Q&A With Diann Boehm

It was an honor that Mickey Mikkelson has connected me with many authors. Today’s guest is with Diann Boehm whose full name is Patricia D. Boehm. Her recent childrens book Boomer The Curious Bunny is out now!

 Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog and I about Boomer The Curious Bunny? Where did the idea come from for this book?

A: Awe, I love Boomer! The idea came to me in two ways. One lovely artist,  Angela from England, had this tiny painting of a forest with a teeny tiny bunny. I was attracted to this painting and told her there was a story there. A few years passed, and my grandson and I played in the backyard, having fun with our imagination. We saw butterflies, birds, doodlebugs, etc. When we came inside, the little bunny popped back into my head, and I knew I had a story. I wrote the story, Norns Triad Publications fell in love with it, and Boomer was born. 

 Q: What do you enjoy most about writing books for children? I think it’s great that you write children’s books because children need to read more, and I think it’s sad many of them are too involved in electronics. 

A: You make some excellent points. I used to teach school and even helped to bring technology into the classroom. I was adamant that a computer was just as important as a pencil, one tool for learning. That is still true. However, today, I also would put the devices down often, and say let’s look at the clouds and discover imagination. I love writing for children because I want them to love their imagination, explore, wonder, and discover. Books help in all those areas. Electronics have their place, but to me, having an actual book that one can touch and feel the pages and the pictures, in wonder  – it is priceless.

Q: What makes each children’s story you’ve written unique? Where do your ideas come from?

A: Many of us children’s authors have similar themes; it is how we deliver the message that makes it stand out. My ideas come to me in waves. Sometimes, I come up with an idea, and it has to think about it for a while, and before I know it, the story comes to me, and I have to write it down before it disappears. 

Other times, I could be out for a walk or asleep, and the story comes to me, and I have to wake up and write or get home quickly to write the story down. I love how that happens.

Q: Would you like to talk about your YouTube channel and provide a link to it? 

I need to get my YouTube channel back up and running. I set it aside when my mom was sick, and then she passed, and I have not had the energy to get back to work on it. 

It was because my mom was my inspiration. She always read to me when I was little, and as a grownup, I saw my mom have three books in her purse because she was reading each one simultaneously. She was an avid reader, which she learned from her mom, my grandma Ruby. They always had books in their purse, ready to pull out when right. 

My mom could tell you so much about an author that I decided I wanted to give children authors an opportunity to share their books and their stories and make a safe place for children to have story time. You can go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDLN5DfdCVzOu9pIphQ2-4Q

I plan to begin interviewing children’s authors again in the New Year. 

Q: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to create a YouTube channel?

A: One has to ask why they want this channel. 

If it is for money, then that is the wrong purpose. You created a YouTube channel because you have a positive message you want to deliver and you want to inspire people. 

YouTube is easy to use, and there are all kinds of tutorials on how to set up your YouTube channel. YouTube has its own tutorials, so if you have an idea, go for it. 

Q: What humanitarian organizations are you involved in? 

A: When I lived overseas, I was involved in several organizations through the American Women’s Association and various friends I knew who I worked with from other countries. Stateside, I work with organizations through our church, and as the need arises, in other community programs. 

Q: Since you are a children’s author, what advice would you give to parents and guardians on getting their children to become readers themselves? 

A: As an elementary classroom teacher, I have always encouraged my parents to read to their children and also to let their children see them reading. Setting the example is half the battle. Talk to the kids about stories you read together,  and ask them questions. Books are a way to establish a fun relationship with your children and get to know their thoughts. The more you talk to them as young children, the more comfortable they are to ask questions and talk to you during adolescence. So books are the window to the imagination, and also to a relationship with your family members.