Introducing New Children’s Author: Jennifer Romboldi

I am very excited and proud to introduce you to a new children’s author, Jennifer Romboldi. She recently self-published her first book and I knew I just had to feature her on my blog.

I have to be honest and disclose that I have known her for almost thirty years. She is one of my best friends and I think we are lucky to have been on a similar journey as we navigate this crazy new world of writing together.

Jen is more of a poet trying to enrich young minds. I, of course, am writing profanity laced fairy tales with slightly graphic sex scenes and while that may seem worlds apart, we are actually very similar in many ways.

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to put this article together and I hope you enjoy her interview, and download her new book, Freckles!

1) When did you first start writing and do you prefer poetry?

My love for writing started in elementary school. I love to talk and always had a lot to say. I love telling descriptive stories and yes I love poetry. Most of my stories are actually songs that I sing to my kids. I feel life is rhythmic and my days are very beat driven.

2) How did you come up with the idea for your children’s book, ‘Freckles?’

Well, the summer my son turned three we had a freckles explosion. They covered his face more and more every trip to the beach. He was not a big fan of them and thought he looked different and wanted me to wash them off. One night I was cleaning up from the day at the beach and thinking of how cute he was and how I knew someday he would realize how special his adorable/now handsome freckles were perched under those big blue eyes matched with his dark brown hair. So I envisioned this boy with attitude all proud of his freckles. Btw boy loves his freckles now.

3) What was the easiest and hardest part of the writing process for your book?

Definitely the things I had no control over, like the artwork. It took a very long time for me to find an illustrator that could produce the “style” of my vision. Also formatting a picture book was a whole new crash course in computer programming. That was challenging but not in a negative way.

4) Do you find it hard to balance motherhood, work, and writing?

I do a pretty good job at juggling life as I’ve always thrived on a hectic life style and have absolutely no issues falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I just wrote in my blog recently that it’s very hard to turn your creativity on and off. That’s what I have to do. You may have a very creative day where all sorts of new ideas come to your mind and however you’re at work or carting kids somewhere. I just adjust and use my phone a lot. I sing a new tune into my voice recorder or using voice dictation for poem ideas. Sometimes I even video my ideas. Which is very humorous to watch later to see how my thought process works. My kiddos actually love watching the videos of my creative sessions. Maybe it’s a small glimpse into the switch box of my brain that is intriguing.

5) What are a few of your favorite children’s books?

I love Sandra Boyton everything. Also Fun Dog Sun Dog by Deborah Heiligman.
Let’s see
I love Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn and also The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy by Harper Collins cuz I am a sucker for a boy and a dog.

6) What authors have influenced you?

Again Sandra Boyton her quick sing songy poems are right up my ally. As for adult books sadly I have a problem sitting still long enough to read them.

7) What can we expect next from you as far as your work?

I’ve written a song/poem about a girl who has lost her teddy and it’s sure to be a favorite. I read it to about 40 1st graders the other day and they loved it! I have to still decide if I am going to attempt the artwork myself or search for the perfect illustrator again.

8) As a new children’s author, what advice can you give aspiring authors before they take the leap?

Don’t give up! Don’t do it because you want to get rich, put your work out there because you want to share your work. I had personal reasons why I aspired to put my work out there and there was a lot of ups and downs along the way but I never gave up and never wavered. At the end of the day my son acknowledge that
I stuck to it and did what I said I was going to do and never gave up. Hearing him say that was all I needed.

9) What inspires you?

Life, my kids and the drive to keep doing things that make me happy. Some people buy shoes, some people watch sports, some people eat, others read and relax everyone in the world finds something that allows them to disconnect from normalcy. I create – whether it’s food, build things, or writing it’s my disconnect, it’s my way of relaxing. That vision of seeing the way thinks go together and the ability to never say it can’t be done that it my inspiration.