As our tagline says, “A true story about a pretend world,” Closet of Dreams IS the make-believe world Mark and I invented and lived-out in that magical closet—years and years of adventures.
Mark Ukra & Tara Mesalik MacMahon – 27 March 2024
The Back Flap
A true story about a pretend world. Meet a nine-year-old boy named Child who has big dreams-so big, he’s actually got a Closet of Dreams in his home! But Child’s fears are really big too, and his path is lined with curve balls, especially those spun by class bully, Eddie. Follow along with Child’s adventures as he discovers the secret powers of his Closet of Dreams and of his incredible animal friends from Kids Park–Ele the elephant, Sister Sue the hippo, and Clarence the bear–all under the guiding paw of Hilda the dachshund. You might just be in for a surprise!
About the book
What is the book about?
The book’s about Child, a nine-year-old boy (yup, that’s really his name!), and Child wants nothing more than to be on his local little league team. But the league’s dwindling and to make matters worse, Child’s got a gang of bullies targeting him. So, Child goes to a place called the Closet of Dreams—his grandmother, Gamma, invented it for him—a safe place to go when he gets scared. Gamma always says, “when your fears disappear, your dreams appear!” The book follows Child and Gamma’s adventures, together with their amazing and talented animal friends. Readers will be in for a lot of fun surprises!
When did you start writing the book?
My brother Mark and I started writing this book, or more like scripting the story in our heads, when we were just kids. Our family had moved into a small, old house with an empty closet that remained empty for years, except to be filled with our wild imaginations and adventures. Mark was “Child,” and I was “Gamma,” and now these adventures can be enjoyed, too, by our readers in Closet of Dreams, the first book in the Adventures of Child and Gamma Series.
How long did it take you to write it?
Pen to paper and years later, about seven years.
Where did you get the idea from?
As our tagline says, A true story about a pretend world, Closet of Dreams IS the make-believe world Mark and I invented and lived-out in that magical closet—years and years of adventures.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
When it came to difficult subject matter like bullying, it was a challenge for my brother and me to find the right measure between revealing too much or not enough.
What came easily?
Any storytelling of the heartwarming, beautiful, and fun relationship between Child and his grandmother, Gamma, was a natural, as well as the scenes with Hilda the dog and the large animals. Of course, there still was editing, there’s always editing!
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
No character in the book is entirely “fictitious” or entirely “real world,” whether person, animal or other. To my brother and me, how exciting and interesting to borrow from both the real world and our imaginations. And we believe that even our imaginations would stand any test of authentication!
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?
I’ve been most influenced by Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, and Sara Pennypacker. I would say what stands out most is their brilliant writing, uniqueness of characters, and wildly imaginative and fun stories that still retain a wholesomeness and timelessness. It’s a high bar.
Do you have a target reader?
7-10 year-olds, but truly, Closet of Dreams is a timeless story for readers of all ages.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My brother and I are co-authors. Sometimes he lays down a chapter, and sometimes I do. I’m then the lead on most stages of the editing after that, showing my brother the draft revisions for his consideration and ideas too. It’s a great check, cross-check.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
We’re not “outline” authors, and that’s on purpose. We want to be open to places the story takes us that we didn’t already know. As Robert Frost said, “no surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader!”
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I am constantly editing as we go, just my nature. We hope, though, by the end END of the editing (if there is ever such a thing!), the writing will read effortlessly, and the writer will disappear.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, though first we edited and revised extensively ourselves. Additionally, my writers’ group critiqued each chapter, chapter by chapter, and two other great writer friends each carefully reviewed the book (so grateful for them all). Ultimately, our publisher, too, added their excellent editorial skills to the process. All were invaluable.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Silence in the room is my music of choice when it comes to writing. I’m also a poet, mostly rhythm-driven verse, and the rhythm of musical notes in my writing-space competes, for me, with the rhythm of the story’s or poem’s music on the page.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
We did, a handful of the best of the best, and in some instances, we got somewhere!
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
We had, still have, a vision of a several book series for The Adventures of Child and Gamma—Closet of Dreams is book I. But nothing for us with the traditional publishing route was happening very swiftly, and also, importantly, we wanted to maintain creative control, so we turned Indie.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The cover was a collaboration between our professional illustrator, and her husband, a miniatures sculpture-artist who created, then photographed a 3-D model for the cover, and finally our publisher put on the finishing touches. We are thrilled with the result.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
We’ve hired BooksForward for this, and thus far, we couldn’t be happier. They are total pros and we trust them, and this leaves us more time to continue with our writing Book II of the Series.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Ask for a lot of help from experts, talk to/listen to other writers, believe in your vision, and last–don’t be afraid! After all, as Gamma always says, “when your fears disappear, your dreams appear!”
About You
Where did you grow up?
Mark and I grew up together in that small house in Los Angeles, except for Friday nights, hands down the best night of the week when we slept-over at our grandparent’s apartment.
Where do you live now?
Mark lives in Ojai, California and I live on San Juan Island, an island in the Salish Sea, part of Washington State. Orca whales come through my backyard (when they want to!)
What would you like readers to know about you?
That we care about them.
What are you working on now?
We are deep into writing Book II of the series, where Child and Gamma and their animal friends are in a race to rescue Starr, a magical baby elephant in Botswana.
End of Interview:
For more from Mark Ukra & Tara Mesalik MacMahon visit their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
Get your copy of Closet of Dreams from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
