Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest Kathy Brodsky. Kathy is apsychotherapist, poet and national award-winning author, who writesand promotes high quality books that are timely, visually exciting,educational and fun! 

She currently has 14 picture booksincluding one in Spanish, one bilingual Spanish/English, two boardbooks), and one book for adults in print. Her books contain thepositive messages they do because of her 40 plus years as a clinicalsocial worker.

All of the picture books are in rhyme, withengaging hand- painted illustrations, recurring characters andsocially conscious messages. Kathy has also included life-skills“funtivity” questions which lead to more personalizedconversations between children and adults. She has presented herbooks to young and old alike.

Norm: Good day Kathy andthanks for participating in our interview.

If you could relivea moment in your life, which moment would you choose and why?

Kathy:It’s difficult to choose one moment, but I would say that thegreatest moments of my life have been giving birth and watching thegrowth of my two sons.

Norm:What has been your greatest challenge (professionally) that you’veovercome in getting to where you’re at today? 

Kathy:There have been many challenges: In my therapy practice, I’d saythe greatest challenges are usually - how to help clientsunderstand what’s happening in their lives, get them “unstuck”and help them move forward in a productive way.

Asan author, the greatest challenge is always marketing - how to getthe word out about my books. As an independent publisher, it is verychallenging to get book stores to carry my books, so I have to workharder for people to find out about them. Therefore, I have an onlinepresence as well.

Norm: How many times in your career haveyou experienced rejection? How did they shape you? 

Kathy:We all experience rejection as we move through our lives. Again, as atherapist, it’s important to realize that clients move at their ownpace, and not the pace of someone else. Regarding books, not everyonethinks each book is “the best ever.” Rejection has “shaped”me because I can only do the best I know how. I listen to comments ofothers and try to make positive changes.

Norm: When didyou begin to write children's picture books and what motivated you towrite these books?

Kathy: I published my first children’spicture book in 2008. I hadn’t planned on writing anything morethan my book for adults - Moment in Our Lives - which came outin 2004. I then did an audio version of the book and thought I wasdone.

Oneday in early April 2006, while walking with my dog on our usualroute, I noticed a crooked pine tree. The time of year is importantbecause the leaves on the other trees weren’t out yet, and the pinetree was very visible. That crooked tree became “My Bent Tree,”which now has a bilingual version, Spanish/ English, as well as theEnglish version.

Norm: What do you believe makes a goodchildren's picture book?

Kathy: I like a good story - andI always like happy endings. Life is full of so much difficulty andsadness, that happy endings feel right to me.

Norm: Do youwrite organically or are you a planner?

Kathy: Definitelyorganically. I start with an idea - and then may write four or eightlines about it. (All of my books are in rhyme - because that’s funfor me - and poetry is very succinct.) When I start I have no ideawhat the ending will be.

Norm: How do you choose the themesfor your books?

Kathy: Each book is different. I may hearor see something, or just think of an idea. Nothing is planned inadvance. When I finish one book, I really have nothing else in mind,but then another idea usually “shows up.”

Norm: In youropinion, what is the most difficult part of creating children'spicture books?

Kathy: Again, it’s the marketing. I’vebeen very lucky to have a wonderful illustrator, Cameron Bennett,who has been with me from the start.

Norm: What are someways in which you promote your books? Do you find that these add toor detract from your writing time?  
 
Kathy: AsI started before, writing the books is the fun part. Getting theword out about my books is always the most difficult part.

Welive in an age where there are so many different things competing forour attention, so I go to tradeshows, independent book stores, toystores, any place that sells books or gifts. In addition, I carrybookmarks with me, and always try to let others know about my books.I sold one in the check-outline in a store, another in the securityline at the airport, another after buying shoes for an event, many atthe supermarket, etc.

Norm: How did you become involvedwith the subject or theme of High Wire Act?

Kathy:I was on the bus, going to South Station in Boston , and it was awindy day. We were stopped at a traffic light right outside thestation. The light was suspended on a wire, and as the wind gotstronger, the light was swinging erratically.

Atthat moment, I thought to myself, “A book about a traffic light.”I was meeting my son, and mentioned the book idea to him. He saidcasually, “The light could fall off,” and that became the book.

Allof my books have recurring characters of a red-haired girl, a benttree and a red bird. Those three characters were in My Bent Tree,and I suggested to Cameron that I wanted them to appear in subsequentbooks. For High Wire Act, I suggested to Cameron that I’dlike all of the characters from my other books to “show up.” Kidsreally love “finding’ characters they know.

Norm: Whatwere your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feelyou achieved them? 

Kathy: High Wire Act isdedicated to “Anyone who ever wondered, ‘Do I really matter?’”And yes, I feel I accomplished my intentions. At different times, wehave all wondered if we really matter - in our home, school or worklives.

Especiallyin this day and age, we may feel disconnected to others. The suiciderate is going up - and even for young people - as young as age ten.This is a crisis.

Ifmy books, especially with the questions following the story, lead tomore discussion about what’s going on in a person’s life, andhelp to prevent sadness and a possible tragedy, then, yes, I’vedone my job. All of my books are light-hearted and fun, but theunderlying messages in all of them are more serious. My books aren’tplanned ahead, but with my many years as a clinical social worker,life issues seem to just “show up” in my books, and the questionsmake the books much more than just another story.

Norm: Howdid you collaborate with illustrator Cameron Bennett? Please explainthe process?

Kathy: I wrote a poem My Bent Tree andrealized it had to be a picture book. I had no idea how to find anillustrator, but at the time I was taking Argentine Tango lessons,and I happened to mention that to Cameron Bennett, the Tangoinstructor.

Therest is history. Cameron is amazing! Each one of his pictures, is apainting on canvas. I write the story, and then send it to Cameron.He then draws several thumb nails (small sketches) - often giving meoptions - and then we both decide which picture to use. Cameron usedto live locally, but several years ago, he moved to England with hiswife and kids, so now we collaborate by phone and email.

Norm:What projects are you working on at the present?  

Kathy:We have another Stover book in the works - Stover Learns to Swim.It will be the third Stover book. First we did Stover, ( aboutan adorable pig who stays fit and eats healthy food) then, StoverGoes to Camp, (about leaving home for the first time) and nextyear, Stover Learns to Swim.The idea for Stover Learns toSwim, came to mind while I was taking a shower afterswimming.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more aboutyou and your children's books?

Kathy: From the following  MY WEBSITE

AMAZON

Norm:As this interview comes to an end, what advice can you give aspiringwriters that you wished you had received, or that you wished youwould have listened to?  

Kathy: Read! Read!Read! You have to write what you know. You may see or hear somethingthat could be the basis for a story. Also, have paper, or somethinghandy to write on. You never know when an idea may come to mind. Asa child, I devoured books, and since I never took a formal writingcourse, I think my stories are a culmination of those many years ofreading, plus my years of experience as a clinical socialworker.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all ofyour books.

Thank you very much, Norm.

Follow Here To Read Norm's Review of High Wire Act