Interview With Author Linda O’Brien

 

 

 

1.      What inspired you to write this book? This book was written years before I had Norah, so it was my nephews that inspired me. They were the first of the grandkids in our family. We were fascinated by them. The both rejuvenated the family home and the buying of story books for them began. The older boy Ben loved books because it meant you were near him and he loved that connection.   And his younger brother Leon loved the story and the characters and expected a performance of different voices for all characters.  Great bonding experiences with my nephews.

2. What is the book about and who is it for? The book is about being brave and the acceptance of others especially if there are differences.  It's about having self-belief and courage to do the right things in life, when help or kindness is what’s needed. It’s about closing the idea of a gap between them and us, culturally geographically and environmentally.  Whether is global warming or war. That's why I chose the polar bear and the panda bear. Two totally different looking bears, different habitats, different characteristics and both endangered.  This book is part 1 of a 3-part story and because of the wonderful Norah I was able to write the other 2 parts with her in mind. 

 

3.      What do you hope readers will get from reading your book? I hope that kids will see the importance of kindness and empathy for others including animals who are also part of life.  Now in the war times that we live in, the "THEM AND US" have met and are living near other. It’s not just on the news anymore.  Kids have arrived to towns and villages in West Clare and they haven't got a lot. And I think the message of kindness is important.  This is why I used animals in my book. A polar bear is just a polar bear! He isn't judged by the clothes he wears or the bike he rides. He isn't judged at all. I feel kids need to see past these things and just see the potential for friendship and fun and practice a little kindness and acceptance.

 

4.      How did you decide on the title and cover of your book? I've always known what my book cover would look like. I love art and the symbolism of someone on your shoulders or back has always to me represented the "I got you" message. The Title: Noah Finds A Panda is a very simplistic title and was purposely picked to show that simple acts of kindness or consciousness can have huge butterfly effects. And that happens is this story and the other 2 parts as they travel back to the berg and set off a huge change of events for everyone. 

 

5.      What advice do you have for fellow writers? I don’t know that I am the person to give advice to anyone about writing but I would say that it does for your soul what sleep does for your body. It’s like the inner you talking and the outer you taking notes.  The idea of producing something that you have tucked away secretly inside is a wonderful thing 

 

6.      What trends in the book world do you see? Again, I'm not an expert but I love giving books to kids and there is nothing nicer than a kid with a book under their arm. And let them off down that rabbit hole to go and experience the world that is hidden in those pages. But I think because of the effect of reading to someone, I like the idea of seeing more books being designed to be read to a child rather than a child going off and doing their own thing. 

 

I remember being 9 years old in primary school and a sub teacher came into the classroom to cover    for an hour. This teacher was a Nun and honestly a little scary.  She decided she was going to read a book to us and went to the cabinet to take out this big ugly brown leather binding book. I thought, Oh Jesus! I'll never make it through the hour. She was a strict person with perfectly starched uniform which composed of a blouse buttoned up to choke her and brooch at the top button just in case breathing got easier, a waistcoat, a wool cardigan and a veil that covered her ears tightly.  So, no ventilation meant she was always flush faced. And to a nine-year-old it meant that anger flowed through her veins. But boy was I wrong. She spoke about Oisin and Grainne and the puka in the underworld. She totally blew my mind but time was up and she could not finish the story.  I had never heard Irish folklore stories before and really wanted to know how the story went. I asked her if her would come back and finish another day. I would never have spoken to that Nun voluntarily. That was my first experience of someone reading to me.  That is why I like books to be read to kids also  

 

7.      What experiences in life helped you write this book? I suppose I've always been observant as a child when it came to animals and how they are treated.  I wasn't a meat eater except when my mother would force us to eat meat but I avoided it as much as I could until old enough to make my own decisions. I was always aware of the wars on the news growing up and getting stressed for people   only to be told don't worry that has nothing to do with us.  My parents couldn't understand why I was worried about people on the other side of the world. I think this shaped how I saw the world going up and I never shook it off for popular things. I was a typical child totally aware of my immediate needs but also the bigger picture. So, this has influenced my writing. 

 

8.      How would you describe you style of writing? I suppose my childhood books were Enid Blyton books. They were filled with mini adventures.  I liked that the animals and toys were having the adventures.  So, I'm an old soul and loved my Enid Blyton childhood. 

 

9.      What challenges did you overcome when writing this book?  Not many challenges when writing part one of the story but part 2 and 3 were done during covid.  Covid pretty much caught a hold of you by the scruff of your neck and said sit there and don’t move! That was hard for me because I don't settle easily. I really had to learn how to go slow and stay within the set boundaries.   I was of course minding my little one Norah so any writing that was done happened at night. And suddenly the clock meant nothing.  There was no start or end to your day, no set times for meals and I struggled without structure. But I eventually found a freedom at night time to write. A note pad and sitting on a chair wrapped up under the stars in the back garden was a secret place to hide and write.

 

10.  With all the books that are out their why should people read yours? I hope my book gets picked up off the shelf by someone that want to have a bonding time with their kids before bed. I Hope they buy the book with the intention of reading it to them. And know that there are 2 other parts to this amazing adventure.  I Hope they buy other people's books too because books are like vitamins for your imagination. 

 

About The Author: Linda O’Brien is 48 years and I live in the seaside town of Kilrush on the Wild Atlantic Way in the west coast of Ireland. We are very lucky where we live, it's kind of a hidden gem with all season swimming, local hiking in our woodlands and a little island off shore via ferry if off the grid is your thing. My main interests in life are gardening, art, (hardware shops). I can't explain that that one. And of course, books, I live with my beautiful daughter, Norah Tess, who is autistic and our "hopefully one day will be a good boy, German Shepherd" Cooper. I have passed on my love for books to Norah so we both love book shops. I've worked in sports retail for a long time and have always liked it. I'm also a carer for Norah as she has a lot of obstacles on her path. Norah is essentially a forever child so I have daily doses of magical moments with her. And when we are outside in the elements, psithurism is like being at an orchestral concert for her. So, autism has hugely impacted our lives.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. 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 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ 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 director of publicity positions 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 hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, 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. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.