TAIKAMAA & THE TWIN STARS: Book (1) (The Taikamaa Series)
The Taikamaa series takes the reader through the adventures of six children who live in a mysterious land named Taikamaa. Ideal for pre-teens, this book paints vivid pictures for those with imaginative minds.
Description
Six children and their families of diverse ethnicities and cultures make up the exquisite fabric of Taikamaa, a mysterious little land nestled between the mountains and the lake. The innocent forays of the children into the mountains reveals an adjacent land that the legends say were inhabited by a King & Queen. This is a story of simple lives and the reunion of long-lost kin.
https://store.bookbaby.com/book/taikamaa-and-the-twin-stars
Genre: CHILDREN’S FICTION
SubGenre: Fantasy & Magic
Age Range (years): 9 – 12
Language: English
Series title: The Taikamaa Series
Series Number: 1
Pages: 56
Paperback ISBN: 9781667889931
Author Interview
- At what point did you decide to be an author, and what was your path to publication?
I have always been a storyteller through my music, dance and theater shows. I had started telling the story of the children of Taikamaa to my daughter at bed time and for her tenth birthday, I decided to complete it and present it to her as a book. One thing led to another and I found myself deep in the self-publication process!
- What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
This is one of the consequences of having a highly imaginative mind! I have a document with a running list of ideas. I write down descriptions or sketches in enough detail that will help me develop that idea if I choose to go to it at a later time.
- Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?
My writing is very organic. I do have an idea of the main adventure plot but the details develop very organically. I put myself in the scene and imagine how the scene would play out for me if it were really happening to me.
- What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
I always recommend books by Enid Blyton, an English author who wrote hundreds of books for children between the ages of 5 and and 12. Her language, grammar and sentence construction are great, but more importantly, her imagination and her ability to transport her readers to far away lands are incredible!
- What have you found to be most challenging about writing children’s fiction?
Children’s fiction is challenging. You have to know what your readers are experiencing on a daily basis in terms of their access to technology or their peers. What you write has to have the right mix of fantasy and possibility that will keep them engaged. Taikamaa has a lot of nostalgia and innocence, but I made sure that friendship was the underlying emotion – something that all readers can relate to.
- Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?
Yes. My academic background is in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics and Neuroscience. The kind of writing that is involved in the sciences calls for a logical flow of facts and details that has helped greatly with writing children’s fiction.
- Describe the book in 10 words or less for people just learning about it.
Six children and their families of diverse ethnicities and cultures make up the exquisite fabric of Taikamaa, a mysterious little land nestled between the mountains and the lake. The innocent forays of the children into the mountains reveals an adjacent land that the legends say were inhabited by a King & Queen. This is a story of simple lives and the reunion of long-lost kin.
- Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
Though the book is about a little adventure that the children have, there is an underlying sense of community built on kindness and kinship. I hope that after reading the book, my readers will remember to pause and take in the beauty of their surroundings – the sky, the trees, the birds, the various colors and sounds – and choose to show kindness.
- What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The criticism I received from my beta readers was mainly grammatical – I had mixed up my tenses and voices! The best compliment was that the book reminded some of my readers of Enid Blyton (my hero!)
- Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
I wish I had started writing sooner, when I wasn’t caught up in the fray of daily routine and life. So my advice is to write everything that is in your head, even if it is just one single word or sentence, down.
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