Feature of the Week: Donna McDine Interviews Children's Author, Maggie Grinnell

Maggie, we first met through the Internet as fellow authors and have remained connected through cyberspace. I’m delighted to hear you continue onward with your writing and publishing journey. Well done my friend. Now on to our interview…

 

DMc: Do you hold a day job while continuing to follow your writing muse? 

MG: Yes I do have a job while continuing to follow my muse. I work as an Emergency Room clerk

 

DMc: Please share the titles, genre, publisher and synopsis of each of your published books.

 

The Ketchup Bottle and the Takeover – AG Press – picture book

 

An oversized ketchup bottle with an ego tries to take over the fridge. When he goes missing one day, the condiments, meats and cheeses go looking for him. Will he be found? Will his ego change?

 

Isabella and Penelope – AG Press – picture book

 

Isabella loses her dad in a plane crash. For 2 years she refuses to speak. One day while having a picnic in the backyard, an unexpected visitor arrives and gives her the strength and confidence for her voice to come back.

 

David and Rusty’s Pirate Adventure – AG Press – picture book

 

David and his pirate teddy bear, One-Eyed Rusty go thru a secret door hidden in a closet and arrive on a pirate ship. Captain Shiver Me Timbers wants Rusty to stay on the ship. Does David leave his only friend Rusty or stay with him on the ship?

Visit Maggie and David and Rusty's Pirate Adventure at Facebook. 

 

DMc: What is your process in creating your characters? Do you create a profile outline or other technique?  

 

MG: I really don’t have a process in creating my characters. I don’t create an outline. I just let them develop in my mind.

 

DMc: What is your process in creating your storylines? Do you create an outline, free write or other technique?

 

MG: When it comes to my storylines, I don’t use an outline, just free write. My characters come into my mind. The storylines either come from my imagination or experience. Once I have my characters and storylines started, the personalities, characteristics and plot are created.

 

DMc: Do you attend writer’s workshops and conferences? If yes, what do you feel is the most important aspect of attending?

 

MG: Writers’ workshops usually take place online. The most important aspect of attending is to be open to advice and just soak up all information. Attending a writer’s conference usually is a weekend of writing and listening to authors talk about the craft. The important aspect is to connect with other writers. There is a sense of unity and the writing actually gets stronger.

 

DMc: Please share with our readers your current work-in-progress, your marketing strategy and how to reach you. 

 

MG: I am working on a story about a squirrel whose family leaves him in a tree in Central Park, NY. This squirrel meets up with Mittens, a tabby cat who runs away from home during a storm. They encounter Faith, a runaway from an orphanage. These characters are all lost in their own way. They need to find their way home. They speak to Mr. Moon who says that a star has fallen from the sky and needs a child’s belief to help the star rise to the sky again. Once the star is in the sky, their path home will be clear.

 

Visit Maggie at her website. 

 

Maggie, it’s been an honor to interview and profile you at Write What Inspires You! Wishing you all the very best personally and professionally. I look forward to reading your book Pirate Adventure at my Facebook Live Story Time on Saturday, October 10 at 9 am EST.

 

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Best wishes,

Donna M. McDine

Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Angel's Forever Home ~ March 2019 ~ Mascot Books ~ 2019 Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention Picture Books Six and Older

Dee and Deb Off They Go Kindergarten First Day Jitters ~ December 2015 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2016 Purple Dragonfly Honorable Mention Picture Books Five and Under and Story Monster Approved

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014 and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2015 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Historical Fiction 1st Place, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2015 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Honorable Mention Picture Books 6+, New England Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist