Interview with Author Kelly Anne Manuel

Author of 31 books in 4-themed series. Series titles are:

• The Essentials Series
• The Rainbow’s End Series
• The Classics
• My Name Is Series 

1. What inspired you to write this book? When I achieved both internal and external quiet for myself, poems rose up in me from the depths of my soul. My true self has so much to say. I realized the poems were meant to be stories for Children. I converted the poems into Modern-Day Nursery Rhymes and published them as quickly as I could. They have also just been released in audio format.

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? All my books are experiential. They all tie back to something I have experienced in my own life. There is always an important lesson. Now, the lessons range from free play and art to coping with grief and loss. These thirty-one books are written for Children as young as eight months to eight years old. I will state that anybody who interacts with my books, no matter their age, will glimpse meaning.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? My books have been written as a layer of support that can be recalled throughout a lifetime. The positive mantras, the lyrical self-talk models, and the healthy interpersonal communication displayed, are all there for the taking. Resilience, inspiration, motivation, and cooperation are a few specific examples of positive qualities that are woven throughout all my books.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? When the poems came into my awareness they came with their titles. Oftentimes, I flip common phrases in my titles. For example, “The Boots Rain” instead of rain boots. Also “The Case Suit” instead of suitcase. I play with something old and convert it into something new. I found all my illustrations on a platform known as iStock. The art that I needed found me and my words in a spectacular, in flow fashion. I will be forever grateful to my artists whom I have never met.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? I say, “Write away, right away.” Trust what you are hearing, trust what is rising up, trust that a tiny seed can grow into a tremendous tree. Keep up your own counsel whilst creating. Silence the naysayers in your own mind and tell them to take a coffee break. Don’t discard something you don’t think is not well-done or important, let it be, let it grow, and let it breathe.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I am very fond of a hybrid book publishing experience. Although it might take some time to save your money to afford it, I believe the end result is worth it. You still own your work and can pursue pathways that may not even be in your reality at the time of the birth of your creation. Make sure to understand any contracts you sign and what you own at day’s end.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Every moment I have lived on the planet has contributed to my books. Now, more specifically, working in the preschool environment as a teacher and administrator really did inform me in a way that I did not know would reap dividends this many years later. The raising of my beautiful son; being allowed to accompany his living and breathing soul on his journey is the biggest inspiration in my personal life.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I always say Hans Christian Andersen and I are very good, dear friends. I would be thrilled if readers detect a similarity in my work and his historic gifts to the world of literature. Margaret Wise Brown is an American writer who I feel had a similar type of approach to birthing stories. Lastly, as all my books are poetry, my dear Emily Dickinson is not only an inspiration but also an imaginary companion.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? This is difficult to summarize because it was overcoming the challenges of a fifty-four-year-old journey that led to the writing of all my books. Facing the challenges of my life path led to lesser obstacles in the actual creation of them. Writing synopses for thirty of the books over a three-week period was academically and emotionally draining challenge, but nothing was going to stand in my way.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? My books deserve a place in your family library, your school library and your local library. The value they hold will never diminish. My books engage the child to be an active participant rather than passive. I say, seeing a well-worn book of mine will be the most satisfying feeling on the planet. My books touch every member of the household and will be handed down through the generations. Be sure to get a first edition!

 

ABOUT KELLY ANN MANUEL: Kelly Anne Manuel is a children’s book author who released an astonishing 31 books – one for each day of the month – to give kids an array of positive messages. An eternal optimist who has been called “the good kind of contagious”, Manuel has a unique voice that children respond to because of her own actively vibrant inner child. Her books are available in four series: The Essentials Series, The Rainbow’s End Series, The Classics, and My Name Is Series. In addition to being a self-described “uncommon author” since she didn’t set out to write children’s books but happily took the path life intended for her, she is also a mother and an artist. Kelly Anne Manuel grew up on New York’s Long Island and earned a BA Degree in Telecommunications with a major in Marketing and minor in Spanish from Indiana University. Today she resides in Fort Mill, South Carolina with her beloved pup, Teddy Roosevelt. For more information, https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/161946041-kelly-manuel

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. 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, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ 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.