RoguesAngels: It's OK to Have Feelings by Aileen Pound and Michaela Robertson Keane

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

It's OK to Have Feelings by Aileen Pound and Michaela Robertson Keane

Please welcome Aileen Pound and Michaela Robertson Keane authors of It's OK to Have Feelings

Aileen Pound and Michaela Robertson Keane will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

It's OK to Have Feelings

by Aileen Pound and Michaela Robertson Keane

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GENRE: Children's

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I have always loved reading; as a child, I read the Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, Judy Bloom, Enid Bayton. Then, as I got older, I loved reading various authors, from Sophie Kinsella to Diana Gabaldon. So I think my passion for writing was inspired by the books I read.

2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?

The most significant component for writing this children's book, in particular, was making sure that everything I wrote was relatable and easy to understand. I think the best thing this book had going for it was my little co-author, as sometimes when I overcomplicated things, she would look at me and say "what," or "I don't get it." I knew I had it right when she started giving me feedback, examples, or stories related to the feeling I was writing about.

3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

My daughter and I came up with the idea for "It's OK to have feelings" during COVID lockdown last year. Michaela was doing school from home just like many other children, and she started to have feelings that she hadn't experienced a lot of. Two such feelings were anger and confusion. When we began to talk about the feelings, Micaela asked me if she thought other children were feeling the same feelings she was. When I replied yes, she said wouldn't it be good to help other children with their feelings, and so "It's OK to have feelings" was born.

5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I am a big kid; I love spending time with Michaela, going places and doing anything really. Michaela and I do so much together from Arts and Crafts, slime, fidgets, playing babies and barbies. I genuinely enjoy everything we do together.

6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I have another children's book that I wrote years ago sitting in my files that I think I may polish off and publish.

7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

If I could be a feeling from the book, I would want to be love. I think it's the feeling I identify with the most. The love I have for my daughter is infinite, but I also wish every child in the world was loved as much as I love Michaela; I think every child deserves to be loved wholly and unconditionally.

8. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

It's OK to have feelings goes through 8 feelings:

Happy

Sad

Scared

Angry

Excited

Confused

Embarrassed

Love

It describes the feeling and what's happens physically to your body when you experience the feeling. The book also reassures the reader that it's OK to experience these feelings.

10. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I decided to submit our work when we had finished the first draft of the book. There were two reasons I wanted to go ahead with the book. Firstly to help other children understand feelings and or reassure them it's OK to have these feelings; secondly, for my daughter. I wanted to show her that if you want something, you need to go for it no matter your reservations.

12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

With this book, we decided what feelings we wanted to write about. Michaela had a big say on what feelings we wrote about as she was our target audience. After that, Michaela gave me all the examples of feelings, e.g., feeling embarrassed when your mum dances at the shops (that's me.)

13. How do you maintain your creativity?

I think the best way to maintain creativity is to find it in other places besides writing. For example, I love taking photos of everything and then finding ways to use them creatively. There is this hashtag that people use at the moment #nofilterneeded; if I use a filter or go into PicsArt and play around with my photos, it's not because I'm trying to hide anything or make something better; it's purely to be creative. Creativity is something that needs to be nurtured, just like so many other things in life.

BLURB:

It's OK to have feelings.

Everyone has feelings. Happy, sad, and angry are feelings we all have felt at one time or another. As you grow up, you start to feel other feelings. Can you guess what some of them might be?

What happens to our bodies when we start to feel these feelings? When you're happy, you feel like the sky is blue, the sun is out and you can see unicorns and rainbows. Your smile is bigger, and your eyes have a sparkle in them. What happens to your body when it's a feeling you've never felt before?

Come along and join in with all the other children learning how to identify feelings and what happens to their bodies when they feel those feelings.

Remember, it's OK to have feelings!

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EXCERPT:

Has there ever been a day where you feel as happy as can be?

The sun is shining; the sky is blue… wait,

can you see a unicorn or two?

These are the best days; I definitely agree. When you

feel happy, your smile is bigger, your voice is full of

laughter, and your whole body is bursting with joy.

It’s OK to have feelings xx

On other days, you may feel sad . The sky appears

a little grey; the unicorns have gone away.

You may be teary and quiet, and perhaps you have no energy.

Just remember, though...

It’s OK to have feelings; these feelings of sadness will pass.

Tomorrow is another day.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Aileen Pound and Michaela Robertson Keane are a mother and daughter team.

Michaela, who is six, is Aileen's only child, and they spend a lot of time doing lots of fun things together: going on adventures, creating and being imaginative at home. So last year, when they were housebound during COVID, they started talking a lot about feelings, especially ones that Michaela had never felt before. So they decided to write a book together to help other children with their feelings.

Aileen and Michaela spent a long time talking about what feelings to put in the book, and Michaela provided Aileen all the examples that are in the book. As with everything, they wrote this book together, and Michaela had a very clear image of how she wanted the illustrations to look.

CONNECT WITH AILEEN

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Mum2one_xx-105335508321963

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/mum2one_xx/

TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@mum2one_xx

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON

https://amazon.com/dp/0228852625

KINDLE

https://amazon.com/dp/B099FBYPZN

BARNES & NOBLE

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-ok-to-have-feelings-aileen-pound/1139895377

BOOK DEPOSITORY