Feed Me Books Friday: Interview with an Author

This week Janna over at The Adventure in Motherhood, the hostess of this fabulous Feed Me Books Friday, shared a book she wrote and even encouraged her participants to do the same.  "Share a book that I've written?" thought I.  Well, that would require me to stop dreaming.  Stop talking about it.  Finally get brave enough.  And just do it already.

Long story short ... I have not (yet) written a book.  But I share that passion and dream with Janna ... and countless other mommy bloggers is my guess.  However, I have had the very distinct pleasure of interviewing an honest-to-goodness, ridiculously talented and successful children's book author.  It was a thrill.  It was inspiring and intimidating all at the same time.

Her name is Linda Ashman.  Before I "knew" her, Natalie and I fell in love with her book Babies on the Go.  It was a random library find, and for a solid month it was read over and over.  Fast-forward about a year, and I started writing for Macaroni Kid in Colorado.  Through my online research, I discovered that a handful of well-known children's book authors live around Denver, which blossomed into an idea for a feature about the "author-next-door."   Through email I was able to learn more about her and her process of writing. What follows is an excerpt from that interview, originally published here.

To look a handful of books written by Linda Ashman, you may be surprised to learn they are all written by the same author.  She writes about a wide variety of topics and has worked with a multitude of illustrators.  Twenty of her books - many of which include poetry and masterful rhyme - have been published. Her books have earned much praise as well as a long list of literary distinctions.  One of her first books, Babies on the Go, is a nighttime favorite of my two year old.  I am a big fan of Creaky Old House; a story about a family who solves a problem and discovers a fondness for their home.

You've written so many books - covering a wide variety of topics - what inspires you? 
For the most part, I tend to write about things I love.  My son Jackson has been the biggest inspiration, but I also write about nature, animals, my dogs, and things that happen to interest me--like monsters in The Essential Worldwide Monster Guide, and life in 13th Century England in Come to the Castle.

Is your writing at all influenced by where you live?  By your daily life? 
Yes, definitely.  As just one example, I wrote Creaky Old House shortly after we moved to Denver, when my husband was busy fixing up our 1919 bungalow.  Jackson was five at the time, and obsessed with all things construction.  He wouldn't go anywhere without his hard hat and tool belt. Between the tools, old house magazines, and renovation conversations, it's no coincidence that I wrote a book about a wacky family and their home repair efforts. 

If you came here looking for a book recommendation, without hesitation, I say read with your child ANYTHING written by Linda Ashman!