Would you please tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind Fern Verdant and the Silver Rose?
Author: Diana Leszczynski
Inspiration comes from so many areas over time. I was a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland, and this book has elements of that type of adventure.
I grew up with an avid British gardener for a mother. She spoke to her plants. Plants were everywhere. Indoors in winter, outdoors in the summer. And I have always imagined conversations with things that cannot speak, like animals and plants. When you start pulling bits of this and that together they all sort of evolved into the book.
What inspired you to start writing children’s books?
I think the characters determine the type of book they need to be in. The ideal audience for Fern’s story, as it took shape in my head, seemed to be kids like Fern, or kids who know someone like her. I once worked in the film business, developing children’s books into movies, so it was a natural process for me.
How do you get into the mind of a child in order to write in a way they can relate to?
I delve into the part of my own mind that remains childlike.
Fern Verdant and the Silver Rose by Diana Leszczynski
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started writing children’s books?
Nothing. The entire experience was an education that I value.
For a parent who has a child only interested in watching TV what advice would you give them to interest their child in reading books?
Hmmm, that’s tricky. I always think it’s great for a parent to spend time with a child in a book-related way, going to a bookstore together or being involved in a book club together. Nowadays there are so many great book clubs; father/daughter, mother/daughter, father/son and mother/son that it encourages reading on both parts.
How would you involve and educate kids about green issues?
I don’t believe in heavy-handed messages. If a child reads something that is also entertaining and amusing as well as educational, without seeming pedantic, then I believe the information is retained. No one likes being nagged or badgered with a message.
Would you please tell us about your causes or charities you are involved with?
Because I live in an urban area I tend to be involved in charities which benefit this local community – homeless causes and pet rescue.
What are your dreams?
There are too many to list, but people just getting along with one another would be the big one.
Would you tell us a little about you are working on now?
I think it’s a bit of a jinx to talk about what you’re working on, but it is a different kind of adventure with more of a mystery, also with a female protagonist.
What were your favourite childhood books and why?
Alice in Wonderland, Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven and Famous Five Series, Noel Streatfield’s Ballet Shoes, the Nancy Drew Mysteries, and Treasure Island. I love adventures and mysteries and travel to far flung places. I think like many readers I enjoy stories that take you out of your own world and into another.
How do you keep in touch with your audience?
By reading a lot of middle-grade and young adult books. I love reading. To find out more you can look at my website at www.dianaleszxzynski.com .
