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Author Interview "JN Prioleau"

JN Prioleau is retired military with a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration and currently a PhD student at Walden University. She is the mother of one teen, a dog and bird. She has been writing professionally for several years focusing mostly on children’s stories. The Clyde series are stories mostly about the funny events in her son’s life and Ole Rabbit is based on stories that were told to her as a child. JN does her best writing while sitting outside listening to nature or while sitting quietly in her favorite room at home.

Q&A

How did you come up with the idea for the Clyde series, and do you have a favorite book among them?

For the Clyde series, I wanted to find a way to get my son interested in reading more books. So I decided to write stories based on the events in his life. The story idea was a hit. It made him laugh and he has been enjoying reading ever since. My favorite book in the Clyde series is book 1. Book 1 captured a variety of the things he did and it was my first published children’s book. So it holds a special place in my heart. One of your most recent books is Ol'e Rabbit. What inspired you to write this book?

Ole’ Rabbit is a very special book. I wrote that book as a dedication to my Uncle Charlie. When I was a small child, Uncle Charlie used to tell us stories almost every night. His favorite story was Ole’ Rabbit. His version of the story was a little different than mine. I had to make it more kid friendly. But I loved hearing his version. We used to gather around and drank hot chocolate while listening to his stories. I miss that.

I loved Ole’ Rabbit so much and made a promise to Uncle Charlie it will one day be a book. I had the opportunity to read the entire manuscript to him before he passed and he liked it. A few years later, it was published. There is a dedication page in the book ‘Ole’ Rabbit’ to Uncle Charlie. I miss him so much. You are extremely prolific. Do you write one book at a time, or do you have several in progress at once?

I love writing. I have several written projects I’m working. I’m currently writing another ‘Ole Rabbit’ book, A Clyde series book, a romance novel and a movie script. I get bored easily and have to have several projects going on at once to keep things interesting. What role did books play in your childhood? What were your favorites?

Growing up, reading was my thing. We were poor but I had a very happy childhood. I used reading as a way to mentally escape and explore places I would never have the opportunity to go to. I didn’t have any favorite books. I loved fictional, romance and Sci-fi. Why do you think it is a good idea for kids to read books?

Reading is a wonderful thing. It helps build imagination. And we all know how powerful imagination can be. Reading stimulates the mind, keeps it going. A stimulated mind becomes an inventive mind with a clear creative visualization that can create and build. Do you still read children's book? Who are some of your favorite authors today?

I don’t read children’s books as often as I used to. Every now and then I would read to one of my nieces or nephews. My favorite children’s books growing up were ‘The Berenstain Bears’. What inspired you to write professionally?

I’ve always wanted to write professionally. Years ago, I co-authored my first book of poems with my mom. It was a sentimental piece and I never market it. It wasn’t until I wrote the Clyde series. After seeing my son enjoying reading the funny stories about him, I wanted to publish and share it with the world. So it was my son’s enjoyment of reading that inspired me to write professionally. Can you tell us a little bit about your path to publication?

My path to publishing was not easy. I did a lot of research and sent my manuscript to few publishers. I decided I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me from seeing my books in print. So I self-published and was happy ever since. I have complete control over my books and don’t have any stressful demands. Any words of advice for those looking to self-publish?

Those looking to self-publish don’t give up on your dreams. There are many well known authors that took that non-traditional path. Just focus on putting your books out there and do lots of creative marketing. One day you’ll be recognized. What’s next on the horizon for you as an author?

Next on the horizon, keep writing more books. I have several projects I’m working on and it should be finished soon. Ole’ Rabbit book 2; Clyde’s First Soccer Game; a movie script and a children’s play.

Also, as part of my creative visualization - I’m hoping to take things to the next level and write for children’s networks. If you want to dream… you must dream big.

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