Interview With Author May Koliander

 

 

1.      What inspired you to write this book?

I have always been fascinated by children. They are all born knowing what is right and wrong, fair and unfair and it’s a privilege to be around them. When my two sons were small, I used to invent simple stories for them. Later I began to write novels for adults but then, an incident with my boys, got me writing tales again. This incident involved their lack of appreciation for a matcha cake I had baked for them. As they didn’t eat it and there was too much for me, I set it out on a low wall for the forest creatures. And an old crow showed up. The first tale, Horace, the Crow who flew East, started there, and others followed.

 

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

The tales are about life and experience conveyed through the adventures of animals, so that it can be easily assimilated by children from age 9. The tales have a happy ending and the creatures with bad intentions don’t get away with their wrong doing.

 

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

I hope they will spend a good time among the various creatures whose lives they share for a short moment. Perhaps bring them closer to nature and its wonders.

 

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

I spend hours checking out premade covers, on the lookout for something that would 

appeal to children but not be oversimplified. When I spotted the cover with the bear, I knew that was what I had been seeking. I then decided to use the second story’s title as the book title.

 

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

That’s a tough question. Read a lot, fill your head with words, expressions, plots. Start when you feel you have caught hold of an episode, an event that interests you, stimulates you. And then walk a lot. Go for a hike with your problem -how to get out of the locked room, how to get rid of a character, etc – and ideas will start popping up.

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

Not too sure about trends in the book world. People are beginning to use kindles more and more often. They are great when travelling as you can take along as many books as you want. But how many readers will there be in 50 years’ time? Do that many people take the time to immerse themselves in a book? And looking at people’s spelling, it would seem that literacy is falling behind…

 

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

That’s a good question. I’ll go back to the past. As a child one is somewhat bewildered by the world around us, the world of grownups. If you are attentive you

soon realize that sometimes people exaggerate, tell lies. Not all adults are as “good” as children are expected to be and that can come as a shock. So, trying to sort things out, I looked to knowledge which I accumulated pursuing degrees – one in business administration, one in English and philosophy and 4 years of sociology both in Helsinki and Geneva universities. And all this served well during my job as a teacher but also when I began writing.

 

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

I don’t know if I have a style. I try to be clear and avoid boring the reader. To write a text I would like to read. As to the second part of the question, I’m sorry, but am unable to answer it. I know I have not tried to copy anyone’s style, but it’s difficult to be both judge and interested party at the same time…

 

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

I really enjoyed writing these tales. At times, as I am bilingual, the French word would come instead of the English word, but online dictionaries are always at hand. This book was written after 12 novels, so I had had some practice!

 

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

I don’t know if these tales would provide enough food for thought for a whole month, but I am sure they are uplifting. The little creatures always manage to overcome hurdles or outwit their adversaries and this leaves the reader with a feeling of content. 

 

About The Author: Born in the States, I have been living most of my life in Switzerland. After 10 years spent studying at university, I taught English in Geneva. I enjoy being outdoors and lived two years in Finland. I draw and paint, decorate furniture, work in the kitchen garden and am a jam maker. Quite a few times a year I travel, often hiking over tough terrain.

 

 

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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.