; plus a “Cool Bananas” tumbler and “Havana” lunch cooler tote to stuff into your own backpack.
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
- A copy of Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag, autographed by Carole P. Roman
- A SunnyLife Havana Lunch Cooler Tote
- A SunnyLife Cool Bananas Tumbler
Four (4) winners receive:
- A copy of Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag, autographed by Carole P. Roman
Age Range: 7-10
Giveaway begins April 25, 2017, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends May 25, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Giveaway open to US and Canadian addresses only.
SYNOPSIS: Oh Susannah: It’s in the Bag
Written by Carole P. Roman
Illustrated by Mateya Arkova
Publisher’s Synopsis: From award-winning author Carole P. Roman comes a new chapter book featuring Susannah Logan, a young student having a very bad day. It all begins with homework trouble and an invitation to a sleepover that she doesn’t want to go to. Would you want to go to a sleepover in a creepy house? Rather than dealing with her problems, Susannah stuffs them into her backpack. But how much can a backpack take? Will she be able to confront her worries before the backpack bursts? Or will she just continue to hide them away? Join Susannah and her friends in this story sure to charm busy young readers everywhere.
Ages 7-10 | Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | April 3, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1543034615
Available Here:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of the Captain No Beard series. Both Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life andCaptain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis have received the Kirkus Star of Exceptional Merit. The first book in the series was named to Kirkus Reviews Best 2012. Captain No Beard and the Aurora Borealis has been named to Kirkus Reviews Best of 2015. Each book in the series has won numerous awards including the NABE Pinnacle Award, IAN Award, Moonbeam Award 2014, National Indie Excellence Award Finalist, Shelf Media Outstanding Series Award, ForeWord Review Five Star and Finalist in the Book of the Year, and Reader’s Views Children’s Book of the Year 2013. Roman is also the author of the award-winning non-fiction culture series, If You Were Me and Lived in… that explores customs and cultures around the world. She has co-authored a self help book, Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing. She lives on Long Island with her husband and near her children and grandchildren.
OFFICIAL LINKS
This post is part of the blog tour for Oh Susannah: It's in the Bag in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Carole P. Roman.
I love Carole's books, and what a clever promotional prize pack that was put together here. I spend lots of my time helping other people promote their products, and book giveaways, along with other goodies, is a good way to build up buzz for a book. I hope more people discover Carole's books after these promotions, and thank you for posting this lovely interview.
ReplyDeleteVerna Hopkins @ Promosaurus Promotional Products
Yes! I have tons of her books in my library and I'm always glad to see that she has finished another one. My third grade teachers love the books on countries to introduce research. :-)
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