Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Interview with award-winning & best-selling author Karl Beckstrand



The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living

About the Book: Selected for Vermont’s elementary school career/financial literacy curriculum. “5 stars. A clever storyteller … colorfully illustrated. … A very educational resource.” - Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite. A child with a knack for solving problems helps some hungry fish and finds a treasure. Illustrated Asian folk tale teaches the value of work and includes career and business ideas plus online resources. Young children will be captivated by the story; older ones will want to apply the things they learn (for ages 4+). 26 pages; 530 words in dyslexic-friendly font by former Silicon Valley recruiter Karl Beckstrand; more than 20,000 downloads; hard cover, soft cover and ebook; ISBN: 978-0985398811 via Baker & Taylor, Follett, Ingram, GozoBooks.com, Target.com

1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? Seeing a lack of kids’ curriculum on how money is made—how to earn a living. I used to be a recruiter in Silicon Valley; today’s graduates don't seem as prepared for work as their parents. Many young people don’t know that failure is normal and can nourish future success.

2. What is it about and whom do you believe us your targeted reader? A boy with a knack for solving problems helps some hungry fish and finds a treasure. I hope it helps bridge the gap between what kids learn in school and what they need to know/do to succeed in life. Vermont’s Office of Treasurer has selected it as part of their financial literacy curriculum

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? That helping others/solving problems gives us experience, ideas, and a good reputation.

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? Join a writer’s group!

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I think ebooks are becoming more interactive—even animated (I worry that this will be a disincentive for reading).

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book? Organizing the lessons I had learned as a recruiter and business owner. There are more tips and free curriculum at ChildrenEarn.com

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? My book will empower them to buy all the books they want in the future!

Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author of 19 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 50 ebook titles (reviews by Kirkus, School Library Journal, The Horn Book’s blog, ForeWord Reviews). Raised in San Jose, CA (he knows the secret to peeling avocados), he has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a broadcast & film certificate from Film A. Academy. Since 2004 he has run Premio Publishing. His survival western, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award. A college media instructor, Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His nationally lauded Y.A. stories, e-book mysteries, nonfiction, ESL/ELL Spanish/bilingual books, and wordless, and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared in: Amazon, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Follett, iBooks, Ingram, Papercrafts Magazine, Target.com, The Congressional Record, Walmart.com, FB, Twitter,  http://KarlBeckstrand.com, https://GozoBooks.com

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

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