Pump Up Your Book Chats with Nicole Weaver

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Nicole Weaver photo Nicole Weaver is Haitian American. She moved to the United States when she was ten years old. She lived in Brooklyn, Queens and then upstate New York. She attended the College of New Rochelle. She studied abroad and lived with a French family in Strasbourg France. After graduating from college she worked at a junior college as a French and Spanish tutor. Later she went to graduate school at Bankstreet College of education to obtain a degree in teaching. She began her teaching career in Houston Texas as a French and Spanish high school teacher. She currently lives in Littleton Colorado with her husband Steven and their three children. Nicole has been a teacher in Denver Public School since 1990, where she teaches French and Spanish. Nicole has taken her students on trips to Canada, France and Spain.) Her love for languages and other cultures inspired and infused her to start writing for children.

Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle is Nicole’s first children’s book. Her next book, My Sister is My Best Friend, will be released by Guardian Angel Publishing in 2011. You can visit the author online at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com and her book’s blog at http://marieandherfriendtheseaturtle.blogspot.com/.

Thank you for this interview, Nicole. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

I never wrote much as a child. My interest in writing came later after I won a poetry contest. My local library sponsored a poetry contest in 2005 and much to my delight I won first place. My first published pieces were poems I wrote after joining the writer’s group in my church.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

Finding time to promote is the most frustrating part of becoming a published author. What I find to be most rewarding is the reaction from kids when I do a reading at my local library.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

I am married with three children and I teach fulltime. I used to sit in front of the TV while I grade papers. Now I spend my time on my laptop writing. My husband is beginning to understand and support my writing. He purchased a brand new Harley Davidson, and I got my new laptop.

Can you tell us about your latest book and why you wrote it?

My latest book will be published by Guardian Angel publishing in 2011. It is a trilingual book written in English, French and Spanish. I wrote My Sister is my Best Friend after meeting my half- sister from my father’s side. I quickly developed a very strong bond with her and got inspired to write about what it would have been like if we were raised together.

Can you share an excerpt?

I am lucky my sister is my best friend.
We do everything together.

We play with our dolls… pretending make believe.

We play with Bernard our big fluffy dog…rolling on the ground.

Tengo suerte de que mi hermana sea mi mejor amiga.
Hacemos todas las cosas juntas
Jugamos con nuestras muñecas… pretendiendo ser mamás (dejando volar nuestra imaginación)

Jugamos con Bernard nuestro gran y mullido perro… rodando sobre el césped

J’ai de la chance parce que ma sœur est ma meilleure amie.
On fait tout ensemble
On joue avec nos poupées…On fait semblant d’être la mère
on joue avec Bernard notre chien pelucheux … on roule avec lui sur la pelouse

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

I love writing in the sitting area of my bedroom away from everyone.

What is one thing about your book that makes it different from other books on the market?

My book is a trilingual book written in English, French and Spanish with all three texts side by side on each page. My book can be used in a language classroom.

Tables are turned…what is one thing you’d like to say to your audience who might buy your book one day?

Thank you for helping raise funds for the earthquake victims of Haiti. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of my book is donated to the Lambi Fund of Haiti. I want to extend a huge thank you to you.

Thank you for this interview, Nicole. Good luck on your virtual book tour!

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Aiken Brown, SON OF A SOLDIER

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Jennifer Chase, FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE

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Miri Leshem-Pelly, SCRIBBLE & AUTHOR

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Shami Stovall, KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST

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Suzanne M. Hurley, THE TEDDY BEAR EYE CLUB

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Sharon House, BRIMSTONE AND WATER

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Bacon Press Books

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Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach