ÿþ<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <title>Laura and the Leprechauns children's books Chrysalis Press Author Writer and Illustrator Amber T. Kingston</title> <meta name="Description" content="Laura and the Leprechauns children's books writer. Chrysalis Press Author Amber T. Kingston. Do you believe in leprechauns? Little Laura does. That is until her friends tell her they aren't real. But Laura doesn't give in so easily. She decides to write the wee folk to find out for herself. When two tiny leprechauns pay Laura a visit, she has a St. Patrick's Day that she'll never forget. Amber T. Kingston, born and raised in southern California, loves to write, paint, draw and spend time with children. Laura and the Leprechauns is her first children's book."> <meta name="KeyWords" content=" Laura and the Leprechauns, children's books, St. Patrick's Day, writer, leprechauns, Chrysalis Press, children's book writer, children's book illustrator, Author, Amber T. 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Kingston Shares Her Thoughts About Her Debut Children's Book Laura and the Leprechauns <br /><br /> Today, Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Amber T. Kingston author of Laura and the Leprechauns. <br /><br /> <img src="img/author_t.jpg" border="0" align="right" /> <b>Norm: <em>Good day Amber and thanks for participating in our interview.</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> Thank you, Norm. It s a pleasure to speak with you.<br /> <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>Norm: What is your background in children's literature?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> My background in children s literature is basically solely as a reader. I did take a children s literature class in college but this by no means makes me an expert on the topic. Children s literature is just something I ve always enjoyed, and because from early childhood I grew up reading a lot of books, it was something I gravitated toward. <br /><br /> <b>Norm:<em>Would you say that the publication of Laura and the Leprechauns is the culmination of a life long dream?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b>: Definitely. I ve always wanted to write and illustrate books, and actually, to have complete control over the process. That s where the publishing comes in. I really wanted to have glitter in my book and I knew no other publisher would be willing to pay for the added expense of glitter on a first time author. In fact, I knew the likelihood of being able to illustrate my own manuscript would be a long shot, so I just decided to handle it by myself. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>Has your environment and/or upbringing influenced your writing and art -work?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> I d definitely say that my environment and upbringing both had a significant impact on my art and writing. I visited Bavaria many times with my family and I ve always loved the scenery and wished I could live there. Also, when I was a child, my mother would have these fantastic St. Patrick s Day celebrations that you couldn t help but get excited over. Our entire house would be decorated from top to bottom with banners, shamrocks, leprechauns, gol coins . . . it was really amazing! <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>What motivated you to write and illustrate Laura and the Leprechauns?</em></b> <br /><br /> <img src="img/laura_t.jpg" border="0" align="right" /> <b>Amber:</b> My inspiration for Laura and the Leprechauns came from my little cousin Laura who lives in Bavaria. She was curious about leprechauns and their activities after visiting me in California where the rest of our family celebrates St. Patrick s Day, for which we have a big celebration. She was about five at the time and fell in love with the holiday full of giggles and in delighted awe of all the surprises we had set up for her. That led me to write a story about and for her; it just took on a larger scope than I had imagined. What was going to be a simple story took on a life of its own and became a sparkly hardback book with glitter printed in Hong Kong. The rest is history, as they say. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>How did you go about creating the character of Laura as well as the two Leprechauns?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> The character of Laura is actually based on my little cousin Laura. I fell in love with her personality when we first met she was about four at the time. I knew I had always wanted to write and illustrate a children s book, I just didn t know who the main character would be. After spending so much time with Laura, it became clear that I had found the perfect character. The character of Maddy is also based on my little cousin, Matthias. His personality seemed to fit what I was looking for in a leprechaun a mischievous spirit but thoughtful and kind-hearted too. The character of Be-bub was pure fiction and fun; he s the more impulsive and excitable of the two leprechauns. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>What challenges or obstacles did you encounter while writing your book? How did you overcome these challenges? What did you enjoy most about writing this book?