Hi, everybody.
LisaMy name is Lisa Askalise, known as the Inventress.
LisaI'm also the author of my favorite book of Lala.
LisaI'm so happy to be here.
LisaThank you so much for having me.
HostMy pleasure.
HostLisa, you know, I have to tell you something.
HostFirst of all, you're close to my heart.
HostI'm a grandparent also.
HostNow I have.
HostI know you have three granddaughters.
HostI have three granddaughters and two grandsons.
HostIt's kind of neat to get into this with you because of us having that familiarity with our grandchildren.
HostIf we could jump right in and if you could tell us.
HostAnd I probably have given that.
HostThe listening audience a hint already.
HostBut tell us about the inspiration behind your book.
HostMy favorite book of lullabies.
HostAnd how did it all get started?
LisaMany years ago.
LisaI mean, I wrote songs that are in this lullaby book 20 something years ago.
LisaSo backstory.
LisaI always love piano.
LisaI love.
LisaI love music.
LisaLove, love, love music.
LisaAnd I was never given the opportunity to play the piano as a kid because my sister was given piano lessons.
LisaShe didn't like it, so.
LisaAnd she's older than I am.
LisaI was never given the opportunity to have piano lessons.
LisaI never said, mommy and daddy, I want piano lessons, but give me piano lessons.
LisaI went to a place and I had it in my head that I'm going to buy a piano and I'm going to write music and play music and sing music.
LisaNot a singer, not a musician, don't know how to read music or anything like that.
LisaAnd anyway, so, long story short, went and purchased the piano.
LisaMy husband came home, saw the piano in the living room.
LisaThe piano, the baby grand piano.
HostWow.
LisaIn the living room.
LisaAnd he said, who's paying for that anyway?
LisaSo when that piano sat in that formal living room, I didn't know how to play, but I loved music.
LisaI just started playing what I could hear in my head and writing numbers on the keys and so forth.
LisaSo I started writing the lullabies that I sang to my children that I made up.
HostYour lullabies came first.
HostBefore the book probably.
HostProbably wasn't even in your head.
LisaNot even a thought.
LisaSo sang lullabies to my children.
LisaI said, oh, wow, this is really cool.
LisaNow I have a piano, I could create songs.
LisaWe're talking again.
LisaOver 20 years ago, my daughter, my youngest daughter, 30, now they have children.
LisaThe same songs I sang to my children and kind of played piano to.
LisaI started singing to my grandchildren.
LisaOlivia, who is now two and a half years old, 53, was singing all of these songs to Olivia, rocking her to sleep.
LisaShe started singing the songs that I was singing.
LisaAnd I said, why am I not creating a lullaby book that my children and my grandchildren could have for a lifetime?
LisaI have the words, I have the melody, I have the all of it.
LisaLast year I said, okay, I'm going to start to do this.
LisaAnd it evolved into something I knew I could do.
HostRight, right.
LisaPeople writing books, authors writing books.
LisaWhy not put my lullabies into a book and have it for our family for.
LisaAs a tradition for generations to come.
HostIsn't it cool how your motivation started even before your children and then you had your children and that made it stronger and from there your grandchildren.
HostReally, it's funny how grandchildren get the best out of us, right?
LisaThey do, absolutely.
LisaAnd as Olivia sang my song, well, who inspired me was Olivia and that.
HostShe'S your oldest granddaughter, right?
LisaYep, my two and a half.
LisaShe'll be three.
LisaSo Olivia was singing the songs I sang to her, which I didn't think was anything.
LisaI really didn't think.
LisaI mean, this is, this is what I sing.
LisaGrandmother sings a song to you.
LisaOlivia started singing, singing the song.
LisaShe says, grandmama, sing I love you, my favorite song.
LisaSinging I love you to Olivia.
HostSo explain to me how you got from the songs to actually the children's book.
HostBecause I, I love it.
HostHow you've.
HostYou've built it into four stages, your website, and we'll talk more about that, But I just love how you did that.
