1. I hear you have animals in your children’s books. Tell us about the books.

My books are about the animals of the Chesapeake Bay, including crabs, jellyfish, osprey, oysters, and more. They teach children to be kind, brave, resourceful, and forgiving. Three out of the 15 books are Macy the Mermaid, Jordan the Jellyfish, and Curtis the Crab.

Macy the Mermaid blurb:

Liam leads an exciting life as the son of a 4^th generation waterman. He and his dad, Sean, make their living catching fish, crabs, and oysters on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland using their boat, Alyssa’s Mermaid. There is beauty and bounty in the Bay, but there is also something mysterious. What could be in the water below?

 

 

Jordan the Jellyfish blurb:

Jordan the Jellyfish is lost and needs to find her way home from Sandy Point State Park to Mayo Beach, Maryland. She encounters danger and fun with her friends in and above the Chesapeake Bay. Her friends include Arthur the Anchovy, Curtis the Crab, and Olivia the Osprey, and they help protect Jordan and help her find her way home.

 

 

Curtis the Crab blurb:

Curtis the Crab is off on an adventure to find four musicians who will play in a concert in Crab Alley Bay, Maryland, to help bring more crabs and oysters to the Chesapeake Bay. The musicians are Oakley the Oyster, Bethany the Bass, Sampson the Seahorse, and Jordan the Jellyfish.

 

 

2. Why did you add animals to these books?

I love animals, and I have always had a dog or a cat. But I especially love Akitas, and I have had three, named Sumo, Seiko, and Athena. They were big, awesome dogs. Because of my love of animals and the Chesapeake Bay, I constantly wonder what lives in the bay under the sparkles. So I researched online to find there are 12 species of shark, and I learned about many other wonderful animals who live in the Bay. Since I wanted my stories to be fun and educational, I did a lot of research to find each animal’s friends, foes, habitat, and what they like to eat. I also found photos of the animals to be sure the illustrators got them correct.

 

3. What other books have you written?

A few more of my books are Mud Pies and Vandi the Garden Fairy. These are not about the Bay but are fun books. Mud Pies is about 26 ways to use mud. Vandi the Garden Fairy is a 70-page chapter book about a fairy that cannot fly. I have self-published 15 children’s books through Ingram Spark. I started out with Mud Pies in 2013 and then Jordan the Jellyfish, which was the first story in the Chesapeake Bay Adventure series. When I wrote Jordan, I never intended it to become a series. But the story ideas just kept coming.

 

Mud Pies blurb:

Have you ever felt cool, squishy mud between your toes or watched a butterfly puddling in mud? Kids play in mud while animals stay cool in mud. People put it on their face and some even bathe in it. Children will learn 26 ways people and animals use mud.

 

 

 

Vandi the Garden Fairy blurb:

Lily lives on a tropical island and goes to an all-girls school. She always carries a hunting knife and knows survival skills. She hunts, makes her own clothes, cooks, and grows her own food. Vandi is the quirky garden fairy who helps Lily overcome bullying and shyness. But can they help each other with secrets, like what happened to Lily’s father and why do the butterflies act strangely?

 

 

4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.

Three of my books, Jordan the Jellyfish, Macy the Mermaid, and Chester the Chipmunk have won awards from Story Monsters. I try to submit at least one book each year to see if it will win an award. I received a certificate for donating eight of my Bay books to the Maryland State Library for the Blind in audio version. The books are available to patrons of the library.

 

5. How do you promote your books?

I sell my books in person at festivals, book signings, and schools. I also sell wholesale at gift shops and libraries. I promote my books on eight Facebook pages, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). I purchase ads in print magazines, newspapers, and websites. Blogs, television, and radio shows are also great to help promote my books. Amazon sells my books, and my own website is great too. I teach self-publishing classes at the local library and senior center.

 

NOTE: Readers can learn more about Cindy’s books, find their buy links, and connect with her online at these sites:

Facebook: facebook.com/cindyfrelandauthor
Chesapeake Bay Adventure Book Series: cbaykidsbooks.com
Amazon Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/29dyrwkh

 

MARCIA: Thank you, Cindy, for being my January interviewee! I look forward to recommending your books to my family and friends who have children!

MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks!

 

Each month, I’ll randomly pick one blog commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!