Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf – #8 on The Gittle List 2016

At March 03, 2017
By AvivaGittle
In Author, Gittle List Winners, Gittle Winner Interview, The Gittle List
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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).