Writing and Reading

Still plugging away, still promoting. I’m like a drug, baby. The authors are flockin’ to me! And they’re LOOOOOVIN’ it. Karen’s rockin’. Ya know it. I’m rockin’. I think. Anyhoo, last day in the tour for Karen Ventrice. She’s a darling, isn’t she? And I was always a big fan of children’s books. They are some of the hardest books to write, specifically because you literally have to get inside the mind of a child–which for us adults, these days, is a challenge.

For those who want to get to know Karen a bit more, here’s an interview. It’s short. It’s sweet. It’s succinct. Just like her (except I can’t say for sure if she’s short. She might be 6 feet tall. You never know).

*****************************************************

Tell us a little about yourself?

It’s funny, the different paths we choose or are detoured onto. Prior to writing I was an accountant. In 2000, I had to leave that profession due to Multiple Sclerosis. I switched gears and turned to writing. I have two grown daughters and two very young grandsons. Much of my day is spent managing Virtual Book Tours, following up on emails, researching articles I’m writing, learning my craft as well as marketing, and writing. I also watch my grandsons two days a week. Painting and drawing are also something I dabble in. My husband, Donald, and I live in New York City.

My co-author and daughter, Robyn Feltman, holds a master’s degree in Children’s Literature and is an elementary public school teacher. She is an initiator of environmental and humanitarian projects in her school; one of the projects is the Oambassador Program. Author Feltman lives in New York City and recently finished her 2nd masters degree in Administration/Supervision degree and is now taking the Superintendent courses.

What is your latest published work?

Day’s End Lullaby was published in October 2008. It is a sweet and tender illustrated children’s book. “Your day’s been long and full of fun. But, now you’re much too tired to run,” sings the parent to the child in the lullaby. It has a gentle and rhythmic flow and as an added feature the accompanying sheet music is included.

I composed the poem and music over 30 years ago to help my first born fall asleep and then my second child. It always helped. We now sing it to my grandsons. The music to the lullaby can be heard on my website, the About the Book page - there is an audio button on the bottom of the page.
http://childrensbooksbykarenandrobyn.com

Where do you get your ideas from?

I get ideas from my 3-year-old grandson and my great nephew. Children are such an amazing source of inspiration and joy – ideas just blossom. They can also come from the sights and sounds all around me as well as my imagination.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Being in the writing business means more than just writing – you also need to take steps to promote your works. To do this and help other authors I created and manage the yahoo group Virtual Book Tours. We are a group of authors who through the use of ongoing virtual book tours help each other gain visibility and promote our books. If anyone reading this is interested in joining our group or if you’d like information about the group, you can contact me on Twitter.

To learn more about Karen and her work, visit:
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com
http://www.childrensbooksbykarenandrobyn.com
http://twitter.com/KarenCV