Click Here To Purchase From Amazon The Fearful Fairy

Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Sheri Hood, author of The Fearful Fairy.

Good day Sheri and thanks for participating in our interview.

Sheri: 

Thanks for having me! 

Norm:

I noticed that you have not included any bios of yourself or the illustrator in your book. Please tell our readers a little about yourself and M. Faith Shaheen, the illustrator of The Fearful Fairy.

Sheri:

I have always loved to write.  Quiet moments of writing got me through some pretty rough patches.  Writing consoled me in my youth, inspired me as a student, and kept me sane as a parent.  Even when I entered the 9-5 workforce as a draftsman and cartographer drawing maps, if I could squeeze in ten minutes of writing a day, I was happy.  I always hoped one day to make it a career.  That’s finally happened. 

I now split my time between Idaho and Florida.  I have a wonderfully supportive “other half” Joe, two beautiful children, a dog of unknown origins, a degree in Human Resource Management, and a strange obsession for creating crossword puzzles.

My illustrator, M. Faith Shaheen is, and has always been, an “artiste” and her incredible works, in a variety of mediums, portray a mix of sacred beauty and wry humor.  Whether it is a realistic nature scene or a compelling abstract, her representation is truly amazing.  This was her first attempt as an illustrator, but one would never know it.  I don’t believe anyone could have captured Dixie’s essence better than M. Faith Shaheen and I am so grateful for her contribution.

Faith also enjoys time with her husband, Dean, three imaginative children, volunteering, a multitude of friends, and in the middle of all this, she creates and shares beauty with her artistic talent.  Remarkable?  I think so.

Norm:

Whom do you believe will benefit from The Fearful Fairy and why?

Sheri: 

The Fearful Fairy is a simple tale concerning the age-old issue of self-acceptance.  It doesn’t matter if you’re battling a physical challenge, anxiety, or just plain, old-fashioned, self-doubt, self-acceptance affects everyone, young and old.  The Fearful Fairy also has a positive and encouraging message, especially for those who feel like giving up.        

Norm:

What motivated you to become a children’s author? What is your background in children's literature?

Sheri: 

As a mother, I noticed there was a lack of good rhyming books like the ones we used to read when we were children.  I had always planned to write one but, to be honest, The Fearful Fairy, came about almost by accident.

I had been working on an historic novel that was somewhat dark in nature, so as a distraction I started playing around with silly verse. But after writing the story about this little fairy who was afraid to fly, she just sort of took over. The fairy wanted to be in a book and she was very persistent.

Norm:

How did you come up with the themes for The Fearful Fairy?

Sheri:  

I think there are many thematic levels in this book that allow the message to be unique and personal to everyone who reads it. Perhaps I came up with one of the themes because I felt different than a lot of my friends growing up. I think there’s some ‘misfit’ in all of us, but when we choose to take the focus off ourselves and help others we automatically become heroes.  I think that’s a wonderful message. 

Norm:

Is The Fearful Fairy improvisational or did you have a set plan?

Sheri:

Actually, while in my “silly verse” phase, Faith and her youngest daughter, Amanda, spent the night at my house and during our pajama party I wrote her a little rhyme about a princess.  In turn, she wrote me a very clever poem.  Well, the competition was on!  I had to top the princess poem, right? A few weeks later, I jotted The Fearful Fairy down on a napkin in Wendy’s.  So, I guess you could say it was improvisational.

With that said, there were plenty of revisions during the course of the book and I could not have done it without all the kind advice of friends and family, especially Joe, who heard the story at least a hundred times.

Norm:

How do you think children’s books in general deal with the physically challenged?

Sheri:  

I think the children’s book market has done a tremendous job of bringing awareness to physical disabilities.  Bookstores offer a wide variety of educational material on those topics, fostering understanding and promoting kindness in children. 

In The Fearful Fairy, however, I had hoped to put less emphasis on “Why was the little fairy different?” and more on the “sameness” that binds us, no matter who we are.   I wanted to inspire that sense of community, if you will.  We all have strengths and weaknesses, but with a generous heart and determination, we can do great things.  

Norm:

What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges?

Sheri:  

Going back to my original premise that we can all suffer self-doubt, I sometimes feel like the fairy in my book when it comes to investing in, and marketing this project.  It is a leap of faith, not without fear.  But everyday I put The Fearful Fairy out there for the world to see.  I believe in this book, but believing also takes courage.

Norm:

How did you go about collaborating with the illustrator, M. Faith Shaheen?

Sheri: 

She’s my best friend of twenty-seven years and I said, “Hey, Faith, illustrate this thing for me.” 

Well, that was the easy part.  The rest?  Not so much.  It was a vast undertaking and Faith was very patient with me.  During the process the fairy’s image and face changed about four times.  First she was a little chunky, then short, then skinny, but when we finally got her, we got her!  We spent countless hours in her kitchen, paper, pencils, and paint everywhere, and drank countless cups of coffee.  But through it all our friendship grew and we learned to appreciate each other’s talents even more.

Norm:

Will there be any unique ways you'll be marketing your book that is different from how others authors market their books?

Sheri: 

I won’t lie, it’s difficult to market a book when you don’t have a big publishing house behind you, but on the flipside, authors these days are very lucky.  Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440.  Who would have thought that years later someone in Idaho could have had a little idea for a book, ask a friend in Florida to illustrate it, have it printed thousands of miles away, and then have it posted by you in Canada, on a device called the internet, to be accessed by millions and millions people from all around the world. Wow!

Really, it’s best to explore all avenues when it comes to marketing and I’m open to suggestions. 

Right now I’m just glad the year is not 1440 and I don’t have to peddle it from a pushcart, yelling, “The Fearful Fairy!  Get your copy of The Fearful Fairy!” But, I would if I had to.    

Norm:

Is there anything else that we have not covered and what is next for Sheri Hood?

Sheri:   

Just that I’d like to say thanks for what you do.  The world needs more booklovers!  You’ve got a wonderful site at Bookpleasures.com and we appreciate how it promotes both authors and readers in an informative and supportive environment.

What’s next?  That historical novel I was talking about—years in the works, and keeping me up at night.

Norm:

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors. 

Sheri: 

Thank you Norm!

To read Norm's Review of The Fearful Fairy CLICK HERE

To Read More About The Fearful Fairy CLICK HERE

 Click Here To Purchase From Amazon The Fearful Fairy