Jacqueline Howett interviews guest author Henry Herz

I'm happy to announce we have author Henry Herz as our guest here today. Also he is promoting two new books.






Here is the Amazon link to view Henry's new book for September. There you'll also find many of his other wonderful books.

https://www.amazon.com/Henry-Herz/e/B0067AVNJY

The title,  LITTLE RED CUTTLEFISH By Henry, Josh and Harrison Herz. Will be released  on September 15th  2016.

Pre-order is available.


The title, Mabel and the Queen of Dreams was published on July 28th 2016

















So, on with the interview.

Q. Where do you come from?

I grew up in upstate New York, moved to Washington, DC after college, and then migrated to the warmer climes of San Diego, CA by stepping through the back of an enchanted wardrobe.

Q. What made you write this book?

I got the idea to write a picture book based on a scene from Shakespeare. As I researched, I came across that oft-forgotten (at least by me) scene in Romeo and Juliet in which Mercutio waxes poetic about the little fairy queen Mab. Queen Mab affects sleepers' dreams as she flies past, and I thought, what a great premise for a bedtime picture book. Plus, I love getting young readers interested in fantasy, and the idea of writing an urban fantasy bedtime picture book was irresistible.

Q. What other books have you published?

MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES (Pelican 2015) – these fractured nursery rhymes substitute mythological creatures for some of the characters.

WHEN YOU GIVE AN IMP A PENNY (Pelican 2016) – a medieval fantasy homage to Numeroff's classic.

MABEL AND THE QUEEN OF DREAMS (Schiffer 2016) - Little Mabel was an expert at not going to sleep. She knew all the best bed-avoiding excuses. “I’m thirsty. I need to use the bathroom. Will you tell me a story?” Mom ALWAYS fell for that one. But Mom had the Queen of Dreams in her quiver of bedtime tales. The fae queen paints children’s dreams, so she can only visit when their eyes are closed.

LITTLE RED CUTTLEFISH (Pelican 2016) - Little Red is off to deliver a fresh basket of crab cakes to Grandma Cuttlefish. Everything goes swimmingly . . .at first. While Little Red might be safe from any big, bad wolves, she has to look out for something even more dangerous: the hungry tiger shark!

Luckily, this cuttlefish is anything but cuddly, and Little Red has a few tricks hidden up her tentacles. She’ll camouflage, squirt ink clouds, and use her quick reflexes to outwit that pesky shark and deliver her crab cakes unharmed.

DINOSAUR PIRATES (Sterling 2017) – Dinosaurs are good. Pirates are good. So, Dinosaur Pirates should be really good! The literary equivalent of Reese's Peanut Butter cups, with a positive message about thinking outside the box.

Q. Which authors have had a significant influence on your writing?

Two groups of writers have influenced my writing. The first group consists of picture book authors who have mastered the medium. People like Maurice Sendak, Jon Klassen, Doreen Cronin, Jane Yolen, Aronld Lobel, Peter Reynolds, Deborah Underwood, Tammi Sauer, and Philip Stead.

The second group are fantasy novelists. I hope someday to craft sentences like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robin Hobb, Patrick Rothfuss, Maggie Stiefvater, George R.R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Gary Schmidt, Alexander Lloyd, Kevin Hearne, Peter Beagle, Roger Zelazny, and Ursula Le Guin. I can dream, can't I?

Q. Do you have any other books you can talk about that you're writing?

I have some really fun manuscripts out on submission. NEVER FEED A YETI SPAGHETTI is a rhyming picture book that details what happens when two goblin children throw their mom a monstrous birthday party. Hint: it gets messy. TOP OF THE HEAP is the story of how a little dung beetle proves he is the most helpful of all the farm inhabitants. That's how he rolls.

Q. What do you have to offer other aspiring authors out there?

Never stop honing your craft. Join SCBWI. Participate in critique groups. Writing is like cooking; it’s subjective. What works for one editor won’t work for another. Don’t take offense at rejections or criticism. Never give up, but know when to stop revising and submit. A longer article I wrote on this subject was featured during the 2014 PiBoIdMo, and can be read at https://taralazar.com/2014/11/20/piboidmo-day-20-henry-herz/

Q. Is there anything else you would like to say about yourself and your work?

In addition to writing picture books, I run a blog on KidLit that features interviews with successful writers and illustrators. Aspiring authors can peruse all those interviews at www.henryherz.com. I'm active on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter, so connect with me there!