Author Interview: Joanne Lécuyer

Bergers Book Reviews offers a warm welcome to Joanne Lécuyer, who has stopped in today for a chat:

Q – What was the inspiration for The Witch, the Cat and the Egg?
A – I’ve always loved magic, wizards, witches and dragons. I’m not quite sure why – I guess because they are “magical” and with magic anything is possible. Juliane, the witch, is a mixture of many female characters that I loved in books and Disney movies. She’s happy, kind, loves to help others and is friends with all the magical creatures of the forest. When I was a young girl, I wished that I could talk to animals. I still do!

Q – Which character is your favorite and why?
A – That’s a really tough question. I like all the characters in the book. If I had to pick only one, I’d have to say Magicus, since I named him after my own black cat Black Magic. My cat Magic is very timid, so I made Magicus more confident and adventurous.

Q – Juliane believes it’s important to care for the creatures of the forest and the environment. How is this reflected in your own life?
A – I love animals. If I didn’t have allergies, I probably would have lived on a farm. I also love walking in the woods. We have a small forest behind our house (we live in the country). It’s a place where I go to meditate. It’s my magical place.

Q – Magicus the cat is one of Juliane’s companions. Do you share your home with any special animals?
A – Yes I do. I have two cats – Black Magic and a grey cat named Minx, as well as a dog named Kato. You can see pictures of them on my website at www.topysbooks.com under “About us/About the Author.”

Q – What is the message you’d like kids to take away from reading this book?
A – My motto is “Dare to imagine and believe in the magic of possibilities!” I want kids to believe that anything is possible. Even when they think they might not be able to do something, they should always feel that they can call on friends and family to help.

Q – Do you have any other books coming?
A – My second book is Kaptain Vamp. I thought it would be fun to write a story about vampires for kids. It was a bit of a challenge to take this theme and make it positive. I’m very happy with the results, and my test readers like it.

The book is about a young vampire named Allistaire, who is also part human, who wants to change the fact that humans are afraid and distrustful of vampires. His family has been living among humans for hundreds of years and they’ve always used their abilities for good. One day, while reading his favourite superhero comic, Allistaire decides that he’s going to do everything he can to help humans. He enlists the aid of his best friend Rich to help him become Kaptain Vamp. The illustrator, Amy Rottinger, is finishing up the images. I’m aiming to have the book out as an Ebook in July or August and in print by September. There will be sequels to The Witch, the Cat and the Egg and Kaptain Vamp next year.

Q – Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
A – When I started writing stories for children, I decided that I would write the kinds of books that leave my readers feeling good and wanting more; that also leave them with a smile on their faces. They are the type of books that you can read to kids before they go to bed that will help them have good dreams!

An Ebook and audio version of the Witch book will be released in June 2011. Kids can download images from the book to color and learn words taken from the book in 5 different languages. Check out the “Fun Stuff” tab on the website.

I hope that new readers will make Topsy Books part of their reading collection.

Thanks for reading.
J:o)anne Lécuyer