Carol: What are your New Year resolutions
for your book goals in 2009?
Melanie: I really hope to spend more time writing.
I have several books in the works, and could probably
get three of them ready for publication this year.
Carol: What can you tell us about yourself?
Melanie: I live in Michigan. I spend most of
my time homeschooling my four children, writing,
and hobby farming. I love to sing solo and in
the choir at Church.
Carol: What is the name of your current book
and give a synopsis of it?
Melanie: It is titled,
A Family for Madison. Madison and
Emily are twins, adopted by very different families
at birth. They can talk with each other in their
minds. Madison’s family oesn’t work out, and she
is placed in a children’s home. Emily is her only
friend, though they have never met—until
the very end of the book.
Carol: Who is your publisher and how do you
feel about this publisher? Would you recommend
this publisher to other aspiring authors?
Melanie: Publish America published A Family
for Madison. I am pleased with the cover
design, which they provided, and the quality of
the paper. I was so happy to have my first book
published. I was very upset, though, to find that
they had printed an ad in the back of my book
for an adult-themed novel—not something
most parents would want their child exposed to.
When I contacted them about it, their response
was essentially, "Everybody else is doing it."
I wouldn’t mind ads for other innocent children’s
books. Unless other aspiring authors are writing
adult-themed novels, I would recommend they find
an agent who works with more respectable publishers.
Carol: What is your publishing journey? How
did you get started in writing?
Melanie: My younger sister sent me some fan-fiction
she had written and it was very good. It inspired
me to try writing some of my own. My first writing
was a Harry Potter based story which I may put
on my website when I get the time. I bought some
books teaching me how to write, and checked some
out of the library. I found that ideas came into
my head faster than I could write them down, and
I have more stories right now than I could ever
write. Some of the books I read told me to just
send off my finished manuscripts and see what
happens. So I did.
Carol: Do you have an agent? If so, why and
why not?
Melanie: I do not have an agent, yet. In the
words of another author friend of mine, I was
greedy and didn’t really want to share my pittance
with anyone else. I’ve learned my lesson, and
as soon as I get another manuscript ready for
publishing, I am definitely finding an agent.
Carol: Did you self-publish or go the traditional
route?
Melanie: I went the traditional route.
Carol: What are your views on the writers
of today?
Melanie: I think we have such good examples to
learn from and to build on. I think today’s writing
is much more exciting than earlier writing. On
the other hand, I think a lot of writers today
are putting a lot of unnecessary foul language,
violence, sex, etc., into their books that would
never have been allowed 100 years ago. Just like
television and movies, I suppose.
Carol: Who is your favorite author and why?
Melanie: I have too many favorite authors! Alexander
Key, Isaac Asimov, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien,
my sister Kate, and a whole lot of others. I love
authors who are funny but clean, and fill their
stories with action and people who a do things
ordinary people can’t do.
Carol: How do you feel about writing?
Melanie: I love it. I find it relaxing. I get
totally absorbed in my writing—lost in worlds
of my own creation.
Carol: Is writing a hobby or a full-time goal?
Melanie: It’s just a hobby for now. When my children
are older, I hope to write full-time.
Carol: What is your genre of writing? Explain.
Melanie: Children’s fantasy, mostly. I do have
a science fiction story I’m working on. My Madison
stories could easily be happening next door—they’re
pretty ordinary, except that Madison and Emily
can talk to each other in their minds.
Carol: What are your other published books?
Melanie: I haven’t published any others, yet.
Carol: Who inspired you to write and why?
Melanie: Who inspires me; my sister, because
she writes beautifully, and I wish I could write
as well as she does. My friend Terri, for the
same reason. My friend Barbara because she thinks
I’m totally wonderful, even when I’m not. My grandmother
Rennie for the same reason. My children and their
friends, because I’m writing for them, and because
their escapades inspire parts of my stories.
Carol: What is the message in your book?
Melanie: That all children everywhere deserve
to be loved and appreciated.
Carol: Would you self-publish, and if so why
and why not?
Melanie: I don’t want to self-publish. I’m no
good at marketing, and if a legal issue came up—I’d
have to deal with it myself.
Carol: What are your views on traditional
publishers?
Melanie: I think they have to be picky about
stories they choose to publish. I hope they decide
to publish the rest of my stories.
Carol: Do you write short stories and poems?
Melanie: No.
Carol: Have your stories ever been in an anthology?
Why or why not?
Melanie: No, most likely because I’ve never submitted
one.
Carol: What success has the publication of
your book created for you?
Melanie: More for my confidence than anything.
I feel more like I’m ready to write for a profession
instead of just a hobby.
Carol: Have you done a book signing? If so,
was it successful?
Melanie: No. I am rather shy.
Carol: Would you do a book signing, why or
why not?
Melanie: my children are older, I think so.
Carol: What are your tools for marketing?
Explain some of them, and why?
Melanie: The internet mostly and word of mouth.
I add my web address in the signature of my emails.
Carol: What is your next book and give us
a synopsis of it?
Melanie: It is tentatively titled, A Gift
for Madison. Madison has just been adopted
by a family who is so different from what she
is used to. Each member of her new family is so
talented, and she feels that she has no talent.
Then she finds she is particularly gifted in a
certain area—you’re going to have to read
the book to find out.
Carol: What voice do you write in and why?
Melanie: Third person, usually. I have one that
I’m writing in first person.
Carol: What advice would you give to other
writers?
Melanie: Get an agent, and don’t give up.
Carol: Do you have a website? If so, please
showcase it to our readers?
Melanie: Yes!
freewebs.com/melanieshimokawa
Carol: Do you belong to a book club?
Melanie: I think so, but I’m not active.
Carol: Have you attended any writing classes,
or workshops? If so, explain.
Melanie: No. I was turned off writing in high
school. I hated it. I guess I’m afraid that would
happen again.
Carol: Do you have an editor? Why or why not?
Melanie:: For A Family for Madison,
no. For the rest of my stories, yes. I am certainly
not going to catch everything myself. My stories
make perfect sense to me, because I know exactly
what is going on. Some things I write might not
make sense to people who don’t know the stories.
Carol: How do you come up with your stories?
Melanie: Ideas come to me all the time, and I
start thinking about them, usually "how" and "why,"
and when I have a full story in my head, I write
it down.
Carol: Do you write them in long hand, on
the computer, or does someone type them for you?
Melanie: I write the rough draft in long hand.
I absolutely LOVE writing with a pencil (I hate
ball-point pens) on paper. Then I type it into
the computer and rewrite it until I’ve got a final
draft.
Carol: Who supports you in your writing and
why?
Melanie: Everybody who hears I’m a writer. Everyone,
even strangers who overhear me bragging about
my book will ask me about it, congratulate me,
and often tell me they are writing, too.
Carol: What book are you reading now? Give
the title, the author, and a synopsis.
Melanie: The Bible written by ancient prophets.
Carol: If you had three wishes, what would
they be and why?
Melanie: I wish for a house elf to take care
of all the cooking and cleaning.
I wish that nobody in this world was selfish,
and everybody was happy.
I wish that my best friend’s wish would come true. |