World of Writing Interview

Carolyn Banguero (of: www.paolosadventures.com ) and I have been in contact since Oct 2011, and we're proud to have her on the blog today for a World of Writing Interview. Carolyn is the author of a children's book, Paolo's Adventures: The Tale of a Very Brave Little Kitty. She is also a passionate supporter and volunteer for the Meow Cat Rescue - a non-profit, no-kill cat and dog rescue organization in Kirkland, WA. A portion of the net proceeds from her book are graciously donated to Meow Cat Rescue ( www.meowcatrescue.org ).  She tells us that while recovering from heart failure, writing this book was a powerfully positive thing to focus on. 

Q: Carolyn, tell us about yourself.

A: Volunteering at MEOW Cat Rescue is one of my passions and the inspiration for my book, Paolo's Adventures - The Tale of a Very Brave Little Kitty.  One of the cats, Paolo, had a rare condition in which his chest was concave.  He needed life saving surgery.  I felt there was definitely a connection since I was recovering from heart failure. Paolo the cat made an amazing recovery and so did I (Carolyn was on the heart transplant list one year ago). I never did get a transplant and have made a near complete recovery that doctors cannot explain.

Q: Did you choose writing as a profession, or did it choose you?

A: Writing definitely chose me. I was perfectly content teaching third grade for eight years. In November 2010, I caught a virus that attacked my heart and sent me to the hospital, where I was diagnosed with heart failure and put on the transplant list. I survived and ended up not needed a new heart. When I returned home, a cat named Paolo kept catching my eye, as he was featured on MEOW Cat Rescue's website, where I volunteer. His bravery during surgery for a concave ribcage inspired me to write a children's book about him; a portion of the net proceeds benefits MEOW Cat Rescue.

Q: What are common mistakes authors make?

  

A: The common mistakes I've seen authors make is waiting for media to approach them, instead of being proactive. With today's technology, authors need to have a website, a Facebook page and not be afraid to contact media and ask to be interviewed. It's a lot of work, but definitely worth it!

Q: What are your greatest obstacles and motivators when it come to writing?

A: The greatest obstacle in writing I've come across is getting my name as an author out in the public. Unless an author starts out with a name that is recognizable, there is a lot of rejection before you find someone willing to take a chance with you. My greatest motivators are my readers - the last person who read my book to their three and five year old children told me the next morning the two got up, found 'Paolo's Adventures' and wanted it read to them first thing in the morning! The other motivator is MEOW Cat Rescue. What a great feeling it is to know you helped a cat have a forever home.

Q: What is your favorite memory in your career as a writer? 

A: My favorite memory in my writing career so far was being interviewed by KOMO 4 News. I had a book signing at MEOW Cat Rescue and MEOW had sent a press release about the event to KOMO. The news channel didn't reply, so MEOW thought they weren't going to cover the story. I was signing a book, when I looked up and there was a man with a huge camera!

Q: What do you think about self-publishing?

A: I am self-published, so I think it's a very good alternative to the standard way of sending in manuscripts to publishing companies. With self-publishing, the writer is in charge of all aspects of the book. My friend (whom I've known since the first grade), Betsy Schairer, is now an artist and I asked her to be the illustrator. This may not have happened with traditional publishing, where they choose the illustrator for the book. It was so interesting and rewarding to work with a friend in publishing a book.

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