Good morning, everyone!
Today, I have a special interview to share with you all, with a new Jan-Carol Publishing author whose book is a heartwarming tale about a girl and her dog.
Patricia Hitchcock, author of The Adventures of Allie & Molly: A Series of Stories About a Girl and Her Dog, sat down with me for both the blog and podcast this week to talk all about her book.
It's a book based on the true-life events of a girl and her dog (her best friend, Molly) and all their shenanigans. Fun and whimsical, the stories are written by a child with a child's imagination reflected in colorful illustrations. Both children and adults can enjoy this story, and it would make a great gift for family or friends with kids.
To support Patricia and buy her book, you can click here.
Now, please enjoy the following Q&A with Patricia, and be sure to listen to her podcast interview on Friday for a more in-depth discussion of her book and the inspiration behind it.
BOOKMARKED: What inspired you to write your book, The Adventures of Allie & Molly?
PATRICIA HITCHCOCK: I wanted to do something special for Allison (Allie Cat), so that one day if and when she ever had children, she could read the stories to her own child or children and they could together enjoy all the adventures she had with Molly. I honestly just put it all together for her—never dreaming that their adventures would be published.
How would you describe the book in 3 words?
Fun, light-hearted, and genuine
What is your background with writing, and did you always want to be an author?
As far as writing, this was my first time to ever write anything. I always had a very good imagination growing up but honestly never thought that I would entertain the thought of being an author, must less actually submitting a story to be considered for publication and it actually getting published.
What would be your advice to aspiring children’s book authors?
My advice to any upcoming children’s book author—or any author, for that matter—would be to never doubt yourself. Never minimize any story you want to create and share. Don’t be afraid to express yourself through stories and illustrations.
What can you tell us about your book’s illustrations? What was that process like?
My book's illustrations are extremely important to me, to say the least. While I did a few of the illustrations, I’m not the artist in the family. The illustration on the cover, the girl on the bike, was the artwork of my late mother, Geneva (Neva) Austin . Having her artwork included in my book was just the extra layer of icing on the cake, so to speak.
The process in getting the illustrations in the format and color for the book was a bit challenging, but Janie at Jan-Carol Publishing never allowed me to give up and repeatedly said, “Let’s find a way!” And we did. Special thanks to my brother, Don Austin, for putting me in touch with the right folks that knew exactly what format, etc., was needed so that I could submit to Jan-Carol Publishing.
Is there anything you’d like to say to the supporters in your life?
Yes, absolutely. Without the support and continued encouragement from my immediate family, my work family, and friends I would never have completed the book, much less submitted it. Of course, to my Allie Cat—she’s my greatest accomplishment, and she and Molly provided me with all the fun stories to share. To my late mother in Heaven, I wish you were here to share in the excitement and joy surrounding my book, but I know you’re looking down from Heaven and smiling.
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Thanks again to Patricia for a great discussion, both here and in our podcast interview that will come out on Friday. Everyone, please go support Patricia by buying her book! It's a heartwarming story about a girl and her dog, and regardless of age, you will enjoy it.
Thank you to everyone for reading another blog post from Bookmarked! Tune in again next Wednesday for more bookish content!
Allison Chudina
Editorial Assistant
Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.
Bookmarked
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