Good morning, everyone!
I hope everyone is having a great week. Today, I am very excited to share a Q&A with one of JCP's very talented authors, Frechia Collins.
Frechia will also be on our podcast this week to talk about her book, "Great Granny and Her Yucky Old Cat." This interview will be available on Friday through our podcast, Bookmarked, so please check that out as well!
"Great Granny and Her Yucky Old Cat" follows a young girl, Molly, as she spends a week alone with her old Great Granny. Great Granny's scary old house stands looming, staring at Molly with its creepy, dark windows. There is no computer, no cable TV, no video games, or even a cell phone!
Molly thinks her life is over. Not to mention, Great Granny has a yucky old cat that won't leave her alone. However, as Molly's reality begins to change, she learns some very interesting things, such as how to gut a fish, and realizes that appearances can be deceiving. Molly learns many important life lessons from her visit with Great Granny, and as a reader, you will too!
This nostalgic and lovely chapter book can be purchased here.
I hope everyone enjoys my Q&A with Frechia below, and again, be sure to check out our in-depth interview this Friday on our podcast, Bookmarked!
BOOKMARKED: What inspired you to write "Great Granny and Her Yucky Old Cat"?
FRECHIA COLLINS: Having just completed my sequel, I realized where that story came from -- loss and grief of losing our Momma. I went back through the recesses of my mind to figure out where my first book came from. What was going on in my life at the time?
Well, it was 2007, and my  21-year-old prodigal son had returned home healthy and happy. The character of Molly came from mine and my husband’s "weekend daughter." We were helping the girl's grandparents out, who were very good friends of ours. Molly’s mother had died. My husband and I were empty nesters and always loved children and having a full house. Molly filled that need.
My son, Molly, and I made a trip to my Momma's. My niece, Shelby, and Molly were the same age and hit it off. I returned home from this trip, and the story just came to me! Perhaps I wrote over my grief for Molly and her grandparents.
Have you always wanted to write a book, or did the idea for "Great Granny and Her Yucky Old Cat" inspire you to write?
I’ve always loved to read, but I didn't even like doing book reports in school. To this day, I can’t do an outline. The story just came to me in my head. I think I wrote it in one month, like I did my latest one.Â
If you could describe your book in three words, what would they be?
Love of family.
Do you have any future plans to write again?
Other than my sequel, I don’t at this time. I certainly hope no one dies and activates my creative writing processes! The part of my brain that deals with grief is the same part that causes creativity. I consider this to be a gift from our Heavenly Father.
Who are some of your favorite authors of all time?Â
I love Kristin Hannah, Fannie Flagg, Erma Bombeck, and of course Dr. Seuss. It all started with him. I also enjoy Jodi Picoult. I really love historical fiction!
Is there anything you'd like to say to your supporters and fans?
I pray for humility constantly and am honored to know you enjoy my stories. I realize that I write for my family, but if others enjoy my stories, that’s a bonus.
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Thank you again to Frechia for being a part of this Q&A as well as participating in an interview for our podcast! It was an honor to chat with you!
And thank you to everyone for reading another blog post from Bookmarked. I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day if you're celebrating this year!
I also wanted to mention that JCP's owner, Janie C. Jessee, was recently featured on Daytime Tri-Cities to talk about Voice Magazine for Women's 20th anniversary! To watch the full interview, go to this link. We are so proud of this company and what it represents for women in our local region. Thank you to the Daytime Tri-Cities show and co-host Amy Lynn for your support over the years!
Allison Chudina
Editorial Assistant
Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
Bookmarked