HostSo tell us, as someone listening in, tell us how you did that.
HostHow did you take those songs and then build it into almost a four stage book?
LisaIt's called insanity.
HostI love it.
LisaI do things that when I decide something, first of all, I have to say this, and I know that everybody does it, but I have to say this.
LisaI'm being honest and completely transparent.
LisaI'm laying in bed, it hits me.
LisaI'm saying, why not take these lullabies and put it into a book form to have the, the words, the pages I create, pages I type, pages I call a graphic artist.
LisaThe graphic artist helps me to create these designs.
LisaThis is going to be a little insane.
LisaAnd I call a musician and I said, I need to record, I need to record these songs.
LisaSo I call a musician to record the songs I'm singing into my phone.
HostI just had a guest on not that long ago.
HostShe woke up in the middle of the night and, and she had her phone beside her and she recited the whole book into her phone.
HostSo it doesn't sound crazy.
HostIt sounds to me like you're pretty normal.
LisaWell, I am normal.
LisaAbnormal.
LisaSo I sang.
LisaNo, but I sang the songs to my phone in a key of whatever the key was, and I gave it to this amazing gentleman, a good friend of mine, Brandon Williams.
LisaI said, brandon, I'm singing this song, and I want to create this lullaby book.
LisaAnd he goes, well, what key are you singing?
LisaI said, I don't know.
LisaI said, you're the musician.
LisaI don't know how I'm singing.
HostDid all the music come first and then you wrote the book?
LisaMy songs came first, yes.
LisaYeah, all my songs came first, and then I wrote the book.
HostOkay, terrific, Terrific.
LisaThis had to happen.
HostTell us.
HostYou know, I talked to everybody about their publishing approach, and you've heard traditional publishing, you've heard self publishing, and a lot of people use what's called hybrid publishing.
HostSo tell us a little bit about what publishing route did you go and why?
LisaI saw Book Baby while watching Netflix or whatever.
LisaThe commercial came on, and I said, you know, let me reach out to bookbaby and see what they.
LisaWhat they do.
LisaI heard about Amazon.
LisaI knew nothing about publishing.
HostWas bookbaby a hybrid?
LisaIt is, Baby is a publishing company where they publish, print your book.
LisaYou have to provide graphics.
LisaYou provide print.
LisaAnd all of those things that I did typed it all out and had it edited, and I provided this to bookbaby.
LisaSo bookbaby.
LisaOkay, well, I can do this, but you need to provide it in this format.
LisaAnd bookbaby then created a format that was.
LisaWell, we kept going back and forth.
HostSure, absolutely.
LisaUntil it was perfect.
HostIt is.
HostIt is beautiful.
LisaI thought so everyone out there, it doesn't happen overnight.
HostOh, absolutely not.
HostYou've Hybrid published.
HostDo you do Print on Demand, or do you do a large print run, or do you do a combination of both?
HostTell us about that.
LisaI now do Print on Demand.
LisaMy preference is Print on Demand.
LisaThe reason I like to do Print on Demand is because I don't want to overprint.
LisaI don't want to have more books than I can sell.
HostRight.
HostAbsolutely right.
LisaThat, to me, that's the smartest way to go.
HostYou know what?
HostI.
HostI got your book very quickly.
LisaAnd did you get that on Amazon?
HostI did.
HostI did.
LisaHey, great.
LisaI'm so happy.
LisaHow long did it take for you to receive it?
HostTwo or three days.
HostYeah, it's almost instant, right?
LisaYes, yes.
HostSo it's.
HostIt's fantastic.
HostFantastic.
HostI always ask my guests this story too, but I find I Looked at your website.
HostBeautiful website, by the way.
HostI love the blue.
HostLike, I'm a blue guy.
HostI like, I love the color blue.
HostAnd this is so vibrant.
HostIt's incredible.
HostAnd you and your website matches that.
HostBut here's the question for you.
HostWas it the.
HostIt's, it's like the chicken or the egg.
HostWas it your website first and then the book or the book first and then the website?
