Margot Finke, Author--Busy as a Mama Grizzley Bear!

It is my great pleasure to showcase children's author, Margot Finke and her exciting new book series on the blog today!  Margot is a fellow Guardian Angel Publishing author and a good friend.  A U.S. citizen, she was born in Australia, and memories of and experiences from that lovely country colors much of what she writes for kids.

NS  I am enchanted by your new book, Margot!  Where did you get the idea?

MF  It all began when I was a teacher’s aide.  I told stories about Australia and its unique animals to second graders, and my teacher friend said I should write them down.  I did, and the rest is history.  Mama Grizzly Bear, along with six other rhyming books, form my Wild and Wonderful series.  They tell fun facts about animals from the US and Australia.  Originally ebooks, with a publisher in Australia, all 6 are now with Guardian Angel Publishing ( GAP). They will still be available as ebooks, but will also be published as soft cover books.  Mama Grizzly is the first to jump into soft cover format, and the rest will follow over time. http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/mama-grizzly.htm   I am thrilled with this wonderful opportunity from GAP.

NS  You are an American by way of Australia, where you grew up.  Many of your writings reflect your rich Australian heritage. Please tell us about your time as an Australian child and how that has well and truly influenced your writing career.

MF  The old saying is true, mate: You can take the woman out of Down-under, but you can’t take Down-under out of the woman. I have actually written a book about this, titled “Down-under Calling.” It tells about a grandmother in Australia and her grandson in Oregon.  It features letters back and forth between the two of them, interspersed with the problems they both must face in their daily lives.  The grandson is reluctant to write at first, but he and his friend soon fall under the spell of grandma’s stories.  She tells him of the fascinating Aussie critters that visit her garden, and tales of her growing up there in the middle of the 20^th century.  This is a book written from my heart, and I would love to find a publisher for it. Hint, hint!

NS  Everyone wants to know how an author spends a typical writing day.  Do you follow a schedule, and if so, tell us about how you organize it.

MF  I have not done much actual writing lately. Too busy dealing with the upcoming publication needs of “Mama Grizzly” + “Survival by Walkabout,” the young teen follow up to my “Taconi and Claude- Double Trouble.” This is another Aussie outback adventure – full of danger, surviving a nasty medicine man, and the wild dogs that fancy Josh and Bindi for dinner. Sibling rivalry, a big lie, a nasty threat, and tales from the Dreamtime round out the plot. 

I have a wonderful writing room with windows that look out onto our back gardens.  My husband made me a super desk for everything I have to store or use for my writing. In winter, we bring in all the tender plants and display them on wall shelves here.  It becomes a jungle when everything outside has withered and disappeared – lovely.  Special lights keep the plants healthy. 

I am at my desk seven days a week, always writing, promoting, or helping clients write tight and terrific pages.  Sometimes it is hard to balance the needs of my manuscript critique clients with that of my need to write, blog, or just take a break.

On top of all that, I have breaking news about another three of my books.  My young teen ghost story, “The Revenge of Thelma Hill,” will be self-published any day now. I have never self-published before this, and oh boy, is there a lot for a novice like me to wrap their head around. Sometimes I feel as dumb as dirt.  But my good friend Agy Wilson designed a super cover for it, and has helped me SO MUCH.  I could never have done it without her.  Thanks Agy!!  I even get to promote all my other new books at the end of it.  How’s that for cool.  You will hear my shouts all over the US when it is published.

AND, as if that is not enough, I am in a partnership with Agy Wilson to self publish my two story books, “Kobi Borrows a Pouch” and “Oscar Hunts for a Friend.”   Agy is also illustrating  and animating them both. Hey, I don’t call her Awesome Agy Wilson for nothing,  you know.  All I know about animating is that it is a hot ticket now for picture books. I am simply breathless at the thought of it. 

All this began happening about the same time.  No wonder I am breathless.  I never seem to catch up on editing, learning, rewriting, and crafting assorted blurbs and synopses for the various books.  But hey, I am thrilled.  I am also one very fortunate lady to have my dreams come true – even if they all decided to come home and roost at the same time!

 NS  Please tell us where your fans can find you to learn more or get in touch.

Website: Books and Manuscript Critiques -  http://www.margotfinke.com

Oscar and Kobi - they kidnapped my blog -  http://Ozfriends.blogspot.com/ 

SHORT and SWEET – a FREE sneak peek inside 8 of my books -   http://tinyurl.com/8qw44al

FREE short story.  Taconi and Claude’s  BIG 21stCentuary Adventure – a fun adventure featuring  characters from 3 of my books -  http://myplace.frontier.com/~mfinke/FREE%20T&C%20Download.htm#FREE

The Revenge of Thelma Hill has just been published and isd now on Kindle and Smashwords - with more eReaders to come.

*My new, YOUNG TEEN BOOKS page:

 

http://myplace.frontier.com/~mfinke/Young%20Teen%20Books.htm#wow

*Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009DW06MI
*Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=The+Revenge+of+Thelma+Hill
*VIDEO Reading from the revenge of Thelma Hill: http://youtu.be/sLA1vr8b09Y

MF  So much is happening fast this month, I can hardly keep up!!!

 

NS  Margo, you are a wonder, and I can hardly keep up with you!  Many thanks for giving us all this marvelous information regarding all you are doing.  You are an inspiration to so many people, and certainly to me!

MF  Thank you so much Nancy, for letting me chat with you and your readers.