1. When did you first become a children's author and how long
have you been involved in the world of publishing? I began penning short stories to share
with friends and family since well before leaving school, and creative writing
has been a subject that’s interested me for almost as long as I can remember.
My first book was published in February 2022 and was quickly followed by
several others, now with the soon-to-be release of my 10th having
just been finalized.
2. Are you able to share with us some of the highlights from
your creative journey? There have been a few stand out moments during the last couple
of years, but the two most remarkable instances were when a couple of my
earlier books received the following endorsements: The Bronson
Escapades is now a Silver Recipient of the Mom’s Choice Awards®
honorary seal of excellence, and The Wolf Cub is a 2nd place
winner of the Royal Dragonfly Book Award Competition of 2024 in both the
‘Education’ and ‘Coffee Table & Gift Books’ categories, in addition to
obtaining Honorary Mention in several others: Best Cover Design, Children’s
Chapter Books, Middle Grade Fiction, and Animals/Pets. It is both encouraging,
as well as inspiring, for my writing to be given such incredible recognition
like these awards, and I am certainly grateful for each opportunity to keep
sharing my work with more and more people.
3. What are some common themes or key topics generally found in
your writing? I always try to
include worthwhile examples in my stories that illustrate high levels of moral
code, such as deepening the relationships between various characters and
advocating for a greater degree of loyalty, as well as accepting responsibility
for specific actions or behavior. Other recurring ideas contain elements of
problem-solving, honesty, not judging others merely by appearances, overcoming
challenges, being courageous in difficult situations, caring for those in need,
and freely offering compassion or kindness to everyone in equal measure.
4. Who are your books chiefly aimed for? My main focus as a children’s author is to
create engaging chapter books for those who are able to read simple plot-lines
on their own, seeking to help them grow in confidence and learn about real-life
issues, even within fictional settings. This makes my books suitable for just
about any age between the average range of 8-14 years, which effectively covers
all the intermediate or middle-grade reading levels, although slightly younger
children would also be able to enjoy these stories with the appropriate amount
of assistance.
5. What are some of your long-term goals and what are you really
hoping to achieve with these books? One thing I’m especially hoping to do long-term is to present a
wider range of available material in this age-bracket that will incite younger
readers to embrace the same aforementioned moral qualities in their own
day-to-day lives. I have never been particularly interested in the number of
sales made, but would like to leave a lasting impression on each reader,
enriching their understanding of the real world and encouraging them to think
outside the box and break through any perceived boundaries or obstacles.
Another goal is for each book to become a strong beacon of hope to others,
especially being a relatable source of ready inspiration to those who may be
struggling in ways similar to certain characters or situations as depicted in
my stories.
6. What are some of the challenges you've faced in getting your
books in front of the right audience? Because I live in a reasonably small country (New Zealand) there
are simply far less opportunities available for me to connect face-to-face with
relevant audiences or potential readers of my books without there being some
degree of travel involved, and this can be particularly challenging as a young
author still trying to get firmly established in my chosen genre. To get my
work out there, while continually attempting to increase awareness for the type
of content that I’m promoting within the pages of these books, I have to rely
heavily on raising my online presence through social media or other
long-distance means in order to keep growing my following and retain at least
some level of interest on a steady basis. Applying for awards or entering
relevant competitions can be helpful, but these options are not always
affordable when being hosted overseas or if the cost is set in other currencies
that have higher exchange rates or may include additional fees.
7. What sort of feedback have you been receiving so far? All of my books, aside from the latest few
that are still quite new, have been getting very positive reviews, of which I
am most appreciative. These vary from professional, independent sources to
satisfied parents or teachers, and even some of the ecstatic children
themselves, who have each provided me with some excellent feedback on their
reading experience and outlined different areas of my writing that were
especially valued or enjoyed. The following excerpt is one of my favorite
comments and really does convey a wonderful picture of what my stories are
about: “… The Wolf Cub is a gentle, sweet story about
friendship and kindness, great for teaching readers about community and
care.” – The Children’s Book Review, 2024.
8. Have you got anything new on the go at the moment? Yes, almost always! I have actually just
started a new series called The Horses of Saddlers Ranch which
is my take on the classic ‘horse-loving/pony-mad teenager’ concept and the
unique bonds that they form with these majestic, four-legged animals. Each
consecutive book in the series is titled after a different horse and follows
the adventurous lives of Coral Johnson and her friends while at her parents’
busy cattle ranch. Book One is a very recent publication, while Book Two is set
to be officially released sometime next month. The third book of the series is
still in the early stages of production and I have high hopes that after that
there will be a few more installments yet to come…
9. Where are your titles available and how can others
connect with you as the author? Each title should be available in both paperback and ebook
formats from most major online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes &
Noble, or can be purchased directly from the publisher (Austin Macauley).
Anyone who wants to find out more could check out this website https://alisonbellringer.ampbk.com or
even follow my dedicated author page on Facebook to send messages and stay up
to date with news https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564826494439.
10. Before we go, what are a few more interesting facts about
yourself that we can leave our readers with? (A). Along with being an author, I am also a
hobbyist photographer and several of my book covers feature images I have taken
myself. (B). I enjoy reading historical fiction, Regency novels, and an endless
number of animal stories! Oh, and lots and lots of children’s books… (C). I
must have a tendency for collecting musical instruments because my room seems
to be full of them for some reason…
About the Author: Alison lives in a small town in New Zealand
and always enjoys exploring her creativity when putting pen to paper, so she is
thrilled with any opportunity to share her love of writing with others,
especially through the art of now being a published author. She also spends a
lot of time with her pet dog Smoky, a Labrador x Huntaway, teaching her tricks
and taking her for walks. Alison has been playing the trombone since about
2010, euphonium from mid-2019, and always likes getting together with a few
friends to ‘make a joyful noise’ sharing music, which is when her rather varied
instrument collection definitely comes out to play.
Do You Need Book Marketing Help?
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About Brian Feinblum
This award-winning blog has generated over
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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 was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs
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
