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Nicole Weaver is an award-winning children’s author. Her love for languages and other cultures resulted in her writing three trilingual children’s picture books, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle, My Sister Is My Best Friend and currently under contract My Brother Is My Best Friend. She is a veteran French/Spanish high school teacher and adjunct professor of French at Arapahoe Community College in her hometown of Littleton, Colorado.
As an author, she donates a large portion of her book proceeds to Mercy& Sharing: learn about it more at its website.Do you consider yourself a born writer?
No, I am not a born writer. I started writing when my two older children left home to attend college. I experienced major depression. A friend of mine talked me into attending a local writer’s conference. I left the conference with an urgent need to start writing. I entered a poetry contest sponsored by my local library. I won first place and from there I branched out and wrote a children’s picture book. The therapeutic benefits from writing had me completely hooked.
Tell us about your recent release. What was your inspiration for it?
I got inspired to write My Sister is My Best Friend after I met my half sister for the first time in 2008. We immediately became best friends. My imagination took off. I began thinking about what it would have been like if I had grown up with her. I came up with a very positive story that portrays two twin sisters who get along and enjoy each other’s company instead of being yet another typical story about sibling rivalry. Tell us about your children’s books.
My first book titled, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle is based on true events of my childhood days in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I lived with my father near the beach. Sea turtles came to shore to lay their eggs within walking distance from my home. I loved watching the mother turtles lay their eggs and later return to the sea. One unlucky turtle was stuck on the beach and much to my dismay; my father and uncles had plans for the poor turtle. In short, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle is about what happened at the beach so many years ago.
My third book is very similar to My Sister is My Best Friend. My Brother is My Best Friend is currently under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing. It is a story about two twin brothers. A blogger left a message on my blog asking me to write a book about twin brothers, and that is how I came up with the idea to write the manuscript. Much to my delight, My Brother is My Best Friend came to be.
What was your favorite book as a child?
I loved The Curious George Series. I loved the pictures and reading them helped me learn how to read in English.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a manuscript, which is currently being critiqued. I think the manuscript should be ready for submission soon. I wrote a story about fraternal twins. I thought it would be great to complete the series. My first book is about two twin sisters, second book about twin boys and now the third about a boy/girl twin.
Where are your books available?
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?
Yes, readers can go to my website, my latest books’ blog or the sea turtle blog.
Mayra , thank you for taking the time to interview me.
