Interview With Author Ronald Gregory (Greg) Huddleston

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

I was employed at a local public school district that celebrated an annual Book Week at their elementary building.  Each day of that week featured a different speaker or presenter of children's literature throughout the entirety of the day.  During one particular Book Week the person responsible for scheduling events contacted me in a panic, disclosing that her scheduled speaker for Wednesday had an unexpected emergency and would need to cancel.  She explained that she had heard I spent time writing and asked if it was possible I could create something on the topic of reading and substitute for the absent speaker.  That was nearly midday Monday.  Bekunn's Treasure was the result of that endeavor, the concept and text completed over a 36-hour period.  The year was 1987.

 

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

Bekunn (pronounced as "beacon") is a little ogre that lives in an ancient forest.  One day Bekunn literally stumbles over an unknown object during his daily walk.  He and his forest friends attempt to determine exactly what this mysterious thing could be.  Wise Old Owl comes forward and finally identifies it as a book, explaining what books are and their purpose for being.  Bekunn is originally designed to be read by an adult with a child on their lap, however feedback from many relate that beginning readers enjoy it as well.  The book has become a great supplemental tool for daycare centers and early learning facilities.  Along with the story is a section that presents an introduction to the alphabet, providing an educational experience along with the entertainment of the story.  The teaching aspect is taken from the reading techniques in hundred year old textbooks, a time when the basics of education were stressed over those subjects considered less so.

 

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

One, an expanded imagination.  Imagination is the source of innovation.  Two, enjoyment and pleasure.  Three, a connection or bonding between the one reading, the one being read to, and a good story.  I recall the closeness and fondness I associate with my great-aunts during the story times they shared with me a lifetime ago.  I wish to duplicate the warmth and wonder of my childhood experiences in some small way.  I did have a person contact me to let me know she had to read Bekunn to her granddaughter 15 straight times the first night of acquiring the book!  She finally told her they better put Bekunn on the shelf and let him rest.  At least on this one occasion I felt I had accomplished what I intended.  The teaching section is an additional benefit that can be used in tandem with the story, or stand alone as an educational exercise.

 

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

Both are a combined image of the main character along with the "treasure" that was discovered.  Treasure is generally defined in monetary measures, however there are treasures we obtain in life that simply can not be measured by financial parameters.  Those types of treasures become a precious and valuable part of our existence.  Reading is one of those treasures, in my humble opinion.

 

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

Evaluate what your writing means to and FOR you.  I have written for as long as I can remember.  (Someone once told me compulsive writing is a form of epilepsy, although I have no clue or idea if that is true or not!  At least I APPEAR normal. *chuckle*)  Writing has always been an emotional outlet for me.  It is in that release that I find its value.  I am forever being told "you need to publish this!" so on occasion I invest time and effort and resources in exactly that, only to repeatedly discover that my energy used to "peddle" my writing is actually taking away from the very purpose I write and thus diminishes its value to me.  The writing is so much more important to myself than the publication.  Not sure I can articulate this situation to many that would understand but, regardless, KEEP WRITING!

 

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

I am dismayed by the extent politics has seemed to infiltrate all forms of literature.  While researching possible publishers for Bekunn I was struck by the number that was only receiving new submissions promoting diversity and/or social issues - even for children's books.  My hope is for a return to simple entertainment and storytelling, especially for the younger readership demographic, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.  If ever.

 

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

Many.  Permit me to relate only one. As a child I often sat on the lap of Melvina Luttrell Witt.  Aunt Mel would draw stick figures in the dirt at our feet and give each one a name.  There was me.  There was my mother, Dorsie.  There was my maternal grandparents, Fred and Parthena.  There was my maternal g-grandparents, Bluford and Mary and Tom and Safronia.  The figures all looked the same, but each name whispered to me across dark ages.  Aunt Mel's voice brought each name to life, fleeting glimpses of unknown faces, barely discernible amidst the blackness of the past.  A common practice among the oral traditions of my heritage is this "telling of the names".  This practice took many forms but always aimed to accomplish one goal - passing on from one generation to the next a personal interaction between the two.  Let my writings be that bridge between my generation and those after me.  Let this be my version of the "telling of the names".

 

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

I would say my writing and preferred tools to do so are classified as old-fashioned.  I have managed to successfully transition from Big Chief tablets to yellow legal pads.  Pencils have remained relatively unchanged over the years, however I would caution those who still use them to refrain from keeping them in the back pocket of your trousers, especially when you thoughtlessly sit down before removing them.  (Now I know why they call them #2 pencils.)  I suppose you could describe my writing style as John Boyish.  I fear comparing myself to any author or writer would greatly tarnish their works and diminish their legacy.  Let's just describe it as a merger of Dr. Suess and Tolkien.

 

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

Technology, technology, technology. Hillbillies and technology is a dangerous mix.  It is quite embarrassing to have to call your niece in third-grade to come and see what you've done to your computer.  Also, I can't draw a straight line with a ruler so it took 30 years to find, by happenstance, a very talented illustrator.  Heather asked what I exactly wished for each page, and I replied that I wanted her to read each verse of text and then transfer on paper the image my words placed in her mind and imagination.  If her illustrations reflected what I envisioned then I did my job as a writer.  It was almost miraculous how closely her vision was to mine.  Heather Mote brought Bekunn's Treasure to life in a manner in which I could have never done, or even hoped for.

 

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

Reading, the most basic fundamental aspect of learning, is the foundation of society.  Each educational subject is dependent upon it.  Without reading skills how are we to understand the others?  Science, mathematics, medicine, language arts, fine arts, history, geography, etc. and etc.; all are foreign and useless without the ability to comprehensively read.  Bekunn's Treasure imaginatively emphasizes the importance of books and reading while assisting your young reader in preparation for the educational process awaiting for them in those first school years. It all begins at home!

 

About The Author: Storytelling and family are a part of my Ozarks heritage.  I still reside in an area of central Missouri which was settled by my ancestors in 1830.  With educational opportunities practically nonexistent at the time nearly all forms of communication were done orally.  Food recipes, family history, medical treatments, entertainment; all these were passed from generation to generation by the spoken word rather than the written word.  While very young I sat on the laps of great-aunts, listening spellbound to the most wondrous tales as their soft voices carried me to mystic places and exotic lands.  Sadly now, the oral traditions that inspired my writings are nearly gone.  From my own experience I encourage everyone to read books to children.  When a child spends time with a television they are watching someone else's imagination.  When a child spends time with a book a door is opened to their own.

 

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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.