The Birds of Paradise looks like a fun children’s
book. What age group is it for?
ANS: Originally intended for ages 5 to 10, I’ve found out
that kids from two years on up enjoy the story by looking at the art will the
story is read to them.
How did you come up with the story in The Birds of
Paradise?
ANS: My
three-year-old grandson and I were taking a fairly typical Saturday morning
hike along the trail from Ventura, Ca. Ojai.
Along the way, my grandson began stopping to look at the many springtime
flowers in bloom. When he came across
the bird-of-Paradise he was infatuated and asked about it.
I began by telling him that at one time that flower was once
the most beautiful bird in the sky and proceeded to tell the story of what is
now The Birds of Paradise – The Favor children’s book.
What will readers get out of your book?
ANS: This is a story
about finding the good in everyone; or that there is good in everyone and it
only takes encouragement and opportunity to bring out the best in someone.
What inspired you when writing The Birds of Paradise?
ANS: As mentioned
above, my grandson inspired the telling of The Birds of Paradise, but what
inspired me while on that Southern California walk was his (Dylan’s) reaction
as I made up each part of the story. His
excitement and his contributions for example.
It was he who introduced the idea of the witch as we passed a darkened
hole in a stone cliff. And the further I
took my story, the greater his contributions.
It took me at least a year after our walk to sit down one afternoon, and
the entire story just unfolded within a matter of hours.
When writing The Birds of Paradise did anything
stand out as particularly challenging?
ANS: While writing, I
ran into problems with my metering, and my writing creativity took me into an
unconventional style. I had my story
professionally edited and my reviewer pointed out some of my unconventional
style. She likened me to trying to be a
Dr. Seuss! While such a great writer never crossed my mind while writing, I did
see some similarities, and brought my story back into the more conventional
style of poetic writing.
What do you like to do when not writing?
ANS: When I am not
writing I am constantly thinking about my next story to write. When doing neither I work on genealogy, video
transfers and musical editing, and good ole fashion home remodeling
projects. Generally, every other weekend
I make a trip from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area to see my
daughter, son and their families.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
ANS: I am developing a website, www.adventure-stories.com where I
provide a bit more detail about the characters in BOP, and some insight into
the sequel to The Birds of Paradise; The Birds of Paradise – The Wisdom
Tree. Currently my artist is preparing
my art for an interim story, Trees Must Be Smart, to be published in July or
August.