Interview with Children’s Author G.Quinn Rogers

loganivy

Hi Quinn Rogers ! Welcome! Thank you so much for being a part of the ‘Books And Me Blog’

Quinn is here today to introduce her wonderful book ‘Waddles Adventures at Sunrise Farm’. Quinn is a woman who wears many hats.  A poet, a horror story and short story writer, a farmer and now a children’s author. Please read more of her work on https://gquinnrogers.wordpress.com/

What age group is your new book “Waddles Adventures at Sunrise Farm’ targeted at? What is its length?

The book is targeted for 1-5 year olds. The length of the book will be between 20-25 pages.

Tell us more about your protagonist, Waddles? Will Waddles teach children about ideas like empathy and tolerance? If yes, how?

Waddles is a baby chick with a deformed leg. Through Waddles, I’m trying to teach children that even though they have a disability, it shouldn’t stop them from trying anything and always following their dreams.

Why is it important to create an inclusive culture?

I wanted this book to be about an animal with a physical disability. I want children to know they are not alone and all of life is precious and special. I want everyone to know that each person is unique and we all have some type of insecurity. Whether it’s a disability or emotional issues, everyone, humans and animals matter in this world.

Does ‘Waddles Adventures at Sunrise Farm’ encourage curiosity and asking questions?

Most of the book encourages curiosity since he’s a precocious little chick. Each scene is fully illustrated with details and teaches the child what each object is.

What role did your own experience of working on a farm play in writing the book?

When we bought this farm, I wasn’t aware of chickens with deformed legs, called a peg leg. As each day passed, I watched these unique little birds. They tried with all their might to do the things the other birds were doing. They were determined to run around despite being a bit slower than the rest. I was in awe of the fierce way they found to overcome daily challenges, simple things that we take for granted.

Who is the illustrator of ‘Waddles Adventures at Sunrise Farm’? How important are the illustrations in getting your message across?

The illustrator of Waddles Adventures at Sunrise Farm is Tanweer Dar. He’s a fabulous artist and an all around great friend. He’s easy to work with and always willing to make changes. The illustrations are important in getting my message across and Tan drew each one to perfection. I couldn’t ask for a better illustrator for my first book.

As I understand, despite facing health problems, you have been determined to write, work on the illustrations, and publish this book. What drove you?

 I’ve had severe health issues the past couple months, but I’ve been writing for years. When our kids were growing up, I would write them a bedtime story once a month and keep adding to it, for the next couple weeks. Now, as a Grammy of 5 boys, they love the animals on our farm. They are my driving force for this book. They love playing with the tiny baby chicks. I wanted to give them something special from my heart.

What made you shift from writing beautiful, heart-wrenching poetry to writing a book for children?

I honestly love writing all genres. Poetry is in my soul, writing horror is from my love of anything spooky and writing children’s books is in my heart. I love putting together short stories too and ones about life lessons.

Who are the writers/ books, which have inspired you on this journey?

There’s several writers/books that inspired me. I love Winnie the Pooh books, Dr. Seuss and Little Golden Books. Several authors have encouraged me to keep writing and they inspire me to keep going. I want to thank Mario Dell’ Olio, S.P. O’Farrell, Claudia Oltean, J.G. Macleod and you, Ivy Logan. Because of friends like these, I’ve kept trying and didn’t give up. Thank you all.

Please tell us more about you, Quinn Rogers? What do you love? What inspires you? What are you looking forward to?

More about me…I’m a wife of almost 27 years, Grammy to 5 boys, Mom to 3 spoiled fur babies and Mom of 2 in their 30’s. I’m owner of a 30 acre poultry farm, I love to journal, cook from scratch, collect cookbooks and vintage Santa’s, collect gemstones and chicken decor, love gardening. I am obsessed with reading anything I can find and of course, I love writing whatever pops up in my thoughts.

Any comments on your journey so far? 

At my age, it’s scary giving up everything you owned in order to start something new. This has been quite the journey the past 12 months and some days were extremely difficult. I’m excited about this new phase of my life, each day is never the same. It’s like starting a new chapter in a book, you won’t stop until you finish the last page and have it completed. I will give it my all in order for it to be a success. Quitting is not an option for me, only going forward, taking each day as it comes, knowing in my heart that I love this farm with all my soul. Now, if I could just learn to drive the tractor. 🙂

Published by loganivy

FIRST THINGS FIRST Simply put I am here because I love books... I am extremely passionate about stories especially those steeped in mythical folklore, ancient myths, and legends and suffused with the magic of unique realms and supernatural worlds. I believe there is an alternate universe where magic, mysticism, and wonder still exist, a world where no reality is impossible. Discovering ourselves is an ongoing journey. From reading the next logical step was writing. I am the author of ‘The Breach’, an upcoming supernatural fantasy.For when I write about these worlds I become a part of them and learn more about myself each day. A PEEK INTO MY SOUL I am a realist but at the same time also a dreamer. To me, reading is a window into the hearts of others . Writing is the window to my imagination drawing from my glimpses of the world around me. The beauty of writing lies in the mind’s eye – what we see, the way we interpret it and finally how we translate it to paper. HOW I VIEW MY CHARACTERS To me, every character is multi-dimensional. There is no mere black or white perspective to a character. If a person is strong, we have to delve into what contributed to making them that way? Similarly, what are the fears, likes and loves of a character. That is what makes each one of them unique. It makes them what they are. No character should be just a filler in a story. If a character is evil, why is he or she that way? If a male character is not the central focus of a story, if he is okay with the girl in his life taking center stage I don’t see him as weak. I think he is a great guy and the kind that any girl would be lucky to have in their lives. Looking for the prince who rescues you from the dragon or the lecherous villain should be passé. Real men may not have muscles but they have good hearts. I write about such princes, the guys who are also okay with the girl playing hero in their life, being rescued by them too. I love reading and writing about girls and women with flaws because all real women are that way. Not the most beautiful, not the bravest, not the thinnest nor the richest. They find strength in their family, in their love. My girls do not compete against men; only circumstances and the challenges they throw up. The men who support them, stand by them are the ones I like to read and write about. Through this blog I hope to share more about inspirational characters and the beauty and richness a book contains. MY INSPIRATION Is it possible to cherish and to love something all your life without really analyzing it or understanding why? ‘Stories’ fired my imagination since I was a child….it started with my father, who would spend thirty minutes each night weaving supernatural tales of troubled ghosts in a bid to awe, shock and above all bond with his daughters. He never realized and neither did I that he was also weaving those little quirks into my personality that later on in life would go ahead and set me apart. During class breaks in school, I would share the same tales with the class, now adding my own embellishments, peaks, and lows so as to hold their attention and leave them shouting for more. As my dad got busier and we got a little older the stories seemed to have trickled off but not before transferring that hook for the beginning, the narration, the mystery and the spectacular end. Books and Movies became my magical time machines capable of drawing, pulling, and holding me. Friends and colleagues would decide to read books or watch movies after I brought to life with words what I read or saw on screen. Even love came to me through books when the first time I met my husband we fell in love over a discussion on ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’. One day I realized what I should have known all along – Stories; they lived in my soul. I had worlds to create, people waiting to be brought to life and stories to share. So I share what I love.

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