Interview With Author Michael Smith

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I wanted to convey to children the idea of hard work and persistence, and how these things can reward their lives in unexpected ways.  

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? It is a book about a butterfly that learns about the beauty within and believing in yourself.  This book is written for all children to be inspired by Sara and her journey to becoming queen.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I have the hope that it will resonate in a way that helps children believe in themselves and helps them to shoot for the stars.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title was very clear from the beginning.  It was simple and focused.  The cover design was by an artist I have now used on multiple books.  I allow a lot of freedom with my artist, and when I saw what Nathalie had in mind for Sara Short, I instantly loved it.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Take a page from Sara Short: work hard, believe in yourself, and good things will happen.   

6. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? My life has been about taking risks, so when it came to the new adventure of writing books, I saw it as another risk I was excited to take.  

7. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I write what is in my heart.  I don’t allow myself to read other children’s books because I do not want my work influenced by anything other than what I dream up.  

8. How do you feel your book compares to others in your genre? Hard to say due to my lack of reading other children’s books.  I feel that there was room for improvement in Sara Short, but considering it was my first book, I try to cut myself a little slack.   

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Learning the book process.  Reedsy has been a great tool, and I would recommend it to other writers.   

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? There are so many lessons taught in Sara Short that you get a tremendous bang for your buck.  I like to think that someone could read it a hundred times and find something new each time.  

About The Author: I am a self-made businessman who has always possessed an artistic side.  For years, I struggled because I had no outlet for my creativity, until about a year ago.  One night, I was lying in bed and started writing poems about anything and everything that came to mind.  I filled page after page with stories that encompassed so much of what I didn’t realize was inside me, desperate to get out.  My stories were about my life, but in a very abstract way that made me feel more and more fulfilled with every line.  Then came the day that it seemed my stories were becoming a bit redundant.  I still wanted to write, but I wanted to do something fictional so that I could expand my creativity and dream up new stories.  It was suggested that I try writing a children’s book.  I didn’t think too much about the possibility of a children’s book until a few nights later, when I was getting ready for bed, a simple phrase popped into my head, “A butterfly's wings convey fancy things, except if you're poor, Sara Short”.  I immediately wrote the line down and started to write a story.  Sara Short was the first of six books that I have had published, and I have three more currently being illustrated. I stumbled across something that has become so special to me: the opportunity to write stories and have children read them.  I have a heart for our young generations, and to think I could possibly inspire or encourage them in any way is something magical to me, and I feel blessed every day that I get to do it.

 

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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