I enjoy hearing from my visitors. Below are my replies to frequently asked questions.
If you don't find what you're looking for on this page, please feel free to post your question
in the Guestbook. If you're interested in writing for children, stop by the guidance office:
Would you be willing to donate a book to my school or organization?
I sincerely wish I could give away my books to any organization that requests free copies.
Unfortunately, it's just not feasible for me to do this. Many people believe that authors
get their books for free from publishers, but this is not the case (with the exception
of a handful of complimentary copies when the book first comes out). I, like other authors
(and illustrators),
purchase my books through bookstores. I pay the same price other customers pay.
I am sympathetic, however, to those organizations that seek book donations
because of lack of funds.
If you fall into this category, please include your details in the
Guestbook.
I am happy to donate an autographed copy of one of my books every other month.
I also award, on an every-other-month basis, an autographed paperback copy of my picture
chapter book, Peacebound
Trains, to a randomly selected visitor who took the time to sign the
Guestbook. Please be
sure to include your e-mail if you would like to be considered for the drawing.
Are you available for school visits?
I have visited dozens of schools and it's been my privilege to present
my program to thousands of students (and their educators).
I enjoy meeting my readers face to face - it's one of
the reasons I love being a children's author!
However, at the present, I am unable to schedule on-site visits.
In the meanwhile, if you're interested in a program that features my picture chapter book,
Peacebound Trains,
I highly recommend inviting the award winning
illustrator, Chris K. Soentpiet, to
visit your school or organization. Chris deservedly won the prestigious Society of Illustrators
Gold Medal for his stunning paintings in Peacebound Trains, winning
over 650 other entries! His school visit programs have earned him rave reviews from students and
educators alike. But, don't just take my word for it; visit Chris's website to read the testimonials, and learn more about one of today's most gifted children's book artists.
Where can I buy your books?
Here are a few online options:
You can also buy my books from your local bookstore.
Because there are thousands of new titles published every year (yes, thousands!), you won't always find every title you seek on bookstore shelves.
If you can't find a book (whether it be one of mine or another author's) in your local bookstore,
ask a store employee to order it for you. Thanks to sophisticated computer databases, the process is very simple; just give the store employee the book title,
or even the author's name, and the order can be entered with just a few key and mouse strokes. Click here to find a bookstore local to your area.
There are also many bookstores online.
If you like, you may also order autographed copies of my books directly from
me. Please make your request or
inquiry in the Guestbook.
Be sure to include your e-mail address (please double-check the spelling!) so that I can respond.
I am writing a book report on one of your books. Can you answer some questions via e-mail?
Thank you for choosing to do a report on one of my books! If you have a question that is
not answered in the book, I would be happy to provide a response if I can. Please note:
I will not "fill in the blanks" on plot-related questions. In other words, if you need to
write a report, but have not taken the time to read the book, I cannot help you. It
wouldn't be fair to your teacher, to me, or to you. Please post your question in
the Guestbook
at least a week in advance of your report due date.
I need to interview an author for a school assignment. Will you agree to an interview via
e-mail?
I am happy to oblige if my schedule allows. Please post your request in the
Guestbook
at least a week in advance of the
assignment due date. Before you do so, please read
my interviews available online (it's very likely that they'll contain answers to
the questions you planned to ask). Click
here for my interview
with Commitment, "The #1 Woman's
Magazine
on the Internet." Check out my online interviews with authors
Cynthia Leitich Smith
and Debbi Michiko Florence.
I am an aspiring children's writer. Can you critique my manuscript and/or help me find a
publisher?
Sorry, but no. My own writing and commitment to my students (I teach a children's
writing course) take up all my "work" hours. I make it a priority to devote the rest of my time to my family.
I do wish you the best of luck, though, and invite you to read my advice for writers just starting out in the children's field. I hope you find my suggestions helpful :o)
How do you pronounce your first name?
Haemi is pronounced Hemi with a short "e" - rhymes with Emmy.
How did you make your website? Can you help me with mine?
This website is a labor of love. The HTML is hand-coded by yours truly, using a
simple Windows Notepad text
editor. Except for those noted otherwise, all graphics were custom-created by me or my older
daughter,
Adria.
I sincerely appreciate all the compliments vistors have left in the
Guestbook.
I've received many requests for website-building assistance. However, I am not in the
website-building business. I only have the time to maintain this website,
and the website of
my friend and fellow children's author
Jill Rubalcaba.
