AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
Today, I welcome award winning middle grade children's author, Connie M. Huddleston.
Please tell about your background.
I
have had many different careers including elementary school teacher,
archaeologist, director of exhibits and interpretation, historic preservation
consultant, and finally author. As an Army wife, I often had to reinvent myself
as we moved frequently. I loved the changes these moves brought about and each
and every one of my careers; however, I like writing the best.
How did you decide to become a
children's writer and what steps did you take to make that happen?
After
a move in the late 1980s, I found myself unemployed and decided to combine my
love of archaeology and writing. So I wrote my first children’s book. My goal
was to interest kids in prehistory and archaeology. I couldn’t interest a
publisher and put it aside when I was once again employed. In 2013, my daughter
self-published her science fiction novel and encouraged me to look at my book
again with self-publishing in mind. Several first readers encouraged me to work
on the manuscript, to give Greg character, and to proceed.
Tell us about your book(s), especially
about the one you are promoting now. (I will list your books/covers in the
blog.)
My
"Adventure in Time" series takes Greg, a middle school student, back into history as
he accidentally time travels first to 3,500 B.C. in the first book. And then, in the second book, to
Kentucky in 1778. All of the series' books combine facets of archaeology and
accurate historical settings and events. While Greg may be fictional, most of
the characters and events encountered during his time travel are real and
accurately represented. The third book in the series, due out in late 2016,
introduces new characters including his friend Rose, who can also time travel.
What is a typical writing day like for
you?
I
have a home office and work during the weekdays from about 9 until 5. I keep a
regular schedule and work on various books throughout the week. I also write
histories for adults, so I have many projects in the works at any given time. I
spend part of my evenings reading for background or other children’s books for
insight into what other authors are writing. I often leave notes to myself
around the house when ideas pop into my head. My husband, now retired, loves
finding these on the grocery list. He does the shopping.
What is the most difficult part of
writing for children?
Dialogue
and humor!! I want to make it real, so I spend time listening to how my
grandsons communicate. I watch to see what things make them laugh. I find this
is harder with girls, which may be why I enjoy writing male characters. Also,
my books are written in first person. Greg tells the story in the first two
books, but Rose contributes to book three; therefore, I have to keep it at a
certain level to make it believable. However, I have noticed that my
grandchildren often speak words that they can’t spell (and sometimes don’t
entirely understand), so I don’t feel bad about throwing in some good
vocabulary builders. I also have a glossary at the end of each book.
What do you enjoy most about writing
for children
Telling
stories! I love making up stories and finding out that children enjoy
them. One young reader told his mother
(also my friend) after the first chapter, “Well, it’s not awful, can we read
another chapter?” To me, that was the
ultimate compliment!
Do you make school visits? If so,
please describe a typical school presentation.
I
would love to; however, I can’t seem to get invited. Previously, I often did
presentations about archaeology to children and always kept them very
interactive. I would love to be invited
to talk about my books, archaeology, and history. I would have the children
participate, give prizes, and converse about what they want to know about
archaeology and history.
I
have teaching materials and fun activities posted on my website for each book.
These include a full teaching program to reinforce the history and archaeology
presented in each book. However, many of the fun sheets can be used
independently.
Do you have a website? If so, please
give the URL.
Tell us about your marketing process.
What do you do to market and sell your books?
I
try to do one thing each weekday to publicize my books. It might be only a new
announcement on Facebook or other social media. It’s sometimes a trip to a
local independent bookstore, although local for me can be well over 100 miles.
Sometimes, it is just reading about how to market my books in new and unusual
ways. I join sites that work with Indie authors like Bookworks, Alli, and
Support Indie Authors. Occasionally, I enter contests. I’m hoping that winning
a gold medal from Children’s Literary Classics for Greg’s First Adventure in Time will be a great marketing
experience.
What are you working on
right now?
Greg’s Third Adventure in Time is finally complete in draft form,
so I am editing! Next, I’ll send it to my editor. I also just finished another
history for adults that will be released on 5 October, so I am doing advance
marketing for it. I have another draft waiting for re-writing and editing, plus
an idea for another children’s series waiting on my desk. I have three more
adult histories in the works.
What is your best tip for aspiring children's book authors?
Actually I have two best
tips. I learned the first from personal
experience. Don’t rush to publish. Edit,
hire an editor, edit, get first readers, correct, and then publish!
READ children’s books. Learn what is selling and what is not. Be an
active reader of all sorts of juvenile literature. If you plan to be an Indie
author, be proud of it, and promote self-publishing by review books by other
Indie authors. I try to do at least one book review a week. I post these on
Amazon and Goodreads. I am considering adding a page for reviews to my website.
(Oh, by the way, I never post negative reviews. If I don’t like the book, I
just keep it to myself.)
Thank you so much for sharing your
writing life, information about your MG series, and your tips for aspiring
writers.
****
Tags
Greg's Adventure in Time series, C.M. Huddleston, time travel, history, archeology, middle school, middle grade.
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