Happy Sunday! Today I introduce children’s author: Susan Pennington. She is currently working on book five, in a children’s book series! If you would like to learn more about her and her books; then check her out at her Author website. Also, check out her books on Amazon.
Are you an indie author or a traditionally published author?
Indie aka independent? I tried a vanity press first. Didn’t take long to realize they are highway robbers.
Tell me a little about your writing journey, thus far.
It feels like it is still a “hobby.” I enjoy it and have been advertising a lot on Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in, and e-mail. But, like Avon, I feel as if I have not only run out of family and friends but that I have alienated them as well.
Do you write under a pseudonym? If so explain why.
No, I am proud of my work, why would I not want to claim it. The only purpose for a pseudonym, I think, well, I can’t think of a useful purpose.
What genre do you write and why?
Mainly, I write for children. I have several reasons. The main one: I want to share with children, around the world, the beautiful tales my Aunt created for me as a child.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am working on book five, of my “The Adventures of Toby and Doby” series.
What inspired you to write your books?
My Aunt Olive. As I mentioned earlier, my Aunt created these amazing bedtime stories, just for me. I was a little girl, five, maybe six. The way I see it if, after 50 plus years, the memory of them still fills my heart with joy, shouldn’t they belong to children everywhere?
What are your top 5 favorite books?
Wow, you know, most writers are avid readers. As a young girl, I was. We had a library in my home-Five bookcases filled with hard covered books. My favorites were the Mark Twain classics and the Zane Gray westerns. I also loved reading Nancy Drew, Winnie the Pooh, and my first readers starring, Dick, Jane, Sally, Puff, and Spot. In high school, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. On the flipside, I also enjoyed reading Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Given a choice, I’d watch a movie before reading a book. Movies aren’t better than books; hardly, movies are never better than their counterparts, a well-written book. They do, however, take less time to enjoy, like biting into a “tootsie pop” to get to the creamy chocolate center. Proof that a book is better than the movie: I went to the theater to see “Love Story,” and I cried. I went home and read the book; I bawled my eyes out. Another example, at the urging of a friend, I read “The Shining.” Once I got about a third of the way through, I was so absorbed in the story; I forgot to eat, drink, sleep. The film version BORING! I didn’t answer your question, did I? OOPS!
What does literary success look like to you?
Well, I always thought when you became a successful writer, you would receive an advance check from your publisher for future books. Being the author of a series of children’s books, my idea of literary success would be to see my adorable characters up on the big screen in a Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, or Dreamworks.
How many hours a day do you write? What is your writing routine?
At the moment, I don’t write much. I am recently retired and have plans to travel to see some old friends and family that I haven’t been able to see in what seems like forever. When I do write, I usually get an idea and go with it. I try to take my time; it makes the editing process less tedious.
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it be and why?
I would have to say a Nancy Drew mystery. The reason, I believe it takes a great mind to be able to write in circles, never losing track, and making sure that all your ins and outs, ups and downs, meet back up to solve a mystery. You must have a brilliant thought process to be able to work the required angles so that the reader, after all, is said and done, can look back and say, “Oh my goodness, why didn’t I see that?”
What advice would you like to give to aspiring authors?
Simple, write what you love, and never give up. You may never make it, Heck, I’m still waiting on that big break but, if you give up, you will never know what great shot was waiting just around the corner. Good luck and happy writing!
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