WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES
INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION
FOR WRITERS
TODAY’S GUEST
ANNIE SILVESTRO
Today I’m thrilled to help you to get to know a little bit more about another 2017 debut picture book author.
Annie Silvestro is a lover of books who reads and writes as much as possible and can often be found shuffling piles of them around so she has a place to sit or someplace to put her teacup. Her picture books include BUNNY’S BOOK CLUB, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss (Doubleday Books for Young Readers), MICE SKATING, illustrated by Teagan White (Sterling, Fall 2017), and THE CHRISTMAS TREE WHO LOVED TRAINS, illustrated by Paola Zakimi (HarperCollins, Fall 2018). Annie lives by the beach in NJ with her husband and two boys who like to read, and a cat who does not.
So, without further ado, let’s welcome Annie!
ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?
ANNIE:
There are so many! For a start, I loved William Steig, Richard Scarry, James Marshall, the BABAR books by Jean de Brunhoff, AMELIA BEDELIA by Peggy Parish, MADELINE by Ludwig Bemelmans. Growing older I was crazy about Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, and L.M. Montgomery.
ME: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?
ANNIE:
Don’t rush! Everything in publishing takes time and patience. Wait to submit your work until you have several stories (at least) under your belt and have spent a good amount of time reading and writing and practicing and researching.
ME: Where do you like to write/draw – inside, outside, a special area in your home, on the computer, in a notebook? And when do you find time to write?
ANNIE:
I mostly use the computer on the desk in my office to write. Most ideas, though, start as written “drafts” in a notebook or on a scrap of paper. As nice as it is to have a notebook in my purse and next to my bed, more often than not I end up writing on an old receipt I find in the car or whatever is closest at hand at the odd moment when inspiration strikes.
ME: When during the day (or night) are you most productive? Do you set a schedule for working or do you write/draw when the muse speaks?
ANNIE:
I like to write in the morning but a lot of times I end up writing late at night when my kids are finally asleep. I don’t have any set schedule, but since I work part time I try to use my days off as writing days as best I can. It’s easy to get sucked in by laundry, grocery shopping, etc., but I try hard to protect that time..
ME: Why do you write for children?
ANNIE:
My father is an amazing storyteller. When I was growing up, he would invent the most wonderful bedtime stories. My favorite was called The Marshmallow Pillow. He inspired me to become a storyteller myself.
Also, the books I read as a child still mean so much to me. Books are incredibly powerful and provide children with their earliest connections to and understandings of the world. What a gift to have the potential to make that type of meaningful connection! Or to make a child smile, laugh, or feel understood or comforted in some way. Not to mention the profound opportunity to encourage kindness and empathy.
ME: Annie, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.
ANNIE:
For aspiring writers:
Being a member of the SCBWI has been invaluable to me. I have been involved with my local NJ chapter for many years and have learned so much and made so many wonderful friends and connections. It is an incredible organization!
ME: I agree 100%. The SCBWI is an organization that stands ready to assist writers and illustrators in so many ways.…joining in the fun is the best way to learn and grow. Annie…this was so much fun…we all appreciate what you shared.
Visit Annie online at: http://www.anniesilvestro.com and on Twitter and Instagram: @anniesilvestro
And now for one of my favorite parts of Will Write for Cookies…the cookies!
Annie is sharing an unbelievable treasure with us…a recipe, actually written by her grandmother!
The photo is of my grandmother’s recipe for Anisette Biscuits (biscotti) along with my latest batch. They were my favorite treat as a child and I love baking them for my children. They never turn out exactly the same as my grandmother’s biscotti did, but I will keep trying! The smell of them in the oven brings back the very best of memories.
Oh my gosh…I am going to gain lots of pounds this year with all of these incredible recipes!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Next week, we’ll be reviewing another 2017 picture book, THE GREEN UMBRELLA. And we are going to have a SPECIAL blog post on Monday…the COVER REVEAL for..well…that would be telling!
Yup…2017 is a wonderful year for picture books! And I thank all of you for joining me on this journey.
Annie, thanks for the post and thanks for the cookie recipe. I love hearing how anyone figures out their writing journey. And the cookies…we always called them anisette cookies, but now I make biscotti! I’m a dunker with them, are you!?!?! Thanks again.
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Thank you for your kind words! I’m absolutely a dunker!! These are a must-dunk! 🙂
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So glad you enjoyed the interview and the biscotti recipe, Mona…they do look great, dn’t they? I used to dunk as a kid…but don’t anymore. 😉
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Congratulations, Annie, on all of your books. Book Club looks so cute.
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Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
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Thanks for stopping by, David…are you getting ready for Susanna’s Valentiny Contest?
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Delicious interview! Annie is a wonderful author and SCBWI friend!
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Thank you!! xoxo
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Hello Patricia…so lovely to meet you! Thank you for coming by to read Annie’s interview…she’s pretty special!