I'm happy to offer suggestions, though, if you're interested in building a website
of your own. I launched my first home page (it was literally a single page, so it seems silly
to call it
a "site") in late 1995, on GeoCities,
now called Yahoo! GeoCities. A pioneer among free web hosts, GeoCities' file manager and website building editors are easy to use. An
uncomplicated
upload feature (to transfer your files from your computer to your website)
will appeal to beginners who aren't familiar with FTP (a software program used to upload files). When you're ready for FTP, you'll find free ones listed here.
FreeWebs and envy.nu offer free virtual real estate, too. You'll find others listed here.
Even if you decide to use a web building editor that will do most of the work for you, it's
a good idea to familiarize yourself with HTML. I highly recommend Lissa Explains it All.
It's designed especially for kids, but web
architects of all ages will find them fun and informative (I know I did!).
If you're ready to tackle Java,
the JavaScript Source offers
"tons of 'cut and paste' JavaScript examples... all for free!"
Blogging (online journaling) is hugely popular, and another creative way to nest on the 'net. As of this writing, you can have your own blog for free at:
Kids: please check with your parent(s) or
guardian(s) before you start your website building journey.
Good luck, and have fun!
I am an AOL/CompuServe user. Why do some of the graphics on your site appear distorted?
Your browser preferences may be set to "compress graphics" (this is the default setting for America Online and CompuServe users). This means that certain image files (especially photographs) on this or any site may not display correctly on your browser. To change this, log onto America Online or CompuServe (now owned by America Online) and go to the preferences menu. In CompuServe, the Go word is "preferences." Click on the option that will allow you to set your WWW preferences. Go to the Web Graphics section. Make sure the "never compress" box is checked. You may have to log on again before the change takes effect.
Are you going to write any more books?
Yes! I hope and plan to write more books.
Shortly after my second book,
Tae's Sonata,
was published, my younger daughter,
Louisa, was born.
I made the decision to take time off from writing to enjoy her early years. I have ideas marinating and projects on the burner, though, so please stay tuned....
I am an illustrator just starting out. Would you be
interested in having me illustrate one of your future books?
This wouldn't be my decision. It's a common misconception that authors can choose
their illustrators.
If the author is famous and well-established, his or her editor may welcome suggestions and
input on who will illustrate the author's book. But, normally, it's the publisher's
(the editor's and/or art director's) job to match a manuscript with an illustrator.
Often, if the author is new and unknown, the publisher will choose a high-profile illustrator,
to help the book garner as much exposure and attention as possible when it is published - and
vice versa (i.e., a beginning illustrator may be paired with a veteran author).
When I meet my readers in person, they are often surprised to learn that I have never
met Chris K. Soentpiet, the enormously
talented artist who illustrated my book
Peacebound Trains. After
the late Dorothy Briley, then editor in-chief of
Clarion Books
(a New York City-based imprint
of Houghton Mifflin Books),
offered me a contract for
Peacebound Trains,
she told me that she had a certain young illustrator in mind, a rising star in the world of
children's books. She said that she would send this illustrator a copy of the manuscript, and
would let me know his decision (he was highly in demand, she cautioned me, and might say no).
Luck was on my side. Chris K. Soentpiet
liked the manuscript, and agreed to illustrate Peacebound Trains.
Two and a half years later, our book was published. Our editor's instincts
were proven to be inspired and right on target.
Chris's
watercolor paintings
brought the story and its characters
to life in a way far beyond what I had hoped. The prestigious Society of Illustrators agreed,
and awarded him with its highest honor: the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal.
Chris became
the youngest (and the first Asian American) artist to be awarded the Gold Medal.
It wasn't until after Peacebound Trains
was published that I had my first contact with
Chris - not
in real life, but online, via e-mail. One of these days, I hope to meet him in person.
If you are an artist who is interested in illustrating children's books, I suggest studying
current market guides for publishers' needs
(click here for books
of interest). If a publisher is open to considering portfolios from new illustrators, submit
yours (make sure you submit copies of your artwork, not originals!).
I wish you the best of luck... and, who knows? One day, an editor might pair up one of my
manuscripts with your artwork.
Why don't you display your guestbook entries?
I used to. Then, one day a few years ago, I found out that an unscrupulous party was
sending spam (junk e-mail) to my visitors who signed and left their e-mail addresses in
my guestbook. Since then, I've learned a lot more about spammers (for example, many utilize programs
that comb the Internet to hunt down and collect e-mail links). Once your e-mail address
falls into the clutches of even a single spammer, you're very likely to find your
e-box inundated with junk e-mail. This is because spammers often share their mass
e-mail lists with other spammers. To protect the privacy of my visitors, I no longer
display my visitors' guestbook entries.
