AN INTERVIEW WITH LILLIAN CAULDWELL

Thanks for coming back to answer a few questions for my bloggers. Your books are so descriptive and exciting.

Kathy: Lillian,is it true that your first book was a non-fiction book? Tell us a little bit about background and how you became a children's book author.

Lillian:In 1992, I wrote a non-fiction book about handling teenage behavior, "Teenagers! A Bewildered Parent's Guide." The book was quite successful. My editor told me I told great stories and I should consider writing for a young adult or tween audience. I wrote another book, "Sacred Honor," that targeted the young adult market. That book too, a historical science fiction, was also quite successful. After that second book, I recognized that my strengths in writing focused on teenagers and tweens. Since then, I've concentrated my writing on targeting tweens and teenagers.

Kathy: What do you enjoy most about writing for children?

Lillian: Their sense of wonder, their ambivelance to the world and each other, and their wisdom. The clue is to listen to what they're saying, and not interpret their thoughts. I remember my own childhood still, and this makes it easier for me to relate to children as I write their stories.

Kathy: What is the most difficult part of writing for children?

Lillian: Keeping them focused on the written page. Children today are of the "instant gratification" stage and wants to be "entertained" all the time. An author must blend in humor, challenge, and a believable storyline to hold children's attention. Otherwise, the book goes unread.

Kathy: Tell us about the marketing process for authors. What do you do to market and sell your books?

Lillian:

*Word of mouth helps.

*Have a book-party in your home inviting friends, relatives, and the media.

*Tie your book to a current event, a happening politically, economically, and kid-wise. For example, The President Elect is the first African American in U.S. history to take office. The Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure: Anna Mae and Malcolm Botts, the first African American sneaker-toed sleuths to solve the mystery of Jefferson Davis lost gold. Take advantage of what's happening around you.

*Read your book in a serial fashion, and post it on your website.

*Get on Internet and regular radio.

*Send out your books for reviews.

*Target your local library and schools. An author can't be shy when marketing and promoting their book. Authors are up against the competition. They must make themselves heard and seen.

Kathy: Do you have a website? If so, please give the URL. If not, where can listeners go online to learn more about your book(s) and to order?

Lillian: Two websites are available for listeners:

http://lilliancauldwell.homestead.com/radioshow.html

http://www.authorsden.com/lilliancauldwell.

The Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure is already posted on http://www.amazon.com.

Additional bookstores should be carrying it within the next two weeks, or they can buy directly from Star Publish LLC at http://www.starpublishllc.com.

Kathy: What are you working on now?

Lillian: I'm working on the second book of the series: The Anna May Mysters: King Solomon's Ark, The Black Hat Society, and After. All books for the young adult.

Kathy: What is your best tip for an aspiring children's author?

Lillian: Know your subject matter. Remember what it was like when you were a child, pre-teen or teenager. Human nature doesn't change, just the environment and the social culture.

Thanks again for coming and sharing your knowledge and expertise in the children's book market. We're looking forward to the next book in this exciting Anna Mae Mysteries series.

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html

http://kathystemke.weebly.com

AUTHOR LILLIAN CAULDWELL

WELCOME AUTHOR LILLIAN CAULDWELL

This week I'm hosting an extremely talented and interesting author. Lillian Cauldwell is an author of many articles, short stories and poems. She has a published novel, Sacred Honor, a science fiction/historical novel, and will soon release The Anna Mae Mysteries, the first in a series of books for young people. She also has POETRY: Urban Voices under consideration with a publisher.

Lillian was formerly an instructor at Long Story Short School of Writing teaching several courses: Interviewing, Pre-Marketing Plan for Books, Internet Talk Radio, and Podcasting as well as a consultant for authors who require help marketing and promoting their book(s) and selves. She mentors teenagers interested in writing their first novels.

After working for two years as an Internet talk radio host at two different radio stations, Lillian started her own station, Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio, Inc. The Company is two and a half years old and is ranked as a mid-list Internet talk radio station.

Lillian is a board member for ICWP and a member of CBWI, The Writer's Union, and Women in Media.

She enjoys her status of grandmother to identical twin granddaughters, her son, a graphic artist nominated for The Eisner Award two years ago for his original comic book, The Dare Detectives. Lillian lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she loves to bake, lift weights, walk, and do worldwide community work. She is an avid advocate of the US Military and her support has been acknowledged by President George W. Bush.

LILLIAN TELLS US ABOUT HER NEW BOOK: ANNA MAE MYSTERIES

"The Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure" is about three 'tween sneaker-toed sleuths who find Jefferson Davis' lost gold with help from a disembodied Black fist and divining rods. I got the idea when I started asking teachers and librarians for 'tweens and teenagers what this age group needed to read about. History was the first answer I received. The second most popular answer was a book that makes kids think. After thinking about those answers, I knew I needed to write a book that was entertaining, provacative, mysterious, and full of common sense thinking that all kids need to learn and use throughout their life.

PART OF CHAPTER ONE

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Heat lightening crackled. I wanted to jump up
into the air, but my feet refused to move. Raul Garcia, my best friend from sixth grade, dragged me forward into the schoolyard. My eight-year-old brother Malcolm trudged beside me. None of us wanted school to start yet. I noticed that Raul's normal smile drooped a bit too.

"It won't be so bad this year," Raul said. "I won't let Pit Bull hurt you. You'll see.
I'm stronger and bigger."

"Yeah, right," I said.

I peered down at my new pink sneakers with red shoelaces. Dust and dirt clung to the white rubber edges. I loitered in the yard, wishing school was over and we were on our way home. A thin, whistling wind blew across my cheeks, cooling them from the last oppressive heat of summer.

"Anna Mae, look out!"

WEBSITES

Two websites are available for listeners: http://lilliancauldwell.homestead.com/radioshow.html
and http://www.authorsden.com/lilliancauldwell.
The Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure is already posted on http://www.amazon.com.
Additional bookstores should be carrying it within the next two weeks, or they can buy directly from Star Publish LLC at http://www.starpublishllc.com.

Come back later this week to find out more about this author and her exciting new book entitled, "The Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure."

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com