Guide to Categories – Author Interview – an interview with an author, if there is no review from me, I have not read the book and cannot speak to its appropriateness for a school library

Links in this post may be affiliate links. Purchases made using these links will not cost you more but may pay me an affiliate fee.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and related sites. Thank you for using my links.

Book Details:

​Book Title:  MY WAY HOME by Holly Heaton
Category:  Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7),  32 pages
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Publisher: Holly Heaton

Content Rating:  G: The book follows Kit on a whirlwind of an adventure trying to reclaim a precious item and return it home all while facing external dangers.

Book Description:

​Enter the hidden realm of the Little Folk and follow Kit on a thrilling adventure. Can he reclaim an object precious to his people and return home to the Hollow Chestnut? Using his wits and environment, Kit embarks on this miniature odyssey through a lushly illustrated world.

Buy the Book: Amazon 
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author – Holly Heaton:

Whether through pictures, words, or her dad’s castoff camcorder, Holly has spent her life telling stories. She can usually be found chasing exciting bits of history and spending time with her husband, sons, and dog, Wesser, in metro Atlanta.
​
connect with author: instagram ~ goodreads

Author Interview – Holly Heaton

When did you first know you wanted to be an author? 

I cannot remember a time when I didn’t create stories.  Being drawn into another time or place is such a unique escape, and the idea of building my own world and sharing it with others is thrilling.

When you are not writing, what other hats do you wear? What do you do for fun?

With two kids, a husband, dog, and two jobs, the “hats” are constantly revolving.  It is a challenging, but rewarding, juggling act.  You might have guessed from my illustrations that we love immersing ourselves in nature.  In those moments when we’re not doing something as a family, my husband and I wallow in history!

What is your favorite genre to read? What about that genre draws you?

I adore historical fiction.  A well-written work applies flesh to the skeleton of moldy documents and dry conclusions.  It makes the distant and foreign relatable.  In children’s literature, I really enjoy an unusual point of view.  That and rich illustrations.  I’m a sucker for a pretty book.

What is your vacation destination? Why?

Southern Appalachia.  My dad was a botanist, so I spent much of my childhood in the mountains of North Carolina and North Georgia.  Standing ankle-deep in a frigid stream, with walls of rhododendron-covered mountains rising on either side of you, you could be anyone at any time.  It’s a nursery for the imagination and soul.

Who did you have in mind as you wrote the book?

With a deep curtsey of gratitude to my husband, mom, and mother-in-law, I’d have to say my kids.  Kit shares my younger son’s hairstyle and penchant for taking hair-raising risks.  But he is tempered by a dose of my contemplative older son.  And the fox is totally inspired by my dog (third son).

As a former K-12 school librarian I have to ask – what is your favorite children’s book?

Sir Small and the Dragonfly, written by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by John O’Brien.  I wore that book out and still have the poor, shabby thing.  The protagonist is a knight– small enough to employ an ant as his steed—who’s in a mission to save an equally tiny princess.  Obviously, I have a thing for the miniature.

What advice would you give to a child or teen who wants to be a writer?

Never stop writing.  Take a notebook everywhere so you can jot down ideas or brilliant lines as they come to you.  Appreciate the influence of authors you admire but strive to find your own writer’s voice.

Thank you so much for joining us today. It is a joy to host authors on my blog.

Views expressed in this interview/guest post do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog host.

Read more Author Interview posts