Ready? Here's the question: What's the strange thing that I did as a child (hint: it involves my mother)?
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"You grew up as an only child?" is a question I'm often asked. "How terrible. You must have been bored to tears."
Wrong. True, I grew up in a rural community and my nearest neighbor (other than my grandparents) was over five miles away. Liza was my age, attended the same school, and our mothers made it a point to make frequent playdates.
As an only child, during alone times, I realized the importance of a grand imagination at an early age. I could go to new worlds, create amazing people and things, have adventures, all by pretending. There were mud pies (minus the worms) that I insisted Daddy sample when he arrived home from work, and interesting but invisible people at our supper table every night. Once, the '76 Dallas Cowboys not only ate meals with my family but they all rode in my purse to the grocery store on Thursdays.
I'm blessed that my children have an active imagination too. Certain brooms in my house are taboo for housework because they are really "broom people" and must be used as dancing partners. Needless to say, my brooms are purchased at a dollar store, but it's a somewhat awkward situation when the cashier notices that I've bought five brooms in the past week and casually remarks "My, you must be a cleaning diva to be that hard on brooms."
And thus my reason for creating the Amelia Frump series. I wanted to create a character based on both my children and me, our antics a little goofy and bordering on eccentric. Sadly, with the progression of social sites and electronics, kids are often disconnected from everything, and pretending is becoming a thing of the past. Thus my reason for creating the Amelia Frump series. I wanted to create a character based on my children and me, our antics a little goofy and bordering on eccentric. A character that would encourage the reader to once again enjoy the art of pretending--the ability to create new places, people and adventures.
Interested in hearing a couple of chapters from Amelia Frump? Check out this awesome interview from Lu and Bean Reads. Listen to the end for a special treat.