Sharon has been a big supporter of the Debut Review Challenge from the beginning. It is such a pleasure to welcome her as a featured author with her debut picture book, BEDTIME, DADDY!, hot off the presses!
DEBUT-BY-THE-NUMBERS
Number of years writing: 14
Number of years from contract to published book: 2
Date your book was released: 1st May 2020 – Australia; 12th May 2020 – Rest of the World
Number of pages: 32
Number of launch events: 1 – a virtual book launch
Number of days per week that writing takes a backseat to marketing & publicity: 2
Number of critique partners: 6
Number of books you hope to publish over the next ten years: 10
Number of times you’ve pinched yourself that you really have a book out: 1000+
A FEW QUESTIONS…
Who are your greatest inspirations?
Children, mine and the children that I teach. I like to write about children and their everyday life and routines. At the moment I am really enjoying writing role reversal stories about children and adults, written in the second or first person point of views.
Without giving anything away, tell us about your work-in-progress. What do you love about it so far? Where are you stuck?
My current work-in-progress is a story about an inter-generational Kindy. Where the main character goes to Kindy at her great-grandma’s retirement home. Her great-grandma is at the Kindy too. I love the bond that exists between the two age groups. At the moment I am stuck at the revision stage because I am dedicating my time to promoting and marketing BEDTIME DADDY.
What does your work space look like? Tell us about a typical work session.
My work space is a desk set up in a nook in my home. I’m currently hot desking with my husband and children who are working and schooling from home. I’m fortunate to only work part-time so I can dedicate two days of the week to writing. I try and write in the morning for about two hours. My pet dog Pepper, who is a miniature schnauzer, usually lies behind me on the floor. My favorite drink is coffee and water and I enjoy snacking on vegie chips. My writing day usually starts with checking my emails and social media, then depending where I am in my monthly schedule, I could be writing a new draft, revising an old one, critiquing or submitting.
TIME TO PLAY…STORY SMASH!
Think about all the stories you’ve written that have hit a dead end or are hidden away in a drawer somewhere. For each of the items below, lift an element from a different story to create a weird, unexpected mash-up. Who knows? It may even inspire a new manuscript!
Characters: Boomer the Kangaroo and Cuttlefish
Setting: Under the Sea
Theme: Imagination
Problem: Can’t do what others can
Pitch: Boomer the Kangaroo dreams of living under the sea with his friend Cuttlefish, but he can’t do what his friend can do. So he has to use his imagination to live happily under the sea with his friend.
I love how the imagination is portrayed in picture books. Very creative!
REVIEW TIME
Leave an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other online site. Every time you write five reviews for debut Kidlit creators between May 1 – June 30, 2020, you can fill out this ENTRY FORM for a chance to win prizes. Sharon has generously donated a signed book. Thank you, Sharon!
For a chance to win a Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Sharon Giltrow (max. 700 words), enter this Rafflecopter giveaway! ***This week only***
You can find the complete rules for the Debut Review Challenge and a downloadable record sheet to keep track of your reviews HERE.
Such a cute story!
Thank you Neesa it is a fun story to share :-).