PRINCESS LILLIAN AND GRANDPA'S GOODBYE - Jenny Fulton - One Free Book

Welcome, Jenny. What has drawn you to writing for children? There were a couple of factors that played into deciding to write for children. I’ve always enjoyed working and interacting with them, both as a teacher and now as a mother, so writing books for them is one more way I can continue that connection. The other factor was time and stage of life. In 2014, when my oldest daughter was a year old, I was hired to write a youth fantasy novel. By the time that project came to a close in 2019, I had three children. Although I still wanted to write, embarking upon another novel-length project was more than I had time and energy for, so I changed my focus to children’s books. I was reading more of this genre than any other, and they were more manageable to focus on in my available writing times.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? In college, a friend and I put a kiddie pool in the cafeteria and filled it with water. Then we took off our shoes and socks and dangled our feet in it.

When did you first discover that you were a writer? I’ve always loved to write. My mom would dictate some of my stories from the time I was 3 years old. So, in that sense, I guess I’ve always known, but for a long time, it wasn’t something I shared or talked much about.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. Oh, that’s a wide range. I enjoy classic novels by Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Charles Dickens, Harold Bell Wright, many types of fantasy and fairy tales books, historical fiction, Christian romance, some speculative Christian fiction, mystery and suspense, biographies, memoirs, pretty anything except horror.

I also like to read most genres, but mostly just Christian novels. What other books have you written, whether published or not?

Published: (as a ghost writer under the pen name A. S. King) Invisible Battles: the Quest for Hope

Unpublished: a Bible Study on 1 Corinthians

Unpublished: a multicultural memoir about dreaming, healing, and trusting

Unpublished: three other children’s books about Princess Lillian and her little sister, Zoe

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Right now, I’m focused on taking things one day at a time. Writing has done a lot to keep me sane. I wake up at 5 and usually have about an hour or two to write before my girls wake up. From there, it’s focusing on what tasks need to be done and what tasks I can do based on what time I have and how the girls are doing (especially my 2 year old).

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of, besides family? Besides family and getting my first children’s book published, I’m most proud of the opportunities I’ve had to teach overseas and on the Navajo Nation, and to learn other languages (Spanish and Mandarin).

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? I think I’d be a horse because they alternately run, work, and rest in the grass soaking up the sun. And really because they’re one of my favorite animals to watch.

What is your favorite food?

American: Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo (emphasis on the shrimp)

Chinese: Hong Shao Qie Zi (red cooked eggplant)

Korean: Bibimbop

Thai: Mango Sticky Rice

Mexican: Chiles Rellenos

Navajo: Fry Bread

I love Navajo Fry Bread, but I don’t get to eat it very often, and I love seafood. Is it hard to break into the children’s market? Yes. Children’s books are harder to write than they seem. They’re shorter, which makes the word count easier, but it also places great emphasis on choosing the right words. They need to be simple enough for a child to understand, yet meaningful enough to convey a beautiful and interesting story that both children and adults will enjoy. Although you’re writing for children, you’re selling to adults. Because the books are more manageable to write in terms of length, there’s a lot of competition out there in terms of finding a literary agent or publishing company who believes in your story enough to take you on. While many people self-publish, there’s a lot involved in picture books in terms of doing or finding someone to do the illustrations and formatting. Any path you choose is a lot of work.

What advice would you give to an author wanting to do that? Don’t give up. Write from your heart and believe in yourself and your work enough to keep pushing forward. Find a good critique group to be part of, for they’ll encourage you and help you move your skills and stories forward.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book? Princess Lillian and Grandpa’s Goodbye is the first of what I hope to be a series of other books centered on Lillian and her little sister, Zoe. This first book was written in December 2020 after my grandpa had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.  My mom kept us updated. “He’s ready to go home,” she told us. A video she later sent us confirmed it. I’ve never seen someone so patiently and eagerly awaiting his call into heaven. Shortly after watching the video, I sat down to process the bittersweet feelings of seeing someone I loved preparing to leave this world. As is often the case, I processed by writing. In this case, I took a character I already loved and tried to look at the scenario through her eyes.  

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Social Media Links:

Website: https://heart-soul-mind.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennyFultonWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorFulton

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennyannfulton/

Thank you, Jenny, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I enjoyed reading it, and I’ll give my copy to my great-grandchildren. They will love it.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://amzn.to/3aekbW0 - Paperback

https://amzn.to/3uUiaWG - Kindle

Also available in hardback and audio editions.

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