Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My students call me Dr. Fro as I am a public middle school special education teacher and college professor in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I am a proud husband to my wife Julie and father to three amazing children Leah, Freddie, and Danielle.
It is out of the love for my children that my stories have come. While spending quality time reading to my kids at night, what became evident was that the Froehlich children were all going to be amazing readers. The passion for reading at bedtime made it a challenge to find new books which would lead to the creation of the title character in my books, Frobble. I would improvise stories to entertain my children about the miscreant behaviors of a pesky child, Frobble, so much so that my children would start to request “Frobble Stories” instead of traditional books at night.
After attempting to craft a method for helping my students to increase reading and writing proficiency, I came up with the idea to have students write books. They would write a minimum of 30 pages and eventually publish them through a digital self-publishing software. The idea was initially met with resistance but when I agreed to take on the task as well, it allowed many students to show incredible growth and buy in during class time.
The challenge to produce the book for my students resulted in the motivation for the Frobble Series. The experience has helped me to identify a new passion for writing stories to inspire children based on values such as loyalty, honor, respect, friendship, and healthy social and emotional bonds.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Frobble: Long Road Home. The book is the second of a three part series based on stories I would tell my children when they were little and expands them into a world of friendship and adventure.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It has become quite clear to me that as I am writing, there are certain phrases and elements that seem to show up more than I would like. I have a tendency to be a bit repetitive but, in the end, I am proud of the tone and style of my writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I was a huge fan of Lois Duncan books as a child and though I am not writing suspense stories, I try to write books that are written so that a wide age range of fans can enjoy them, which is something I always appreciated about her books.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on finishing up the Frobble Series and have started the process of preparing for my next book idea. I am hoping to have the Frobble Series finished by summer 2022.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am a huge fan of Blurb.com. With Blurb, you can use your own ISBN numbers or have them assign you one, distribute to a variety of sites via Ingram distribution, and create epub files or pdf versions seamlessly.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I reference a quote from a song by Baz Luhrmann called Everybody’s Free which is often referenced as the song Wear Sunscreen when I say, “The road is long and in the end, it is only with yourself.” Self publishing can be tough but stick with it and come to the realization that by completing your first book, whether you sell 1 or 1 million copies, you have done something countless others only dream of and it is a huge accomplishment.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be the best version of you that you can be and you will be an inspiration to others.
What are you reading now?
I am reading 2 books right now. I am reading Fahrenheit 451 and The New Jim Crowe.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue to think up book concepts that allow me to keep expanding my experience and that put smiles on children’s faces.
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?
My absolute favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird as it was the first book that inspired me to read for pleasure. After that I would bring Bridge to Terabithia, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Three Theban Plays: Sophocles as these books were influential at different times of my life.
Author Websites and Profiles
Frederick Froehlich Website
Frederick Froehlich’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile