Interview With Author Lauren Halonen, GMS-T

  

1. What inspired you to write this book?

I have two daughters who constantly feel like they're missing out on something amazing when they go to sleep at night. One day they'll find out that crawling into your bed at 9:30pm as a parent is as magical a feeling as it gets!

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

This book is written for kids ages 3 - 6 (and their parents) and its about a little girl plotting to catch her parents doing all sorts of fun things after she has to go to bed at night. 

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

I hope the kids start shouting out their own wild, creative ideas about what happens after bedtime. And I hope the parents get a laugh at the last page!

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

I phoned a friend! She's a genius with catchy phrases and hit the nail on the head with this book title (thanks Mikey!). I wanted the cover to be consistent with the story and drive curiosity as to what this little girl was plotting. 

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

I sat on this book idea for a long time until I had the mental means and opportunity to write it and get it published. Its ok to let an idea simmer and get to work when the timing is right for you. 

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? 

I think self-publishing has been a big trend recently. Self-publishing seems to be a great solution for those authors who have the talent to pull together the story, the illustrations and the marketing. Treating it as a "side hustle" (or even the "main hustle") lets the author run their own business while publishing their book. I think the future of publishing will be a bit like the wild west as companies and courts figure out who exactly owns AI-generated content.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? 

You bet! Being parents of two preschoolers, we're constantly gaming the bedtime process to get them to sleep on time, but inevitably the question comes up: "But you guys get to stay up late, having fun, why can't we?!". So, I wondered to myself, what ridiculous things do they imagine we're doing?

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

I think this writing style is pretty unique as the main character speaks directly to the reader. She doesn't even have a name, if you noticed. Starting from the first line, the readers are in cahoots with the main character making the reader feel like part of the story. My next book, due out later this year, is nothing like this one, so I don't know that I have one specific writing style!

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I had a vision in my head of what the characters looked like and explaining it to the illustrators was difficult for me. How do you transplant your imagination onto paper when someone else is doing the drawing?! I'm still working on it. 

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

Because the surprise ending makes it an entertaining read for parents, disguised as a children's book. (Ok, ok, its also a really entertaining book for kids, too, that'll get their imaginations going!)

Lauren Halonen is an American expat living in southern Germany with her husband and two daughters. When she's not memorizing German grammar rules, she's weaving tales into entertaining children's books, or helping companies write B2B content for articles, white papers, case studies and presentations. Keep your eyes peeled for Lauren's hilarious new children's book coming out late 2023: The Fart That Saved Magnetic Miles, the story of a young boy with a mysterious affliction, and the unlikely hero who saves him.

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Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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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.