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Congrats, Annie. Wishing you the best of luck with your adorable books. Yummy interview, Vivian.
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That is so nice, thank you!
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Glad you enjoyed the interview, C.L…with a guest like Annie, the Q&A was so much fun to do. 😉
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Every book club needs cookies – this is a batch of perfection!
Congrats Annie and well done Vivian!
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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Oh yes, Cathy…let’s start a cookie book club…I’m a fan of that combinatin. 🙂
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What a cozy post! I want tea, biscotti and a book club! Is that too much to ask? Congratulations on your adorable sounding story. I will look for it. 😊
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Ha! Not too much to ask at all! Thank you so much!
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I hope you get a copy, Ingrid…it is truly a sweet read. And I want tea and biscotti also. 🙂 Right now…in fact, maybe I will go and get some!
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Great interview Vivian and Annie! I look forward to reading your books! And way to keep us guessing Vivian … hmmm …??
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Thank you! 🙂
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Thanks, Jen…and yes, you will have to come back on Monday for the COVER REVEAL of someone’s (not mine, I think you’ve all seen the cover of Sweet Dreams, Sarah) new 2017 book. 😉
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Congrats, Annie, You can’t bake cookies, or create a picture book, without a whole lot of love!
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Very true!! Thank you!
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So true, Francis…and I thank you so much for showing the love by stopping by Annie’s Q&A. 🙂
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Congratulations, Annie. And thanks for the reminder to be patient! Did you have an agent?
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Thank you! Yes, I do have an agent. That took time, too!
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Thank you so much for visiting, Mary…being patient is excellent advice…but so hard to follow sometimes. )
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Annie, how wonderful to have grown up with a father who told stories. Maybe some day you’ll write the story of the Marshmallow Pillow. I can imagine the sweet dreams a child could have from such a tale. And thank you for sharing your grandmother’s Anisette Biscuit recipe. I’ll have to give it a try with a slight tweak to make it gluten-free. My favorite biscotti recipe I make includes toasted almonds and dried cranberries. Congratulations on your writing successes. And thank you, Vivian, for another wonderful post.
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You are right, Leslie…a story of the Marshmallow Pillow sounds delightful. And cranberry and almonds in biscotti sounds yummy. So glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Leslie! I hope the recipe is just as delicious gluten-free!
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This was a lovely post. Bunny’s Book Club sounds so cute. Congrats and hope the party is a hit. Loved also your Grandmother’s biscotti recipe. Thanks ladies.
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Thanks for stopping by, Diane…hope you get to read the book…Bunny’s Book Club is a winner!
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Thank you very much, Diane!
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Thank you Vivian and Annie. Can’t wait to read Bunny’s Book Club. Congrats and best wishes!
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Hope you get to read the book soon, Judy. Glad you enjoyed the Q&A.
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Thank you so much! I hope you like it!
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I love learning about the perfect picture books and the people who write them, Vivian. Thanks for a wonderful interview & a peak inside Annie’s creative process.
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I love having you visit here, Pat…so glad you find the posts of value. 😉
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Congratulations Annie on your book, can’t wait to read it. I hope Marshmallow Pillow is in the works; what kid doesn’t love marshmallows! Thanks for your Grandmother’s Biscotti recipe, I love that it is written in script, and I can’t wait to try making them. Thanks Vivian for another fantastic interview!
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Thanks so much for saying that, I appreciate it! 🙂
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You are so welcome, Jean…I thank you for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment!!! I’m hoping to make the wonderful biscotti recipe soon…and you are right…it is all the more precious because it was written in her grandmother’s own hand.
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Just yesterday I ordered ‘Bunny’s Book Club’ for my library and then today I’m catching up on Vivian’s blog posts and there it is! Great interview (Annie’s favorite childhood authors could have been written by me, so exactly the same). Thanks to both of you for this peek behind the scenes. Now I’m extra excited for this month’s book order to come in. Also, Annie, your grandmother’s recipe looks lovely!
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Thanks so much, Marsha…and how perfect…glad you ordered BUNNY’S BOOK CLUB for your library..it’s definitely a perfect picture book! So happy you enjoyed the peek behind the scenes. 😉
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That is so wonderful! Thank you! I hope you enjoy the book and I appreciate your support!
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That’s a great interview! I’ve always wanted to try biscotti – I’ll have to try to convince my mom to make it with me! 🙂
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Thank you! I hope you can convince her! 🙂
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I bet she will, Erik!
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Thanks for sharing your passion Annie. Your words about taking time and patience are encouraging. AND the biscotti recipe! Never made biscotti. May do that now.
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Such a pleasure, thank you for reading this! I hope you make some – you won’t be disappointed 🙂
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We should all try the recipe, Damon…we can make it a biscotti bake-off…maybe they’ll make a reality show out of writers who bake. 😉
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Thank you Annie for a look into your writing journey. I can smell the biscotti.
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Great interview Annie and Vivian! So many lovely books to look forward to.
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