Questions and Answers:
Question: Ramona, what is your favorite color?
Ramona's Answer: My favorite color is blue. All shades of blue except navy. For some reason I don't care for that color.
Question: Ramona who/what was your inspiration to write this book?
Ramona's Answer: My son was my inspiration for writing Jamie's Pet.
Question: Ramona what motivated you to eventually begin work on this book?
Ramona's Answer: When Jamie was younger, he like it when I would tell him stories with his name inserted in them. It made him feel special. Jamie heard a song on the radio, 'Jamie's Cryin', and he thought the song was written for him. No matter how many times I told him it wasn't. He didn't believe me. I decided to write a story for him about him. Then, he told me I was the best mom. That's all I needed to hear.
Question: Ramona was this book influenced by your own personal life experiences?
Ramona's Answer: I guess it was. I took Jamie to visit a pet store when he was little, and this is how our visit went.
Question: Ramona how do you overcome writers block? How long did it take for you to complete the manuscript?
Ramona's Answers: I found the best way for me to overcome writers block was to step away from my manuscript. I would watch TV or a movie, listen to music, or clean the house. Sometimes it would take a few hours to a few weeks before I went back to the manuscript. Once I stepped away, I didn't think about the manuscript at all. I just cleared my mind. Then, out of nowhere, ideas would come flowing and I could go back to writing again. It took me about 6 months to complete the manuscript. I kept revising it. I would leave it for awhile, then go back, and read it again. The process would repeat itself until I was happy with the manuscript and nothing else needed to be changed.
Question: Ramona is this your first officially published work? Are you working on another book or sequel/prequel?
Ramona's Answer: Yes, Jamie's Pet is my first officially published work. I am in the process of writing a second book.
Question: Ramona what types of books do you read for leisure? Do the books you read for leisure influence what you write?
Ramona's Answer: I read autobiographies like Michelle Obama, Shania Twain, Tina Turner, Anderson Cooper, and Gloria Vanderbilt for example. I also read cookbooks and cake decorating books. I read them like novels. No, they don't really influence what I write.
Question: Ramona discuss the pride of being a published author.
Ramona's Answer: The pride of being a published author is like nothing I felt before I was so proud of myself, so happy, so gitty, and so relieved it was over and finally published. My baby is now my reality. No matter who I came across I pulled Jamie's Pet out of my purse to show them my book.
Question: Ramona how did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Ramona's Answer: My process of writing never changed when I published my first book. I still follow the same process because it works for me.
Question: Ramona do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Ramona's Answer: I am more of an original writer than trying to deliver what my readers want. Less pressure as a writer.
Question: Ramona if you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?
Ramona's Answer: I would tell my younger self to be more disciplined with my writing. Write about everything. This would help polish my writing skills and make me more of a confident writer.
Question: Ramona what does literary success look like to you?
Ramona's Answer: Literary success looks like J.K. Rowling. I would love to be successful like her.
Question: Ramona what's the best way you think to market your book?
Ramona's Answer: The best way to market my book is Press Releases, Book Fairs, Advertising, and Book Signings. Basically, as much exposure as possible to get the word out there.
Question: Ramona what kind of research do you do? How long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Ramona's Answer: The research I did was taking my son to the pet store to see what kind of animals they had, what products they sold, and what a pet store looked like.
Question: Ramona how many hours a day do you write?
Ramona's Answer: I write about 4 hours a day or more if the words are flowing. If I have ideas, I write. I don't force the process.
Question: Ramona what are the ethics of writing about your book?
Ramona's Answer: The ethics of writing about my book was to make my book perfect, promote and market the book everywhere and treat my book as a small business venture that must succeed. Do everything I can to make the book well-known and for every child to have a copy and love the book.
