Welcome to The Storyteller's Scroll, Roxanne.
Hi Gayle. Thanks for sharing my book with your subscribers.
Tell us about your news:
I’m so excited to see MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME make it to bookshelves around the world this month. (And yes, it will be “around the world,” because Yeehoo Press, my publisher, publishes in both English and simplified Chinese at the same time. How cool is that?!?)
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Laura Purdie Salas. She writes (predominantly) poetic nonfiction and is just an incredibly knowledgeable and kind author. Though she is unagented, she has over a hundred published books for kids in both the trade and education markets. And, as an unagented author myself, she inspires me.
How long did your journey take to publication and what were some significant events along the way for this book?
It took a couple months to get a solid draft of this story into shape. And though my pecan expert had only good things to say when he reviewed it, he wasn’t a children’s literature expert. Thankfully, a kind editor saw something in the story worth publishing and requested an R&R (a revise and resubmit) from me. I didn’t agree with the direction she wanted my story to take, but I did recognize the problem she was pointing out. My story was missing its voice. So I went back to revisions.
I worked for another month honing the story’s language and boosting its emotional resonance before submitting it again. And though that submission was ultimately a pass, the editor was so complimentary, I knew I was on the right track. I continued to submit and finally found my publisher about six months later. And here we are, nearly two years after that initial draft, with a fully realized book in hand.
What was the best thing about getting this book published?
This is my first trade picture book, so that is incredibly exciting! (I have over a dozen books in the education market, and over a dozen more ghostwritten; but this is my first “in-bookstore” book under my own name!) After signing the contract, my favorite thing about this whole process has to be seeing the illustrations. Kendra Binney did a phenomenal job!
What was the hardest thing?
I think the hardest part about any book project is the wait.
What is your book about?
MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME is a lyrical, informational fiction picture book about the life-and-harvest cycle of pecans as told through the relational lens of a grandfather and child. It’s a book about history (the pecan is North America’s only indigenous tree nut) and where our food comes from, but ultimately, it’s a book about family.
Do you have any more projects on the horizon?
I do, but as none have yet been announced, I’ll have to wait to share that good news.
And, just for fun, tell us something not a lot of people know about you.
I can quote nearly every classic (animated) Disney movie made before 1995 with an 80+% accuracy. (We didn’t have network TV as a child. But we did own a VCR!)
Roxanne Troup writes kid's books that celebrate wonder and family. With a background in education, she also writes engaging nonfiction for all ages.Roxanne loves to visit schools to water seeds of literacy and teach about writing. (And sometimes remembers to water the plants in her own garden.)
GIVEAWAY: Roxanne is giving away a signed copy of My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me to one subscriber who comments below. Winner will be announced next week.
Learn more about Roxanne online at:
Website: www.roxannetroup.com
Twitter: @RoxanneTroup
And purchase her book at:
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-grandpa-my-tree-and-me-roxanne-troup/1141969096?ean=9781953458551
Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/My-Grandpa-Tree/Roxanne-Troup/9781953458551?id=8419280389417
What an inspiring story. Thank you for sharing your writing experience,
Your illustrations are just amazing, and the story sounds wonderful! Congratulations and I'm excited to see what other books you have in store for the world!
Great interview! Congratulations on your book! It looks like a lovely story.