Monique Roy’s passion for writing began as a young girl while penning stories in a journal. Now she looks forward to deepening her passion by creating many unique stories that do nothing less than intrigue her readers.
Monique holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is the author of a middle-grade book Once Upon a Time in Venice, historical fiction novel Across Great Divides, historical fiction novel A Savage Kultur, and children’s book Laurel’s Marvelous Kingdom.
Monique was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and her grandparents were European Jews who fled their home as Hitler rose to power. It’s their story that inspired her to write Across Great Divides, her first historical novel.
Historical fiction lets you escape to another time and place; and Monique likes to explore the past so that we can potentially better understand the future.
Monique resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son. She also works as a freelance writer.
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❀Tell us about your book! What is it about and what inspired you to write it?
Laurel’s Marvelous
Kingdom:
When the wicked witch of the land snatches up Princess Astrid, her sister, Princess Laurel, realizes it will take more than her plant-growing superpowers to rescue her. With the
help of a handsome prince, Laurel rides deep into the dark forest in search of the witch’s den.
To her horror, Laurel discovers that Astrid is jealous of her superpowers, and has teamed up with the witch to weaken Laurel’s powers. Now, Laurel must convince Astrid to abandon her evil ways and return to goodness — before the witch and Astrid shed harm onto the kingdom.
This fairy tale story will enliven the imagination of children with a little witchy fun in between. The story teaches children about what makes us unique, appreciating your special characteristics, and doing what you love.
What inspired me to write it?
The idea for Laurel’s Marvelous Kingdom came from the desire to write an enticing, emotional, and comedic kid’s story using old-style fairy tale principles – princesses, a handsome prince, a beautiful castle setting, and some witchy craziness. I also wanted to teach the children who read my book an important lesson. In this case, the lesson being that everyone is unique and to respect the uniqueness of others.
Tell us about your publishing process. What was it like? Did you go indie or the traditional way?
I am a self-published author, and I used a self-publishing company to assist me with the publishing process. Once you find a good, supportive company, then publishing the story is an easy process.
How did you choose the title for your book? Did it come to you right away, before you started writing it, or did it come later?
The title was edited a little over the course of writing the book. It seems that as the story becomes more clear, your title gets edited to best support the book idea.
Tell us about the
cover design process. Did you have a basic idea of what your book cover would
be like?
My great illustrator, Lauren Curtis, helped me with my cover idea. It takes elements and main characters from the story and blends them together.
Who is your cover designer and how did you find him/her?
My illustrator, Lauren Curtis, was my cover designer. I found her through researching freelance illustrators. She did an amazing job!
How was your experience working with the designer?
Lauren was a smart and supportive partner in this effort. It took a year to do the illustrations as we worked slowly to get it right. We worked closely on the ideas and then Lauren would create beautiful illustrations.
What has been the readers’ response to your cover?
So far, readers have liked the cover.
What tips would you give to authors who are looking for a cover designer?
Take the time to do research and talk to cover designers on the phone to ensure they understand the story and thought process. Find someone who you will work effectively with, as well as someone who is creative and can support your illustration needs. Also, be open about budget and timeline on book.
Anything else you’d like to say about your book?
You can learn more about
my books at www.monique-roy.com.
❀ORDER YOUR COPY OF LAUREL'S MARVELOUS KINGDOM BELOW!
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