Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1524646210/“Emma Has a Dilemma!” is one of your many published books. How does it differ from your others?
Each book in the Emma series focuses on a different lesson in Grammar. “Emma Has A Dilemma!” focuses on Nouns and Pronouns. Also “Emma Has A Dilemma!” is special because it is the first book in the series and when Emma and the always Whimsical Wizard Jake first meet and start working together and forming a lasting bond of friendship.
What do you think makes a good story?
I have always thought that three dimension characters are more important than plot. Although, “Emma Has A Dilemma!” is clearly plot based around the lessons in Grammar, the characters of Emma and Wizard Jake are rich and vibrant. They also connect at a level that most friendships never reach.
When writing “Emma Has a Dilemma!” which writers/books inspired you?
Honestly, it was my 11 year old daughter, Amber’s idea (and the co-Author) to use her easy grammar lesson books to create a teaching tool for younger children that through repetition, they could learn grammar long before being taught in school.
We found Philip Orozco to do the illustrations and they remind me not so much of a book, but of the commercials I grew up with during Saturday morning cartoons. “Conjunction Junction what’s your function?”
The lyrical rhyming has to be credited to the brilliant Dr. Suess who I guess was our biggest inspiration while writing the words. I think Dr. Suess has left a lasting legacy with his books.
What are your ambitions for your writing career? Full time? Part time? I want to write full time. I enjoy so many arenas in the writing realm. My favorite is actually screenwriting and I have 9 screenplays I am currently working on alone or with a co-writer. I write Psychological thrillers based on true events and fictionalize them.
I also write fiction and nonfiction articles for magazines and have been in an advanced Playwriting group at the Orange County South Coast Repertory. So I have several short plays (one which appeared on stage at the Adult Repertory) and a full length play called “Couch Potatoes”.
When did you decide to become a writer? At 11 like my daughter I won a poetry contest and decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I was surrounded by my mother who has a Ph.D. in English and is a brilliant writer who has published not only a series of books about women in law, but several articles in journals at various law schools around the country. My father keeps a journal and was the English major although he became a Psychiatrist. My sister co-wrote the books with my mom. But it is my daughter who most of all inspires me to write every day because of her command of the language. She is the assistant editor and a writer at her high school Newspaper, The Anchor.
When writing “Emma Has a Dilemma!” did anything stand out as particularly challenging? It was challenging finding lessons in grammar Amber and I both wanted to teach. There are so many out there. Also, it is always a challenge getting our writing to rhyme and still be fun and true to the characters.
“Emma Has a Dilemma!” has a unique educational story. How did you come up with it, and what is the best age group? As I said earlier, we were inspired to do educational stories because of the easy grammar lessons in fifth grade. The best age group is honestly 4-8 years old because these children are learning to read and write in school and it’s a valuable asset to know grammar as well.
What do you like to do when not writing? I am a CPA with a Master’s in Business Administration so I do Accounting and Finance for Entertainment companies like Production companies like Mandalay Pictures which did “I Know What you Did Last Summer” and “I Still Know What you Did Last Summer” as well as “Seven Years in Tibet” and “Donnie Brasco” and Voltage Pictures which did “The Hurt Locker” and “Dallas Buyer’s Club” as well as working for Agencies and in Business Management of Entertainers. I read scripts as a hobby too and critique them. But most of all, I love to shop online!
Amber is the typical High School student, but is committed to her studies. She goes to a fine Private High School in Los Angeles called Marymount High School where she excels not only in English, but Math and Science. She is a Junior and plans to be an Electrical Engineering Major at a top University somewhere in the United States.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
We have our website emmahasadilemma1.com and I have a Blog Talk Radio Show, called “Emma Has A Dilemma! with Dana Wall, that I load onto YouTube which talks about the Emma Series. We also have a giveaway at Goodreads of 10 “Emma Has A Dilemma” books that will be selected at Christmas. To Enter go to https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/213003-emma-has-a-dilemma and starting December 12th, we’ll have a free ebook giveaway at BookDaily.com.