Interview With Author Debbie Regan Cleveland
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Debbie has been a published author beginning in high school when she was selected to be the student reporter for an area Massachusetts newspaper, The Lowell Sun. She was a columnist for her college newspaper, and just about everywhere she was employed, she used her writing skills in newsletters and marketing pieces.
Grandmother’s Trunk Press, her company, grew out of Grandmother’s Trunk, her consignment shop full of antiques, collectibles, unique items, and vintage clothing. Debbie published brochures and booklets as part of promoting the shop. She also was invited to write feature articles for trade antiques periodicals.
When she and a fellow dealer launched New England’s first Vintage Clothing Show and Sale, they published a companion newsletter, The Vintage Gazette, reporting on the vintage clothing market and East Coast Vintage Clothing Shows.
Debbie worked full and part-time in public libraries for 20 years. At one point she was the Local Store Marketing Coordinator for 13 corporate McDonald’s restaurants, using her ideas and promotional skills when introducing new products and new stores.
For several years she was the owner and webmaster of Framingham.com, one of the first community websites in the U.S. and still online. She is a long-time volunteer at the Framingham History Center and blogs about being a senior citizen on her blog 50plusses.com.
She enjoys shopping at thrift and consignment and vintage shops, especially looking for interesting photographs and ephemera. She has created some books and digital products using her finds. You can find them on Etsy and Amazon.
For more information about her books, go to GrandmothersTrunk.com.
For more information about Debbie and her children’s book How Shadowchaser Got His Name see Author Talk podcast on YouTube: Celebrating the release of “How Shadowchaser Got His Name: A Cat Tale ” (youtube.com)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
How Shadowchaser Got His Name was inspired by my children’s childhood and a life-like stuffed animal – a cat. One night this cat chased shadows out of my son’s room in a fun way so that my son could go to sleep.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I jot down ideas in my phone, notebooks, and my computer so that I don’t lose them. Sometimes I just use bullet points. I enjoy writing long hand.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dr. Suess for his use of words and illustrations. I also like the George and Martha books.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a sequel to How Shadowchaser Got His Name. It will be about how Shadowchaser gets into a lot of trouble and so does his little boy Sam.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook and my website GrandmothersTrunk.com. I also have a blog: 50plusses.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up, but don’t be stubborn about accepting advice and revising and revising your work. Take lots of writing classes or webinars. I learned things from every one I enrolled in. have your work proofread by multiple people.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Get lots of ARC readers is one. Another was from a book designer who said for authors not to be shy about putting your name on the cover: use a bold color and font.
What are you reading now?
I like mysteries. I recently read The Mystery Guest by Nina Prose and I’m reading The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz. I also recently read Table for Two by Amor Towle.
What’s next for you as a writer?
The sequel to my children’s book and a non-fiction book about buying and owning a cabin.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
books by Jane Austen, Gone with the Wind, War and Peace, the Bible.
Author Websites and Profiles
Debbie Regan Cleveland Website
Debbie Regan Cleveland Amazon Profile
Debbie Regan Cleveland’s Social Media Links
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