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An Interview With Amy Wachspress

Tell us a bit about yourself. What would you like us to know about you?

I love children's books. I love reading them, writing them, and reading them out loud to young people. And I especially love fantasy, adventure, and sci-fi. I have read so many children's fantasy adventure books that I decided to write one myself. I have three children of my own, who are all almost grown, so now I will be looking for more children to read aloud to. I am married to a R&B and Soul DJ (DJ Reed) and we live on 40 acres of musical magical forest in rural Northern California.

What are you doing now? (Career? Married? Single? Children? Pets?)

I am married. I have three grown children and two silly cats. I work as a grant writer for a living. I have raised over $70 million for projects that serve children, youth, and families in over 20 states.

What is your favourite food?

My favorite food is noodles and parmesan cheese with marinated sundried tomatoes. Mmmmm. I could eat some right now.

What is your favourite colour?

My favorite color is green, like the trees.

What is your favourite sound?

My favorite sound is children laughing. I always have to laugh with them.

Who is your favourite person?

I can't choose one favorite person because I have a wonderful family and love all of them. I have been married to my husband for 25 years and I have a daughter and two sons who are terrific.

What is your favourite place?

My favorite place is right here at my computer.

What is your favourite memory?

My favorite memories are the days on which my children were born.

What is your favourite article of clothing?

My favorite article of clothing is an old dress that I wore to death until it fell apart. Then I cut it up and used it for quilt squares.

What is your favourite word?

I love words. I can't choose one favorite. But I use the word terrific a lot. I also like the word passion. I think people should have a passion for something and they should follow that passion. Another good word is trilobite. I'll have to find a way to use it in something.

What is your favourite writers' quote and why?

The quote I have over my desk is:
The role of the artist is to bend chickens into the correct shape. A lot of people don't know that. -- Ecuador Smidgen
The quote I have on my stationary is:
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read --Groucho Marx When my friend Janine read that quote, she commented "I don't want to read inside of a dog."

What is your most favourite quality about yourself?

My favorite quality about myself is my creativity.

What is the least favourite quality about yourself?

My least favorite quality about myself is my impatience.

If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

If I could go anywhere in the world I'd go to New Zealand. I have always wanted to visit there and I have discovered a whole group of people there who love my book.

What inspires you to write and why?

I have been writing my whole life. I can't stop. It is the way I am in the world. So many things about life inspire me, I wouldn't know where to start.

What is your favourite book and why?

I could never ever choose a favorite book because I have loved too many. But I can tell you some of my favorite children's stories: A Wrinkle in Time, The Ear The Eye and The Arm, Ender's Game, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Green Book, The House of Dies Drear, and all the Harry Potter books. I love Harry Potter books, they are about as good as it gets.

What is your favourite genre and why?

I like fantasy, adventure, and sci-fi because they are so very imaginative and they stretch my thinking. They take me to different places. I love a good novel, but I also really enjoy memoirs and biography. I like to look at the pictures in vegetarian cookbooks. I like to read about health and spirituality. I just love books.

List your three favourite authors (any genre) and why?

I can't list favorite authors. I like too many books. Some of the authors I really like who come to mind are Isabel Allende, D.H. Lawrence, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, John Fowles, Madeline L'Engle, J.K. Rowling, Toni Morrison, Margaret Hamilton, Orson Scott Card, Ursula LeGuin, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, I could go on all night.

What do you think makes a writer successful?

Success is relative. If you mean what makes a writer get to the bestseller list then I would have to say luck. If you mean what makes a writer good at writing, then the answer is different for different writers and in different genres. Hard work makes a writer successful I suppose. As a writer of children's books, I would count myself successful if I could make a difference in a child's life. I would count myself successful if I brought delight to a child. If I inspired a family to read my book aloud together, and they could laugh and cry over it and have a wonderful time.

Whta is it that makes you successful as a writer?

I touch people. I inspire people to think in new ways. I challenge people to change. I make a difference in their lives.

What are your goals as a writer?

My goals as a writer are to make positive change and to create as much positive energy in the world as I can.

What is the best tip you can give to fellow writers?

I would simply encourage fellow writers to keep writing. I always tell children that the only difference between writers and everyone else is that writers write. But it's not as easy to do as it seems.

What do you hope to provide your readers with through your writing?

Because I write fantasy, I like to give my readers a journey in a different world. I also want to get my readers to think about things in new and different ways and to reconsider how they are in the world.

List your three favourite online writer-resource sites and why (include URLS).

I receive two e-zines that are very informative. They are Publisher's Weekly (the daily) and I also get their weekly Children's Book Shelf. I also get Shelf Awareness. I subscribe to a terrific listerv at www.yalsabook.com, which is a listserv for school librarians, who are amazing creatures and they know more than you would ever imagine. I also want to recommend a terrific website called Just One More Book at wwww.justonemorebook.com -- Mark and Andrea Blevis talk about their favorite children's books, interview writers, post reviews, and so much more.

If you have published a book, tell us about your publishing success (title, publishing date and company, where it is available to purcahse).

My book is The Call to Shakabaz, self-published (and proud of it) by Woza Books on January 15, 2007 (in honor of Dr. King's birthday). You can buy the book through all the usual places (order it online or at your favorite bookstore) and through our website at www.wozabooks.com. Everyone who hears about the book wants to read it and everyone who reads it falls in love with it. Please read it and tell everyone you know about it!

How long did it take you to write your book(s)?

It took me four years to write the book.

What would you do differently if you could repeat the same publishing experience?

I have learned a lot along the way, but I took the advice of experts and managed to do a lot of things right. I only wish I didn't have to work at my job so I could spend more time getting the word out about the book.

What have you learned about the publishing world?

I have learned more than I can put into this little box. But I highly recommend Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual to anyone interested in publishing a book. The biggest thing I have learned is that I want to self-publish all my books. I don't know why anyone chooses to publish through a traditional publishing company.

This is your chance to 'Talk Back' to your readers. What would you like to say to them?

First of all I invite you to read my book! I think you will have a rollicking good time. Read it aloud with a young person! Then I would love to hear from you. Please email me at amy@wozabooks.com to tell me what you think and to give me your ideas about a sequel.

What's the one thing that you want them to know about your writing?

Dear Readers: I am writing for you. Have the time of your life. I hope I make a difference for you.
Amy

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