I thought this was a neat idea for any authors out there looking for more ways to market their work.

Vicki Taylor (children's author) on LinkedIn posted this.   Her link is the first link provided at the bottom of this interview, if you are an author and would like to find out how to participate in something like this, I'm sure she wouldn't mind you contacting her.

-Jim

 

 

The Next Big Thing-Blog Tour

 

Welcome everyone,

Glad you are here. My name is Jim Westcott and I’m the author of Jack’s Tales-a unique chapterbook for children around the ages of 7-10. I’d like to express my gratitude to Vicki Taylor for including me as an author on ”The Next Big Thing Blog Tour,” and making it easy for me to participate while she did the leg work. This is a great idea and I hope the other authors on this tour receive some well deserved attention.

So, if you haven’t heard of a blog hop and wondering what it may be, this may shed some light.

“THE NEXT BIG THING is designed to raise awareness of our work, or work in progress. We do that by answering ten questions about it. We graciously thank the person who nominated us, and tag four to six other authors whose work could very well be THE NEXT BIG THING.”

So let’s get this show on the road!

So, here we go, ten questions about my work.

What is the working title of your book?

 

Jack's Tales

 

Where did the idea come from for your book?

I was a Special Education teacher for fifteen years. I worked with many younger students, especially boys, who did not like to read, especially fiction, for any length of time. I wanted to write something in fast segments, but with all of the elements of high quality fiction. So, I came up with the idea of putting my guy Jack-main character and coincidentally my sons name, in the center of three fast, quirky, very character centered and thoughtful stories and called it Jack’s Tales.

What genre does your book fall under?

How about creative and fun? The stories are realistic fiction with two stories having potential to be paranormal or fantasy fiction until they turn into realistic fiction at the end.

Which actors would you choose to play as characters in a movie rendition

I would hire my nine year old son, who happens to be named Jack and who the stories are based on. Why? Because, no doubt he’s a character.

What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

Find out what a boy named Jack does at eight years old when he thinks he’s hooked a bay monster fishing with his dad or at nine when he offers a shadow ghost in his basement pizza, or when he is ten when he decides to save U10 Elite soccer by saving himself first.

Will your book be self published or by an agency?

Jack’s Tales is being published by Nathan Levy Books. This is a small education publisher. Nathan Levy is the author of the StoriesWithHoles series and a national education speaker.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I played around with the manuscript for around a year.

Who or what books would you compare this story to?

My all time favorite children’s author is Jerry Spinelli. I’d like to think my writing style has his quirky voice and tone.

What inspired you to write this story?

My son, Jack. No doubt the desire to hook boys who don’t like reading and wanting to make them laugh because the words that I wrote. Very cool if I can. I hope this book provides reluctant readers with a greater interest to read more fiction and hopefully a path to longer middle grade books.

Anything else about this book do you want to say?

I truly enjoyed writing it. Writing for this age group, and especially for boys is something that I am very passionate about. I hope that teachers find Jack’s Tales a useful classroom reading tool as well. I think it lends itself really well to thinking about character development and how we as humans no matter what age are always changing and learning about who we are and how we fit in and who we aren’t as well.

Oh, one more thing, the illustrations were done by Melissa Fasalono and they are amazing. She is hugely talented!

Jack’s Tales will be released in late winter or early spring – 2013.

Check out these wonderful writers and their excellent work:

http://www.vickimtaylor.blogspot.com

http://www.gilagreenonline.com/

http://paperdragonink.com/?p=2022

http://www.angeladcoleman.com/

http://www.blackgirlguide.com/

http://www.sisterhoodagenda.com/

http://www.africanamericanmatchmaking.com/

http://www.chroniclesofhlstephens.blogspot.com/

http://www.susanspenceauthor.com/susan-spence-blog.html

http://bullseye-bullying.blogspot.com/

http://www.deborahteramischristian.com/

http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/the-next-big-thing-post.html?m=1

http://quillstreetcafe.com/