Virtual Book Tour Stop - “Six Weeks To Yehidah” by Melissa Studdard
Lets cut the chase, first of all belated Merry Christmas to all. Today is my day to host author Melissa Studdard and her books SIX WEEKS TO YEHIDAH and MY YEHIDAH on my humble abode….i mean blog. Tarry not….we have much to do.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Studdard is the author of the bestselling novel Six Weeks to Yehidah, which also won the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Middle Grade Chapter Books. She is also a professor, a book reviewer at-large for The National Poetry Review, a contributing editor for both Tiferet Journal and The Criterion, and the host of the radio interview program Tiferet Talk. As well, she is a member of many literary organizations, including the National Book Critics Circle and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators.
She loves anything related to writing and reading, whether it’s sitting alone with a book and a cup of hot tea, or attending a large poetry reading or literary festival. She also loves travelling, meditating, going for walks, bicycling, practicing yoga, and spending time with family.
She currently resides in Texas with her wonderful daughter and their four sweet but mischievous cats.
ABOUT “Six Weeks To Yehidah”
Move over, C.S. Lewis; Melissa Studdard is here! Annalise of the Verdant Hills is one of the most delightful protagonists to skip through the pages of literature since Dorothy landed in Oz. Join Annalise and her two walking, talking wondersheep as they travel to ever more outlandish places and meet outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A book for all ages, for all time: wonderful, wacky, and bursting with truth!
ABOUT “My Yehidah”
Bursting at the seams with joy and truth, My Yehidah leads you through one of the most important adventures you can take: the journey to the center of your very own self. Filled with writing and drawing prompts and beautiful illustrations to color, this book is the perfect jump start for meaningful, creative exploration for people of all ages. My Yehidah is great as a standalone, but for even more fun, explore it alongside the bestselling, award-winning novel, Six Weeks to Yehidah.
REVIEW
Annalise and her two pet sheep, Mabel and Mimi caught in a flash flood and transported to the land above the clouds find more that they ever bargained for…..there is a land beyond the clouds. From Bob, a man made of light, to Hagski, a nasty bag lady who likes to make rules, to a shaman named Tony and his wise mother Kàna. Here, too, they find that animals talk and musical instruments sprout from the ground like corn. Annalise visits islands and special gardens and a tunnel through the ocean, all the while learning lessons about herself and the nature of the universe. But at last she must decide whether she wants to stay there or return home.
It is said that the greatest complement an author receives is when her reader get lost among the pages and are able to feel a connection to it all, well kudos Ms. Studdard you have done that with me. Six Weeks…. enforces the fact that classics, myths and hope only exists as long as we believe in them that they are.
EXCLUSIVE TALK WITH Ms. Studdard
Q. Hi Melissa.
Hi Aparajita.
Q. Please tell us and our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’m super active in the literary world as an editor, a reviewer, a talk show host, a professor, and, obviously, a writer. I’m also a single mom, so I’m pretty busy. But I love, love, love reading and writing, and I will always make time for it, no matter how busy I am.
Q. Describe your book in a sentence to convince us to buy it.
Six Weeks to Yehidah is a magical, mythical, mystical journey that will change how you see the world.
Q. What led you to being an author?
I’ve always been an avid reader. As a kid, I read massive tomes like War and Peace instead of watching television. Back then it never occurred to me that I could write books too, but over time I started to realize that there were real, living people writing books. Once I grasped that writing wasn’t just some archaic ritual performed by people who have been dead for centuries, I grabbed a pen and jumped in.
Q. How do you research for a book before you being the writing process?
Because I write about things I’m interested in, the research happens naturally through the course of living. In Six Weeks to Yehidah, for instance, there’s a lot of Native American imagery and symbolism which were already in my mind from the traveling and reading I’ve been doing for several years. I also Google all sorts of things right in the middle of the writing process. That’s always fun!
Q. If not an author then what?
Probably a librarian.I’ve always had a fantasy about spending my days literally surrounded by books.
Q. Something special you want to share with us?
I’m completely floored by the positive response to Six Weeks to Yehidah. It has won awards, hit bestseller lists, been named on “Best of the Year” lists. It has been a delight and an honor to receive these accolades, and I am so thankful for each and every reader.
Q. Any advice you would want to give to aspiring writers?
First of all, you should always remember that you’re the only person who can speak your truths, and you are worthy of being heard. Secondly, be patient and keep after it and write without ridiculous expectations. Sometimes your writing won’t be good, but you have to write through that to get to the good stuff. Quitting writing won’t fix anything. Don’t be wary of writing the bad stuff. Just laugh at it, think of it as practice, don’t show it to anyone if you don’t feel like it, and keep writing until the good stuff starts flowing again. Just do not stop writing. The most important thing is to keep doing it against all the odds, obstacles, doubts, and insecurities. Those who keep after it are the ones who succeed. I’ve seen it over and over again with my writer friends.
