MY OUTDOOR STUDIO USED TO BE A FOOD TRUCK

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST BOOK AND WHEN WAS IT PUBLISHED?

My first book was Imaginative Inventions and it was published in 2001.  Is that before you were born?  If so, then you can tell that I have been writing books for a long time.

HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN?

That's a great question.  I've probably written hundreds of books, but so far I've only published around fifty.  Can you guess why?  It's because not all my writing is successful.  I've written a lot of bad books, but even a bad book is good practice, because the more you write the better you get.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?

I get my ideas by paying attention to the things around me, listening and watching my own children, visiting new places and meeting new people.  I am always listening to what people say, even a snippet of conversation can start me thinking about a new book idea.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

Yes!  I have two cats and two dogs. One of my cats likes to wake me up by biting me on the my chin. I like to watch and play with my pets, and spending time with them, gave me a book idea. Pepper & Boo is a new series based on pets and how they all get along. P.S. sometimes they don’t get along.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK THAT YOU HAVE MADE?

This is an easy question, because my favorite book is always the one I'm working on.  Sure it's fun to hold a finished book, or see it in a store, but that's not what I like best about making books.  My favorite part is always the making of the book - the writing or the illustrating.  I like to make things

WHEN I’M WRITING A BOOK, THIS IS THE FRIEND THAT VISITS ME IN MY WRITING ROOM, ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF MY HOUSE.