I don’t often have guests on my blog, but today I’m excited to welcome Carla Mooney, a fellow Indie-Debut member, whose book Owen and the Dragonhas just recently been released. I asked Carla a few questions about writing and her book.

How long have you been writing? When did you decide you wanted to try to become a published writer?
I’ve been writing all my life, but only seriously for the past three years. When I “retired” from accounting, I decided to writing a try. After taking an online class, I had the confidence to try to dip my feet into the publishing waters – first starting with magazines, then moving on to picture book manuscripts, chapter books, and nonfiction.

Has being a parent changed the way you write for children?

I’m very big about being able to read a story out loud. My kids have some books that are very clunky to read – my tongue is always tripping over awkward phrases and words. I hope never to write something like that!

Congratulations on the release of Owen and the Dragon! Please tell us a little about the story and how you came up with it.

Owen and the Dragon is the story of a young boy, who moves to a new home leaving all of his friends and familiar things behind. Taking a hike in the woods behind his new house, he discovers a hidden dragon who is also dealing with problems of his own.

I came up with the idea for Owen as part of a writing class I took. We had just moved to our current house and my son, who was 5 at the time, was missing his best friend terribly. The two of them used to have “adventures” in the tall grass behind our houses and make something they called “experiment 626” out of mud and who knows what!

How did you find Soto Publishing?

I read about them in a writing newsletter. It said that they were a new publisher looking for manuscripts. Before submitting, I researched to make sure they were a reputable publisher and then decided to send them my manuscript.

What advice would you give a child who wants to become a writer?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. But also read and write things outside of your comfort zone. Join a book club or form one with your friends. Some of the best books I’ve read have come from book club selections. Many of them were titles that I would have never chosen myself, but they’ve opened my eyes to many different styles and genres.

You’ve written both fiction and nonfiction. Do you prefer one over the other? Why?

I love both. Which I guess is why I don’t want to define myself as one type of writer or the other. In fiction, the thrill of bringing a character to life and discovering their voice get me. Phineas that dragon was like that for me. In nonfiction, I love learning new facts that I hadn’t heard before and digging deeper into a subject. When researching Great George Washington Projects You Can Build Yourself (Nomad Press, Nov 2010), I was so excited to learn the details of George that I never knew from school. Did you know that he wanted to be a British soldier but they wouldn’t have him?

Any upcoming projects you’d like to share?

As I mentioned above, Great George Washington Projects You Can Build Yourself is coming out from Nomad Press in November 2010.

I also have my first picture book, Samson’s Story, that will be released in fall 2010. It’s the story of a boy with cancer told from the viewpoint of his dog. Anyone who loves someone with a serious illness can relate to the story. It has personal meaning to me, because my youngest son just finished treatment for leukemia earlier this year. I’m so proud of this book and excited that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to cancer related charities!

Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

My website is www.carlamooney.com and I’m on twitter as carlawrites. I also have a blog at http://carlamooney.livejournal.com/

I’m also in the process of setting up a facebook page (Carla M. Mooney) where people can get the latest updates on my writing.

Thanks for stopping by, Carla, and good luck with Owen and your future projects!

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