LisaBook first and then the website.
LisaSo.
LisaBut I, but I knew what I wanted.
LisaIn my head, it was the book came first and it all has to come together.
LisaIt.
LisaFor me, I see things in stages.
LisaI.
LisaI mean, I saw the book and I saw the colors and I knew that the website had to match.
HostAnd that's what happened to us.
HostEverybody said, they always say this to you just before you go to print your first book, right?
HostPublish your first book.
HostThey say, oh, you should have a home for your book.
HostI say, what do you mean, a home?
HostThey said, yeah, you should have a website.
HostWell, it took us about six months before we had a website.
HostIt's just the way it worked out.
HostBut we, the thing that we had, and to your point is we had the graphics.
LisaYes.
HostAnd you've got such beautiful graphics.
HostAnd like you said, you know, you had your book in your head, but you also had your website in your head at the same time.
LisaI'm an inventor, though.
LisaYou have to remember this.
LisaLike, I invent, I create.
LisaAnd you'll have all that bio information on the site.
LisaBut all I think, I think I create.
LisaAnd things evolve in my head daily.
LisaLook the way I perceive them and so forth.
LisaSo I saw the website before it was built.
HostI haven't asked this question before, but it's the vibrancy of the blue.
HostSo how did you come up with that vibrant blue?
HostWas it a transition between daylight and nighttime or how did you do that?
LisaNo.
LisaSo I have always, always been, I'm going to say, married to that blue.
LisaAnd it was even younger.
LisaI remember seeing an outfit in a store that, that I could not afford.
LisaAnd I'm talking 40 years ago.
LisaI saw this blue jumpsuit that I wanted maybe longer than 40 years.
LisaAnd it was so expensive.
LisaBut that blue, that very same blue I loved, I was so attracted to it.
LisaI said, I have to buy that jumpsuit and I afford it.
LisaI put on layaway.
LisaBlue has been the blue that when you see me on different talk shows and usually I'm wearing black, it's so weird because I'm wearing black, but that I'm So attracted to that blue.
LisaI don't know whether it's biblical, I don't know.
LisaI don't call it practice.
LisaI am attracted to that blue.
HostWhen I look in your book and how the blue makes all the other colors pop out, it's phenomenal.
HostJust phenomenal.
HostSo congratulations on doing that.
LisaThank you so much.
HostNice choice.
LisaIt wasn't mine.
LisaIt just happened.
LisaI'm saying I was drawn to that.
LisaI'm drawn to that color and my first billboard.
LisaAnd the things that I've done have always been not even knowing what I was going to wear.
LisaI was attracted to that and still am attracted to that blue.
HostInteresting.
HostSo I know we talked, you talked a bit about before your daughter was born, when your daughter was born, your granddaughters were born, about the building blocks, the motivation.
HostIs there anybody else that motivated you in this journey to become a children's book author or was there an event like what finally triggered it?
HostYou said this is it.
HostThis is the year I'm going to do this.
HostLike tell us that.
HostWas there one person?
LisaI authored a book.
LisaIt's called the Inventress Guide to Inventing all or Nothing, now or Never.
LisaAnd so in my title of authoring my other book, I in that, in that title triggered me to do all of the things that I thought of right of doing in my life, from inventions to books to songs.
LisaThat triggered me to say, what the heck?
LisaWhy am I not creating a book on with all of these lullabies so that my children and my grandchildren can have them forever?
LisaA book never goes away.
LisaA book never.
LisaIt never exhausts itself.
LisaBook will sell for centuries.
HostAbsolutely.
HostAnd it's interesting you should say that because you and I are so much alike because I actually wrote two business books before I ever wrote and published a co authored with my granddaughter, a children's book.
HostIt's kind of wild, but anyway, so fantastic.
HostMy, my granddaughter's a co author with our book I'm interested in.
LisaHow old is your granddaughter?
HostShe's.
HostWhen we started she, this whole journey, she was about 5 or 6.
HostShe's now 21.
LisaOh, so sweet.
HostYeah.
