Interview With Author Diane Namm

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? My daughter and her family, who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, inspired this book. 

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?  Specifically, it’s about three siblings who work together to figure out how to include both the holidays and foods they love at their school’s holiday feast; and generally it’s about finding common ground among holidays and ways to celebrate together. It’s written for all ages, but specifically it’s targeted at ages 4 to 8. 

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope my readers will get a sense of joy in celebrating and eating their holiday’s special foods, and hopefully like the latkes & lefse recipes included in the book. 

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title came from a conversation I had with my daughter. She asked me for my latkes recipe so she could submit it to her school’s cookbook, along with her mother-in-law’s lefse recipe. Latkes & Lefse just sounded like a book title to me. And now it is. The cover design was a collaborative effort with the illustrator Maria Hecher and my editor Alli Brydon.  

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Write. Write what you love. Write what you’re thinking. Write what you’d like to read. Just write. 

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  I see a number of trends in the book publishing world. All of them positive. Everyone acknowledges the power books have to inform and influence thought while engaging and entertaining our minds. Book bans are proof of that. As a result, I think the book industry will continue to thrive as a universal channel for independent thought. 

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes. My personal experience of seeing the joy with which my grandchildren celebrate a variety of holidays was the impetus for writing a book that celebrates the individuality and commonality of holidays. 

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?  My writing style is versatile, depending upon the format and subject, as I write for lots of different media. I don’t know which writers I’m similar to. I’m a big fan of classical authors like Dickens, Twain, Beatrix Potter and O. Henry. 

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?  After 35 years in traditional publishing, this was my first adventure in self-publishing, so it was both interesting and challenging to navigate that new publishing pathway. 

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?  Latkes & Lefse is also about children who learn to problem solve and work together. Although it’s set during the winter holiday season, the ability to resolve an issue and find common ground at the same time is important year-round. And quite frankly, latkes & lefse are so delicious, there’s no need to wait for the holidays to make them! 

 

About The Author: Diane Namm has been a storyteller her whole life. She’s authored over 65 children’s books, YA teen romance novels, adult non-fiction books and feature- length screenplays. Diane has written & directed stage plays and award-winning short films. But, at this moment, being “Nana” is the thing she enjoys most! for more info, please see: www.dianenamm.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.