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> I d say the biggest challenge was illustrating the book. Laura was never within reach to pose for the illustrations, so I had to work from what photos I did have of her. It took about four months to finish illustrating the book. It was also a challenge because I had decided to combine actual photographs I had taken along with my artwork to give the book a different feel to make it seem more real to children. This took endless hours working in PhotoShop. Many of the illustrations I scrapped completely. For as challenging as it was, illustrating the book was also my favorite part of the creative process. Maybe because it was such a challenge. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>Is Chrysalis Press your own company and if so, what has your experience been like with self- publishing?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> Yes, Chrysalis Press is my own company. I always knew from an early age that I wanted to be involved in the production of books. This occurred after a fourth and fifth grade assignment in school to write, illustrate and bind your own book. I loved everything about it and would make books at home in my free time. Of course, having a real publishing company is nothing as easy as that! It has been a true learning experience every day there is something new to learn. There are so many roles you have to play when you decide to publish on your own. I had no idea until I had already taken that leap. Luckily there are plenty of good organizations out there to help the independent and small publisher. I turn to them religiously. There have been moments of frustration, but the satisfaction I feel from what is essentially all of my own hard work, far outweighs the occasional disappointment. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>Is there an underlying message or theme of Laura and the Leprechauns?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> To be honest, I went into writing Laura and the Leprechauns saying that there would be nothing preachy or moralistic about the book. But what I have found is that readers find their own message within the book, and that is perfectly fine with me. My main goal was to write a story that was fun, lighthearted, imaginative, and sustains the childhood innocence that seems to be lost so early these days. So many children seem to take on adulthood so fast. This story was meant to be a safe place in which to escape. <br /> <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>How will you use the Internet to boost your writing and art career?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> Everyday I learn something new about the internet. It just takes time and plenty of research to find the most productive ways to promote your work. I knew I needed my own website for my publishing company, which is why I started www.ChrysalisPress.com. Chrysalis Press will be the home to all future books I write as well. I just recently discovered blogging, and there are so many sites out there that are willing to help out new authors by posting their material on their site. I know the same exists out there for artists. I plan to use whatever resources are available to me. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us? (We would love to hear all about them!)</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> I m currently working on my next book in the Laura series. After that, I have one more in mind. I ll be traveling to Germany to visit Laura this spring and I plan to take plenty of pictures of her to use as reference material this time! So right now it s all about writing the story, then come springtime, I ll begin illustrating again. <br /><br /> <b>Norm: <em>Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered and how can our readers find out more about you?</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Amber:</b> I think we ve covered everything that comes to mind. But if anyone has any further questions for me they can always visit me online at www.ChrysalisPress.com or email me directly at amber@chrysalispress.com. I d love to hear your thoughts or answer your questions. Thank you, Norm, for your time. </p> <hr style="height:1px; width:600px;" /> <p class="maincontent"> <a name="NAWW" id="NAWW"></a> <b><em>Interview with NAWW - Member Spotlight</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?</b> <br /><br /> A: I knew I wanted to be a writer in elementary school after completing a fourth and fifth grade project to write, illustrate, and bind your own book. I would go home and create books in my free time. I thought it was the best thing I d ever been taught. I continued to write on and off in my teens poetry, mostly but became more serious about writing prose when I reached my late 20 s. <br /><br /> <b>Q: How and when did you make this dream a reality?</b> <br /><br /> A: I had been working on a young adult novel for 5 years, and had completed it at whopping 1100 pages. After working with an editor on it, I realized I needed to get some distance from it; and I put it on the shelf, for now. I needed a fresh project. I decided I wanted something that was new, uncomplicated and fun. After visiting with my little cousin, Laura for weeks, I knew I had found the character for the children s book I wanted to write. It took about 4-5 months to complete Laura and the Leprechauns the majority of the time being spent on illustrations. So, I d have to say that the year of 2007 was when everything really came together for me as a writer as far as making my dream a reality. <br /><br /> <b>Q: What s the most important lesson you ve learned so far in your writing career? </b> <br /><br /> A: Hire an editor! I can t stress this enough. An editor will improve what you thought was perfect. They are the extra set of eyes necessary to really make your writing shine and can catch errors you swore didn t exist. <br /><br /> <b>Q: What are you working on right now? </b> <br /><br /> A: I am currently working on my next book in the Laura series. After this one, I have one more in mind. Right now I am developing and writing the story. Next, I will be traveling to Bavaria to see Laura in the springtime, and I plan to take plenty of pictures of her to use as reference material this time! It is a challenge to draw effectively when your muse lives oversees and isn t readily available to pose for illustrations. <br /><br /> <b>Q: Name some authors or books that have influenced your writing life in a positive way.