Where are you from?
I am from London, England but now live in southern Germany.
What do you do with yourself beside writing?
I am a mum to 3 kids, have 2 dogs and run a German restaurant with my 1 husband JJJ.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I have always loved reading but never ever thought that I could ever write anything myself. My youngest daughter never showed much interest in books so as a birthday present one year, I decided to write a story and turn it into a book all about her and our dogs, Charlie and Molly. She loved the fact that the illustrations in the book looked so much like our dogs and this worked out very well because since then she has shown a much greater interest in reading. So I really only discovered, for myself, a love for writing about 5 or 6 years ago.
What is your favourite book?
This is such a hard question. There are so many great books that I can think of but there is one book that I really enjoyed and I read many times over and that is ‘Die weiße Massai’ (German version) by Corinne Hofmann.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Not only can I remember what book it was, I can remember where I was when I started crying and it wasn’t that long ago! Haha! It was the book ‘Philomena’ and I was sitting in my local library waiting for my daughter to come out of school.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I started by writing books about my dogs. I wrote these in English and since publishing them, I have also translated them in German so there are both languages (English and German) on each page. These books belong in their own series. The books that I have written based on stories about my daughter belong in their own series too. But each book can be read alone without having to be read in any particular order.
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Finding and hiring a really good editor!
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have a whole folder full of ideas, written pages, poems and at least 6 children’s stories that I may or may not continue with in the future. But I like the thought that they are there, sitting in my folder just waiting for me.
What’s the best way to market your books?
This is something that I am still learning and I would love to know the answer to myself! Everyday I watch these amazing children’s authors who I follow online and I am in total awe of them. So many wonderful authors, marketing their amazing books, making videos, doing books readings, connecting with other authors etc. A lot can be learned from them – and I am still in the process of learning.
How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time one?
I am still a part-time writer. I think it would be amazing to be able to one day call myself a ‘full-time children’s book author’. Maybe when my kids are a little older and I have more time to devote to my ideas and stories and of course, the marketing that goes into selling books, then I could look into doing this full time. How amazing would that be! Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, I visited primary school classes with Charlie, (one of my dogs) and I would read my books to the children who were learning English as a second language. I loved that! Charlie loved that! The school kids loved that! It was so much fun. That is something that I could imagine doing full-time.
What is your favourite childhood book? Definitely ‘The Island of Adventure’ by Enid Blyton. As an adult I re-read the adventure series – amazing, amazing books! I still love them, even now.
Does your family support your career as a writer?
100%. My husband has encouraged me all the way and I just love it when I overhear him telling people that I have written children’s books. I love hearing the pride in his voice. My Father-in-Law is also a wonderful encouragement. He used to be a teacher before he retired so anything that gets children reading and motivated to read books gets his backing. My youngest daughter likes my books a lot but has asked me to wait for her to leave school before I go and visit and read in her English class! Haha!
How long on average does it take you to write a book? The story or rhyme can come to me quite quickly. I’ll have an idea, then jot it down and build from there. The process of tidying it up and editing, then discussing and producing illustrations of course takes longer. For me personally, it can take up to a year or more for my idea to end up as a finished book.
Charlotte is also the author of Greedy Grace, Impatient Grace and Tooth Fairies and What Makes my Dad Special?
Available @ Amazon
Happy Reading!
Laurelle Lewis