Interview With Author Bart B. LaRocca

1. What inspired you to write this book?  The inspiration for the book comes from the memories of me telling this story, which I made up when I was a young kid, to my own children when they were very young. 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? It is the mythical story of how the Aspen tree came to have its unique white bark year around.  It is written for young kids.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope when people read the book or read it to their kids, that they will not only come away with some understanding about the uniqueness and beauty of the aspen tree, but that they will also come to the realization that there is beauty in everything, if only one has the right perspective.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The decision for the title just seemed obvious to me based on the subject of the entire book. As for the cover design, one of my daughters (now 22 yrs old), had previously drawn all of the pictures that were used for the book's illustrations, including the book's cover, when she was 15 years old.  We both decided on the specific illustration to use for the cover as we both just felt it was the perfect one to capture the book title and feel of the story. 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Have confidence in yourself and the story you want to tell.   

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  I don't really follow the book world that closely, so I couldn't tell you.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?  Probably a combination of playing college football as well as serving in the military and the FBI, provided me with the discipline to follow through with the project until the end.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Couldn't really say.  I tried to write in a style that was simple but descriptive.  The book is for kids.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Probably just making the decision to take a chance on taking my story and actually getting it published as a book.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? With all of the chaos and anger currently in our country and the world itself, the book will hopefully leave the reader with the realization that there is beauty in everything, if only one has the right perspective. The Aspen Tree is a story of how the aspen tree came to have its unique white bark year around. There is beauty in everything, if only one has the right perspective. Readers can come away from the story understanding the beauty and uniqueness of the aspen tree.

Author Bio:  I spent my elementary school years living in Colorado and as a result had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the Rocky Mountains. Ever since living in Colorado, I have loved the mountains and the Aspen trees that grow there.  I later moved to Texas and after High School attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1991.  After serving in the United States Navy for several years, I entered into the FBI in 1997.  After serving 21 years as an FBI Special Agent, I retired in 2018 and currently live in Texas with my wife and four kids.  I now spend most of my time either coaching High School and Middle School football or working outside on our ranch.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.