I grew up with Kevin Henke books; he was my mom’s favorite. And as an adult, I grew to really appreciate Dr. Suess. Both authors used their platform to teach some really meaningful lessons, while still having fun with it and that’s what I want to be known for too.
Christine Reynebeau – 19 August 2019
The Back Flap
For ages 3-9… Henry didn’t understand what his mom meant when she said his guts would tell him what to do. Then at recess, his guts help him to make the right decision. This story is about trusting our intuition and reminding ourselves to always trust that gut feeling, even if it doesn’t make sense to everyone else.
“I love the messaging about trusting one’s self and the book was a wonderful catalyst to discuss doing things for the right reasons.” -Amazon Review
Children’s book that takes real-world lessons and makes them fun and palatable. Great for elementary schools, at bedtime, or as gifts.
Help parents to start the meaningful discussion about the power of kindness, our personal resiliency, and new ways to address bullying!
About the book
What is the book about?
Guts is about a young man who is faced with a difficult choice and needs to trust his instincts. Remembering with his mom, when his guts tell him it’s not a good idea, he trusts his guts and chooses to do something else.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing the book in 2014 and officially published it in 2016.
How long did it take you to write it?
Once I had the idea in my head, it took me about 8 hours over the course of two weeks to bring it all together and get the right rhymes!
Where did you get the idea from?
I work in youth development and I was talking with some young people who didn’t really understand what people meant about following intuition. And for me, that was something I had been doing my whole life, so I realized that this could be a really valuable lesson to help people to understand, in case no one ever explained it to them.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The illustrations and getting them completed was the biggest struggle. That is actually what extended the timelines by a full year and half. I had 5 illustrators start working on it and back out before I met Brandi at a YMCA event, while working, and she helped me finish the product!
What came easily?
The story came easiest. I try not to force a book to be written, and this book came most naturally to me of any of my books.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The character of Henry in this story is entirely fictitious, but he emulates a lot of the young people I worked with.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
The two that have truly impacted my writing are Dr. Suess and Kevin Henke. I grew up with Kevin Henke books; he was my mom’s favorite. And as an adult, I grew to really appreciate Dr. Suess. Both authors used their platform to teach some really meaningful lessons, while still having fun with it and that’s what I want to be known for too.
Do you have a target reader?
Technically, ages 2-8 are a great audience for my books, but no, I’ve had new parents start using the books with their infants and I’ve seen them given to college students as a gift.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Its absolute chaos, but it’s all about letting the story come to me naturally. I start by brainstorming life lessons and marketability of those lessons, always reaching out to my social media audiences for help too. Sometimes I start writing first or I pick from my 5 characters in the series to visualize who will help me tell the story: Lucy, Henry, or the dogs. It really depends on how well the storylines are coming together. Sometimes I walk away if it’s not coming to me and don’t come back to the story until words are flowing smoothly. And sometimes I have to leave myself voice memos as I’m walking with my dog or driving somewhere. Once written, I have a handful of people read it for editing and flow. The key for me is that I am flexible with the process, that nothing is forced.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Not at all. Being a children’s book author, the stories I write are shorter and rhyming, so I write in poem format and then move it into pages. It probably isn’t recommended, but I don’t storyboard anything, because once I get an illustrator working on it, I want them to read the story and design the images with their own creativity.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Both. There is a lot of re-reading and changing words. And then at the end, I have a trusted team to critique the book, proofread for errors and help with reading flow.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I am a small indie press, so at this point in time, I use my personal team of supporters to edit my stories.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Sometimes and if I do, I usually listen to Pandora: Coffeehouse Covers Station or Hold On by Walk the Earth Station
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No, that was too costly and time consuming, so I learned the publishing world and built my own publishing company.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I started with a vanity press for my first two books, then went indie, but took it a step farther to start designing my own indie publishing company. It was gradual, over the course of 3 years, but really it came down to me realizing that my first press was doing very little to support me. So if I have to do all the work alone, why not learn how to format a book, publish it and build a business? Now I have all the transparency I wanted, control over the message my business adds to the industry and the costs that are incurred. And I’m building my own dream, not someone else’s.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
It’s been shared work between myself and my illustrators.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I used to just wing it, but over time I’ve learned a lot of great marketing strategies, so with my most recent book, I had a fully outlined 2 week marketing plan. It went better than winging it, so I’ll probably stick with it!
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
December 2019 will be 6 years since I started this journey and I’m nowhere near the success I really want yet, but I’m getting closer. It takes work. You have to want it badly, because it can be a lot of hard days before you get the satisfying experiences. And even then, indie books are not for the weak of heart. So, do your research (lots of it, be guarded and educated about who gets your money or support), build a support system, create a schedule, ask other authors questions, and if you start, don’t give up easily.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Where do you live now?
Wausau, Wisconsin
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m an ally for the new authors. Find me on social media and reach out if you need advice, help or support. No one was there for me in the first handful of years. I aim to be the person I needed.
What are you working on now?
I am working on publishing another author yet this year and then I’ll have my 6th book releasing in Spring of 2020.
End of Interview:
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