Hello everyone! It’s time to reveal the answers for all 12 questions answered by 12 author participants in the January Group Author Interview, in the 12 genres, 12 authors, 12 months and 12 questions series!

I have to apologize for the delay in posting up the answers for Children’s Book interview series as we previously had two authors pulling out from the interview due to unforeseen circumstances. Nevertheless, we thank them for introducing two other authors for this interview series. But, now we now have not 12, but 14 authors participating in this group author interview.

Yes, I’m breaking the rules for this interview series! While looking for the last author to join us, I had to email a few of them at one go, just to make sure at least one of them gets back to me to complete this interview series. And guess what? I had not one, but THREE authors sending in their submissions at the same time! Can I say no to two of them? Would it be fair? No! So, yes, the more the merrier, I thought. Therefore, let’s welcome 14 authors for this interview series.

The first seven questions are from a ten-year old children’s book reviewer and BookTuber, named Neha Praveen. You can follow her on Twitter at @npstation2018

If you are an author and would like to participate in our upcoming interviews, check out this link, sign up and get your fans to ask their questions to the participating authors! The goal of this author interview is to increase the engagement between readers and authors, and to expose authors to new group of readers.

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So, the 1st question is “What is your source of ideas for a new book?”

1) Author #1 : Ann Harrison-Barnes

That depends on the book. As I’ve heard authors say from time to time, ideas come from everywhere. However, Inspiration can come from a variety of sources too. Maggie’s Gravy Train Adventure was inspired by a tweet about a gravy train.

2) Author #2: Samantha Hardin

They honestly kind of just pop up in my brain. They don’t seem to come from anywhere specific.

3) Author #3: C.J. Rains

My ideas can come from almost anything. Sometimes an idea will pop in my head right out of nowhere, while other times they can come from something I see, something I’ve read, or just from a personal experience.

4) Author #4: Padma Venkatraman

Until now,  all my books are in part based on a true story. The main characters are also inspired in some way by someone real. For example, Vidya in Climbing the Stairs is inspired by my mother and my family history (in India in the 1940’s); A Time to Dance is inspired by Shoba Sharma and other dancers I saw; and all four main characters in The Bridge Home are inspired by friends I had as a child. 

5) Author #5: Elizabeth Gerlach

My book Ben’s Adventures is actually inspired by my son Benjamin. He lived with cerebral palsy and various medical challenges so I wanted to show that even though a child might have physical differences, he/she can still be a kid, daydream, pretend, play, have friendship and be happy. So far, my ideas have been based on our family experiences, vacations at the beach, trips to the circus (new manuscript), etc.

6) Author #6: Cassie Miller

I get my ideas from my life and the lives of my loved ones. Everyone is so unique and interested in such a wide range of things I have a never ending and always evolving pool of ideas to pick from

7) Author #7: Charlie Bee

Anything may spark an idea, for example imagery and sounds, music, conversations, literally anything.

8) Author #8: Jerry Craft

When I was writing New Kid, my middle grade graphic novel, I used a lot of my memories as a kid starting a new school. I had always attended small schools that had classes of 25 students, of which most were African American. But the high school I attended had me as one of maybe 10 African American students out of a class of over 100. Plus, like me, Jordan Banks is one of the youngest and smallest kids in his class.

9) Author #9: Linda Covella

My inspiration for my books comes from many places: personal experiences, places I’ve been, books and other publications I’ve read. For instance, reading about the 1775 colonization expedition from Mexico to California inspired my novel Yakimali’s Gift and picture book The Power of a Dream: Maria Feliciana Arballo, Latina Pioneer.

I’ve always liked ghost stories, so that partially inspired my Ghost Whisperer series, which also take place in Santa Cruz where I live. Book one, The Castle Blues Quake, involves an earthquake, of which I’ve experienced numerous times living in California. Part of the plot for book two, The Ghosts of Pebble Brook Lodge, was inspired by a true story of a girl drowning in a creek that runs through the dining room of the local Brookdale Lodge.

And with Cryptogram Chaos, I was tired of seeing computer games with all the fighting and killing, so my fourteen-year-old characters create a game where gamers advance to different levels by answering secret codes, or cryptograms. Each of the three levels has increasingly exciting things for the gamers to do, such as eat all the candy and ice cream they want, undersea adventures, racing cars, bungee jumping, and becoming powerful avatars.

10) Author #10: Tracy K

From my own life experiences.

11) Author #11: Beffy Parkin

Ideas can come from anywhere, whilst doing the most boring activities in the world! It could be from a mispronounced word that sounds like a fun character’s name.

12) Author #12: Lory Linn

I simply use the sources I have in front of me; nature such as watching birds play in the water, people at the beach or the mall, watching my dog play, and most recently I am writing a book based on my granddaughter.

13) Author #13: Karen Magnen

I have so many ideas for stories.  I write from experience, Milton was a real dog.   I also write about topics that interest me, such as fairies and dragons. I write stories that are funny, and teach some simple lessons.

14) Author #14: Dr. Graham Clingbine

I think about real-life fun or funny experiences that happened in my childhood that have remained in my memory as an adult.

Stay tuned for the next post. Be sure to follow this website via email to get notified when new posts are being made.

Best regards,

Jasveena

Founder of International Book Promotion