Please share your bio with us and anything else you would like readers
to know.
This book is a friendly way for
children to ease their bedtime fears. All children at one point in their lives
hear unfamiliar and scary noises while trying to drift off into sleep. As soon
as they get scared, they start thinking of all these scary things that can
happen. The main message is just to remember that noises can just be familiar
noises, like in this case, your mom going to bed. Being afraid of monsters is
common however, I am hoping my book sends the message to never be afraid of
them.
My idea was unique and unexpected.
I was sleeping at a new place one night and at the age of 22, still afraid of
monsters. I heard all of these weird and unfamiliar noises around the house. I
was texting my boyfriend, Chris, saying, “I don’t like this! I’m hearing too
many noises, I can’t fall asleep.” He then texted me back asking if I ever did
fall back asleep. My response was, “eventually, when the monsters were quiet.”
Right there I thought, “That would be an awesome title for a children’s book!”
The next weekend at 3am I suddenly woke up, went to my phone, opened notepad,
and wrote the last two lines and the first three of my book. The next day Chris
and I were driving and he was singing Selena Gomez’s song, “Come Get It,”
extremely loud and obnoxious. (I find it funny with him being 6’5 singing this
song.) Somehow, I finished my book right next to him in the car.
Tell us briefly about your recently
published book and what you feel is the most important topic/sub-message you
share.
This book is a friendly way for children to ease their
bedtime fears. All children at one point in their lives hear unfamiliar and
scary noises while trying to drift off into sleep. As soon as they get scared,
they start thinking of all these scary things that can happen. The main message
is just to remember that noises can just be familiar noises, like in this case,
your mom going to bed. Being afraid of monsters is common however, I am hoping
my book sends the message to never be afraid of them.
Like all authors, you have had your fair
share of rejection letters. You obviously did not let the letters deter you.
How did you keep your determination without getting discouraged?
Fortunately, I never received a
rejection letter with my first book, “When the Monsters are Quiet.” I honestly
thought, “Nothing is going to come out of this” when I first submitted my
manuscript. This book took less than a day to write and it was completely
random. I thought the process would be so much harder and that it was way out
of my reach. I am so blessed with my first experience of being an author.
Please describe to us your relationship between you and your
editor. What makes an author/editor relationship a success?
Lisa Umina is a phenomenal publisher. Lisa
Umina is the CEO of Halo Publishing. Since I am 22 years old, I don’t know
anyone who has ever published a book before. Lisa was extremely helpful. She
knew I was nervous and she made me feel comfortable asking questions to seek
how the process works. The process was easier than I originally imagined and I
got to be 100% involved with my book. She told me, “I am in the passenger seat
and you are the driver,” this made me feel comfortable with what I was about to
get into. I thought this process would be stressful and out of my reach but
Lisa proved me wrong. She is awesome to work with!
When they write your obituary, what do
you hope they will say about your books and writing? What do you hope they will
say about you?
I hope they will
say something along the lines of how I made a difference in the lives of
children. That has always been my goal- to make a difference in the life of a child.
I now have two careers: writing and being a teacher. I hope to find success in
both careers and make a difference somehow. I want children to get my messages
that I am writing about and hopefully abide by them or always remember them.
Is there anything you'd go back and do differently now that
you have been published, in regards to your writing career?
Nothing at all! Thankfully, I’ve
had an amazing experience.
Do you do first drafts on a computer or by hand?
My first draft was on the “notepad”
application in my iPhone.
Have you received any awards?
My awards right now are seeing
children’s faces “light up” when they see the monster or hearing the stories of
how they would defeat their monster/ who their monster is. Children being able
to relate to my book and love reading it as a bedtime story is definitely the
best award I could receive in this career.
Do you have any book signings, tours or
special events planned to promote your book that readers might be interested in
attending? If so, when and where?
I had a few in
the beginning of the month of December of 2013. I held my first library signing
and had the amazing opportunity to talk to a room full of teachers. My next
signings are in the process. 2014 will be a busy year but I am ready and
excited! Another exciting part is I keep finding articles written about me and
my book. Usually, they talk about the ideas and my age of 22 years old
publishing a book. I knew an article would be written but had no idea it was
slither onto other websites and newspapers.
The World of Ink Network will be
touring author Alicia Lloyd’s monster picture book, When the Monsters are Quiet January 2014.
Title of Book: When the Monsters are Quiet
Author: Alicia Lloyd
Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.
ISBN Number: ISBN 13: 978-1-61244-219-8
Genre: Children
Publication Date: January 2014
Page count: 25
Price: $11.95
Synopsis of book:
This friendly book is a fun way children can start to become proficient readers
by reading about one of their biggest worries- bedtime! This book is a reminder
to never be afraid of your monsters and has helpful hints for parents to help
their children by exploring with early reading strategies at home.
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