Interview With Author Mary Anne Wood

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I wanted to write a children’s book for quite awhile, but I never could place what it should be about. I wanted it to be meaningful, purposeful, but couldn’t quite grasp the story. One day my Ms, Margaret passed away, most of us know one, and as I walked to her grave, the story was there!

 

2. What exactly is it about – and who is it written for? The story is about everyday life and the relationships that we make. It considers what some people value in life, what their true treasures are. The elderly Ms. Margaret had everything in life, yet she dearly loved her dog more than most. The young Marie had little in life, but she met Ms. Margaret’s dog on a walk with her grandma and fell in love with her. In time she loved Ms. Margaret as well. As years went by, Ms. Margaret fell ill and passed away. Marie is deeply saddened and wonders about Ms. Margaret, is she alright, does she have everything needs? The story is for pre-k to around age 10, depending on individual children.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of your book? Hopefully the story will allow children to open up and talk about their feelings, their thoughts and questions. With an ongoing open conversation perhaps some of their grief will lessen and they can begin to heal. In time the hurt of loss can perhaps allow room for happy memories to be recalled.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The rock was a very simple gift from Marie to Ms. Margaret but has an important message, tying the story together with a deeper meaning. Thus it was fitting to show a young Marie on the cover in a simple childhood activity, painting rocks.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Don’t quit your day job! It’s hard to be imaginative when your mind is on your empty belly. In your free time, chase that dream. Grab onto it and bring it to life! Make it what you desire. Don’t be set off by mistakes and failures, that’s where some of the best lessons are learned.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see – and where do you think the book industry is heading? There are so many self-published books from some very talented authors, which is good because otherwise most new authors may never see print from traditional publishers. The issue becomes that there are so many books out there, how does an author make theirs stand out? Also. how much can an author spend within their budget? Creativity can help a lot in a marketing for those with a slimmer budget.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? My work and life experience with children, the elderly and animals (dogs) all made this story easier to make it life-like. The truth that most of us know a Ms. Margaret also comes into play in the story. Being a grandmother to a small child made it more relatable too. Losing a Ms. Margaret brought the story to life.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? When I write it is not in depth or too strict a form. I’m simply talking to the person next to me, telling of everyday events that bring the story to life. Laura Ingalls Wilder was encouraged to not write in the simple style that her manuscript was in, yet that is what made it so real.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? The hardest part of talking about death in the story was to keep it simple enough for a wide age-range of children to relate to it and the after-life basic enough that adults could expand their ideas and beliefs to the children. It’s all about opening an exchange of ideas, questions, each seeking for their own answers.

 

10. If people could read or buy one book this week or month, why should it be yours? I would hope people would pick up The Rock The Power of Love because it touches upon a life event all children will face at some time, for the first time. Children need to be able to talk about what they are feeling, what questions they have, to not be afraid of such an event as death that is inevitable. Although it is not a regular bedtime story, or a silly book to enjoy, it addresses an issue that can’t be dismissed. If the book opens a discussion, it has served its’ purpose.

 

About The Author:  I have spent much of my work life either in the school system with children of all ages or in various roles working with the elderly. My hobby time is spent working with animals (4 dogs currently) and writing. I enjoy reading and movies, especially a scary one! My home life is in southern Illinois where most people know one another. I graduated from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College many years ago, and am now happily retired (and busy) enjoying time with my family and grandchildren. www.covenantbooks.com/books/?book=the-rock   

 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.4 million pageviews. With 5,300+ posts over the past 14 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.”  Copyright 2025.

 

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, 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.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, 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. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

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.

 

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.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum