Tuesday, October 15, 2013
St. George Book Festival Author Interview with VS Grenier
VS Grenier is an Award-winning Children's Author, Silver Mom's Choice
Honoree, a League of Utah Writers Silver Quill Winner, an Award-winning editor
and Blog Talk Radio Host for the Featured BTR World of Ink Network.
In 2007 & 2008, Grenier
was voted one of the Top Ten Editors in the Preditors and Editors Reader’s
Poll, won 2nd place for her article on, “Yes, Virginia, There IS a Santa
Claus" and 7th place for her article, “Dinosaur Tracks in My Backyard” in
the Preditors and Editors Reader’s Poll for Best Nonfiction.
Her works include:
Babysitting SugarPaw, the Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1
anthology, and over 50 short stories, articles and crafts for children, parents
and writers.
What are
three words that describe you? Reliable, Alpha and Driven. I guess
not what you expected from a children's author. I agree and I'm seeking
theropy from Santa, Easter Bunny and my local fairies. I'm hoping with a
bit of help and some luck, I'll be able to give you new ones soon. One
can only hope right?
Are you a
morning person or a night owl? I'm both actually. I think I sleep an
average of 4 hours a week. Okay, maybe not a week. However, there are
days, weeks and even months it feels that way. If you know how to quite
the voices in my head and in my home, I'm all ears.
What is
your favorite food? That's a bit tough as it depends on what meal
you're talking about. I don't eat breakfast, but I do love omelettes.
Lunch is great time to eat anything Mexican. Dinnertime calls for
Italian dishes. But the real question is the dessert. I'll take
cheesecake any day.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why? I want to road trip across the great old United States. A bit boring maybe, but that's what I would like to do. But if I have to pick something a bit more exciting...a trip to Australia would be nice too.
Do you listen to music while writing? I do a lot actually. The music I listen to can set the mood of my scene or help me get into the writing mode. Of course, right now I'm listening to an eBook. The Derseden Files Book 8 Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher to be exact.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why? I want to road trip across the great old United States. A bit boring maybe, but that's what I would like to do. But if I have to pick something a bit more exciting...a trip to Australia would be nice too.
Do you listen to music while writing? I do a lot actually. The music I listen to can set the mood of my scene or help me get into the writing mode. Of course, right now I'm listening to an eBook. The Derseden Files Book 8 Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher to be exact.
What's
your favorite book or who is your favorite writer? I love Stephen
King and in fact, we share the same birthday. We also feel the same
about the Harry Potter series and Twilight series. Is that strange or
what? My favorite book is The Shinning. I have a thing about
books that explore the inner workings of the human psyche and King knows
how to do exactly that with a lot of his writings.
Can you tell us a bit about your latest manuscript? I have more than one manuscript in the works, but I'll do my best. Two manuscripts I have sitting around and a waiting for me to finish are YA. One is based on true events from my senior year of high school. The other is based loosely on family members and my love of the supernatural. My family knows about this book and also the characters are just outlined on them to an extent.
Can you tell us a bit about your latest manuscript? I have more than one manuscript in the works, but I'll do my best. Two manuscripts I have sitting around and a waiting for me to finish are YA. One is based on true events from my senior year of high school. The other is based loosely on family members and my love of the supernatural. My family knows about this book and also the characters are just outlined on them to an extent.
My
other projects are picture books. Two are part of the SugarPaw series.
The other is a book my daughter wrote and I'm co-authoring with her.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started? So much that when I teach the basics, it takes two hour classes...ten in all for me to even relay all I've glimmed. I say glimmed as I'm always learning something. I think you never stop learning and writing has really taught me how true this saying is in life.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started? So much that when I teach the basics, it takes two hour classes...ten in all for me to even relay all I've glimmed. I say glimmed as I'm always learning something. I think you never stop learning and writing has really taught me how true this saying is in life.
