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| Penny Lockwood |
STEPH: Today, Penny Lockwood, author of "Boo's Bad Day" is visiting with us. At the end of the interview, I'll have my review and there will be "find me" links for Penny.
PENNY: Steph, thanks for hosting me. At the end of the tour, I will pick out
one commenter’s name and send an autographed copy of Boo’s Bad Day to a United States address only. If the name I pick is someone who lives
outside the U.S., I will send a PDF copy of the book. So remember, readers, be sure to leave contact information
when you comment!
If your readers missed yesterday’s post, they can
catch up at http://hazelnutt.com/category/picture-book-reviews
Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting with http://nancymariebell.blogspot.com
A special announcement
for anyone attending the OWFI Writers’ Conference: Boo’s Bad Day will be on
display at the 4RV Publishing table on May 3 and 4 at the OWFI Writers’
Conference Embassy Suites Norman, Hotel & Conference Center, 2501 Conference Drive,
Norman,
Oklahoma, 73069
STEPH: I don't know much about Boo's Bad Day
What's it about?
PENNY:
Boo sneaks out of the house and discovers that
freedom by himself can be scary.
Blurb:
Boo is a very
bored kitten. When Timmy and his mom return home, Boo sneaks out of the
house. Boo is frightened by the
noises of the big world outside of the safety of his warm home. When Timmy coaxes Boo back into the
house, Boo realizes
some places are safe and some are not.
STEPH: How long did it take you to write?
PENNY: Altogether it was at least a couple of
months from the time I wrote my first draft until I was ready to send it
off. Although there are very many
words in a picture book, it’s important the words an author uses are just
right.
STEPH: What was the inspiration behind the
story?
Years ago, we had a black cat named Boo,
who was an inside/outside cat. As
a teenager, he went out before an ice storm hit. Although we called him, he
didn’t come back. The next day, we
heard him meowing up in a tall fir tree.
My husband tried to reach him standing on the tallest ladder we had. He
couldn’t reach him, and Boo spent another night in the tree. The next morning
his cries were weaker, and we called the fire department, who said they no
longer got cats out of trees. We then called a friend who was a bit taller than
my husband. He was able to reach Boo and get him down. When Boo got inside, he curled in front
of the wood stove and didn’t leave for a week. Boo’s Bad Day was inspired by our cat Boo’s ice storm
adventure.
STEPH: Did you have to do a lot of research?
PENNY: No research was involved, as this is a
picture book about a kitten having some scary adventures outside in the
snow. We’ve always had cats, so it
was easy to imagine what went through Boo’s head.
STEPH: What do you want children to take away
after reading the story?
PENNY: I want them to realize how important it is
to watch out for your pets and take good care of them. A simple thing like not closing the
door tightly can be a scary thing for a small kitten. I also want them to think about places where they can be
safe.
STEPH: How does the cover reflect the story?
PENNY: The cover is exactly right. I am just thrilled with the
illustrations throughout the book. Ms. Johnson couldn’t have captured Boo more
perfectly.
STEPH: How long have you been writing?
PENNY: I’ve been writing since I was a child. I
still have some of my “books” from when I was ten, carefully handwritten,
illustrated, and bound with cardboard and ribbon. Professionally, however, I’ve been writing and being
published since 1993.
STEPH: Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?
PENNY: The best advice I can give is don’t give
up! I tried submitting my work
when I was in my late teens, and since I really didn’t know what I was doing, I
gave up after a few rejections. Of course, I was submitting to big name
magazines as no one told me to start small and work my way up! There are so many avenues open to
writers now as self-publishing and electronic books are becoming commonplace.
There is no reason why someone can’t be published if they want to see their
work in print.
STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so,
which ones?
PENNY: I do.
I have a basic Kindle, which was my first ereader, and late 2012, I
upgraded to a Kindle Fire HD. I
love being able to carry my library with me.
STEPH: Fun question: What're your favorite
breakfast foods?
PENNY: I love breakfast and never miss it. I vary my menu throughout the week:
*Cold cereal with fruit and a slice of
whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey.
*Whole wheat bagel with low fat cheese and
avocado and a half grapefruit.
*Scrambled eggs with cottage cheese blended
in on top of whole wheat toast slathered with avocado, topped with salso and a
half grapefruit.
*On weekends, I usually make a more
complicated breakfast for myself and my husband: whole wheat blueberry pancakes,
whole wheat waffles, a vegetable fritta, poached eggs on whole wheat muffin
with Marmite, or French toast.
*Of course, I have to have my morning cup
of coffee…
STEPH's Review
Boo's Bad Day
Written by: Penny Lockwood
Illustrated by: Deborah C. Johnson
ISBN: 978-0-9852661-5-8
4RV Publishing
5 Stars
Boo is a house cat on a snowy day. He wishes he could go
outside and play with the other cats. When his wish comes true, will Boo's
adventures lead him into trouble?
Boo's story is one young children can related to - what do
when it gets boring. Boo makes several choices that will help teach young
readers the value of making good and bad decisions.
The illustrations are endearing and whimsical, perfect for
the story.
Overall, Boo's Bad Day is a heartwarming story with a strong
lesson about making good choices. The story appeals to children between the
ages of 2-6. I highly recommend this book.
Buy Links:
$8.99 includes
s/h
Look inside at
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Boos-Bad-Day-Penny-Lockwood/dp/0985266155/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
$7.32 prime
About Penny:
Penny
Lockwood has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, a chapbook, and her
stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and
children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s
publications, and non‑fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing,
parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She edits for MuseItUp Publishing. Visit her web site at http:// pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com.
Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/.
She
has recently released Boo’s Bad Day
with 4RV Publishing and has three other children’s books under contract with
them: Ghost for Rent, Ghost for Lunch, and Many Colored Coats. She has three
romances published by MuseItUp Publishing: Love
Delivery, Lady in Waiting, and Mirror,
Mirror. Her short story
collection, A Past and A Future, is
available through Sam’s Dot Publishing and Smashwords.
You can find Penny at:
Twitter: @PennyEhrenkranz
Penny, I'm so glad to have you and Boo visiting today! I really enjoyed the book and give it two thumbs up!
ReplyDeleteSmiles
Steph
Hi Steph, thank you so much for hosting me today and for the lovely review of Boo. I'm off to let people know they should stop by to learn more about Boo.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like such a cute book. Loved the cover. Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteHi Ella, thanks for stopping and tweeting! Deb did a fantastic job throughout the book. I'm thrilled to have her as my illustrator.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Susan York Meyers! She's the winner of an autographed copy of Boo's Bad Day.
ReplyDelete