Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Interview with Leela Hope, author of Derek The Dragon Childrens Book Collection

Leela Hope is a writer with over 22 years of experience in writing endearing children's fiction. Her lively characters have entranced and captivated her audience, and she has taken great joy in writing the three series of books, each beautifully illustrated with love and care. Her stories concentrate on the adventures of floppy eared bunnies and wide-eyed children learning lessons in life, before returning home wiser and eager for sleep. leela hope writes her stories to entertain the very young, but also to educate. Her vision is always of a parent sitting on a child's bed, reciting the stories each night, while the young one drifts off to sleep, lulled into a dream world full of fun and adventure.

From her very earliest years of childhood, Leela made up stories in her head, telling them to her younger brother and sister. The stories flowed easily from her mind, and it wasn't long before she realized she had a gift for writing. By the age of 14, she had already written a small book of short stories for her own entertainment, and by the age of 22, she had published her first full-fledged children's fiction in several magazines. Leela hope was destined to be an author and she knew exactly what genre of fiction she wanted to dedicate her life too.

Born in San Diego, California, and still residing in the area, Leela studied English Literature at Berkeley, earning a degree in 1989. Her writing covers a span of several genres, but she always returns to her first love, children's fiction. She enjoys scuba diving and visiting wildlife parks, seeking new inspiration for cuddly characters for her stories. leela hope lives in an urban area of San Diego and is presently at work on a new book.

Connect with Leela:


About The Childrens Book Collection

Derek The Dragon (Book 1)

TitleDerek The Dragon
Author: Leela Hope
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: January 26, 2015
Pages: 22
ASIN:  B00SSFWFEI
Genre: Childrens Books
Format: eBook (.mobi - Kindle) / PDF

Derek The Dragon
Do your kids ever feel sad?
Do they have trouble making friends?
An amazing story for all ages to enjoy, aimed at children 0-5 years of age. Watch as Derek the Dragon learns about the meaning of happiness in this tale. Come and meet an adventurous dormouse who decides that he can change his lot in life and through caring about others he ends up saving his village. The story is told through rhyming verse and vivid illustration. Derek the Dragon contains a great message about caring and friendship for parents to share with their children.

Derek The Dragon (Book 2)

TitleDerek The Dragon And The Missing Socks
Author: Leela Hope
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: January 25, 2015
Pages: 22
ASIN: B00SRWHITY
Genre: Childrens Books
Format: eBook (.mobi - Kindle) / PDF

Derek The Dragon And The Missing Socks
Do your kids forget to clean up their rooms?
Have they ever asked you to find things for them?
This story is pure family entertainment. It is great for kids 2-82 but it is aimed at the 0-5 age group. The book covers a very important life skill, cleaning. Derek the dragon does not like to clean, but he learns that he needs to get his house clean if he is ever going to find his lucky socks. Devin the dormouse comes to help his friend and shows him the way to get his house clean. The friends clean the cave and find the lucky socks. The story is brought to life through vivid illustrations and is told in rhyming verse.


Derek The Dragon (Book 3)

TitleDerek The Dragon and Princess Dayna
Author: Leela Hope
Publisher: Independent Self Publishing
Publication Date: January 25, 2015
Pages: 22
ASIN: B00SRVFCI4
Genre: Childrens Books
Format: eBook (.mobi - Kindle) / PDF

Derek The Dragon and Princess Dayna
Do you or your kids have trouble with people who are different?
Do your kids have trouble making friends?
This is a terrific story aimed at kids 0-5, and yet, it is fun for the whole family to read and enjoy. Derek the Dragon, the dormouse, Devin and Princess Dayna all learn a lot about friendship. The book deals with misunderstandings and stereotypes, but in a way that is very palatable for little children to understand. The villagers are worried about a dragon flying around their village. They send their princess off to deal with the situation. The story is told in rhyming verse and featuring dynamic illustrations. It is a story for the whole family to enjoy.



Author Interview



Can you tell us what your book is about?

Derek the Dragon learns about the meaning of happiness in this tale. Come and meet an adventurous dormouse who decides that he can change his purpose in life and through caring about others, he ends up saving his village. The story is told through rhyming verse and vivid illustrations. Derek the Dragon contains a great message about caring and friendship for parents to share with their children.


Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?

Derek is a dragon that was sad before he met a dormouse. This dormouse will help him become happy and at the same time save the village!


Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

They’re 100% fictitious and made-up.


Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel or do you discover it as you write?

Actually, the simple concept is already thought but as I write the story, things get more explained and elaborated.


Does the setting play a major part in the development of your story?

Yes.


Have you suffered from writer’s block and what do you do to get back on track?

No.


What do you like the most about being an author?

Writing stories with moral lessons at the end for children to learn from.


What is the most pivotal point of a writer’s life?

Imagination and moral lessons.


What kind of advice would you give other fiction authors?

Keep your imagination alive!



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