Interview with Author Ellen Kolman

 

1.What inspired you to write this book? My inspiration for Seeds of Sunshine comes from two places: my kindergarten/first-grade students and dandelion puffs. Several years ago, I wrote a poem about dandelions and how many people view them as weeds to be eliminated from the lawn, but I see them as beautiful happy flowers that become the best toy in the world: the PUFFS! It is so fun to blow on the puffs and watch them scatter on the breeze. This led to the thought that our words are like the puffs, whenever we speak, we scatter our words all over the people around us. Are we going to scatter “seeds” or words of encouragement, hope and joy that grow pretty flowers?  Or are we going to scatter “weeds” or words of hate, anger and doubt? In my class I try to find new ways to teach kindness to my students, and Seeds of Sunshine was born.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? Every Tuesday, Sunshine visits his Grammy. Sunshine and Grammy are hedgehogs, and the forest is their home. It is revealed unkind words from his classmates hurt Sunshine’s feelings. Grammy takes Sunshine on a nature walk where a cocoon and dandelion puffs provide a lesson in Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Seeds of Sunshine is a social/emotional story about friendship, kindness, forgiveness, and the importance of family. It is written for families with young children, churches, and religious pre-schools and elementary schools.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? The vision for my book is to provide Christian families with sweet, engaging stories about sharing Jesus’ love and forgiveness with those around us. It is my hope my readers will utilize my book as part of their social/emotional education. Teaching children to be kind to those around them is a social skill that will benefit them throughout their life. There are several potential jumping off points for teaching lessons in science, as well as opportunities for crafts, and activities to practice kindness.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? Sunshine is the name of the main character. I loved the idea of the play on the word sunshine, and the fact that dandelion puffs are seeds. I used the metaphor of the dandelion seeds representing our words. In the story, Sunshine chooses to spread seeds of kindness and not seeds of hate. Hence the title: Seeds of Sunshine. The cover design is an illustration of Sunshine and Grammy’s loving relationship. They are sharing a hug and that is the perfect picture of a grandmother/grandchild relationship.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? My advice for new authors is do not expect anything to be immediate. Every phase of writing and publishing a book takes time. Someone told me marketing your book is more like a marathon, and less like a sprint. I came into this with an idea for a book series and nothing else. The best thing I have done for myself is also the best advice for someone else: believe in your vision, believe in your talent, and no matter what happens, enjoy all the positive moments and learn from the negative ones.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? The biggest trend I see is audio books, and ebooks verses hard copy, (although I prefer hard copy and pray it never goes away). I also believe independently published books are exploding from everywhere and they are starting to receive the respect and notoriety that they deserve.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? My teaching career has provided me with the “why” I write positive, sweet stories with a lesson of kindness. I became a teacher because I know what it feels like to struggle academically and socially. Part of my teaching philosophy is to allow children to be children, meet them where they are, help them to feel safe, and provide opportunities for confidence building which will allow them to succeed. Part of that confidence is helping them find their voice in the face of unkindness and to use their words appropriately without being unkind in return. My experience as a mother of five and grandmother of three has also provided invaluable insights to both of the characters in my book. Grammy is based on me, and naming her “Grammy” is a homage to my mother who is called “Grammy” by her grandchildren. The Sunshine character is a culmination of all of the children in my life. Also, my faith in God is the foundation for all of my writing, with Biblical principles woven into every line.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is simple. I write like I talk, and I enjoy using metaphors and analogies to help tell my stories. I don’t know if my style is exactly like these books, but I love the Otis series by Loren Long. The Otis character is sweet, brave and endearing. I love the friendships formed in the books. I also love the Moon Bear books by Frank Asch, and God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren. The similarities are more themes than actual writing.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Seeds of Sunshine is my first book, so I would say the challenges were more about committing to publish and all the risks implied with that process. Once, I had my vision and goals for my book, along with my husband’s full support, I was all good.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? I believe every family with young children needs to read my book. Kindness and forgiveness, empathy and compassion, will always need to be taught and discussed. And who doesn’t love a cute hedgehog?

Ellen Kolman has been teaching and entertaining children in the church and Christian school settings for more than 35 years. Currently, she is a kindergarten/first-grade teacher at Christian Faith Academy in Ashtabula, Ohio. Seeds of Sunshine is her first published book. Ellen and her husband Andy have five adult children and three grandchildren. She is active in the various children’s ministries at her church, including Vacation Bible School. Other passions include performing in local theater, reading and collecting children’s literature, writing poetry, and sharing her love of books with her grandchildren. For more information, please see: https://ellenkolman.com/

 

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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.