WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: www.alisonneuman.caBlog: http://www.alisonneuman.ca/blog/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Alison_Neuman
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alisonneuman.ca
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4375290.Alison_Neuman
Thanks for this interview, Alison.
Congratulations on your new book! Would you say it’s been a rocky road
for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much
smooth sailing? Can you tell us about
your journey?
Thank you for having me on your blog. The process of writing Home, the
last installment of my Friends and Family Series, was challenging, and I
wasn’t sure if the series would ever be finished after my mom passed away two
years ago. Throughout my entire life, my mom was always there with me. Through
all my hospitalizations and doctors' appointments, she was my sense of home. My
family had a love for reading, and many a night when I was a small child and in
and out of the hospital, my mom would read to me before I fell asleep. My mom
always made time to read, and when I was older, we would silently read
together.
As macular degeneration stole my mom's vision and made it challenging to
read, I started reading out loud to her. While the activity was reversed, we
could still share our love of reading. In the last few years, my mom had
dementia, and we were her caregivers. I wanted to share my writing, my love and
appreciation for all she had done. I started the first book in the series
called Don't Eat Family, about a cat (Fluffy) who meets a mouse (Levi)
experiencing a disability, and they become friends. My mom’s childhood pet
inspired the cat, and the mouse is the literary character I wished I had to
identify with when I was a child experiencing a disability. The follow-up book,
Help From Friends, was about ability and adventures between friends. Home,
explores the journey of memories and friendships as Fluffy brings her friend
Levi and his family back to the safety of her family home. As I was writing
this book and still grieving from losing my mom, it made me realize that
wherever I was, my mom was always my home and I will always carry her with me.
Home is being launched before
Mother’s Day because this book is my gift for her. I hope this book and the
series will be shared with parents and their children and grow a love of
reading.
If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the title be?
Searching for My Life or Pushing Through
would be some potential autobiography titles.
When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?
When not writing, I love to spend time with my family and friends, read,
dance, craft, bake, and be outside.
What makes your book stand out from the rest?
My book stands out from the rest because there is a strong character
that is experiencing a disability and not a negative plot point for the main
character. All of the artwork in the book is comprised of paintings that were
done with sketches, paints, and special paper, versus digitally on a computer.
If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday
would that be and why?
Home would go in the Mother’s Day
section of the store because the series is for sharing with family.
Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already
been done?
Home is part of the Friends and
Family series.
When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time
profession?
As a child, I loved books, but I never thought of a career as an author
despite the fact I have written my entire life.
Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?
Yes, Ice Rose – A Young Adult Spy Novel and Searching For
Normal: A Memoir were both rejected numerous times before finding their
current publishers.
What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?
I would love to co-author a book and share the writing and publishing
journey with another author. Being able to have an additional view and writing
skillset to include in the creation of the manuscript would be beneficial. Not
to mention, having a second person to work in tandem on book promotions would
be fun.
What’s next for you?
My next project, which I have worked on for a few years, is my
manuscript entitled Hindsight. It is about a young woman, Olivia, who is
experiencing a disability and balancing University and work, grieving the loss
of a parent, and searching for love. She begins researching a story for her
university paper and discovers a secret that, when revealed, will threaten not
only her life but also her family and love.
About HOME
Thanks for this interview, Alison.
Congratulations on your new book! Would you say it’s been a rocky road
for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much
smooth sailing? Can you tell us about
your journey?
Thank you for having me on your blog. The process of writing Home, the
last installment of my Friends and Family Series, was challenging, and I
wasn’t sure if the series would ever be finished after my mom passed away two
years ago. Throughout my entire life, my mom was always there with me. Through
all my hospitalizations and doctors' appointments, she was my sense of home. My
family had a love for reading, and many a night when I was a small child and in
and out of the hospital, my mom would read to me before I fell asleep. My mom
always made time to read, and when I was older, we would silently read
together.
As macular degeneration stole my mom's vision and made it challenging to
read, I started reading out loud to her. While the activity was reversed, we
could still share our love of reading. In the last few years, my mom had
dementia, and we were her caregivers. I wanted to share my writing, my love and
appreciation for all she had done. I started the first book in the series
called Don't Eat Family, about a cat (Fluffy) who meets a mouse (Levi)
experiencing a disability, and they become friends. My mom’s childhood pet
inspired the cat, and the mouse is the literary character I wished I had to
identify with when I was a child experiencing a disability. The follow-up book,
Help From Friends, was about ability and adventures between friends. Home,
explores the journey of memories and friendships as Fluffy brings her friend
Levi and his family back to the safety of her family home. As I was writing
this book and still grieving from losing my mom, it made me realize that
wherever I was, my mom was always my home and I will always carry her with me.
Home is being launched before
Mother’s Day because this book is my gift for her. I hope this book and the
series will be shared with parents and their children and grow a love of
reading.
If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the title be?
Searching for My Life or Pushing Through
would be some potential autobiography titles.
When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?
When not writing, I love to spend time with my family and friends, read,
dance, craft, bake, and be outside.
What makes your book stand out from the rest?
My book stands out from the rest because there is a strong character
that is experiencing a disability and not a negative plot point for the main
character. All of the artwork in the book is comprised of paintings that were
done with sketches, paints, and special paper, versus digitally on a computer.
If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday
would that be and why?
Home would go in the Mother’s Day
section of the store because the series is for sharing with family.
Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already
been done?
Home is part of the Friends and
Family series.
When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time
profession?
As a child, I loved books, but I never thought of a career as an author
despite the fact I have written my entire life.
Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?
Yes, Ice Rose – A Young Adult Spy Novel and Searching For
Normal: A Memoir were both rejected numerous times before finding their
current publishers.
What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?
I would love to co-author a book and share the writing and publishing
journey with another author. Being able to have an additional view and writing
skillset to include in the creation of the manuscript would be beneficial. Not
to mention, having a second person to work in tandem on book promotions would
be fun.
What’s next for you?
My next project, which I have worked on for a few years, is my
manuscript entitled Hindsight. It is about a young woman, Olivia, who is
experiencing a disability and balancing University and work, grieving the loss
of a parent, and searching for love. She begins researching a story for her
university paper and discovers a secret that, when revealed, will threaten not
only her life but also her family and love.
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