1. What inspired you to write this book? I wanted to
write a children’s book for quite awhile, but I never could place what it
should be about. I wanted it to be meaningful, purposeful, but couldn’t quite
grasp the story. One day my Ms, Margaret passed away, most of us know one, and
as I walked to her grave, the story was there!
2. What exactly is it about – and who is it written
for? The story is about everyday life and the relationships that we make. It
considers what some people value in life, what their true treasures are. The
elderly Ms. Margaret had everything in life, yet she dearly loved her dog more
than most. The young Marie had little in life, but she met Ms. Margaret’s dog
on a walk with her grandma and fell in love with her. In time she loved Ms.
Margaret as well. As years went by, Ms. Margaret fell ill and passed away.
Marie is deeply saddened and wonders about Ms. Margaret, is she alright, does
she have everything needs? The story is for pre-k to around age 10, depending
on individual children.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Hopefully the story will allow children to open up and talk about their
feelings, their thoughts and questions. With an ongoing open conversation
perhaps some of their grief will lessen and they can begin to heal. In time the
hurt of loss can perhaps allow room for happy memories to be recalled.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover
design? The rock was a very simple gift from Marie to Ms. Margaret but has an
important message, tying the story together with a deeper meaning. Thus it was
fitting to show a young Marie on the cover in a simple childhood activity,
painting rocks.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for
fellow writers – other than run!? Don’t quit your day job! It’s hard to be
imaginative when your mind is on your empty belly. In your free time, chase
that dream. Grab onto it and bring it to life! Make it what you desire. Don’t
be set off by mistakes and failures, that’s where some of the best lessons are
learned.
6. What trends in the book world do you see – and
where do you think the book industry is heading? There are so many
self-published books from some very talented authors, which is good because
otherwise most new authors may never see print from traditional publishers. The
issue becomes that there are so many books out there, how does an author make
theirs stand out? Also. how much can an author spend within their budget?
Creativity can help a lot in a marketing for those with a slimmer budget.
7. Were there experiences in your personal life or
career that came in handy when writing this book? My work and life experience
with children, the elderly and animals (dogs) all made this story easier to
make it life-like. The truth that most of us know a Ms. Margaret also comes
into play in the story. Being a grandmother to a small child made it more
relatable too. Losing a Ms. Margaret brought the story to life.
8. How would you describe your writing style? Which
writers or books is your writing similar to? When I write it is not in depth or
too strict a form. I’m simply talking to the person next to me, telling of
everyday events that bring the story to life. Laura Ingalls Wilder was
encouraged to not write in the simple style that her manuscript was in, yet
that is what made it so real.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of
this book? The hardest part of talking about death in the story was to keep it
simple enough for a wide age-range of children to relate to it and the
after-life basic enough that adults could expand their ideas and beliefs to the
children. It’s all about opening an exchange of ideas, questions, each seeking
for their own answers.
10. If people could read or buy one book this week or
month, why should it be yours? I would hope people would pick up The Rock The
Power of Love because it touches upon a life event all children will face at
some time, for the first time. Children need to be able to talk about what they
are feeling, what questions they have, to not be afraid of such an event as
death that is inevitable. Although it is not a regular bedtime story, or a
silly book to enjoy, it addresses an issue that can’t be dismissed. If the book
opens a discussion, it has served its’ purpose.
About The Author: I have spent much of my work life either in
the school system with children of all ages or in various roles working with
the elderly. My hobby time is spent working with animals (4 dogs currently) and
writing. I enjoy reading and movies, especially a scary one! My home life is in
southern Illinois where most people know one another. I graduated from St.
Mary-of-the-Woods College many years ago, and am now happily retired (and busy)
enjoying time with my family and grandchildren. www.covenantbooks.com/books/?book=the-rock
Do You Need Book Marketing Help?
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Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page
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him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian Feinblum
This award-winning blog has generated over
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and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” Copyright 2025.
For
the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He
formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the
head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the
director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many
first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.
His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s
The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).
He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the
2024 IBPA Book Awards.
His
letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester)
and The Washington Post. His first published book was The
Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It
was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Born
and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids,
and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.
You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum
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