Interview With “A Basketball Hero is Born” Author Jerald LeVon Hoover!

The phrase “Not all heroes wear capes,” coincides with the concept of the acclaimed Hero book series by award-winning author, educator, and sports journalist, Jerald LeVon Hoover.

“When people look at the books,” he tells SBC, “you’re not going to see one person with a cape on or a mask on or a uniform on—not unless it’s a basketball uniform. In other words, they’re going to be regular folk … Read the rest

Interview With Entrepreneur & “I Can’t Wait to Vote” Author Tiffany Lanier!

The relationship that young people have with books and reading help shape who they become. Entrepreneur, speaker, and debut author Tiffany Lanier reflects on how her beginnings with literature made her the woman she is today. The defining moment arrived when she was in the third grade at one of her parent-teacher conferences.

“The teacher told my mom she felt like I was illiterate,” The Morning Shift Co. founder tells … Read the rest

Interview With “The End” Author John Bray and Illustrator Josh Cleland!

When you write a story, you not only hope it will resonate, you also hope that those involved in the creative process will do it justice. So, how did children’s book author John Bray feel when he could not communicate with illustrator Josh Cleland during the development of The End (Starry Forest Books, September 13, 2022)?

“It was nerve-wracking because you’re handing over–kind of a child–a thing that … Read the rest

Interview With Starry Forest Books President Robert Agis!

There are two pivotal events that shaped how Robert Agis, president of the independent children’s publisher, Starry Forest Books, works with his team. One hails from the time he was frustrated that a then-colleague’s ideas were ignored during a meeting, the other from a teaching he learned from an improv class. “One of the great things they teach you is if you treat your teammates as though they are … Read the rest

Interview With Senior Congressional Staffer & “The Adventures of Chloe and Chris: The Three Branches of Government” Author Hope Goins!

Hope Goins‘ mission is to make a difference in America whether through her role as a senior congressional staff member under Homeland Security or the new picture book series The Adventures of Chloe and Chris. The series, published by Priceless Publishing, debuted (and placed number one on Amazon’s New Releases, Children’s Government Books, and Children’s Politics and Government lists) this past spring with the first installment The Three Read the rest

Interview With “Ella’s Greatest Adventures: The Art of Joy” Author Ashley Thompson!

ashley thompson and the art of joyIn Ashley Thompson’s second book The Art of Joy from the children’s brand and Ella’s Greatest Adventures (October 23, 2020, eBook and November 6, 2020, print) book series, the beloved protagonist Ella McCutie learns to stay positive despite being bullied. Some of the experiences depicted in the picture book are based on Thompson’s childhood.

“They would pick at my physical appearance,” the scientist shares with So Booking Cool. “And … Read the rest

Interview With “Ty’s Travels” Author & Founding Member of The Brown Bookshelf Kelly Starling Lyons!

download-_2_Among the first things award-winning author and founding member of the The Brown Bookshelf Kelly Starling Lyons did when she knew she wanted to write children’s books was study the craft, especially after realizing her seasoned background in print journalism was a different style of writing compared to children’s literature.  “Though I was trained as a feature writer, and, though I had written poetry for fun and other kinds of … Read the rest

Interview With Author Sajidah “S. K.” Ali! (PART 1)

skaliHow does an author determine whether she wants to write a novel in first or third person? For award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Sajidah “S. K.” Ali, who mostly writes about Muslim protagonists, it’s about humanization, especially if the books are about identity.  “What I find is that when I’m writing a character that’s not been seen often in publishing and on shelves… I choose first-person a … Read the rest

Interview With “Black Boy, Black Boy” Author Crown Shepherd!

crown and bookFor some of us, books are more than words on a page; they do more than tell stories. When emerging author and entrepreneur, Crown Shepherd, aka Crown the Writer, found black authors, her writing soared. Her love for reading and writing, which had gone dormant for about ten years, was resurrected thanks to Octavia Butler and Jesmyn Ward, who is among the black authors of Shepherd’s book club … Read the rest

Interview With Fine Artist & Illustrator Charly Palmer!

charly palmer and booksFine artist of 35 years, Charly Palmer, does not believe he has yet created a masterpiece, and that is what drives him. His work has been both privately and publicly commissioned by many including the 1996 Olympics; McDonald’s Corporation; Coca Cola Company; the Green Bay Packers; Maya Angelou’s estate before being auctioned by Swann Gallery; and universities (i.e., Howard, Fisk, and Vanderbilt). In 2018, he was awarded with the … Read the rest