1. Tell us a bit about your latest book 'The Great Snowball Escapade'.
The Great Snowball Escapade is a chapter book for six to eight year olds and is about understanding others and what you can learn about yourself.
In the story, Wilhemena Brooks’ has problems with her cousin, Bud Dunphry who come to live with her family. Wil, as she likes to be called, has misplaced her new pink pencil sharpener and hasn’t seen it since Christmas. She knows Bud has it! Who else would have taken it? Bud is mean to her friends too and Wil tries to ignore him but after a snowstorm closes school, Wil and her friends go sled riding, Bud shows up and starts a snowball fight which lands Wil in her room for the rest of the day for fighting.
Then her pencil sharpener is found, right where Wil had left it, she decides she has to try harder to understand her cousin and stay out of trouble. Her mother told her to be nice to Bud and to treat him like she would like to be treated. Though Wil isn’t so sure treating Bud nicely will make him be nice back.
2. As well as being an author you're also an illustrator. Does this effect the way you write your books?
I think so. I see everything I write as a picture or scene and I find it easy to tell what scenes should be pictures for my children’s picture books.
3. Do you illustrate other peoples books too or just your own?
So far I’m only doing my own books because I have about 10 more manuscripts of my own to illustrate. I don’t have plans of doing illustrations for others.
4. You're soon to take part in Blog Jog Day. What is it and how can others get involved?
Blog Jog Day will be on May 9 and is a one-day event where bloggers band together to get visitors to explore their blogs then travel on to the next blog. People can still take part in Blog Jog Day by going to the event’s founder, Carol Denbow’s blog for more information. http://blogjogday.blogspot.com/
5. How else do you promote your books?
Marketing I think is the hardest part of publishing books. Doing interviews, book signings at bookstores and libraries are a must to sell books and bring attention to your work.
6. You're also involved in Book Garden Publishing. Please tell us a bit about it.
Book Garden Publishing is my own book publishing company. After years of submitting my manuscripts to the big publishers and wait for the rejection letter, I had enough. Up to that point I had some short stories and a Chapbook published, and had some editors interest in my stories, and I even had an agent for a time, but none of my children’s books in print. So after thinking about it for some time, I decided I was my own publisher!
7. What new projects do you have coming up?
I have two I’m working on going back and forth between them. One is a picture book I have to illustrate. It is a story about a boy who wants a puppy but gets a dog that is older. It's what they do together that makes them pals. The other book is a young adult novel titled, ‘Christmas in the City.’ This story about two girls, one with a family and one without and both searching for what is important to them.
8. Where can people find out more about you and your work?
People can find out mostly everything about me on my website: http://www.bookgardenpublishing.net and my blog: http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com My books, 'The Great Snowball Escapade' and ‘Janoose the Goose‘, a children’s picture book, are both available online at B&N and Amazon or order in bookstores.
‘Janoose the Goose‘ is $10.00 at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981861407/ref=nosim?tag=bookgardpubl-20 'The Great Snowball Escapade' is $5.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Snowball-Escapade-J-Holiday/dp/0981861423/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
9. What advice would you give to authors about getting noticed?
Authors need to make sure their websites are listed on search engine and add the right tags that describe their site and their works. Also they should be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, jacketflap, Myspace and any other sites that they find a variety of people to build up their friends lists which should include, libraries, bookstores, publishing houses, authors of all types, illustrators and marketers and others across the board in publishing.
The Great Snowball Escapade is a chapter book for six to eight year olds and is about understanding others and what you can learn about yourself.
In the story, Wilhemena Brooks’ has problems with her cousin, Bud Dunphry who come to live with her family. Wil, as she likes to be called, has misplaced her new pink pencil sharpener and hasn’t seen it since Christmas. She knows Bud has it! Who else would have taken it? Bud is mean to her friends too and Wil tries to ignore him but after a snowstorm closes school, Wil and her friends go sled riding, Bud shows up and starts a snowball fight which lands Wil in her room for the rest of the day for fighting.
Then her pencil sharpener is found, right where Wil had left it, she decides she has to try harder to understand her cousin and stay out of trouble. Her mother told her to be nice to Bud and to treat him like she would like to be treated. Though Wil isn’t so sure treating Bud nicely will make him be nice back.
2. As well as being an author you're also an illustrator. Does this effect the way you write your books?
I think so. I see everything I write as a picture or scene and I find it easy to tell what scenes should be pictures for my children’s picture books.
3. Do you illustrate other peoples books too or just your own?
So far I’m only doing my own books because I have about 10 more manuscripts of my own to illustrate. I don’t have plans of doing illustrations for others.
4. You're soon to take part in Blog Jog Day. What is it and how can others get involved?
Blog Jog Day will be on May 9 and is a one-day event where bloggers band together to get visitors to explore their blogs then travel on to the next blog. People can still take part in Blog Jog Day by going to the event’s founder, Carol Denbow’s blog for more information. http://blogjogday.blogspot.com/
5. How else do you promote your books?
Marketing I think is the hardest part of publishing books. Doing interviews, book signings at bookstores and libraries are a must to sell books and bring attention to your work.
6. You're also involved in Book Garden Publishing. Please tell us a bit about it.
Book Garden Publishing is my own book publishing company. After years of submitting my manuscripts to the big publishers and wait for the rejection letter, I had enough. Up to that point I had some short stories and a Chapbook published, and had some editors interest in my stories, and I even had an agent for a time, but none of my children’s books in print. So after thinking about it for some time, I decided I was my own publisher!
7. What new projects do you have coming up?
I have two I’m working on going back and forth between them. One is a picture book I have to illustrate. It is a story about a boy who wants a puppy but gets a dog that is older. It's what they do together that makes them pals. The other book is a young adult novel titled, ‘Christmas in the City.’ This story about two girls, one with a family and one without and both searching for what is important to them.
8. Where can people find out more about you and your work?
People can find out mostly everything about me on my website: http://www.bookgardenpublishing.net and my blog: http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com My books, 'The Great Snowball Escapade' and ‘Janoose the Goose‘, a children’s picture book, are both available online at B&N and Amazon or order in bookstores.
‘Janoose the Goose‘ is $10.00 at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981861407/ref=nosim?tag=bookgardpubl-20 'The Great Snowball Escapade' is $5.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Snowball-Escapade-J-Holiday/dp/0981861423/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
9. What advice would you give to authors about getting noticed?
Authors need to make sure their websites are listed on search engine and add the right tags that describe their site and their works. Also they should be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, jacketflap, Myspace and any other sites that they find a variety of people to build up their friends lists which should include, libraries, bookstores, publishing houses, authors of all types, illustrators and marketers and others across the board in publishing.
