Today’s special guest is children’s author Kelly Anne Manuel and we’re chatting about her Rainbow’s End series, in particular the first book, The Boots Rain.
Kelly Anne is doing a virtual book tour with RABT Book Tours. Information on her other stops are below.
Bio:
Kelly Anne Manuel is a children’s book author who released an astonishing 31 books – one for each day of the month – to give kids an array of positive messages. An eternal optimist who has been called “the good kind of contagious”, Manuel has a unique voice that children respond to because of her own actively vibrant inner child. Her books are available in four series: The Essentials Series, The Rainbow’s End Series, The Classics, and My Name Is Series. In addition to being a self-described “uncommon author” since she didn’t set out to write children’s books but happily took the path life intended for her, she is also a mother and an artist. Kelly Anne Manuel grew up on New York’s Long Island and earned a BA Degree in Telecommunications with a major in Marketing and minor in Spanish from Indiana University. Today she resides in Fort Mill, South Carolina with her beloved pup, Teddy Roosevelt.
Welcome, Kelly Anne. Please tell us about your latest release.
The Boots Rain is Book One of my Rainbow’s End Series. This series bridges the gap between reality and imagination. Once transported to the rainbow’s end, anything is possible. “The Boots Rain” was written first as a poem one rainy spring day in 2022 and converted into a children’s book without delay. The bright and cheerful illustrations match the lighthearted cadence of the rhyme and will draw the child in to actively engage with its whimsy.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was taking my pup out for a walk and pulled on my tried-and-true rain boots. The reverse phrase entered my awareness, and I knew it was very important. The beautiful boots that fall from the sky represent the children of the world with the beauty and uniqueness that is individually theirs.
“By all accounts no two boots were the same. The joy that they brought, what a wonderful game.”
Excerpt from The Boots Rain:
What exciting project are you working on next?
I have so many more books than the thirty-one I’ve recently self-published. I am hopeful the thirty-one will assist with the publication of the other books waiting their turn to enter the world of the child. I do have a collection of poetry for an older audience. I am hopeful I will find a path forward to publish those as well. Additionally, I’m in the publicity business for the books at the moment and actively engaged with their marketing.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer in the spring of 2022. When the poems came for the childhood collective, I felt an urgency to transform them into books and self-publish them as quickly as was possible.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I write when the inspiration hits, which can be anytime of the night or day. This is my career and I work from home. I live alone with my pup, so I do not have restrictions on schedule to work on my poetry and books. I would say I work in spurts. I do have to pace my work due to the cost of self-publishing. I hesitate to transform the poem into a book until I have the funds to see it through to publication.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
One of my interesting writing quirks is how many poems/books I wrote whilst walking my pup. Imagine holding leash, typing into my note’s app, cleaning up after him, and creating the works at the same time.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a bi-lingual attorney. The reality of funding tuition for law school was a big deterrent. I minored in Spanish at IU with this hope in mind.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Yes! Everybody has the ability in them to create. Allow yourself, permit yourself, open yourself up, and see what amazing things await when you do.
Virtual Book Tour – March 20 – March 31
March 20 – RABT Book Tours – Kick Off
March 20 – Sue Wallace – Review
March 21 – Lisa’s Reading – Spotlight
March 22 – Matters That Count – Excerpt
March 23 – Nana’s Book Reviews – Spotlight
March 24 – Writers N Authors – Interview
March 25 – Momma Says to Read or Not to Read – Spotlight
March 26 – Book Reviews by Virginia Lee – Spotlight
March 27 – Paws. Read. Repeat – Review
March 28 – HERE!
March 29 – Chapter Break – Review
March 30 – Crossroad Reviews – Spotlight
March 31 – Iron Canuck Reviews – Review
March 31 – RABT Reviews – Wrap Up