Title: Wiggy Wanda
Author: Kathy Mashburn
Illustrated by: Mindy Liang
ISBN:
13: 978-1499662863
SYNOPSIS
OF WIGGY WANDA:
Keri Fields is only seven years old when she
learns the reason for her mother’s sickness.
She has seen firsthand how badly her mother feels when she is sick. Keri listens carefully as her mother tells
her about a boo-boo called cancer that is causing her to be sick enough to
throw up and tired enough to lie down often.
To help explain the things that will happen while her mother is being
treated by the doctor, Keri’s parents present her with a very special
gift. Keri quickly discovers this is no
ordinary gift!
Imagine you have been diagnosed with cancer.
Now, imagine how you would go about explaining your diagnosis to a young
child. Wiggy Wanda is a children’s book that will help open the door for
women everywhere to begin to tell their personal stories to the young children
in their lives – perhaps even their daughters.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
Although
I enjoy writing across genres, I spend much of my time writing books for
children. The stories I write are usually based on an awareness issue like the
fear of clowns, or a disability concern like having prosthetic limbs or being
blind. Of course, I also enjoy writing stories that are just simply FUNNY! It
is my hope the books I write will engage children in a positive way,
encouraging them to laugh, learn, and to enhance their imaginations. I enjoy
reading, writing, crafting, attending church, and spending time with her family
and friends.
INTERVIEW:
Please
tell me how long you have been writing, and why you decided to become a writer.
I
began writing in the fifth grade when my teacher, Mrs. Brannock, gave my
classmates and me an assignment to keep a daily journal about something going
on in our lives. As she handed me a thin red spiral notebook to use, she could
not have known the profound impact it would have on me in years to come. That
simple wire-bound notebook became a bible of sorts to me as I captured my every
thoughts, ideas, and dreams inside its pages.
It was much later in high school when another teacher, Dr. Peggy Quarles
further inspired me to write. She poured fuel on the fire when she instructed
my freshmen class and me to maintain daily journals again. By then journaling
had become a habit to me, but her renewed assignment caused an even greater
appreciation in reading, writing, and storytelling in me. It is because of Dr.
Quarles's encouragement and advice to write about anything and everything
lurking behind the doors of my imagination, that I continue to keep pen and
paper handy every day.
Are you a fulltime or
part-time writer?
I
am definitely a part-time writer, but I consider myself a writer with a
fulltime commitment. I can’t remember a
single day I have not written in my journal, or scratched out a new idea or
story, or scribbled random thoughts on a napkin while dining. Writing is a part of everything I do. Most days I even set my alarm clock for an
hour earlier than when I need to awake to prepare for my full-time paid
job. I enjoy writing so much I keep
index cards on my nightstand to write down my dreams on the occasion I am lucky
to remember them when I awake.
Where do you draw your
inspirations from?
Everywhere! Seriously, I am inspired by so many things
like people, places, my family, my friends, and news events. I am a good listener, so I pay attention to
snatches of conversations around me to get ideas. I consider this unintentional eavesdropping
because people everywhere talk openly about their lives, their pets, their
jobs, etc., which often turns into a story or an idea for a project. I also practice really looking to see things
with a ‘curious eye’. I try to see
things differently than others might.
Is this your first
published work? What other types of
writing are you interested in?
No,
it isn’t. I’ve published three
different books in three different genres.
My first publication was a book titled How to Swap Batches of Cookies and Candy with Others, plus 115 Great
Recipes. This book came about for
two reasons. The first was to find a way
to have fun on a tight budget with my family during Christmas holidays, while
the other was to learn all I could about the world of publishing. I had been attending workshops at a local
university on writing, so I decided the best way to understand the jargon and
business was to get my feet wet by self-publishing a book.
My
second publication is a fun story titled Mrs.
Baxter Swarms Mount Vernon High School. Mrs. Baxter is an eccentric grandma who takes
things into her own hands to get to the bottom of the troubles her grandson, Norman get’s himself into
a few days before his graduation. She is
a wacky and fun lady that’s sure to have readers laughing out loud.
In
addition to the previous books, I have also published three children’s books
titled A Birthday Clown for Archer, Feeding Piggy, and Jilly Loves to Pretend.
I
enjoy writing in different genres. My
current works-in-progress are Living in
the Midst of God’s Plan, and A Day in
the Life of Beekeeper. Readers can
learn more about these projects on my website at http://www.kathymashburn.com.
Why did you decide to
self-publish your work instead of pursuing traditional publishing?
For
me, it’s all about the control and freedom to make my own decisions. I like being responsible for my work. Once I sent a story to a few publishing
houses, which caused me to realize I was not very good at waiting weeks,
months, or even years for a their reply, if any. Then I began to read, read, and read again
everything I could get my hands on about writing and publishing. After studying other successful authors, I
decided to pursue self-publishing. It’s
true, we are our biggest asset, so I set out to brand myself and to promote
what I love to do, which is to write and tell stories.
This
is not to say I would not pursue traditional publishing if an opportunity was
presented to me, but in the meanwhile I plan to continue to do all I can to
make my own success. I can dream about
the big publishing houses, and who knows, one day I might just land one.
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