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TEN Questions with Brittany Marie Leonard.


1. Can you please introduce yourself and tell us something about your book "The Life of a shadow."
Answer - I'm a high school English teacher from Canada, and grew up loving to read and write - although I never dreamed of writing a book until just a few years ago. The Life of a Shadow is a collaboration with my dad - he wrote the original and I helped him edit it and illustrated the pictures. It's been a great way to stay connected with each other from afar during the pandemic! 
2. When did you get the thoughts of writing this book? i read the book and i loved it, your writing style is commendable. You are amazing. 
Answer - 
(Thank you so much!)
The idea for this book began with my dad. When I was young, I asked him what shadows were, and he came up with this answer - shadows are made up of our parents and are there to bring us comfort when we are sad or lonely. My dad has always had chronic health conditions, so I think this was his way of letting me know he would always be here for me and ease my worries. A few years ago, he told this story to friends of his, and they insisted that he write it as a book. After writing down the story and not knowing what to do next, he asked for my help. I took his original story and embellished it a bit to make it long enough to be a book, and it was important to me to open the language to include diverse characters and families.

3. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Answer - For this book, the only research involved was in terms of marketing, which I did while illustrating and writing the book - it's basically an ongoing process. For my other project (a graphic novel series), I spent about two years researching before I was able to begin writing. Some of the other research involved for both projects was learning how to illustrate and the best way to publish.

4. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Answer - How long it takes! And how important it is to learn marketing. When I set out to publish my books, I was excited about writing stories and illustrating them. I never realized the number of hours I would need to spend learning how to market and figuring out how to format my books properly. I've had to learn how to enjoy these aspects and to be patient with myself during these parts. 

5. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Answer - For this children's book, it's planned to be a stand-alone. For my other books, they will be a series and I do plan to leave it open ended in case I want to continue it further than the current plot I have in mind. The themes in the graphic novel series will carry on between each, focusing on mental health and environmental sustainability.

6. What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Answer - Fantastic question! I think one of the experiences that stands out the most is the use of the term "normal". In our world, people are so diverse that there is no such thing as normal. When writing and illustrating The Life of a Shadow, even though I grew up in a nuclear family, I didn't want that to be the only type of family expressed in the story. At one point the story read something like "One day you will get married and you and your husband will have a child" - this left out single-parent families, adoptive families, same-sex couples, common-law couples, etc. It was important to me to change the wording to apply to all family types. 

7. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Answer - I think one of the highest complements I've heard so far was from a teacher who said "It's so beautiful! It reminds me of 'Love You Forever' by Robert Munsch." My book is multi-generational and has made quite a few people tear up upon reading it, so I can see why they would make this comparison. Another teacher told me she thought it would be a great book for students with separation anxiety - and honestly if this helps just one child with anxiety, it would fill my heart! 

8. How would you express your journey as an Author?
Answer - I think the best way to express it is that it was accidental. I only began learning to illustrate because I tore my ACL and needed something to occupy me during recovery. I didn't expect to actually follow through to publishing anything. The same could be said for my dad - he just told the story to some friends and they wanted him to hire an illustrator to turn it into a book. He wasn't really sure where to find an illustrator or how much it would cost to hire one. Then one summer while I was visiting my parents, they saw the illustrations I was working on for my graphic novel series and realized they didn't have to look for an illustrator. I jumped on the opportunity to publish with them, as I felt it would be a good stepping stone to learning how to publish my other books.

9. What other things do you love than this writing?
Answer - My other biggest passion is for the outdoors! I love hiking and camping, and moved to the West Coast of Canada as a young adult so that I would have easier access to nature. It nourishes my soul and is a major piece of inspiration in my writing and illustrations. 

10. And last, What advice do you have for writers?
Answer - This might sound strange, but join Instagram! I've never been much of a social media person, but I can say without a doubt that I wouldn't be publishing right now had it not been for the authors/editors/illustrators/book marketers that I've connected with online. I also haven't had any negative experiences through this platform, everyone is so supportive and positive, it's really invigorating to be a part of. Plus, you can literally reach out and ask anyone about their experiences so you can learn from each other.

This book will be available from 6April till then you guys can Pre-order. Link below.
Review of this Book - Click here!

Link to buy this Book - Click here!

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