1. What inspired you to write this book? I wrote The Year of a Million Dreams partly to remember my experiences working at The Walt Disney World Resort, but also to help anyone else that may want to apply to do the same - there wasn’t a lot of insider info when I applied!
2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? The book is a true-life story of my year working on the International Cultural Representative Program at The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It shows how I applied for the job, the stages I went through and follows my journey moving abroad for 12 months! It’s written for any Disney fan who wants to know more about The Most Magical Place On Earth, and also for anyone who is considering applying for the ICP program, to give them an honest view of what to expect.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope that readers will feel the passion that I have for Disney. I hope that it will help to bring some of the magic of Disney to the reader, and inspire them to take the leap of faith and take part in the program!
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? “The Year of a Million Dreams” was always the title that I had in mind for this book. At the time I was working in Disney, they were running a promotion called ‘The Year of a Million Dreams’ where Cast Members would give out prizes to random guests. It means a lot to me because my year working at Disney was literally The Year of a Million Dreams! For the cover design, I wasn’t sure what I wanted and I worked with my publishers, Austin Macaulay Publishers Ltd, to create the perfect cover. In my mind, the cover image of a person standing at the airport gate looking to the future shows what I felt as I left for the year - I was excited but nervous for what was to come.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? My advice would be to stick at it! Take your time and don’t give up! It took me 15 years to write it - I kept coming back to it until it was perfect.
6. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Working at Disney definitely shaped the book and make for some interesting stories!
7. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is more conversational - I wanted it to feel as if I were talking to the reader directly. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it felt natural to me. There’s a series of books written by airline cabin crew in the UK called “You F’Coffee Sir” and “Let’s Get Trollied: The Return Leg” which have a similar conversational style and I really felt like I connected with the authors which is what I wanted for my book.
8. How do you feel your book compares to others in your genre? There are a lot of memoirs available out there - I hope that mine has a unique perspective when compared to others.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? The biggest challenge I had was remembering the stories that made the book! I did have some help there from friends. Self-belief was also a big challenge - I nearly gave up a few times because I thought no one would ever want to hear my story! I’m glad that I didn’t!
10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? It’s a heartwarming tale that brings the magic of Disney to life, and showcases that you can do anything if you put your mind to it! In the words of Walt Disney - “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Author Bio: Steve Stanton is a huge Disney fan, originally from London
and currently living in Glasgow with his husband Chris. He currently works for
the NHS in Scotland, and has a travel agency called Chris & Steve Do
Travel. Disney World holds a special place in Steve’s heart and he travels to
Orlando whenever he can - he runs a YouTube channel with Chris called Chris
& Steve Do Disney vlogging their Orlando trips. For more info, please see: https://stevestanton.ampbk.com
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About Brian Feinblum
This
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For
the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He
formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the
head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the
director of publicity 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,
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has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
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Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the
2024 IBPA Book Awards.
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letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
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and The Washington Post. His first published book was The
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was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
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.
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