"Today we're welcoming children's author, Deb Hockenberry. Thank you for joining me today, Deb. It's a pleasure to talk with you about your adorable new picture book, "Where Can We Have A Party."
Let's get right to the questions so people can find out more about your book.
Bio
Deb has always wanted to write stories for
children since she was a kid herself. She has taken two courses from The
Institute of Children’s Literature and is a member of the online and ongoing
children’s workshop, The CBI Workshop. She also won first honorable mention in
the Jory Sherman Short Story Awards!
In her spare time, Deb loves to crochet, knit,
and just like you, she loves to go to parties!
Deb, Where Can
We Have The Party? Is your first book. Tell us about it.
Hi, Deanie! Thanks so much
for having me on your blog today. ‘Where Can We Have The Party?’ has been in
the making for a long time. I got the idea back when I was in elementary school
and it’s gone through so many transformations through the years.
The story is a very simple
concept. Giraffe wants to have a party for his friend Chimpanzee. He can’t
think of a place to have the party so he asks three of his other friends for
ideas. Every idea they come up with won’t work for some reason or another. By
the end of the book, however, they find a place and have a great party!
Everyone lives in my world of Hungle Bungle Jungle.
The story is adorable, Deb. I had fun reading and reviewing it. Little kids will love it. I love Hungle Bungle Jungle. Saying that always makes me smile.
How did you get the idea for this picture book?
This is going to sound silly
but to be honest, I’m not sure. As I said before, the idea popped into my head
when I was in elementary school. It could be that I wanted to write a story
that I would like to read. Also, I remember telling my siblings and the
neighbor kids stories on our front porch in the evenings. I don’t know but the
idea could’ve developed from there. I do know that I didn’t write it down until
I was taking a course from the Institute of Children’s Literature in the 1990s.
In fact, I used it for a lesson. That, as well as my critique group helped me
immensely with the story. Until then, it was just forming and transforming in
my head! I remember the original premise: The animals of Hungle Bungle Jungle
wanted to have a birthday party for King Lion. King Lion is kidnapped by a band
of evil monkeys. The King even had his security people or animals! They went
out hunting for clues so they could rescue King Lion. This is a far cry from
what ‘Where Can We Have The Party’ is today!
All the animals are so cute and they try to help solve the problem of where to have the party.
Who is your illustrator and how did you find her?
My illustrator is Emily
Dimov-Gottshall who is always attending classes at Penn State University to
improve her craft. I met her years ago at church. Then, I had no idea that she
was an artist until I was telling her that I was trying to find an illustrator
for “Where Can We Have The Party?” You can find her at: https://www.facebook.com/gottheart/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf
She did a great job with the illustrations for your book. They're delightful.
Are you working on any other stories?
Currently, I’m working on a
young adult book about two girls in the War of 1812. I find this story very
interesting! I also am working on a picture book about chimpanzees. Of course,
I have more Hungle Bungle Jungle books in the works. I’m also working on a
story about Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis.
My goodness, you're a busy lady with so many projects and books coming along. Congratulations.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Oh, yes. In fact, we can
trace that back to my elementary school days, too. I remember going to my local
branch of Carnegie Library and asking the librarian about books that would tell
me how to get started. I was so nervous! I waited until no-one else was at her
desk. When I asked her, she took me into the adults section of the library to
find those books. I felt so special! Back then, kids weren’t allowed in the
adult section and I was still in elementary school!
That was nice of the librarian to help you get an early start on your career.
How often do you write?
Unfortunately, I can only
write part-time but I do write six days a week. I wish I could devote a full
day to writing.
Well, you're doing a great job so far. Keep up the good work.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
This is going to sound so
cliché but it’s true: never give up. Always continue your writing education
since writing for children is constantly changing. For instance, I belong to the
CBI Clubhouse http://www.cbiclubhouse.com which is an ongoing and constantly changing, with
children’s tastes and needs, online workshop. I also belong to several writing
for children Facebook groups. Another bit of advice is to join a critique
group. These are invaluable! It might take joining two or three to find the one
that’s a good fit for you.
Best of luck with your book and all of your future ventures, Deb. Thanks for spending time with me today. It was fun chatting with you and finding out about your book and future plans."
Please share your links for your book.
Twitter:
@debhockenberry
