Interview with children's book author and illustrator Cathleen Francisco

I have author and illustrator Cathleen Francisco here today to chat with me about her new children’s book, OH! The Things You Can See In The Dark!

Bio:

Cathleen Francisco is a Sonoma, CA-based photographer and author of two books on wine. This is her first children's book and one that has been eight years in the making. The idea for the book had been realized for some time but without the ability to draw or paint she was at a loss as to how to visually express the landscapes she was imagining.

By expanding upon the tools of her craft, exploring digital photography and incorporating Photoshop, she was able to bring her illustrations and the book to life. She can often be found wandering vineyards, camera in hand, with her dog Belle.

Welcome, Cathleen. Please tell us about your current release.

OH! The Things You Can See In The Dark! is a picture book for children and adults of all ages. The premise of the book is to reveal that which can only be seen in the dark or those things made more glorious by the absence of light. While we may often perceive the dark to be ominous, the book shows a magical aspect of the night through the vibrant and lush imagery used. There may be a note of tension in a storm cloud or a rolling sea, but the components of the images are familiar and the scene is ultimately quieting, curious and inviting. Showing the dark as a place of discovery offers an opportunity to engage in the wonder and beauty of the night.

The text is divided between child and adult. For the child, simple questions that can lead to curious discoveries. For the adult, a bit of trivia to offer a stepping off place for the reader to begin a dialogue with the child, create a story of their own, or continue to explore the night.

What inspired you to write this book?

A young friend of mine suffered terribly with night terrors, her fear of the dark so intense that even the simplest of pleasures, like going to a movie or camping under the stars, were terrifying prospects. No words could be found to alleviate her fears, because to her, the dark was an unsafe place, void of beauty and mystery. I started to think about the dark and what it meant to me. Yes, it could be scary, but what about all those things made more beautiful in the absence of light, all the life that exists beyond our sight and how busy and colorful the night truly is? That was the dark I wanted my young friend to see.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Book two of OH! - working on the image for bats and lightning. Also would like to do a book in similar fashion about places we live - animals and people.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?


I wrote stories for my children when they were little, poetry when I was younger. I was always in love with words, how they shaped imagination and offered up worlds to discover. When I started exploring photography I found a similar experience of discovery.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?


I do not write full time but am always jotting down ideas or sketching it out. I am never without a piece of paper and pencil. I do work as an educator part time but the best time for me to write is in the late afternoon and into evening, out in my garden, when the world settles in and quiet abounds.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?


Tons of note books - large and small, pockets size and sketch size and every size in between. Random notes and drawings all over them - I enjoy going back over them to see what journey I was on how different the illustration and story turned out.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A botanist

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I enjoy children’s books that not only engage the child but the older reader as well and that is what OH! is all about - taking you to a place of discovery and exploration. I think curiosity is a gift and one we should relish all our days.

Links:

Website

Thanks for being here today, Cathleen!

Interview with illustrator and debut children's author Roni Kennedy

Today’s special guest is illustrator and debut children's writer Roni Kennedy. We’re chatting about The Boy That Grew Teeth in His Ear.

Bio:

Roni Kennedy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and comes from a family of eight. She is the oldest of six brothers and sisters and was taught at an early young age that she needed to set the example for her younger brothers and sisters. In her later years she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and has three children and four step children.

Roni is a self-starter and has her own sign business which she used to run out of her home for 20 years and now at a location in Tooele, Utah for the past 10 years of her life. In her shop she designs, prints banners, does vehicle lettering and all types of signs. She has an artistic talent that she has been blessed with to support her family and lively hood. She also has and still paints windows as well seasonal and promotional for businesses and homes. She is a hard worker and likes to do crafts in her spare time and spend time with family and keep a clean home.

In the early 1996 Roni and another partner had two clipart books which were called Primary Paraphernalia Volume 1 and 2 that were published by Sounds of Zion in Salt Lake City Utah and were distributed all over the United States In Deseret Book Stores. She considers herself accomplished and when the going gets tough the tough get going.

Welcome, Roni. Please tell us about your current release.

First of all before I get started I want to give all my credit to my mother who was from Eunice, Louisiana. She left her family when she met my father in the service and married and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a strong woman and a brave woman. She was a school teacher and continued her education to getting her master's degree while she was raising us and teaching. She wrote a few books and tried to get them published but at the time it was quite expensive raising six children. Our needs came first.

The Boy That Grew Teeth in His Ear is about how sometimes we can get caught up in following the crowd and wanting to be popular. Since bullying has been a problem from the beginning of time this book is to invite children to realize they can be good friends and not pick on others and make fun of others that are different than them or new to a school or neighborhood.

Aaron has moved to a new neighborhood and is being teased and picked on. In order to fit in he starts doing bad things to make himself fit in to the group that's picking on him. He soon finds out that a tooth is forming in his ear and he tries to hide it. When his friends discover it they want to have one just like he has. They think it's cool. The tooth makes him more popular and he and his new friends start picking more and more on others. Then more teeth grew in Aaron’s ear until he had none left in his mouth. He starts hiding out in his upstairs bedroom and won't go out and play or anything. He feels like a total freak and sobs and cried himself to sleep. Then the ear talks to Aaron in his sleep and tells him to repent of his wrongs - he will get better. So Aaron regains his mouth full of teeth and also lots of friends.

What inspired you to write this book?

I think part of it has been my life events. My mother was a school teacher and 3 of us older siblings went to the same she taught at and were somewhat picked on. I remember one time we were spit on and called teacher’s pet. A few other things have been insensitive people that I have encountered throughout my life. 

I have been married 3 times. I was verbally and physically abused in my first marriage and he did not want to work. My second marriage was not so good either. He lied about money and to me about a lot of things and when I did the Primary Paraphernalia books he became very jealous of my ability to do something for myself. Part of the book starting ideas came from my hard times. 

At the time I wrote this book I was doing well with the Primary books and wanted to make a career of it. Everything was put on hold due to a divorce in 1998. At one point I sent it in to Agreka Books and they wanted me to publish and do a second book about morals. I did not have the funds and this book was put on a shelf for 18 years. I had to raise my daughter and just worked on getting the sign business going. 

Due to more humbling experiences in my life and moving to a small town with my sign business, I decided to blow some dust off of it and get it published this year. I cannot tell you it all except small towns have bullies and mean people as well as very good people so this book was a perfect time to get published. I have been bullied by a newspaper out here that was trying to put my sign business under when they advertised in their paper that they did signs and banners and undercut my prices after I closed my sign shop up in Salt Lake. I had two shops at the time and the economy was going south. I did not go through them for my published book needless to say.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I would like to work on my mother’s book. I have done the illustrations for her years ago. It needs to be edited and shortened. It is called the story of Timmy Mitton.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I was probably in my teens. I used to babysit the neighbor’s children and would write poems.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

No I do not write full time. I have a full time business. I wish I could write full time and use my creativity.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I wrote and pencil sketched this book in a snap. The idea came very quickly to me.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I loved horses. Maybe live on a farm with lots of horses.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I am a really good person. I care about others and have empathy towards them. I try to help others but I also know there are boundaries and not to let others take advantage of me. I am trying to accomplish morals, values, true principles and good teaching lessons.

Links:

Facebook Author | Facebook Book | Amazon | Professional Women Business Owners of Utah and America

Thanks for being here today, Roni! Happy writing.