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.
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
Great to meet Cindy!! These books all sound wonderful. And I love that the characters are based on real animals - especially the protective rooster. So cute!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite children's author is Beatrix Potter too. <3
Hi, Deanie! Hope you are well. :)
Hi Julie, I'm fine, been missing you lately. So glad you stopped by. Cindy's stories are so cute and they share great messages. Yes, the rooster story is fun, too. Best regards to you and Baby Moo, and Clancy.
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