Ask the Author: Chris Hardy
Answered Questions (8)
Chris Hardy
Drop me off at the cantina on Tattooine (Star Wars) so I can listen to the live music and "people" watch!
Chris Hardy
After a wonderfully romantic, butterflies-in-the-stomach first date, they sat gazing into each other's eyes and smiled. There was spinach in her teeth.
Chris Hardy
I will first refer them to my absolute favorite quote by George Eliot that's been on my refrigerator for over 8 years: "It is never too late to be what you might have been." I just became an author at 52 years old!
And second, if you just need inspiration because you can't muster up enough inspiration to inspire yourself (and yep, I get it, it's hard!), watch Mel Robbins' TedTalk "How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over" and then LISTEN to her audiobook called "The 5-Second Rule." I emphasize to listen to it because her voice is like having your own personal cheerleader, counselor, life coach, drill sergeant, etc, in your ear all the time! I would even fall asleep each night with that book going in my ear. If there is one thing I can do for others, it is to refer them to the person who inspired me to start writing...20 years after I originally thought about writing!!
And second, if you just need inspiration because you can't muster up enough inspiration to inspire yourself (and yep, I get it, it's hard!), watch Mel Robbins' TedTalk "How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over" and then LISTEN to her audiobook called "The 5-Second Rule." I emphasize to listen to it because her voice is like having your own personal cheerleader, counselor, life coach, drill sergeant, etc, in your ear all the time! I would even fall asleep each night with that book going in my ear. If there is one thing I can do for others, it is to refer them to the person who inspired me to start writing...20 years after I originally thought about writing!!
Chris Hardy
Well, since I'm just venturing into this field I'm sure I don't have the experience just yet to be able to answer this completely; however, when I was a young girl of maybe 17, I recall having conversations with my bibliophile father about how great it would be to be a successful author who can travel around the world and work anywhere while also going to Disneyland with your family and not be noticed and harassed (assuming they're not THAT recognizable...and this was also the 80s so before the internet & social media). But that success and anonymity would be nice to strive towards!
I must say I really enjoy letting my mind wander into that "zone" or a character's mindset and coming out of it with great ideas!
I must say I really enjoy letting my mind wander into that "zone" or a character's mindset and coming out of it with great ideas!
Chris Hardy
I put it on timeout and wait until it tells me it will stop being such a punk!
Chris Hardy
After sending "Jake and the Pandemic" off to the printer, I immediately had another book idea. I wrote the book and designed/described the illustrations in less than 3 hours. I was shocked, but it felt wonderful! I needed a little reprieve from the serious topic of the pandemic effects and went the complete opposite direction. Jake will now have a series called "Jake's Dreamland" which will be lots of fun adventures, all in rhymes, that will take place all over the world (and galaxy) and not make a bit of sense! These books will only elicit wonderfully positive feelings and put a smile on every face. The first book in the series is called "Jake and the Purple Unicorn" and it will be coming out by mid-September 2021. "Grateful Jake" will be arriving by October 15th. And the last book (but possibly not) of 2021 will be "Jake and the Biggest Yawn Ever" which is an incredibly effective bedtime story book!
Chris Hardy
Taking a walk with Jake usually clears my head of the riff raff that's in there, allowing the creative butterflies to flutter up to the forefront! In fact, I literally just got the inspiration and idea for my next book while on a walk with Jake just two days ago!
Chris Hardy
The very first time I thought I should write a book was when I was walking our newly-adopted Jake in the summer of 2020 (his Mama Dee was our next-door neighbor and she passed away in May of 2020). He had brought so much joy and happiness into our lives and I thought about ways I could share that joy with others. Initially I had thought of training him to be a therapy dog so he could visit people in the hospitals and convalescent homes (which still may happen). Then the book idea came back around in late October after being extremely inspired after watching a TedTalk by Mel Robbins and then listening to her audiobook called "The 5-Second Rule"! Boy, did she light a fire under my tail! I immediately started researching "how to write a children's book" and off I went! I researched illustrators and found an amazing one and the magic of "Jake and the Pandemic" started on December 9th of 2020!! :)
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