Author Jennifer Buchet on Perseverance- PLUS GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my book blog, Blissfully Bookish. For this Q & A, please welcome an author who’s very active in the kidlit community; Jennifer Buchet. I’m excited to announce her latest creation, Little Medusa’s Hair Do-Lemma, a picture book illustrated by Cassie Chancey and published by Clear Fork. See her journey below…

BUT first- YAY! Jennifer is generously giving away a free picture book critique up to 600 words (non-rhyming) or a query critique. To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends Feb 18, 2022.

Please describe the journey to publication for Little Medusa’s Hair Do-Lemma.

Ever since I could hold a crayon, I’ve been writing. I love how the written word creates magic, wonder and adventure. About eight years ago I invested in several kidlit writing classes and began joining various organizations.

Once I had the idea for Little Medusa’s Hair Do-Lemma, the first draft came quickly yet the revisions took months! The story went through several iterations, from swapping Little Medusa’s biggest challenge to revealing how she solves the issue by herself. Not to mention that making one of the world’s best known super-villains into something kid-friendly takes hard work!

Two years and ~60 drafts later (thanks amazing critique partners!) I began subbing out my story and within a year found a home with Clear Fork Publishing.

Where did you draw the book’s inspiration?

After watching a reptile show at my library, I was intrigued with snakes. Smitten, but not enough to purchase one, I began writing a funny snake story. A month later, my little girl skipped into the laundry room with very tangled hair and I found myself facing a real-life Little Medusa! 

Oh.

Oh!!

Little Medusa….snakes….hair…scaring things to stone with a stare… I put aside my original tale (and the socks!) and dove into the mythology of Medusa.

What is your writing process, and does it vary depending on the project?

I’m fortunate to be surrounded by my audience as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher, plus I get to see how books are being presented to the littles via the curriculum. So nearly every day, ideas are bopping around. It can be difficult to choose one or two to focus on and actually write down! I make a point to write on the weekends though, even if it’s only for a few hours on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.

Do you have other WIPs or projects in the pipeline you would like to mention?

I’m currently searching for the “write” agent plus I’ve several picture book manuscripts out on sub, with a few more bumping down revision lane. I’m also polishing up my first chapter book and can’t wait to find the perfect home for it!

I know you also head up a Twitter pitch contest, could you please tell us more about that?

Absolutely! Three years ago, during the first summer of the pandemic, my friend Karen Greenwald and I wanted to inspire and unite kidlit writers. And we love writing contests! So we created a virtual vacation “writerland” called #SunWriteFun.  Entrants write to a theme (such as sportsmanship in ’21 due to the summer Olympics) and have a tiny word count to create their own tale. Our judges are always impressed with the number of imaginative entries! We also raised donations for both #WeNeedDiverseBooks and ReadertoReader.org. Watch out…we’re already hatching plans for this summer’s theme!

What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?

Wishing on stars and casting dandelion dreams is fine, as long as you have the work to back you up. Because it’s all about getting the “write” story in front of the right person at the right time.

And a bonus question just for kicks! If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

You might think I’d say a snake, but nope! (Snakes hibernate in the winter and I love snow!) My secret super power has always been to change into any animal; narrowing it down is hard so I’d have to choose….a timber wolf.

Or a panther.

Maybe a black cat.

Just not a snake!

BIO

Jennifer Buchet is an award-winning author, pre-kindergarten educator and self-proclaimed foodie. Her kidlit career officially started in 2011, writing for Cricket Media. Today, she is a feature contributor for Faces magazine while also creating new picture books and chapter books, many which feature mouth-watering meals and even a few cute, twisty serpents.

• Book Info:

Title: Little Medusa’s Hair Do-Lemma

Author: Jennifer Buchet, Illustrator: Cassie Chancy, Published By: Clear Fork Publishing, 2021, Fiction, Age Range: 4-8

Synopsis: Little Medusa is the first Gorgon who doesn’t enjoy having her best serpentine friend wriggle through her hair. She finds herself torn between following family customs and keeping herself and her best serpentine friend happy. In fact, Little Medusa begins doubting if she even wants to scare anyone to stone with a stare!

• Social Media Links & Book Links

You can swap tales & tips with Jennifer here:

• Twitter @Yangmommy
• Email: Buchetbooks@gmail.com
• Website: buchetbooks.wixsite.com/mysite

Little Medusa’s Hair Do-Lemma is available for purchase at:

• Bookshop.org
• Barnes & Noble:
• Amazon

PLUS…an easy way to support an author is to leave Book Reviews and ask your Local Library to carry their books!