S.T.O.P. BULLYING. What a timely topic for young people.
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Welcome, Linda! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
A native Arkansan, I grew up in
a very small town the fourth of twelve children. I kid with people all the time
about my “lucky” number being “four”
because of the many incidences of four in my life. I’m the fourth child with four
children. I was born on the fourth
day of the fourth month. My two
oldest children each have four
children apiece. I truly don’t know if the number four has ever been my good
luck charm, but it is coincidental. My husband and I have six children between
us, again four girls and two boys,
ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Writing for children has been
and still is my greatest inspiration. I am a member of the Village Writer Club
in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas where I live. Also an active member
of the NLAPW (National League of American Pen Women), I currently serve as
secretary of our local branch, Pioneer Branch, in Little Rock.
Please tell us about your new book.
My latest book, S.T.O.P. BULLYING, I had been working on
about nine months before self publishing it. I felt a need to get it out there
because of the growing need to address this subject. Current events inspire me,
especially when children are affected or involved. The title is self
explanatory, but I will elaborate on it a bit. My thirteen year old cousin, who
is a strong advocate of anti bullying and has won many awards through his
involvement in various programs, was himself bullied and was my inspiration for
writing the book. Earnest is featured in my book, but is the only real name I
used. The rest are pseudonyms but are actually real stories.
Below is an excerpt from S.T.O.P. BULLYING.
“Most of the time bullying goes
unreported for fear that nothing will be done about it or for fear the
perpetrator will retaliate. The victims suffer in silence, and that’s why many
make the tragic decision to stop it themselves.”
“Children who are bullied are
two to nine times more likely to think of suicide, and boys are of higher risk
of committing the act. While girls usually bully socially, inclusion and
exclusion, boys are more prone to using physical and verbal attacks. With the
expansion of technology, cyber attacks are becoming more frequently used. Forty
six hundred adolescents kill themselves worldwide every year, and a large
number is due to bullying. Even though suicide is only one of many consequences
of bullying it can’t be overlooked because of the link between bullying and
suicide.”
Where do you get the ideas for
your books?
My ideas are generated from
different outlets. A book I’m presently working on came from a simple event of
looking into the sky on a starlit night. One thing led to another and a book
was born. I may wake up in the middle of the night thinking about one thing and
my thoughts shift gears and soon another bright idea for a book is formed. My
first book’s idea came from my experience of living in snowbound places like Illinois and Michigan.
I often wondered how long someone or something could last if they were rolled
up in a snowball. Voila. The Adventures
of Boots: The Giant Snowball was created. I don’t remember where the idea
came from when I wrote A Porpoise For
Cara.
Do you have advice for aspiring authors?
Read, read and read; research,
research and research; edit, edit and edit. When I started my first book, I
learned that I knew nothing about writing at all. There is so much to learn.
Make sure as you write and submit your work pay close attention to “Submission
Guidelines” of the publisher. I was so ignorant of everything; I had to ask
what that meant. All I knew was I wanted to write a book. I even try writing
poems and have learned that even poetry has its own guidelines and styles that
must be strictly adhered to. I learned a lot on this website: http://www.writersrelief.com/
Do you have a memorable moment since beginning your writing career?
I think the happiest moment of
my writing life would be the day I received the email from my publisher
accepting my first book and sending a contract. I sincerely thank Ami Warren
and Willow Moon Publishing for giving me a start. My husband thought I was
having a heart attack or merely going crazy when hearing me yell and something
going “bump.” The bump was my knee hitting the keyboard tray on the desk. He
came running and said, “Girl you’d better calm down.” My thoughts went back to
my instructor, Mrs. Martin, of Communications I, II and III. She recommended me
for Honors Writing when I was in college, but of course, I didn’t take it. She
often told me she could see me being a journalist or even an author one day.
Here I am!
Linda's links:
(She would love for you to visit her blog)
My author’s page on Amazon:
My LinkedIn page Linda |
LinkedIn
My Pinterest Linda Black (lindakblack) on Pinterest
On Barnes and Noble LindaBlack--B&N