</b> <br /><br /> A: I ve always been a fan of Lewis Carroll; Alice in Wonderland is a favorite childhood story of mine. I also grew up reading the Serendipity books, by Stephen Cosgrove, which I really enjoyed. There was always a moral to his stories and the illustrations kept me captivated. I kept a copy of his, Little Mouse on the Prairie, next to me for inspiration the entire time I worked on Laura and the Leprechauns. <br /><br /> <b>Q: What have you recently read or what are you reading right now that you would consider an outstanding work?</b> <br /><br /> A: To be honest, it s been a while since I ve had time to pick up a book for my own enjoyment, simply because I m in the midst of working on my next project. But the last few books I read that I thought were truly exceptional were Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, and Ian McEwan s Attonement. Both books remained on my mind for a long time afterward. <br /><br /> <b>Q: What excites or ignites your soul?</b> <br /><br /> A: Seeing a look of wonderment or awe in a child s face is a source of true inspiration for me. There s nothing as gratifying as seeing a child s happiness and excitement over new, simple experiences things we often take for granted. </p> <hr style="height:1px; width:600px;" /> <p class="maincontent"> <a name="Terry" id="Terry"></a> <b><em>An Interview with Terry Doherty of The Reading Tub® - Winter 2008</em></b> <br /><br /> <b>RT: Congratulations on the success of your first children's book, Laura and the Leprechauns. You drew on personal experience to create this story. In a recent interview, you said that what started as a "simple story" eventually became much bigger. How so? What drove the changes in transforming the story to a book?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [Thank you for the well wishes! It is true that I drew from my personal experiences as well as Laura s in order to create Laura and the Leprechauns. I began writing my story by choosing a book that I wanted to use as a model. This book was Little Mouse on the Prairie by Stephen Cosgrove. This is a book that I ve had since I was probably 5 years old and is a simple paperback book that is stapled together. I loved everything about this book the story, the illustrations, the moral of the story. I thought, if I could create something at least this neat, I would be satisfied. Well, slowly over time my ideas grew bigger and I wanted to add special touches to the book, such as tactile elements, which is where the glitter comes in. I also wanted to combine my artwork with photographs I had taken while in Bavaria to give the book a unique feel as well. I thought it would be nice for Laura to recognize actual places in her hometown. I suddenly realized that I would have to work on a larger scale if I was going to get all of these elements to work together as a cohesive whole. So that s how a simple stapled paperback book became a glitter-filled hardback book printed oversees! ] <br /><br /> <b>RT: As the author, illustrator, and managing publisher, you had the opportunity to be hands-on through the entire process of your idea becoming a book. What was your favorite part of the process? Were there any projects along the way that you didn't think you'd like that now that you've done it, you actually like a lot?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [I d have to say that illustrating the book was my favorite part of the creative process. It was certainly a challenge with Laura living oversees and having limited pictures of her to work from, but it was well worth it. I had no prior publishing experience, so coordinating with a capable printer who could provide all the extra touches I wanted proved to be an interesting challenge. It was definitely frustrating at times and often a headache. But once I found the right printer, things began to fall into place and I began to see progress. It is a nerve-wracking experience waiting for proofs to reach you all the way from Hong Kong so you can give your approval. Those were some of the most stressful times of the book s creative process because you can t physically be there saying  no, this color should be lighter, or the glitter needs to go here. But once you receive the final proofs it is a very satisfying and surreal experience. Suddenly you realize,  I have a book that is actually being produced! It s a great feeling.] <br /><br /> <b>RT: What most interested you about creating Laura and the Leprechauns  the opportunity to share a personal story or the magic of folklore? Do you see yourself (or Laura) exploring the traditions of other cultures to create stories? </b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [What originally started as a personal project for my little cousin, Laura, eventually evolved into a story combining my love for Irish folklore. In this instance, the two elements seemed to mesh seamlessly and it was a true treat to work on. I don t know where the next installment of the  Laura series will take us, but I definitely think it would be great to explore other cultures and traditions. It s a wonderful and exciting way for children to learn more about heritages other than their own.] <br /><br /> <b>RT: Laura and the Leprechauns was released in two languages: English and German. German is an unusual choice. Were there specific reasons you selected it? Do you envision creating versions in additional languages?