Interview with Children's Book Author Cheryl Malandrinos @ccmalandrinos

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd, A Christmas Kindness, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving, and the recently released, Amos Faces His Bully. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com/ and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/

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About the Book:

Title: AMOS FACES HIS BULLY
Author: Cheryl C. Malandrinos
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Pages: 20
Genre: Christian children's picture book

BOOK BLURB:

Amos is targeted by the town bully because he is so small. When word reaches Amos of his friend David's battle with Goliath, he thinks back to what David told him about putting his faith in God's protection. Perhaps the same God can help Amos face his bully too.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Guardian Angel | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |Indiebound.org 

Thanks for this interview, Cheryl.  I’ve always wanted to write children’s books.  When did you determine that writing for children was for you?

I didn’t. It happened by accident. In 2006, I began a full-length novel set in Biblical times for NaNoWriMo. It was the story of a shepherd boy named Obed who met the Holy family on the night of Christ’s birth. The story was set during the years of Jesus’ ministry. After the Resurrection, Obed seeks out the disciples to discover if Jesus is the Savior he met when he was just a boy.

The story wouldn’t come together (I still want to give it another shot). When I discussed the novel with my pastor, he asked if it was a children’s book. At that moment the gears began to turn in my head about how to make it a story for children.

Little Shepherd was released by Guardian Angel Publishing in 2010. Since then, I’ve continued to write stories for children. With the release of Amos Faces His Bully there are four books to my credit.

What was the inspiration behind your children’s book, Amos Faces His Bully?

Like Little Shepherd, this story places fictional characters in a Biblical setting. My first inspiration was to continue with the format of my first book—make it a series of unrelated, yet similar, stories. There are others planned.

My primary reason for writing Amos Faces His Bully, however, is very personal. I was bullied as a child; teased from the day I entered elementary until the day I graduated high school. We had a different approach to it back then—kids will be kids and let them handle it themselves. Yet, with all the awareness of bullying and the anti-bullying programs that exist in our cities and towns, bullying still exists. As I’ve worked hard to prevent my own child from being bullied, I wanted her to know God could provide her—and other victims of bullying—with peace and strength.

How do you get into the mind of a child to create a fun reading experience?  Are you around kids?  Are you a kid at heart?

As a mom and Sunday school teacher, I am around kids a lot. Though my girls are now teenagers, I still remember them in their younger years. It also helps that I am a great big kid myself. The important thing to do is spend time with children and really listen to them.

From a business perspective, I perform a lot of market research. I read children’s books. I browse the children’s fiction section of our local library. I research new releases and what agents who represent children’s literature are looking for.

What was your favorite book as a child?

The Little Engine That Could—though I knew it as The Pony Engine. I can still see the cover of that book in my mind. I read it over and again when I was a kid. I’m sure my persistence as an author goes back to that engrained “I THINK I can!” message.

What kind of advice would you give writers who would like to write children’s books?

Don’t shy away from the business end of writing. Perform market research: read books in your market; get to know your children’s librarian; visit publisher and agent websites to learn what they publish and what they are looking for. Write your story, then edit, edit, edit. Make your story the best it can be before submitting it to a publisher or agent. You won’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.

What are your goals for the future?  More children’s books?

I set new goals each year and review them quarterly. Since I successfully won STORYSTORM again this year—30 new story ideas during the 31 days of January—more stories are definitely in the works. I completed a new picture book thanks to last year’s STORYSTORM that I want to pitch to agents. Thanks to my writing group, I am 18 chapters into my middle-grade historical novel, Amelia’s Mission. I also have several other children’s stories in various stages. I would eventually like to dust off and polish that women’s fiction book I completed and, one day, would really like to give my original Obed idea a fair shot.