Do you
plan everything or just let the story flow? It depends on what I'm
writing. If I'm working a short story or craft...I let it flow. Longer
works need some planning. At times, I get an idea and I'll sit to let it
flow and then look it over. If I see it has something, I will work on
an outline to figure it out. I guess I do a little of both.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story? Yes, and it usually happens in the shower. I don't know what my characters have with the bathroom, but they sure love to start bugging me once I enter. I'm thinking of putting an outhouse in. They may not like to visit me there.
Is there anything you would do differently? Nope because if I did, then I wouldn't be who I am today or where I'm at now. I also worry that if I go back in time to change things, something could go wrong and who knows if reality would loop back into the same timeline I'm in now. Or who is to say this isn't the split off reality from me doing just that. Have you seen the movie "Looper"?
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing? To name one person, Carolyn Howard-Johnson has been a very BIG influence to my writing life. I'm happy to see her at the St. George Book Festival this year. But everyone who has crossed my path has in one way or another influenced me and my writing. I'm excited to say that once a year I get to see most of them and it's always a real treat.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft? Focus on finishing what you start and when you finish, being again. Don't focus on the sales or what others are doing. Write and keep writing. That is the true trick to success. Learned this from Jack Remick, another author friend and influence on my writing.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon publication if any: I think I'll let you just wonder about this one. Of course you can always follow me at http://vsgrenier.com which links to most my social sites.
List of previous books if any: Babysitting SugarPaw - Mom's Choice Silver Award-winner! 2011 League of Utah Writers Silver Quill Winner!
Do your characters ever want to take over the story? Yes, and it usually happens in the shower. I don't know what my characters have with the bathroom, but they sure love to start bugging me once I enter. I'm thinking of putting an outhouse in. They may not like to visit me there.
Is there anything you would do differently? Nope because if I did, then I wouldn't be who I am today or where I'm at now. I also worry that if I go back in time to change things, something could go wrong and who knows if reality would loop back into the same timeline I'm in now. Or who is to say this isn't the split off reality from me doing just that. Have you seen the movie "Looper"?
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing? To name one person, Carolyn Howard-Johnson has been a very BIG influence to my writing life. I'm happy to see her at the St. George Book Festival this year. But everyone who has crossed my path has in one way or another influenced me and my writing. I'm excited to say that once a year I get to see most of them and it's always a real treat.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft? Focus on finishing what you start and when you finish, being again. Don't focus on the sales or what others are doing. Write and keep writing. That is the true trick to success. Learned this from Jack Remick, another author friend and influence on my writing.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon publication if any: I think I'll let you just wonder about this one. Of course you can always follow me at http://vsgrenier.com which links to most my social sites.
List of previous books if any: Babysitting SugarPaw - Mom's Choice Silver Award-winner! 2011 League of Utah Writers Silver Quill Winner!
About the book:A little bear named SugarPaw hopes to get rid of his babysitter, bonnie Whiskers, by getting her into trouble after making changes to his rules chart. As the story unfolds, SugarPaw learns about honesty and friendship. Babysitting SugarPaw, with its child-centered plot on gettng to know others, is the perfect book for littel ones scared of being left alone with a babysitter for the first time. This book will delight three-to-eight-year-old-readers, especially those who like to create mischief.Illustrator: Keven Scott Collier
Available on Amazon, Kindle, B&N and any other major bookstore.
ISBN: 978-1-93526-806-2 (soft cover)
Best of Stories for Children Magazine: Volume 1 - A collection of Over 20 poems, short stories, articles and crafts published by leading children's authors.
Children
take pleasure in having a story read tot them anytime or
anywhere--whether it be around a campfire, under a starry night, in
their beds wrapped up tight in snuggly blankets, beneath a shady tree on
a hot summer's day, or in front of a roaring fireplace on a cold
winter's day.
Available on Amazon, Kindle at Lulu.com
ISBN: 978-144217-207-4 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-557-02883-2 (eBook)
Any websites/places we can find you on the web? You can follow me at
Website http://vsgrenier.com
Twitter @VSGrenierI'm also on LinkedIn, Pinterest and many more.
You can also listen to me monthly (sometimes weekly) at The World of Ink Network on blog talk radio.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork
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