Christopher P. Stanley – #6 on The Gittle List 2016
Christopher P. Stanley won the #6 spot on The Gittle List 2016 for The Tree Watcher. Read my review here. In this exclusive interview, Chris shares his reaction to winning and the best advice he’s ever received. (Hint: It involves sin.)
#6 on The Gittle List
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List? It felt so fantastic to win a spot on The Gittle List! My first thought after hearing the news was, “Hey, I’m an award-winning author!” Ha! In all seriousness, I was taken aback and quite humbled. It’s truly amazing to have my work recognized in this way. I’m pretty sure I stared at the Gittle List website with a smile on my face for about 15 minutes making sure that it was real and I wasn’t just seeing things.
What’s you earliest memory of drawing or writing? One of the earliest memories I 
have of writing something of significance was when I was in 5th grade in 1990. I wrote a paper on the War of 1812 and won some school writing award. I remember my teacher gushing to the class that I used the phrase, “Unlike the British.” I honestly can’t remember anything else about it except the feeling associated with being recognized for my writing. That, and my friend Michael teasing me for having to stand in front of the class on the carpet area. Then my teacher sent me down to the office to give something to another teacher with the instructions that I was to tell her that, “she was a life saver, but not the kind with a hole in it.” So off I went, skipping merrily down the hall!
Which artists or writers most influenced or inspired your work? The Tree Watcher was definitely inspired by Nancy Tillman’s, On the Night You Were Born. The first time I read that book to my daughter it took everything I had to get to the end without crying. I had to blame the tear that rolled down my face on yawning – which was a solid excuse, by the way. 
My daughter totally bought it. But what I enjoy about that book is that it is equally loved by both parents and children alike. The sentimentality on every page really struck a chord with me and I attempted to evoke similar emotions in my book. It’s been one of the greatest joys of my life so see that, at least for some of my readers, I was successful and The Tree Watcher touched them in the same way Tillman’s book touched me.
Why did you decide to self-publish? I decided to self-publish because I believed I had something to contribute to the world of children’s books – that I had a voice – and I didn’t want it to fall into the Wasteland of Bureaucracy that is the traditional publishing world and have nothing come of it for years on end. I don’t know literary agents and, sadly, I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on attending writing conferences to meet them, so I knew it 
would be very hard to break into that scene. I am also lucky enough to be friends with a professional editor and one of my best friends is an artist, so he and I decided to start our own publishing company. Honestly, the process was harder and more labor intensive than I could have imagined. Self-publishing is a lot of work, but when I’m holding a copy of my book in my hands for the first time, it’s all worth it.
Draft of cover for upcoming project. (By Alex LeVasseur.)
Tell us about your latest project. My latest project is a book I’m working on with my friend and artist Alex LeVasseur called Dr. Ulysses J. Picklebottom’s Guide to Everyday Household Monsters and How to Defeat Them. While still in its nascent stages, Alex and I have some really solid, funny ideas outlined and ready to expand. The basic gist is that we categorize monsters that dwell in houses, such as monsters that live under the bed, in the closet, etc. and detail humorous ways that kids can thwart their plots. I’m excited to see the finished product later this year!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Back in my college days (may they ever reign) one of my favorite professors, Dr. Kathleen Riley, constantly captured my imagination and inspired me to succeed. Stealing a line from Martin Luther, she used to say, “If you are going to sin, then sin boldly.” I really took this metaphor to heart, and I think about it often as I am getting ready to attempt some sort of crazy project. It has helped me to cast aside my self-doubts and, more generally, to not be afraid to embrace my ambitions. We only get one shot at this life, after all. I have passed her advice on many times over these intervening years, and it continues to be the most impactful advice I’ve ever received; in fact, it was her words that echoed through my head as I began to write a novel last year. If not for this piece of advice, the thought of writing books might have been too intimidating to attempt. Thank you, Dr. Riley!
Christopher P. Stanley grew up in Grove City, OH and had a childhood that centered around imagination, play, and exploring the outdoors (mixed in with a healthy amount of Nintendo). He is an award-winning children’s author and a co-founder of Jump Splash Books, a publishing company that aims to highlight imagination and celebrate the joys of childhood. A graduate of Ohio Dominican University, Christopher has been an educator for the past ten years in both the K-12 and Higher Education settings. He currently lives in Upper Arlington, OH with his wife, four children, a dog named Captain Theodore Wookiee Roosevelt and a rodent called Alexander Hamsterton.
Contact Christopher:
The Gittle List is a book competition exclusively for self-published authors of children’s picture books. It is hosted by Aviva Gittle, owner of Aviva Gittle Publishing. To enter the contest, select “The Gittle List” from the top menu, then “Contest Rules.”
Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf – #8 on The Gittle List 2016
Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf won the #8 on The Gittle List 2016 for her book Priceless Penny. In her exclusive interview with Aviva, she shares her favorite color and reveals her next project. Read my review of Priceless Penny here.
#8 on The Gittle List
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List? I am truly honored to have won a spot on The Gittle List. I was so excited that I immediately called my husband to tell him the good news. The first thought that ran through my mind after hearing the news was that Penny’s story had touched someone’s heart. It means the world to me knowing that Penny is such an inspiration to others.
