New Interview about A Tractor Named Wilbur on SpeakUPTalkRadio.com/

 

Please stop by to check out my new interview on SpeakUpTalkRadio.com with  Pat Rullo.

We talk about several different topics, such as Wilbur's book  and my thoughts on being a children's author. Special thanks to Pat Rullo for interviewing me.

https://www.speakuptalkradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Speak-Up-Talk-Radio-with-Deanie-Humphreys-Dunne.mp3

copyright 2021 Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

 What happened when Hattie the chicken learned her friends were depressed? What did she do to help?How about a talent show to showcase their abilities? Check out this new video.

For more about this book: www.childrensbookswithlifelessons.com/

copyright 2021 Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

New 5-star review for My Life at Sweetbrier

MyL

"My Life at Sweetbrier" just received a new 5-star review, its 36th great evaluation. Thank you JillLori  for the lovely comments.

Here is an excerpt from it:

"This true story is an excellent example of what a positive attitude and persistence can accomplish. Deannie created herself by design and reading this story sends a positive message for all to do the same."~JillLori

.

To see the whole review, please visit this link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1EGRX8C81VFC3/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=069287898X

copyright:2020 Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

Interview with fabulous children's author, Cindy Shirley!

Hi everyone, Today we're welcoming wonderful children's author, Cindy Shirley. It's a pleasure to chat with her today. We'll get on with the interview.

When did you realize you wanted to write children’s books?

I first began thinking about writing a children's book after our granddaughter was born. She is now four years old and she is the main character in my Christmas book, Doodle and the Magic Christmas Float. My husband and I have designed Christmas floats for the past three years to promote my business. Our family enjoys this tradition every year! 

Wait until she's a little older so she understands more about what happened. You already have much to celebrate together.

How do you get the ideas for your books?

Two years ago, our float won the best holiday float out of 83 participants. After the parade, we came home and had to take all of the decorations and lights off of the trailer. It almost made me cry LOL. I told my husband this poor little guy was the star in the Christmas parade and now will sit in the backyard all alone. The trailer actually belongs to a friend of ours and he leaves it out in the weather all year long until we borrow it again. So, that started the whole idea of writing a children's book. Doodle and the Magic Christmas Float was created. 

The other books that I have written or actually based on my family. The characters are illustrated from their photos. 

Tell us about each of the books you’ve written?

My personal childhood experiences of being bullied in school for having red hair and freckles, was the basis for Diesel the Body Guard: No Bullies Allowed!. The boy in the story really did call me those names and was very mean to me until I took a stand and fought back. Let's just say a handful of rocks makes a big difference when you deal with a bully. LOL. But the bullying ended as a result of me standing up to him.

Diesel is a real rooster and belongs to my sister. He is very protective and made a perfect body guard in the story. I mixed my story with a little bit of fiction and Diesel the Body Guard: No Bullies Allowed! was created.

Also, both of my books in the new series of The Fabulous Life of Minnie The Sassy Chick, are also based on a real chicken that belongs to my sister and my nieces. Minnie is their pet and actually takes a bath and has her feathers blown dry. It is hilarious! You can also find videos of Minnie on YouTube. When my sister shared one of these silly videos, my mind took off and the new series was created. I also own a business called Let's Pretend Spa Parties. We do in home spa parties for girls age 4 to 16. You will see elements of these sweet and sassy parties in the new Minnie book.    

Your books are all amazing. You should be proud of all your talent.

Do your books share messages?

 The story lines in each one of my books are filled with wonderful lessons for elementary school aged children. I try to include messages about friendship, compassion, responsibility, and respect for others.
You have lots to share with children.

Are you working on any projects now?

My new book, Go-Cart Gertie is about a young girl who wants to race go- carts. When her older brother makes the statement, "you're a girl and girls can't race!" The challenge is on! It’s about not backing down from a challenge and also about equal rights for girls. This story is hilarious when the girls versus the boys in the Gilbert family. This includes her grandmother who plays a very important part of encouraging Gertie to prove the boys wrong. 

Hopefully this book will be released in April. It's different than my other books and I'm excited to see how well it's received. 

Best wishes on your new venture.

What else would you like to share?

All four of my books have received five- star reviews from Readers Favorites and readers in general. So I guess I'm on the right track. Lol. 

My very first book that I self- published was Diesel the Body Guard. It won a silver medal in the 2017 Readers Favorite International Book Competition, and was the Gold certificate winner in the Human Relations Indie Book Awards. It also earned an Honorable Mention in the 2017 ATAI Awards. I am so proud of this wonderful book and hope it helps kids learn how to deal with bullying in school. 

Who is your favorite children’s author?

My favorite children's author is Beatrix Potter. I have a huge collection of Peter Rabbit memorabilia. I have collected these items for years. I think her characters are adorable and the illustrations are beautiful. She's definitely my favorite children's author. 

Thank you again for spending time with me today, Cindy.

My pleasure, Deanie

 Copyright 2018: Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

Interview with author, Rita Avaud A Najim

Hi everyone,
"Today I'm pleased to welcome author, Rita Avaud A Najim to talk about her book, La Petite Rita. Thank you so much for spending time with me today, Rita. Let's get right to the questions.
"Thank you for inviting me, Deanie."

·         Tell me about your first book, La Petite Rita:

My La petite Rita was published recently and it’s actually a series of children’s stories. Divided into two volumes, each volume has five stories about a little French girl, Rita, who came to live in the USA with her parents. Funny, cute, innocent Rita, known with her French accent, will help you learn some French easy common words while enjoying reading about her adventures. 