HostSo we.
HostThe whole journey.
HostYeah.
HostAnd so it's pretty incredible actually.
HostAnd, and that leads me to my next question.
HostCharacter development.
HostNow I know this, this.
HostIt's a little different with your book.
HostAll three of your granddaughters are in the book.
HostThey're visible because that you, that you actually have their name.
HostSo tell us a little bit about the character development and talk about the stages because I think Olivia comes in the first part of the book.
HostAnd then your twin granddaughters come a little later in the book.
HostCorrect.
LisaSo the coolest thing ever is I wrote this book.
LisaOlivia was two.
LisaI mean I literally just did this.
LisaOlivia was still two.
HostOkay.
LisaAnna just had the twins.
LisaSo as I.
LisaSo I have twin granddaughters who are.
LisaWill be one year old next month.
LisaSo all of this was happening during the journey of Olivia turning being two Gianna having twins.
LisaIt all literally had just unfolded while they were babies and still are babies.
LisaSo when you talk about the growth, Olivia, when I was writing the book, did not have such a full, full knowledge and understanding in full scope of what I was doing.
LisaBut recently at Christmas time, I put it in her stocking.
LisaShe had the book, but now she's two and a half.
LisaSo she understands it now.
LisaShe says, grandma, that's Isla and Ivy.
LisaAnd she started singing the song.
HostFantastic.
LisaFrom the book.
LisaFrom the book.
HostSo I mean, and the reason I asked that it'll lead me to my next question.
HostSo in.
HostIn our book and I'll just show you our book, it's called the Adventures of Caboose the Rocky Mountain Bear.
HostAnd I forgot to show you, but Caboose has a K instead of a C.
HostAnd the reason being is my oldest granddaughter, her name is Kira.
HostThat's why we chose a K.
HostThe K boost stands for Kira.
HostNow the other four grandchildren, we've all written more stories.
HostSo We've written about 38 books in our books here.
HostWe now we've only published one and we're working on our second one.
HostBut the other four grandchildren, they.
HostThey're actually.
HostTheir names will actually transfer into the stories of the book.
HostOkay.
HostAnd so that's what I'm interested in finding out from you.
HostCan you explain the significance of using your granddaughter's names in your book?
LisaYeah, sure.
LisaTheir mom, their there, Britney, Olivia's mother, Brittany.
LisaI sang the songs to them.
LisaWell, their names are their names.
HostYes.
LisaNo significance into any name.
LisaI mean their names are their names and I'm singing to them.
LisaSo it wasn't like I translated any name into something else or transformed.
LisaI'm singing to my granddaughters, I'm singing to my children.
LisaAnd if you see in the very beginning of the book when I giving thanks in the reference portion, giving thanks to my children and giving this as a gift to them and thanking them as, you know, for having Isla, Ivy and Olivia as my grandchildren, there was nothing besides the reality of who they are and what they've done for my heart.
HostAnd I have to say, try to share with, not only with the readers your motivation worth, but also with aspiring authors to understand that there's so many different ways we all go at this, and sometimes it's to give recognition.
HostAnd to your point, Lisa, the book will live forever.
HostSo when they're having their grandchildren, they'll say, look at what my grandma did.
HostRight.
HostIt's incredible.
HostIt transcends generations in time.
LisaAnd for those to come, you know, and they'll.
LisaOlivia may write books for her children and grandchildren and Island Ivy and, you know, your.
LisaYour grandchildren, your granddaughters, your.
LisaYour two grandsons.
HostYes.
LisaAnd it just goes on forever.
LisaIt doesn't go away.
LisaIt's not like a product that is on the shelf and it goes away.
LisaA book forever.
LisaForever.
HostWell, I want to jump into the QR codes, and I'll tell you why.
HostBecause again, I mean, again, similarities here.
HostI'm thinking, oh, my goodness.
HostI.
HostI'm not musical.
HostI can't.
HostI would scare my grandchildren if I sang to them, so that ain't gonna work.
LisaBut what I did is, by the way, I didn't care.
