A big hello to all our lovely readers & thanks for stopping by our blog!

Today you are in for a magical treat as we have the honor of hosting multi-award-winning author JoAnn M. Dickinson

Stay tuned as we delve into why she decided to veer away from the conventional publishing path and instead opt for self-publishing, ultimately achieving great success. Discover the creative process behind her exceptional series and get ready to be inspired by her journey as a writer…

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Hi JoAnn! We are delighted to have been able to read and honor so many of your books. Your talent is outstanding, and we are thrilled to have the chance to interview you.

With an impressive four series already under your belt, it's clear that you have been writing children's books for quite some time. We would love to hear more about your author journey and the experiences that have stood out to you the most along the way.

Thank you so much for your kind words! My journey as an author has been incredibly fulfilling. I wrote my first book in 2016 I Love To Go Camping and shortly after that I wrote Lulu and her new best friend, you may not be familiar with them. The publisher I hired to assist me with the publishing was not very nurturing. After being educated on metering properly by my fabulous editor Robin Katz I now know I wasn’t working with an experienced team.

In 2021 I had a pivotal moment when I decided to take charge of my publishing journey as a self-published author. I hired an author coach, Stacy Bauer who helped me navigate the process of publishing 3-4 books a year. I built a wonderful team of from my editor, a talented group of illustrators, a book designer and an offset printing company.

This marked the beginning of several series, including rewriting and publishing my first two books John's Camping Adventures, and Lulu’s New Fir Friend.  Shortly after that I began writing Rylee the Young Rocketeer and two more books in that series followed, Rylee’s Rover Goes to Mars and Rylee’s Rover Goes to the Moon, and another favorite series, the beloved  Lou's Zoo Series. Each series has been a labor of love, inspired by different facets of my life and experiences.

It is evident you've put a lot of love into all your series, and each one is equally impressive and undeniably adventurous, which leads us to wonder if you are also the adventurous type in real life. Do you find inspiration for your stories from your own experiences and adventures?

Absolutely! I find immense inspiration from my own adventures, experiences and happenings around me. For instance, a visit to Yellowstone National Park, a few years ago sparked the idea for one of my books, John’s Adventures at Yellowstone Park. The awe-inspiring landscapes and wildlife there translated directly into the adventurous spirit of that particular story. I’m hoping one day I may have a National Park Series. I'm also passionate about space exploration as I love gazing at stars, learning about mars rovers, the different types of moons and watching an eclipse. I’m also fascinated by bees and their purpose, and ocean conservation, which found their way into my writing this year.

A National Park Series would be incredible!

The characters in your series are also so wonderful! Were they influenced by anyone you know in real life?

Many of my characters are indeed influenced by real people, especially my grandchildren, John and Amelia. John’s in the camping series, as well as Amelia as his sister, and now I have created a series especially for Amelia because Amelia came to me one day, and asked me to create her own series like John and of course I had to create a special series just for her, Amelia Ophelia the Beekeeper by the Sea and Amelia Ophelia and Narwally Protectors of the Sea. John loves the outdoors and nature and Amelia is such an adventurist, their personalities and adventures reflect the joy and wonder I see in them every day. It adds a personal touch to my storytelling, making the characters feel more relatable and authentic.

How wonderful! It must be so special for them to have such amazing stories inspired by them.  Speaking of which, we are in awe of your creativity and storytelling skills. Could you please share a glimpse into your writing process? How do you come up with such imaginative ideas for your books?

My writing process is deeply rooted in finding meaningful stories to tell. Each book and series has its own genesis story. For instance, the Lou’s Zoo Series began with a simple idea about exploring opposites through animal characteristics. As I developed the story, I found myself naming the animals, inadvertently incorporating auditory learning techniques (I wasn’t aware of at the time) such as Micky the Meek Monkey, Gina the Gentle Giraffe, and Gage the Glorious Gorila. This evolved into a narrative that not only explores opposites but also teaches children about kindness, compassion, and acceptance of others. I prioritize creating stories that serve as 'Teaching tools,' aiming to share important messages through the imaginative worlds I create.

Most of my story ideas come from happenings around me like Rylee the Young Rocketeer, I saw a float at a parade, with a young boy in a rocket ship, and I thought “wouldn’t it be great if I wrote a story that empowered young girls, that could be them, engineering a rocket and traveling to space.” Through my research, I knew kids are familiar with the Moon, Mars, and the Mars Rovers and I thought what a great series that could be. That’s how Rylee’s Rover Goes To Mars and Rylee’s Rover Goes to the Moon was created. I love creating STEAM and SEL-based books that teachers can use in the classroom.

And what a great empowering series it is!

While we are on the topic, we value all of your series equally, but if you were to choose just one to keep, which one would it be and why?

Choosing one series is tough because I love the all, but if I had to chose, I would pick the Amelia Ophelia Series. This series quickly turned into one of my favorites due to the subject matter, plus they hold a special place in my heart because it was inspired by my granddaughter, Amelia. Beyond the personal connection, researching beekeeping for this series opened my eyes to the critical role bees play in our ecosystem. It became not just a story but a mission to educate young readers about conservation. Similarly, my latest release, Amelia Ophelia and Narwally Protectors of the Sea, explores ocean conservation, a cause dear to me as I live near the ocean and witness its beauty firsthand.

We are wholeheartedly behind each of your missions! In fact, there is no doubt that your books will motivate numerous environmental advocates and make a significant difference globally!

Before we go, we are excited to know what the future holds for you as an author. Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or plans you have in store?

Currently, I’ve completed writing the third book of the Lou's Zoo Series, titled Rory's Quest A Lou's Zoo Adventure. It's a thrilling journey of Rory’s search to find his mother as he meets new, unique friends from Africa on his journey. Additionally, I'm excited about my new adventure writing my first chapter book, which I aim to launch by Halloween. It's a new venture for me, and I can’t wait to share this new book series with everyone.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my Author Journey!

Well, we can't speak for everyone, but we are definitely looking forward to what this talented author has in store for us next!

If you're interested in exploring any of the amazing series discussed in the interview, be sure to click on the links provided below.

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Thanks for reading!

With magic,

TGW