Kids Questions About Life Book #1 Release!

As mothers of boys ranging in age from 2 - 15, Holly and I have heard it all. Kids ask questions. Brutally blunt yet insightful questions that will catch you off guard... just the other day my 4-year-old asked if there was a person inside his body. The word he was looking for was "soul". He's also asked me in the last month "what happens when we die" and "why he can't put germs in his mouth". You can see why, as mothers, we fell in love with the concept of Agnes's books.

KIDS QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE is a series geared to answer all the crazy questions we get asked. The first book, HEY BUDDY, I'M YOUR BODY! focuses on all aspects of the body, what the organs do, why we should eat good food, why we pee....pretty much anything you can think of. We're very excited to be releasing Book 1 TODAY!

Get your copy by clicking the link below!

E-BOOK - PAPERBACK - HARDCOVER

Learn a little more about the biochemist/acupuncturist/mom, Agnes Deglon, who wrote the books in our interview with her below!

1. Hi Agnes! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a mom of two young boys who are discovering the world with all their senses and curiosity. It’s amazing! I am also a biochemist and acupuncturist, I love learning new things and challenging perspectives. I grew up in Europe, I have always traveled a lot, and we moved to the US with my husband eight years ago. The encounter with different cultures allows me to challenge my views on many things. I love to discover new ways of thinking and helping people broaden their horizons.

2. What inspired you to become an author? And/or what inspired you to write your book?

I was looking for books to help explain important things about life to my 4 y.o. son. He was full of questions and I definitely did not have all the answers. I was hoping to find the answers in a book, but I couldn’t. I started to collect the answers everywhere I could find them, but I was still struggling trying to explain difficult concepts to him. That’s when I started drawing my answers, and it seemed to work for him. So why not share with others?

3. Can you tell us about your publishing journey? Why did you choose to traditionally or self-publish? Did you try and/or succeed in finding an agent?

I tried self-publishing, and with the help of my husband actually managed to get a hard copy of my first book series, and even an award for the second book, but that was also already the end of my success! I was stuck and did not know where to go from there. So I signed up for the Southern California Writers Conference looking for help. I got very lucky and found Acorn Publishing. I also spoke to an agent at the conference, but he clearly indicated that I should go the self-publishing route. I am still very new to this. My journey, with the help of Acorn, has been very pleasant thus far. Thank you!

4. What is your day-to-day routine like as a writer and a parent?

In my experience there are several steps to writing. My kids are actually the source of my inspiration. They ask all these questions and as a parent I see it as my responsibility to find answers. While my kids are around I just listen and try to answer. Later, when I have time to sit on my computer, I write down the questions and start looking for better answers, I try to weave the questions and answers into a story. When I am out there in the world with my kids, on the playground, in the pool, in the car, biking or hiking out in nature, I look for answers. Sometimes they show up in unexpected places. It's like meditation, you just have to keep your mind open to it and catch it as it shows up.

5. How do you stay motivated and inspired to write and illustrate?

The kids make sure I don’t run out of material! Illustrating my answer is like using a universal language. I think my mind works better with images than words. Maybe because I grew up bilingual (French and German) and now I write in English. It can be challenging, but drawings are the same for everyone, kids, adults, no matter what language they speak.

6. What were the top three learning experiences or surprises you encountered throughout the publishing/writing process?

When I started my books I had pictures in my mind but I did not know how to get them on paper. So first I had to find a tool to create my illustrations. My husband has been a great support on my journey. He helped me get many of the tools I needed to get to where I wanted. He installed Illustrator and Indesign on my computer and told me to go figure out how they work!

Writing is very different from illustrating. I did not think of myself as I writer. I was just trying to communicate, get a message across, language was one of the tools. The question I had to ask myself was: “Which language?” To be quite honest, I am not sure why I chose English.

And last but not least, I had no idea about publishing. I just created my books and put them out for sale. Nothing happened, I had no idea how to go about it. Writing and illustrating were already two challenging steps, but publishing is yet a totally different story. I am still in the process of discovering it.

7. What advice would you give to young writers and illustrators?

For me inspiration is key. Nothing happens, nothing flows when I try to force it. My first drafts are always very unorganized and just a collection of ideas. I let them sit there for awhile and look at them later again. I find it very important to take time out of the equation. Writing or illustrating under pressure has not worked for me at all, my best creations come when I least expect them. Go for a walk, a bike ride, a swim, sit outside, find some physical activity to keep you busy, but keep your mind open. That’s when it happens for me.