Meet J.D. Holiday and Learn About Her Books for Kids.

Welcome to one of the stops on the tour for award winning author, J. D. Holiday. Here are some of the questions she has so graciously answered for us along the tour.

 How long have you been writing?



It's about 30 years now. A friend asked me to help her write a book she was working on. I did and went we were done with it, I started writing one of my own. Once in a while I would stop for a few months and then get back to it.


 What is a typical writing day like for you?



I write and paint my children's books so some of my days can be spent between writng and the artwork. I spend about 2 to 4 hours a day doing one or the other,or both.


 Is your family supportive of your writing?




Yes. They didn't always, but it's been going on so long now that it is now a way of life for us all.



Do you consider yourself a born writer?



No, but I was conditioned by watching my father write his stories and typing away on his typewriter every weekend all my childhood.



What was the first thing you ever had published?




I sure can. It was short story basic on a loved neighbor of mine who had to decide if she could stay in her own home once she she could not take care of it by herself. In the story a new feline friend and some of her human friends make it an easy discussion. The short story was called, 'Where The Heart Is,' and it was publishing in a literary magazine called Legacy in 1992.

 What do you enjoy most about writing?

The accomplishment I feel after completing all I set out to do in a story.


What is the best writing advice you ever received?



That would be, Edit, Edit and Edit. A writer must learn to do it mostly themselves or find or hire an editor to do it for them. It is not only important to catch spelling and grammar errors but you can clean up story problems as well that could stand in the way of a great story.

What would we be surprised to learn about you?


That I was probably dyslexic as a child. I don't believe they knew about it. For many years writing and spelling were difficult. In school reading was a major problem. I found, early on, that if I listened in class and could remember then I could pass a test. I could not pass a test with studying at home or just reading chapters.


 What tips can you give writing parents with children at home to help them see publication?


Use what writing time they have wisely. In those moments when they are "alone" on occasion, they should spend some of it researching their market and the publishing route they should take.

I appreciate having had the opportunity to post part of this interview here for J.D.Holiday. What a wonderful author and friend I have made. I hope you have followed her tour and learned more about her writing process and why her books for kids are a great addition to their collection.