Welcome Author Laura Bower – Giveaway Alert

I love hearing about new books and when I first heard about Laura Bower and her debut picture book, THE IMPOSTER, illustrated by Kerisa Greene published by https://gnomeroadpublishing.com I was transported back to the days when my own daughter had a special purple bunny she loved and usually could be found in her crib. Other parents warned me, to have more than one and rotate them so we wouldn’t have a panic at bedtime. It was a small stuffed animal and that seemed like a good insurance plan so I bought a backup bunny. If you’ve had children, or read The Velveteen Rabbit, you may know where this is going. In a two year old’s eyes, the backup had none of the appeal of the original which became worn, loved, and less purple. One night when her previously unnamed bunny went missing, I offered the backup. Indignantly, she tossed it out of the crib and said, “I want my purple bunny!” After searching for the one I knew she really wanted, I successfully located it and held it up side-by-side to the backup which remained a fluffy purple. “You want this stinky thing?” Enthusiastically, she took her beloved bunny and went to sleep. From that night forward, he was known as Mr. Stinky. When Laura and I began emailing about THE IMPOSTER, I shared this story with her in great detail and we bonded over the challenges of losing a lovey. Her wonderful book has a different outcome from my Mr. Stinky story and I don’t give away endings, but I highly recommend this book so go now – yes NOW! – and order it from your favorite indie bookstore or your library because you are going to want this book!

Laura is offering one lucky winner a virtual classroom visit or a 30 minutes Ask-me-Anything Zoom. Comment on the blogpost to enter the giveaway.

What were you like at the age of your target audience?

LB I was pretty shy when I was the age of my target audience. I was always drawn to books and loved getting lost in new worlds. I remember one of my most exciting days was when I read a book on my own for the first time (A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer and P.D. Eastman)! I will never forget that day as it paved the road for a lifetime of reading/writing for me.

 LR As a reading specialist, I love that you remember reading a book on your own for the first time! I was able to witness this magic with my students over the years and it never got old!

What inspires you?

LB I love to travel and visiting new places definitely inspires me. There are so many beautiful, amazing places to visit in our world and I jump at the opportunity to travel any chance I get. I love meeting new people, trying new food, and seeing new sites. Travel has defnitely inspired my writing. I recently wrote a book inspired by the city I was in (while sitting at a cafe in that city!) A dream! 

LR This must be your next Gnome Road book which I’m looking forward to reading. I guess we all need to travel more!

What’s one thing you hope readers will take away from THE IMPOSTER?

LB Life can pitch some curveballs but it is important to keep an open mind.I hope readers take away the heart’s amazing capacity to grow and expand in new ways from reading THE IMPOSTER. There is lots of love to go around!

What’s up next!

My second picture book is coming out with Gnome Road Publishing called EMILY SNOOK, THE WORLD’S SMALLEST COOK, illustrated by Rekha Salin. Emily Snook, a determined young chef, enters an international cooking contest after encouragement from her grandfather only to find the conpetition is older, taller and in serious doubt of her cooking capabilities.

Readers can learn more about Laura Bower and her books:

Twitter: @laurabower79

Instagram: @laurabowerwrites

Facebook: Laura Jensen Bower

www.laurabowerauthor.com