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [I chose to release the book in German as a softcover version for my little cousin Laura who the story is about whose native language is German. I did a small print run in German for her and her schoolmates to enjoy. Unfortunately, this version did not have the glitter accents. I would love to see Laura and the Leprechauns translated into many different languages, Spanish especially. <br /><br /> <b>RT: When you sent a note saying that St. Patrick's Day was April 4, this year, I had to stop and re-read it a couple times! I didn't know that there was any date other than March 17. Is that really just an artificial date?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [Actually, my birthday is April 4th! In the year 1940 St Patrick s Day was celebrated on April 3rd to avoid coinciding with Palm Sunday. St. Patrick s Day falls on March 15th this year to avoid falling on the second day of the Holy Week. Every so often St. Patrick s Day falls on the feast day of Ireland s Roman Catholic Church so it is moved to a new date. 2008 just happens to be one of those rare years.] <br /><br /> <b>RT: In a recent interview with the National Association of Women Writers, you credited a fifth-grade project as the catalyst for your writing career. You said that you would create books at home. Do you think any of those stories will ever be published?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [The short answer is probably not. I may gather some basic ideas from the stories, but chances are I would take them in an entirely different direction, simply because I m older now and I can see what would serve as a more interesting storyline.] <br /><br /> <b>RT: In addition to children's picture books, Chrysalis Press will produce titles for teens and young adults. Are these genres that interest you as a writer? If so, what themes would you like to see in teen and young adult books?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [Teen and Young Adult novels interest me very much. In fact, I began my writing career by starting with a Young Adult novel, which I have yet to publish. I believe that when you begin to delve into the world of Teen and Young Adult novels, diversity becomes a major issue. Suddenly life has become more complex and there are so many facets of a character s personality to explore. I would have to say that writing in those genres are more challenging than writing children s picture books at least for me. But they are very rewarding as well. There are so many different themes one can explore, and so many sensitive topics, that I can t pin it down to just one or two. I let the story evolve and allow the characters to guide me toward the challenges that they are facing. ] <br /><br /> <b>RT: What do you see as the biggest changes in children's literature? Is everything negative, or do you see some positive developments, too?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [I think there are some very positive changes in children s literature lately. Authors seem to be exploring different cultures and social lifestyles which is always important in an ever-changing world. I think we will continue to see more diversity in children s literature as time goes on, and I feel that this is something very important. It will allow children to have richer experiences through the written word.] <br /><br /> <b>RT: What's next for Chrysalis Press? Are you accepting manuscripts for children's literature? If so, how can authors contact you?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [Right now I m working on fine tuning a Young Adult novel I started many years ago. Right now it is 1100 pages, so it needs to be edited down quite a bit. From there, my next step is to create book two in the  Laura series. I will be working on that children s book come springtime when I m back in Bavaria visiting Laura and her family. I plan to take plenty of pictures while I am there this time so I have enough photos to use as reference material. At this time I am not currently accepting manuscripts, although this is definitely one of my goals for the future. I can always be contacted directly at amber@chrysalispress.com. I always welcome feedback and love to chat or answer any questions you may have.] <br /><br /> <b>RT: Is there anything else you'd like to add?</b> <br /><br /> AMBER: [I d just like to encourage parents to begin reading to their children at a very early age. This is something so important and can really instill an appreciation and a love for reading in their future. Children are so bombarded by television, video games and computers that I think quality family time often gets overlooked, and that s a real shame. If you start reading together as a family at an early age, chances are this habit will continue on into adulthood and everyone will have many wonderful stories to share.] <br /><br /> </p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="img/boxbtm.gif" border="0" /></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>