I am a
prosecutor of child abuse and sex crimes in New York City and the mother of
three little girls. I have been prosecuting
sex crimes for almost 15 years and work hard to keep my work life separate from
my home life.
Tell us about the genre of your work.
I wrote
a children's book, My Body Belongs to Me,
to teach children to tell a parent or teacher if someone is touching them
inappropriately. The book is geared
toward 3-8 year olds and has simple text with colorful pictures.
Why did you choose this genre?
I chose
to write a children's book because through my work, I continuously encountered
children who had been sexually abused for long periods of time and did not tell
anyone. I felt that a book with a simple
message to tell someone would go a long way in keeping children safe from
sexual abuse.
What ages do you direct your book?
This
book is geared toward 3-8 year olds.
My Body Belongs to Me ISBN: 0982121601 can be purchased on Barnes &
Noble, on Amazon and at www.MyBodyBelongstoMe.com
Does your book have a teaching objective? If so, what is it?
Yes, the purpose of the book is
to teach children that their bodies are private and if someone touches them
inappropriately, they should tell a parent or teacher right away.
How do you come up with the names of places and characters in
your books?
I
intentionally avoided giving the character a name in the book. In fact, there is no indication of the gender
of the child. Often, boys identify it
being a boy and girls identify it as a girl.
What is your favorite thing about your book?
My
favorite thing about My Body Belongs to
Me is that there is a section in the back called Suggestions for the
Storyteller. This section walks the
reader through the discussion that should occur after the book is read.
Is your book illustrated?
If so, would you tell us by whom, and if you worked with an illustrator,
can you discuss that experience?
The book has colorful
illustrations created by Sara Muller.
This was Sara's first experience creating illustrations for a children's
book and there is a sweetness to each one.
The expression on the child's face perfectly amplifies the story.
How is writing in the genre you write, different than other
genre?
The
genre in which I write is different than others in that there is usually a
message involving safety.
Are there any problems in getting children’s’ books
published?
I
self-published My Body Belongs to Me and
am now working with an agent to have it picked up by a larger publisher. There is a good demand to have the book translated
into other languages as well.
Why and when did you begin writing?
I began
writing when my daughter was almost three years old. I wanted to have a discussion with her about
"good touch/bad touch". I was
not quite sure what to say so I sought out a book to help me along the
way. I was not able to find a book that
was age appropriate so I ultimately created one.
What is your writing schedule?
I wrote
at night when my children were sleeping.
What projects are you working on
now, or plan for the future?I had a meeting today to discuss my next children's book which
will be one involving keeping children safe on the internet.
What kind of advice or tips to you have for someone who wants
to write and get published?
Start
writing and show your work to as many people as you can and solicit their
honest feedback. Sometimes writers get
so close to their work, they can no longer view it objectively.
What do you do when you are not writing?
When I
am not writing a book, I am writing poems for The Poem Lady. The Poem Lady is a website where people can
request customized poems for the special occasions in their life.
What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life?
In
April of this past year, I had the honor of appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show to
discuss what motivated me to write My
Body Belongs to Me. It was an
incredible experience and certainly gave me that "Made it" feeling. In addition to meeting one of the most
inspiring
women in the world, I was able to share the
message of My Body Belongs to Me with an international audience. It was tremendously rewarding and a moment I
will never forget.
Learn more about Jill and her work at:
Twitter:
@SafetyStar
Quote
from a Review:
"...In only 19
sentences, this simple book will empower children while promoting open
communication". - School Library Journal
2 comments:
This is a subject that cannot be written about too many times. Great interview.
Interesting Article. Hoping that you will continue posting an article having a useful information. Islamic blog
Post a Comment