HostOh, and no, that's.
HostThat's important.
HostThat's important, too.
LisaI said, I'm.
LisaThis is my authentic self, my authentic voice.
LisaAnd I'm.
HostI'm sure I did sing some songs with the grandchildren when that.
HostThat didn't really matter.
HostRight.
HostSo what I did is I used a QR code and I created a bookmark.
HostWhat's cool about this QR code is that we use this as a promotional item and to get people interested in our book.
HostThe.
HostWhen you scan the QR code, our middle granddaughter, Bailey, she actually.
HostWe turned the book into an audio book.
HostSo you get the audiobook of our book in your hot little hand, and it comes on your.
HostIt comes onto your phone or your iPad or whatever at.
HostWhen you scan the QR code.
HostSo, I mean, I just loved.
HostI.
HostI scanned your.
HostThe music, I scanned the audio in the book.
HostI thought, what a neat feature.
HostYou're the first person I've ever talked to that's actually taken a children's book.
HostI've seen this done in business books, but I've never seen this type of thing done in a children's book.
HostCan you explain to everybody that's listening, you had vocal and you've got music.
HostExplain how that all worked.
LisaMy daughter Gianna.
LisaOkay, so it was my.
LisaMy youngest daughter, Gianna, where, you know, I wanted to do a lullaby book.
LisaI didn't want to do one of those.
LisaYou Know, push the button and play things.
LisaAnd she says, mommy, why don't just do a QR code?
LisaSo when they purchase the book, they can hear it, you know, wow.
LisaThey can hear the instrumental.
HostThat's amazing.
HostYou just sat down and you.
HostAnd you came up with a strategy for each QR code and away you went again.
HostReaders understand that the value add that you add to the book is incredible.
HostSo I love that part.
HostAnd then to aspiring authors, remember what Lisa did.
HostThis technology nowadays allows us all to do that.
HostSo, you know, don't be afraid of technology.
HostAnd Lisa, I don't know your technological background.
LisaI'm not techie.
LisaI'm just creative.
LisaOkay, so I'm not techie.
LisaI'm creative.
LisaSo I think of things.
LisaAnd I have an incredible team of people, have a wonderful family.
LisaAnd again, as I, as I mentioned to you, my youngest daughter.
LisaSo my youngest daughter is, I mean, they're in the tech world, they know things instantaneously, right?
LisaSo she was like, mom, just do this.
LisaWhy not just make it like this?
LisaI go, why not?
LisaWhy not just make it like this?
LisaBecause we have access to it.
LisaYears ago, I thought about writing a book, but it was so expensive to write a book, they didn't write the book, right?
LisaSo now there's so much technology, AI is here to help us, and almost for, almost for free, you could write a book.
HostIt's interesting, Lisa, you should say that, because I said to everybody, I created, other than the printing costs, the QR code was free.
HostI went to Canva and guess what?
HostI got a QR code and I attached the audio file to it, and that didn't cost me a dime.
HostTo your point, today with technology, it's not like you have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to bring your aspirations of writing a children's book to life.
LisaYou don't.
LisaAnd it's such a wild thing because it wasn't that long ago that it would have cost me, I don't know, $15,000.
LisaWhen I went to a publishing company, they sort of.
LisaIt would cost you this because I didn't go out and look for the Simon and Schuster for the to get published and all that stuff.
LisaI went to a publishing company and they said, well, this is what it's going to cost.
LisaSo it discouraged me.
LisaToday I'm so inspired and encouraged to do write 10 books a year, 15 books a year, right after this podcast, really.
LisaSo I'm inspired.
LisaI hope other, the listeners, the authors, the coming of age authors to be inspired enough to Write your story, Write your book.
LisaCreate your journal, the journal that you've been writing forever.
LisaMake it into a book, make it into a story, because everything.
HostVery good point.
LisaBut listen and be interested in what you have to say.
LisaBelieve it or not, when people buy my book, I'm surprised.
LisaThey go, why do they want to hear from me?