What’s you earliest memory of drawing or writing? I was about three years old when I began writing. I used to make up stories about fairy tale characters and create my own newspapers. My parents encouraged me to keep writing and to follow my dreams.
Which artists or writers most influenced or inspired your work? Brian Jacques, author of the Redwall series, is the author who has most influenced my work. He had a way of creating whole worlds through his words. I could always visualize the characters that he created in my mind as I hungrily read each book in the series. I hope to create such depth in my written works.
Interior illustration by James Sell.
What is your favorite color or color combination? My favorite color is orange. I love orange because it reminds me of my favorite time of year, fall. I love seeing the bright orange pumpkins lying in the fields as the smell of burning leaves wafts through the air. Seeing pumpkins reminds of wonderful childhood memories where my parents would take me pumpkin picking at Eckert’s Family Farm.
Why did you decide to self-publish? I decided to self-publish so that I could have more creative control over the book creation process. I actually found it to be easier than I thought it would be. James Sell, my illustrator, and I worked wonderfully together which made the process flow smoothly. I loved being able to bounce ideas off of James directly instead of having to go through a team of people to reach the illustrator.
Interior illustration by James Sell.
Tell us about your latest project. The latest project that I am working on is the second installment in the Priceless Penny series. In Penny Discovers Hope, Penny meets Hope, a double dapple Dachshund that was born without eyes and is completely deaf. Penny soon learns that Hope can still accomplish amazing things even though she is differently-abled.
Tell us 3 strange and wonderful things about you. 1. I have a double uvula. 2. I have a screw in my pinky finger on my right hand. 3. I have a tooth in a tooth. This occurs when a tooth actually grows around a pre-existing tooth.
Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications-Print Journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. While there, she earned the Outstanding Student in Journalism award in 2006.
Priceless Penny is the second book written by Kramer-Theuerkauf. Her first book is a collection of poetry entitled More Than Words that was published in 2010. In 2015, she created her own publishing company called Theuerkauf’s Tails, LLC. She is also an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA).
Contact Lauren:
The Gittle List is a book competition exclusively for self-published authors of children’s picture books. It is hosted by Aviva Gittle, owner of Aviva Gittle Publishing. To enter the contest, select “The Gittle List” from the top menu, then “Contest Rules.”
Lisa Connors #9 on The Gittle List 2016
#9 on The Gittle List 2016
Lisa Conner’s book, Milkweed Matters, Illustrated by Betty Gatewood, won the #9 spot on The Gittle List 2016. Aviva Gittle says, “It is a wonderful introduction to the natural world and provides opportunity to discuss the ‘circle of life’ with your little one.” [Read the full review]
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List? I was quite shocked. Milkweed Matters was my first self-publishing attempt and while I felt it turned out well (it looked like a real book!), I wasn’t sure how it would compete.
Milkweed Matters interior illustration by Betty Gatewood
What’s you earliest memory of drawing or writing? I used to write plays and make my younger siblings act them out for our parents during the holidays. I remember one for Easter where the Easter bunny was confused and adding elements from other holidays into his plan for delivering baskets. I was probably 10 or 12 for that one. It was well received. We got a standing ovation by our biased audience of two!
What is your favorite children’s book? There are so many children’s books I love to pick just one, but there is one that always comes to mind for me: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban. I love Frances’ character and how her mother (behind the scenes) helps her solve her problem. Picture book authors are taught now to ‘kill the parents’ and have strong characters that solve their own problems. But real life isn’t like that and children should feel comfortable asking for help when a problem is too big.
Milkweed Matters interior illustration by Betty Gatewood
Which artists or writers most influenced or inspired your work? Again, there are many but Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) particularly comes to mind because he could make a book incredibly fun to read while presenting an important message about equality or the environment. In my work, I want to teach about nature – animals, plants, ecology and how we need nature – within a story that I hope is fun to read.
Tell us about your latest project. My current self-publishing project is an ABC Book of Gardening for young children. I hope to have it ready by spring 2017.
Any advice for writers thinking about self-publishing a children’s picture book? I think this is the same advice for someone pursuing traditional publishers – to read constantly in the picture book world, especially current releases. Study text, illustrations and layout as well as the types of books: concept, fiction, nonfiction and blends. This immersion in the field is probably more important when self-publishing because you’re competing with the masters and want to make sure you put something out in the world that you’re proud of.
Lisa says: “I grew up in a suburb south of Pittsburgh and have always loved the outdoors. I spent many days in a nearby undeveloped lot climbing trees, discovering caterpillars and dreaming. I have a fondness for the often-maligned predator in food chains and wanted to be a wolf biologist when I was younger. Instead, I have experimented with being a medical technologist, a molecular biologist technician and a teacher. But there’s always been a desire to write. Arbordale Publishing will release my first traditionally published book, Oliver’s Otter Phase, in August 2017.”
Contact Lisa:
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/
Blog: https://lisaconnors.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LconnorsAuthor
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