Children book: Imagia and the Magic Pearls

Intimate Conversation with author Monroe S. Tarver

Monroe S. Tarver is the author and illustrator of  Imagia and the Magic Pearls, an exciting adventure portraying the power of imagination. He was born and raised in Georgia, attended Savannah College of Art and Design, and currently resides in Charlotte, NC. Monroe is proud to share African American role models, and to stimulate children to expand and use their imaginative gifts.

Introduce us to your book,"Imagia and the Magic Pearls" and the main characters.
"Imagia and the Magic Pearls" takes place in Trillow, the land of three suns. The story tells of the Elf Princess, Imagia, who lives in Upper Zembah. She spends all her time studying and has little time for friends. One day she finds a hole in the palace walls and enters the forest, even though she knows this is forbidden. She does find friends there, but has scary adventures as well. During her adventures, Imagia learns the power of imagination as well as some important life lessons.


Who were your favorites? Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Of course they are all my favorites, but I really like the Braidworms, Water Ostrich and the Creepod flowers. These creatures help define my world of Trillow and each has his own interesting history. I grew up with braids in my hair, so a creature like the braidworm seems natural in my world.


What makes you powerful as a person and a writer? Who are your mentors?
My Imagination makes me powerful as a person and a writer. Walt Disney was my biggest mentor. I loved the world he created with his characters and always wanted to create my own world and characters -- ones that came from my imagination.


A Legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another period of time. Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
My writing helps open the door for fantasy chapter books where dark skinned characters are strong role models.


What specific situation or revelation prompted you to write your book?
My first trip to Disney world actually changed me forever. I felt so many things were possible.


Who do you want to reach with your book and the message within?
I believe every child has a pearl (talent). If they allow the wizards(parents, teachers) around them to help them learn as much as they can, then their pearl will become just as powerful as I've made my pearl -- my writing and drawing over the years.


What are some of their specific issues, needs or problems addressed in this book?
Prior to "Imagia", there's been a dearth of dark-skinned role models in children's literature.


Ultimately, what do you want readers to gain from your book?
I want kids to feel free and empowered to develop and use their imagination.


What do you think makes your book different from others in this genre?
There are very few, if any, Classical Fantasy Chapter books for children aged 5 to 9 to read themselves, or for parents to read to younger children. Unlike the one-sitting childen's books, chapter books provide small children with a sense of anticipation, as well as a chance to fantasize about what comes next.


Share with us your latest news, awards or upcoming book releases.
I'm working on the next book of the Tales From the Mapmaker series ...


How can our readers reach you online? Share with us your online contact info.
I can be reached at  http://www.worldoftarver.com/
http://www.talesfromthemapmaker.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ZxarMxNog


"Tales from the Mapmaker", book 1: 'Imagia and the Magic Pearls'
written by Monroe Tarver.

published by Wizarding World Press

Books can be purchased from:
http://www.cushcity.com/
http://www.mosaicbooks.com/


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Game Recognize Game by Terry DeRon

Intimate Conversation with author Terry DeRon

Game Recognize Game  is a story highlighting the games and deception that men and women play on one another to get what they want. The story is told completely first person so you get to experience the motives and mindset of someone doing dirt and someone having dirt done on them. This is one of those books that has so much drama going on, it's hard to pick a favorite part or one favorite character.

 Q: What inspired you to write this story?
Well originally I started writing out of boredom. I was sitting in a training class to be a claim representative for State Farm and I happened to have a pen and paper in front of me. So that's how I created the first five chapters. It was seeing how people reacted to those chapters that planted the thought "what would happen if they actually had a whole book to read"? So that is what gave me the inspiration to actually complete the task.


Q: Are your characters from the portrayal of real people?
Definitely. Not necessarily people that I know, but real people that anybody could know or hang around. My book is written completely in first person so you get a unique perspective into the thoughts and feelings of each character. Once you see what makes a person operate and what their thought process is when they are going through something you can connect with them more. So the characters in Game Recognize Game are definitely "real."


Q: What sets your book apart from other books in your genre?
Well I'm an avid reader and I teach English and reading, so I know what makes a book a good or great read from a reader's perspective. That’s why my book is so fast paced and realistic. I also have a degree in film and television production so reading my book is more like reading a script to a movie, than actually reading a novel. I don't have a narrator telling you what's happening. You actually get to experience the situation with the character. So that's why readers experience such a roller coaster of emotions while they are reading Game Recognize Game. There isn't any period where your interest level will drop, not even a little bit. When people say, "page turner", this is exactly what they mean. You are on edge to find out what's going to happen from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, and page to page from beginning to end!


Q: What is the best piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
The best piece of advice I would give to an aspiring author is to leave their ego at the door. I've found that a lot of people that contact me want to put out a book that is based on their life. And that doesn't really work unless there is something extraordinary about your life or if you're a celebrity. So my advice would be to focus on something that would interest a large number of people. Not just people that know you or care about your personal life. When you create something that is universally accepted as being a good book then you know that you have done a good job as an author.


Q: Who did you write this book for? Why?
Now I know this sounds crazy, but I actually wrote my book for people that hate to read. Being a reading teacher I understand the importance of being a reader. And a large majority of people that have problems in school or education have a problem with their reading. If you can't read on the same level of your peers, how can you possibly expect to communicate on their level?

So with that in mind, a lot of people are turned off from reading because of some of the material that they were forced to read that probably didn't interest them very much. If you ask almost any person that enjoys reading would they prefer to watch a movie about something or read a book about it and they will almost always select the book. I want to show the people that would select the movie, what they are missing. That’s why my cover is so attention getting and risqué. That’s why my writing is so vivid and in your face. I think that my book looks interesting enough to get someone that may have never read a book beginning to end, to give it a chance. And I know if they read my book, they will have a thorough understanding of the power of literature.


Contact info:
Michelle Stephenson -- michelle@vmscommunications.net
Terry DeRon -- terryderon@yahoo.com

Book is available at: http://www.terryderonbooks.com/



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