This Week’s Feature Author Interview with
Erica Graham
Hi Erica Graham, welcome to the Indie Publishing Group website. Introduce yourself to us. Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, what do you enjoy doing, hobbies and interests.
My name is Erica Graham and I am the author of the children’s book series “Talking Tales”. I graduated from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with my Master of Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology. I also hold my Certificate of Clinical Competence with the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. In addition to being a speech-language pathologist, I am married and have two very loving and energetic young children. As a mother, I understand the difficulty caregivers have finding time to work on speech with their children. This was the inspiration that began my journey as a children’s book author and illustrator. In my pursuit to create a fun and easy way for therapists, children, and their caregivers to enhance speech development while promoting literacy, I have written a series of exciting children’s books. Each book focuses on a core sound used in the English language.
Outside of writing and working as a Speech Language Pathologist, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my husband and daughters, volunteering with the youth group at church, and a good cup of tea.
When did you start writing and why?
I have always written for personal enjoyment. However, I recently wrote and published my children’s books to create a way for caregivers and therapists to promote speech development and literacy skills.
Which is your favorite book you have written and what gave you the idea for it?
Out of the three books I have published, my favorite has been “Talking Tales: Cricket’s Guitar”. I thought of the idea behind Cricket’s Guitar while showing my daughter how to strum a toy guitar. However, I am currently working on my fourth book and have to say that this book, which was inspired while playing with my daughters and sidewalk chalk, is easily my new favorite.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
When naming my series, I wanted to come up with a title that incorporated the two main concepts of my books; children’s stories that are designed to help with speech and can be read for fun. After spending months creating and eliminating possible choices, Talking Tales was born.
Who helped you with the cover? Or did your design it yourself? What was your inspiration for your cover design?
I created my own covers. I wanted my covers to have a similar theme to their designs that would make them easily recognizable as part of a series. I use my favorite illustration from each book as inspiration for the book cover.
What are some of the themes of your story?
All of my stories are centered on a target sound to help with speech development, but they are presented in a fun way. While my goal is to provide children, parent’s and therapists a way to help speech and language development, my main focus is providing an entertaining story that can be read for fun, regardless of a child’s speech skills.
What’s your process when you sit down and decide to start writing a book? What is your process and do you have a system?
I always start a writing session with a quiet table and a hot cup of tea. Quiet can be difficult with two little ones so I normally write late at night. My oldest child loves to draw and is very excited when I illustrate. I often complete my illustrations when the youngest is napping so my oldest and I can draw and share our masterpieces with each other.
Who are some of your favorite characters and why?
Cricket is my favorite character from my published books mainly because of how much fun he was to illustrate.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
This is a very hard question since I have so many. One of my favorite children’s authors is Dr. Seuss. I love that most of his books target an educational concept such as cause and effect, colors, shapes, and opposites in a fun way. This inspired me to write my books so that they can be used to target speech or read strictly for enjoyment.
Have you got anything you’re working on now?
I am currently working on the fourth children’s book in my Talking Tales series that I hope to release in the early half of 2017. Feel free to follow me on Facebook, Goodreads, or Amazon for more information as the release date nears. You can also join my email list for information on new releases by sending your preferred email address to ericagrahamauthor@gmail.com
If you could have any super powers what would they be?
I would choose the power to fly without assistance. I love experiencing nature in different ways and to be able to explore the world around me from a different angle and with a whole new sense of freedom would be incredible.
If you could travel to any location in the world where would you go?
I cannot pick just one place. I love traveling.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
I am happy with where I am now. In five years I hope that I am continuing to enjoy time with my husband and children, continuing my work with the youth in my church, continuing my job as a speech-language pathologist, and continuing my love of writing.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview. Take a minute and check Erica Graham out on the links below!
Erica Graham Subscription Email: ericagrahamauthor@gmail.com
Talking Tales: Cricket’s Guitar
When Teri hears a small voice calling her, she never would have guessed who she would meet…a cricket! But not just any cricket. This cricket has a guitar. He is hoping that Teri can help him replace a broken string on his guitar. Will Teri’s creative thinking be able to help cricket, or will cricket never play his guitar again? This engaging story is a great tool for any parent or speech therapist. It provides over 80 examples of the “t” sound in various word locations to increase speech development. This book also includes tips for parents who are working with their child’s speech at home.
Erica Graham Author Biography
Erica Graham graduated from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with her Master of Arts Degree in Speech Language Pathology. She also holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence with the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. As a mother of two, Erica understands the difficulty parents have finding time to complete speech homework with their children. In her pursuit to create a fun easy way for therapists, children, and their parents to enhance speech development while promoting literacy, she has written a series of exciting children’s books. Each book focuses on a core sound used in the English language. Outside of writing and working as a Speech Language Pathologist, Erica enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughters, volunteering with the youth group at church, and a good cup of tea.
2 Responses
Thank you very much for the wonderful interview!
Thanks so much for taking part Erica!