Books develop and nourish kids’ imaginations, expanding their worlds. Picture books introduce young children to the world of art and literature. Novels and nonfiction books stimulate kids’ sensory awareness, helping kids to see, hear, taste, feel, and smell on an imagined level. Books inform our imaginations, inspiring creativity.
This Children's Book Author Spotlight Series is going to showcase independent children's book authors and their works. We strive to bring you the best there is to offer and an insight into the world of children's books!
This week we are featuring author Harmony Marquardt.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to write your first book.
I'm a mom and nurse, but I've always loved telling stories and writing. I'm also passionate about diversity and inclusion and I try to make sure it is included in some way in every story I write.
What inspired the idea for your book?
I love fantasy based stories, they are my favorite. I wanted to make sure that my children and their friends and my friends children have stories that they can see themselves reflected in the characters.
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
The ending! I love a happy ending.
How long did it take you to write this book?
About a week to write, another couple weeks to revise and edit, a few months for illustrations, and a couple weeks to format. All together less than 6 months!
Has writing and publishing a book changed the way you see yourself?
Not really. But I'm determined to keep going and to make this entire series complete!
Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
My family and friends. My husband cheers me on, my kids are excited about the stories, my parents are both big supporters, and my friends are incredibly encouraging.
What books did you grow up reading?
Everything I could find! Especially if it was based in a fantasy world.
Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?
I'm an ER nurse in my every day life! It's hard, but very satisfying to help others.
Anything you want to add?
Representation in all forms matters so much to me and I really wasn't seeing enough of it in my own reading, or in the books that my children read. I decided to finally get all the stories in my head onto paper and to make sure that there were characters that could be relatable in one way or another. I'm pretty proud of accomplishing that in an entertaining way in my first book and look forward to continuing this throughout the rest of my books!
Where can our readers find you? (Website, Social Media, etc)
Facebook: @HarmonyM.Writer
Instagram: @harmony.m.writer
If you are a children's book author who would like to be featured on our website, please fill out this form here: https://bit.ly/AuthorSpotlightonAOPBlog
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