Mayra Calvani is a fellow Examiner. She is actually the Latino Books Examiner. She is also an author, covering many different genres. She is currently promoting a new children’s book she wrote called “Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster,” a cute, colorful and interesting story I had the pleasure reading about a creative hamster who has an addiction for books. Here’s my interview with our own Mayra Calvani:
1. Please tell me a little about you.
I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico but now live in Belgium. I have been writing for most of my life, since I was about 12. I write and have been published in various genres, including children’s picture books, paranormal romance, horror, satire and nonfiction. In my free time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and my golden retriever.
2. What motivated you to write “Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster”? I wanted to write a story about a dignified, antisocial little hamster who is addicted to books. A hamster who reads day and night, who sleeps listening to audio books, and whose imagination comes to life when he runs on the wheel because of all the things he reads in the books. I think there’s a lot of me in Humberto, and I think many writers would identify with him. Sometimes we get caught up in the writing to such an extent that we forget there’s a world out there full of people. 3. The message in the book promotes reading. Why is this important for you to promote to children growing up in an age of e-books? One of the greatest gifts you can give a child is the gift of reading. Reading stimulates the imagination and promotes literacy. Whether it’s print books or e-books, parents should spend time introducing reading material to their kids. The more you read to your child, the more you’ll instill in them a love of literature. At the same time, reading to your child is a wonderful bonding activity, especially at bedtime. 4. Did you read a lot of books as a kid? What was your favorite? Actually, I didn’t. My love for reading began when I was about 11, when an aunt gave me an old Agatha Christie paperback. From that moment on, I was hooked. Sometimes it takes one special book to get you to fall in love with literature. 5. Why do you like to write children's books? Writing for children is like walking on a rainbow. It is a fresh and colorful experience. That’s not to say it doesn’t require hard work, because it does. In fact, the picture book genre is one of the hardest genres to break into, and to learn to do it well, one must study the craft meticulously and practice, practice, practice. But I just love it, and I’m always working on a new picture book at the same time that I work on a longer work of fiction. 6. The illustrations in the book are beautiful. Please tell me how important these illustrations are to tell your story. Thanks. I think Kit Grady, the illustrator, did a wonderful job. I wanted Humberto to look cute yet dignified, and I think Kit captured this quality in him. The illustrations are equally important in a picture book, as both text and artwork must complement each other. Since, by rule, picture books don’t include much description, it is up to the illustrator to portray that imaginary fictional world. 7. Where could customers purchase a copy of your book or get more information about the book? The book is available from the publisher, Amazon, B&N, and most online retailers. It is also available for order from any brick and mortar bookstore. Readers may find more about it on my website, www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com 8. Please tell me anything else you'd like to share. I’d love to invite readers to visit my various blogs:- Latino Books Examiner, http://www.examiner.com/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner
- Mayra’s Secret Bookcase (the blog), www.mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com
- Violin and Books, http://violinandbooks.wordpress.com
- The Dark Phantom, http://thedarkphantom.wordpress.com
- Pets & Their Authors, www.petsandauthors.blogspot.com
- Mayra's site , www.mayracalvani.com
Comments
Dear Clarisel,
I didn't realize you wrote for the Examiner and PR Sun! Wow, thats so much for the interview!
Great interview. I'm a big fan of Mayra Calvani and can't wait for Huberto to have a sequel. ;-)
Hi, I reviewed Mayra's Humberto and it's a wonderful children's book. And, the illustrations are great! I highly recommend it.
another great interview about Mayra. You're certainly a busy lady!
Great Interview Mayra, Thanks for kind comments-
Go Humberto
What a great interview. "Writing for children is like walking on a rainbow" is such a beautiful way to look at the work children's authors do.
I love the reference to children and a rainbow. Great interview.
Hi Mayra,
What a great interview! You are one busy lady!
Mayra, thank you for your time. You are surely doing interesting work and deserve the spotlight.
Kit, loved the illustrations too.
I always love to read more about you, Mayra. May you have continued success.
Canada Writing Examiner
Nice interview Mayra. You are so creative! And teamed up with a great illustrator like Kit - this is bound to be a success. Congrats on the new book.
Great interview and wonderful insight into why you write and how important it is for kids to learn to enjoy reading. Thanks
Great interview and insight into writing for children and the importance for children to learn to enjoy reading. Thanks.
Great interview. I especially enjoyed reading about comparing writing for children to rainbows.
Best wishes for your continued success,
Donna
What a wonderful interview! Kudos to you, Mayra!
Mayra, congratulations on your wonderful interview and your
adorable book! It was so much fun to learn more about you...especially since our son also loves Agatha Christie books!
-Nancy
Hey, Mayra,
I love the rainbow comparison. That's so cool! I'm always learning something more about you. You are certainly one interesting and busy lady!
Dorit
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