Friday 14 October 2016

Q & A with Sharlin Craig

Ornaments of Love
by Sharlin Craig 

A touching Christmas story with glowing illustrations, Ornaments of Love is a story to cherish for years to come. A beautiful tale of Ayana, an endearing ten-year-old who excitedly anticipates that special time of year when the entire family joins together to decorate and admire the Christmas tree.

But sadly this year is different. Ayana realizes that her mom and dad are far too busy with everything else to enjoy the tree with Ayana. Then, something unexpected happens and the family is brought together with tenderness and joy.

Filled to the brim and overflowing with charming moments, gentle humor, and timeless illustrations, this beautiful story is a wonderful reminder of what’s important not only during the Christmas season, but every day of our lives. Ornaments of Love is destined to become one of your favorite holiday stories. One that will remain in your heart forever.


Published December 8th 2015 by Harmony Hearts Publishing

Find it on Goodreads
Amazon  Barnes & Noble

Read It & Reap:  April 4, 2017

Sharlin Craig, a Detroit native who now resides in southern California with her husband and daughter, is dedicated to writing inspirational children’s books that touch the spirit of her readers. A graduate of Oakland University, she’s taught music to children for several years while also writing music and lyrics. She’s combined her love for children and writing into authoring her debut children’s Christmas picture book, ‘Ornaments of Love’ http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0194NP2KG

and the accompanying 'Ornaments of Love-Slowing Down at Christmas Time' Coloring book, http://www.amazon.com/dp/0997106026

Sharlin believes that with the right surroundings and daily encouragement, children are boundless. She’s passionate about helping children feel understood and empowered through her books and hopes that her stories make them smile. 

Sharlin loves being a mom and wife and her ultimate goal is to have a happy, healthy family and a full and balanced life. She enjoys spending quality time with her family biking, hiking, and just hanging out. 

For now, she is letting her creativity shine through children’s books that inspire kids to live fully and beautifully. As readers await her next release, they can unravel a little piece of her heart by leafing through the pages of her current release, “Ornaments of Love,” a gem of a story bound to be adored by countless families across the globe.


Q & A with Sharlin Craig

Tell us a little bit about your main characters.
 ‘Ornaments of Love’ has one main character with 3 supporting characters. Ayana, a 10-year-old girl, is the main character. She cherishes her family tradition of putting up and decorating the Christmas tree with her parents each year. But this year, Mom and Dad are too busy with other things so they ask her if she can do it by herself. As she decorates the tree, each ornament that she unwraps and hangs up brings back happy family memories.  Mom and Dad are typical loving parents who are just too caught up in their ‘to do’ lists and don’t realize the impact their busyness is having on Ayana. Luckily, Ayana has Rosie, the fourth character in the book, to talk to and express her feelings to. Then, something unexpected happens which brings the whole family together with joy and tenderness.

Who designs the covers for your books and what is that process like for you as an author?
 A friend of mine, Angelika Schubert-Belle, is an amazing professional graphic designer. While in the process of writing ‘Ornaments of Love’, she graciously offered to do the graphic design for my book. Not only did she do the picture book cover and interior, but also the ebook and the ‘Ornaments of Love Coloring Book-Slowing Down with Family at Christmas Time’ cover and interior. Working with her was a wonderful experience as she’s very professional, kind, creative and reliable. I’m definitely spoiled now!

Describe your ideal writing spot.
 I enjoy writing at home in the morning hours when it’s quiet and my energy level is high. I find I’m most creative in the morning hours after my daughter goes to school.

What is the best advice you have been given?
 The best writing advice I’ve been given is:
-Don’t take “no” personally. Keep forging ahead.
-Edit, edit, edit. Read your story out loud.
-Take children on a journey in your story. Make them laugh, feel loved and be understood.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
 When I was a child, I bounced around between wanting to be a vet or a singer. As it turns out, I’m now a writer, a music teacher and a dog trainer to our 7-month-old Miniature Schnauzer puppy!
  
Which do you prefer: hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
 I find all book formats enjoyable. I appreciate the convenience of ebooks and the ability to look up definitions on my Kindle. I’ll always love the wonderful smell of physical books, the quality feel of hard cover books and how a paperback book fits so easily into a purse or carry on.

If you could have any supernatural power, what would you choose and why?
 I think we’re all born with the ability to tune in to our intuition, which can, in some ways, be called a supernatural power. I find when I listen to my intuition, my life flows more smoothly. So, I would say that I’d choose to be optimally in tune with this inner voice/intuition on a daily basis.

What book are you reading now?

I just finished a book called, ‘Bel Canto’ by Ann Patchett. It’s a Pen/Faulkner Award winner and I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it! 


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