That sounds like a great idea for a story that introduces children to other cultures. It sounds like a cute story.

·         How did you get the idea for the story?

Most of the stories have to do with my childhood. My memories and many other lovely moments made me write these stories that I wish to share with readers.

My shyness and accent is another reason to tell every adult or child coming from another country that:

…. “It is OK to have an accent”… “What matters is what you say, not how you pronounce it! Respect and kindness in your words will be appreciated in all languages.” La petite Rita, Volume 1, page 8

And since many public and private schools in Utah have dual immersion French program, and the love to learn a foreign language I feel everyday with my students, I decided to write about this Little French girl.

It's always fun to read about an author's experiences and it's nice for you to share them as well.

  How long have you been writing?

I have been writing all my life, but never had the goal to publish any until I started working in schools. Even my graduation project in Business management in 2013 was a guide for parents and teachers to encourage students to read more poetry books and non-fiction ones.

I think it's most important to encourage children to read. Every book can be an adventure for them.

·         What are your goals for this book?

I wish that this book will be in every home and school library, and hope all the readers will remember some of Rita’s French words.

I hope you reach your goal. That would be so rewarding for you.

·         Do you have any projects you’re working on now?

I have five other stories ready to be published but just need the illustrations, as well as a third volume of La Petite Rita.

I'll look forward to learning about more books in your series, Rita.

·         What would you like readers to remember most about your book?

In every story there is a lesson that Rita learns from her daily life experiences. I wish it to be a message or an example for every child reading this book. I want them to see that my books are easy guides for learning French words.

I"m sure children will have fun and learn a great deal from your books.

   What advice would you give a new author or aspiring author?

Love what you are writing about.

Be unique in your own way, in your own words. Let your imagination be read…

That sounds like wonderful advice, Rita. Imagination is definitely an important thing for authors to have."

" It's been a pleasure interviewing you today, Rita. I''m sure my readers will love learning about your books."

"Yes, we had fun chatting, Deanie. Thank you for inviting me."

Here are the links Rita would like to share:

www.facebook.com/rita.aouad.9

www.instagram.com/rita.a.a.n

copyright 2017: Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

Interview with amazing children's author, Yossi Lapid

"Today I'm chatting with the wonderful children's author, Yossi Lapid. Welcome, Yossi, I'm so pleased to be spending time with you today. I can't wait to share your story and your adorable books with everyone, so we'll get right to the interview questions.

"Thank you, Deanie, It's a pleasure to be here."

Tell me how you started your writing career.

It depends, I guess, on what we mean by “career.” I started telling and writing stories at a very young age because, in Romania (where I was born) I had no toys and I was “forced” to use my imagination…Then, over four decades of being a college professor, I wrote and published a lot of “academic stuff”. But my career as a children’s books author started only a year and a half ago when I retired from my academic position and decided to try something new.

I'm really glad you wrote your stories, Yossi. They're wonderful.

How did you come up with the ideas for your adorable stories?
First I came up with the two main characters, Snowman Paul and his young friend named Dan. The idea to feature a snowman took root in Canada, where I served for four years as a visiting professor of Political Science at Carlton University in Ottawa. Once I had a clear idea of the key characters I started thinking about how they would behave in certain situations. What if Snowman Paul really wanted to be a Winter Olympics champion but Dan was skeptical about this idea? What if Dan “accidentally” ate his sister’s birthday cake and went to Snowman Paul to get help? How would Snowman Paul help him? What if Snowman Paul wanted to be a musical superstar? and so on.
I'm so glad you are using your many talents by writing for children.

Do you have any projects you’re working on now?

Yes, my fifth volume in this picture book series titled “The Amazing Snowman Duel” is almost finished and will be published soon on Amazon. In the first volume, Dan feels intimidated or bullied by his friend Bill who lives next door but thinks that snowmen are “dumb”. Dan builds a snowman anyway and ends up with a great new friend called Paul.

I asked myself how would Bill respond to this incident and the result was this new volume. The ending is surprising and I really enjoyed writing this story. 

I can hardly wait to read it, Yossi.

Have you always wanted to write children's stories?

Yes,I always dreamed about writing children's stories, and at some point, I even considered switching careers, but the responsibility of having a family and three young kids dissuaded me from taking this path. In retrospect, I am quite happy with how things turned out. I had a long and wonderful career as a college professor and now I have a great new challenge for my retirement.

What age/ages are your stories best suited for?

I think children 3 to 8 years old would enjoy and benefit most from this series. The series can be used as bedtime stories and as beginner readers. The stories are written in rhymes and children love rhyme because it helps them remember the story and predict what is coming next .These are winter stories, perfect for snuggle time in bed or in front of a fireplace.

They are fantastic stories, no matter what time you read them.

What advice would you give  to an aspiring author?

Aspiring authors should feel encouraged by the fact that this is a golden time for self-publishing. There are unprecedented opportunities which is both a blessing and a potential challenge. The children’s book market is blooming but it is also fully saturated.

All authors are therefore well-advised not to rush or cut corners. More than ever, it is imperative to take your time, do your best and come up with your very best product possible.

That's valuable advice, Yossi. We always want to be careful to present our best work to our readers.

Link to Amazon author page:

 https://www.amazon.com/Yossi-Lapid/e/B01M6WJFZ9/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

"Thank you so much for the interview, Yossi. It was great fun learning about you and your books.

"You're welcome, Deanie. I enjoyed my time with you as well."


copyright 2016 Deanie Humphrys-Dunne