HostSo tell us a little bit about your book.
HostTell us a little bit about the.
HostThe central theme, the lesson or the teaching that you want readers to get from your book.
LisaSo from the lullaby book, okay?
LisaSo from the lullaby book, I want you to get heart.
LisaI really want you to get heart, because my heart and soul is in the book.
LisaAnd you will hear it.
LisaI mean, you hear me, right?
LisaThis is real.
LisaYou can't make this up.
HostRight?
LisaWhen I wrote this book and I sang the book, it's all about my passion and my love for my children and my grandchildren.
HostAnd by the way, you have a great voice.
HostYou don't want to listen to me singing in the shower, but we could listen to Lisa singing in the shower, no problem.
LisaOnly in the shower.
LisaNo, but I mean, it's to.
LisaTo answer your question, it's love and passion and authenticity.
LisaRight.
LisaI think what people love and are driven by to purchase or to be a part of is another person's authenticity and sincerity.
LisaSo I do it from my heart with love and sincerity, and it was my grandchildren, but it's for the entire world to hear.
HostSo I want to talk to you a bit about your writing process, because this is your first children's book, correct?
LisaYes.
HostAnd you said, I've got 10 books in me now.
HostI know you've written motivational book or business type book, but from a children's author standpoint, is there more?
HostLisa's children's book author, writer that wants to come out, Is there more?
LisaOh, it's out.
HostOkay.
LisaSo I wrote many years ago.
LisaI write and write and write many, many years ago.
LisaAs I mentioned to you, I just wrote.
LisaAnd it was so expensive to publish that I just let it go.
LisaI have some shows and all the, you know.
LisaSo, yes, to answer your question, yes.
HostTell us about your writing process.
HostBecause, you know, a lot of times aspiring authors, they just don't know how to get started.
HostSo what's your writing process?
LisaMy writing process is I write.
LisaRight.
LisaI'm going to be very, very literal.
LisaI write things down on a pad and I type at the same time.
LisaSo as I write, I type what's in my heart and what's in my head.
LisaHas to happen.
LisaOr, or I speak into my phone.
LisaIf something happens, something hits my brain instantaneously.
LisaI pick up this thing and I go.
LisaI speak into my notes.
LisaSpeak into my notes and what's in my heart.
LisaAnd you know, many of you authors who are becoming authors or who are authors understand exactly what I'm talking about.
LisaIt only happens.
LisaIt comes around once.
LisaRight.
LisaBut on the New Jersey Turnpike, I'm like, dumb.
LisaGive me a pen.
LisaI want to add to this book.
LisaAnd this is literally, honestly my first poem that I wrote.
LisaI wrote it on a deposit slip.
LisaI was from an audition.
LisaMy youngest daughter did a Pampers commercial.
LisaRight now 30.
HostI used to phone myself when I was driving.
HostI'd phone myself, leave myself a message.
LisaYou're really.
LisaYou're really aging yourself.
HostI am, I am.
HostIsn't that crazy?
LisaI love it.
LisaI love it.
LisaI literally.
LisaI was at a toll.
LisaI wrote a poem and I wrote it on a deposit slip because it came to me while Gianna after her shoot.
LisaAnd I wrote my first poem on a deposit slip.
LisaHad to happen that moment.
LisaSo when you capture the moment, everybody, all of you authors out there, capture the moment.
LisaWrite it down, record it.
LisaAnd that's, that's, that's my process.
HostTerrific.
HostSo when you, when you started putting the children's book together, did you do any additional research into any.
HostInto any part of the book?
LisaNo.
HostYou just pushed the button and went.
LisaI'm telling you, okay, I can't make this up.
LisaSo for those of you.
LisaSorry.
LisaYou know, people become actors and they want to hear a backstory.
LisaThat's crazy.
LisaAnd I was this.
LisaAnd I lived this life and I did this.
LisaNo, I just said, okay, you know what?
LisaI'm doing this today because my life is very, very busy.
LisaAnd I said, if this doesn't happen now, it's not going to happen.
