Interview With Author Tristin Cole.

 

1.      What inspired me to write this book? I originally got the idea that I wanted to do a book back in 2019 when I was working on the Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? series. I would sketch ideas on my lunch breaks, and share my doodles with some of my colleagues. They encouraged me to do something with the drawings. The idea of doing a children’s book had always been something I was interested in, but timing-wise it was difficult with my commute to work and responsibilities as a parent. Then the pandemic was announced, and I found myself working from home. The story started to come together. Amid so much uncertainty the stars were aligning to make it happen.  

2.      What is it about and who is it for? 'Into the Night' is the story of a boy and his dog on a dreamlike journey into unknown, and a metaphor for going within, and following your intuition. Along the way they have discoveries, and even find the key to saving humanity. Told in lyrical language, this book is beautifully illustrated and a perfect bedtime story for kids. I felt that ‘Into the Night’ would be very cinematic. I pictured a journey into the unknown, much like what we were facing in the real world. The whole story is really a metaphor for diving deep within, and finding the light inside that connects us all. The starry night is symbolic of our intuition, the water is symbolic for our emotions. The dog is the boy’s spirit animal that is always with him, and a symbol of unconditional love. The story is told simply, and the color pallet of indigo blues reinforces the sixth chakra energy. Through tough times, staying in a positive vibration of love, the highest vibration of all, will get us through.  

3.      What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope to introduce some of the basic universal principles of the chakra energies to children at a young age. Principles such as stability (I am), balance (I feel), creativity (I do), compassion (I love), communication (I speak), intuition (I see), and understanding (I know). The vibrancy of the color pallete of each chakra helps to reinforce the energetic vibrations the reader gets from the words and imagery of each book, a sort of art / color therapy.  

4.      How did you decide on your book's title and cover design? The characters of my book are based on my son and our dog, and the doodles I would draw of them. They grew up together, and when my son was little he would dress up as a cowboy, or as a superhero, or a pirate, and our dog would always be his sidekick. Raising kids during the uncertain time of going into a pandemic, with schools and offices shutting down, us suddenly working and learning from home, was a little scary at first. It was a bit like being lost at sea, drifting into the unknown, and having faith that everything would be ok, so that idea became the cover art and title idea.  

5.      What advice or words of wisdom to you have for fellow writers? My advice to fellow writers and artists is to do it because you want to, because you have a gift from creative spirit that needs to be expressed. Don't do it because you expect anything in return, do is as an offering to the universe, out of gratitude.   

6.      What trends in the book world do you see? Where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? There are more tools and avenues to publish our own ideas than ever before! The possibilities are endless! We no longer have the limited choices of what some big publishing company has decided is worthy for us, we have the ultimate say in what we want to read. So many unique perspectives, not just based on a capitalist approach, but the human connection. It comes with some responsibility on our part, especially with AI.  

7.      Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy while writing this book? Working on productions for other people, scripts and design choices, really made me want to tell my own stories. I feel personally that if something is going to be published, like a book, the news, a film, whatever it is for social engagement, there is a responsibility to benefit humanity. It is well-known that big producers rely heavily on fear-based programming to increase sales. They actually have the power to help make this world a better place vibrationally, but they choose short-term gains which may be harming in the long run.  

8.      How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is similar to my drawing style, with economy of words, lines, and colors. I like to challenge myself to convey complex concepts in the simplest form. Within my words and pictures is space for the imagination to roam, for contemplation of metaphors, to find meaning within the meaning. I learned this from my dad, and from working in animation with great artists such as Iwao Takamoto. One of my favorites of all time is Shel Silverstein, I have always loved his simple drawings and poetry.  

9.      What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? I think the biggest challenge for me was trusting myself to just do it in the first place. I felt vulnerable putting myself out there knowing there would be some people who wouldn't like it, or if it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. The world is full of critics and you can't please everyone. There are different levels of finish that you can take a project to, you can polish it for years, so knowing when to stop was a challenge. I decided to give myself a timeline and just get it done because this one book is part of a bigger picture, an evolution. I wrote and illustrated this book during lockdown, while I was working full-time as a background painter on a series for WB and Amblin. There were times when I was asked to step into different roles on the project that held a lot of responsibility, like when my color supervisor left, or when the art director was out on leave. I was homeschooling my two kids as a single mom, juggling a lot, but always looked forward to working on my book as my sanctuary.   

10.  If people could buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? My book will absolutely leave you with a warm heart! It will raise your vibration, teach you to tune into your own inner guidance, and feel more connected to the universe, to humanity, to nature, and to each other through love. 

Author Bio: A little about me. I am a second-generation animation artist, having grown up around cartoons and the people who made them. I started my animation career at Warner Bros. in 1995, and have worked on over 50 animated productions so far. While at WB I was offered the opportunity to work on some illustrations for DC Comics and Scholastic. I have always loved children's books, so I jumped at the chance! I set about learning all I could about writing and publishing children's books and soon I had a side career writing and illustrating my own books. I love having a creative outlet that gives me the freedom to tell the stories I want to tell. My book 'Into the Night' is the first book in a series seven books that are currently in the works. Each book varies in style and are based on the colors and universal principles of each chakra. For more info, please see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristinpaintsalot/ or https://www.instagram.com/thebodhidoodles/

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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.