Good afternoon, everyone!
Today, we're very excited to bring you another JCP author interview. This time, I got the chance to talk with Julia Russo, author of Maggie the Cat Who Came Home for Christmas. This book is a "read outloud chapter book" for the whole family to enjoy and would make the perfect gift for a loved one this holiday season!
Delightful illustrations bring you inside Grandpa Charlie Green’s mountainside farmhouse. Join Maggie the cat, Pip the goat, Grandpa Charlie Green, Daddy, and of course, little Wilhelmina Olive Blessing as she tells us this sweet wintertime story. What must they do to get little Maggie home? Join the fun, and read the book out loud for yourself or read along with others! You will love the story of Maggie the cat who comes home for Christmas.
This book can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly through JCP's website here.
Also, don't forget to listen to our podcast THIS FRIDAY, because Draco will be interviewing Julia there as well. It will be one you won't want to miss. You can access our podcast, BOOKMARKED, on most listening platforms, including Spotify, as well as through our website.
Now, without further ado, let's dive into my conversation with Julia.
BOOKMARKED: I'd love to know how you first got into writing.
JULIA RUSSO: I wrote some in business and government, but it wasn’t until I recently retired that I got serious about creative writing. I just wrote a story I had thought about for many years. What is your writing process like? Where do you get your ideas from? Grace Metzger-Forrest, who is the illustrator, and I created this wonderful, multi-generational, happy and cozy world. We talked and laughed about what Wilhelmina would say and how she would look and dress. Certainly no little poplin shirts for her—and always boots!
The farmhouse started as an actual old house in a historic neighborhood near the train. Maggie became the sweet cat who visits Grandpa Charlie Green in Ellijay, Georgia. Ellijay is near the small cabin that Kent, my husband, and Chloe, Kitty Cat, and I spent many cold nights for a period of over twenty years. Grandpa was inspired by my Grandpa Sam, with a sprinkling of my older neighborhood friend, Charlie. Writing it was an absolute joy and made me so, so happy. I just really came to love the entire family and, of course, to love and cherish little Maggie and Pip!
What are some of your favorite books of all time?
Some of my favorite books are as follows:
"The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
"The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou "Peachtree Road" by Anne Rivers Siddons "Angela’s Ashes" by Frank McCourt "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" by Rebecca Wells "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden
"The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain
As a teenager, I read all of the John D. MacDonald books about Travis McGee! A book I read many times to my first-graders was "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats. Also, some children's movies that played a role in the writing of my novel were "The Three Lives of Thomasina" and "Prancer."
Do you see yourself writing more in the future?
Yes. "Pip’s Thanksgiving Surprise" will be about Wilhelmina going back to her grandpa’s farmhouse to celebrate Thanksgiving together. The little goat, Pip, who is Maggie the Cat’s best friend, has a Thanksgiving surprise. The question is, what exactly will it be? After that, I hope to continue to write about these characters. Next time, the story will take place on Valentine's Day.
What advice do you have for aspiring children's book writers?
I am a brand new author who is just beginning in a brand new industry... However, since you asked, here are my thoughts.
Partner with a wonderful illustrator. I love Grace. Also, the book cover is key, and Tara Sizemore did a wonderful job. I would also say to start writing a middle chapter first. The first chapter is filled with too much emotion and too many expectations. Go to a bookstore and study the back covers of children’s classics. Finally, don’t listen to a lot of advice. Just write and enjoy the pure joy of writing. The rest will follow.
What would you like to say to readers of your book, "Maggie the Cat Who Came Home for Christmas"? Who would you say is the target audience? I just really hope my readers like it! I think the target audience is ages 3-6... and everyone who likes to feel cozy!
Allison Chudina
Editorial Assistant
Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
Bookmarked
What a great interview! How very interesting! And I love this book!