LisaHence the reason from my book, all or nothing.
LisaNow or never.
LisaSo when it came to my.
LisaI knew I would put it off if I didn't do it in that moment.
LisaI was probably not going to do it for another five years.
HostYou're just like Nike, just do it.
LisaCorrect.
HostI'm also interested in, you know, everybody has their own thoughts about success.
HostI'm not sure what your original goal was or goals were for the book.
HostI'm not sure.
HostYou know, a lot of people think, well, I gotta get thousands of sales into my book, or that's the only way I can measure my success.
HostTell us how you measure the success around this book.
LisaOh, this is a Great question.
LisaAnother unusual answer.
Lisa1.
LisaI said, if I sell one, you better.
HostHopefully I'm not your only customer, but we got proof.
LisaOh, person.
LisaAnd I mean that.
LisaI'm telling you I'm the most.
LisaI maybe or maybe not the most unusual you'll ever have on your.
LisaYour podcast.
LisaI'm serious.
LisaI've done this with even products that I have and the products that I developed on national television.
LisaBut I said, if they buy one, I'll sell others.
LisaSo if one person buys, others will sell.
LisaI've never, ever, ever said I want to make a million dollars on this product.
LisaI'm not that.
LisaThat person.
HostRight.
HostI.
HostYou know, I've said that to people before.
HostYou know, if you think you're coming to this for fame and fortune as a children's book author, pretty hard to do there.
LisaCan I interject?
HostAbsolutely.
LisaYou will get out of anything as much as you put in, right?
LisaYou will get out of anything as much as you put in.
LisaAnd that's the truth.
LisaAnd I'll give you an example.
LisaOkay, Ready for this one?
LisaYou didn't ask for it, but I'm me give it to you.
HostOkay.
LisaSo my daughter lives out in the Cherry Hill area.
LisaI was out there, I was hanging out with them.
LisaI have my books.
LisaI said, you know what?
LisaI'm gonna go visit the Barnes and Noble stores in Cherry Hill and in surrounding areas.
LisaHad my books made.
LisaA call, asked for the store manager, whoever's gonna be there.
LisaI said, I'm gonna come into your store and do a book signing.
LisaThey said, oh, you are?
LisaI go, yeah, do a book signing.
LisaWent out to the store, went into one of the stores, went to one of the stores.
LisaAnd they said, well, you know, we.
LisaWe need a book that's printed already.
LisaYou know what I'm talking about?
HostYes.
LisaLike printed books.
LisaI do print on demand.
LisaWent to the next store.
LisaThey said, send us an email the day after.
LisaThe next day, well, before I got home, actually, the next day, opened up an email, they said, when can you do a book signing?
LisaI went there and physically presented the book.
LisaThe next day, I got a yes.
LisaSo what?
LisaI didn't have to go there.
LisaIf I didn't go, guess what?
LisaI wouldn't be on their shelf right out what you put in.
LisaSo kids, author, you.
LisaIf you're out there, I don't care what you're selling over and over and putting your passion into it and believing in your product, you're going to sell it.
LisaIf you don't, you won't.
LisaSo as much as you put into whatever the product is that you want to get out there with your passion, I promise you, you will sell it.
LisaIf you don't, you won't.
HostLisa, I couldn't agree with you more.
HostIt's absolutely true.
HostYes.
HostIt comes from passion first.
HostSo do it for passion, and the rest will follow.
HostI'm curious.
HostIs how, how much time do you devote to writing?
HostOr is it spawn, more spontaneous?
HostTell us a little bit about that.
LisaYeah, with my other book.
LisaSo with my business book, I decided over a weekend that I was going to put in the entire 48, 72, whatever it took to finish my book.
LisaBecause I don't like to do things in sections.
LisaI don't like to do that.
LisaI.
LisaI mean, I'll add more to it.
LisaBut when I decide to do something, I'm doing it.
LisaAnd I'm focused and I'm driven and I'm doing all of it, and then I can fill in.
LisaSo to answer your question, when I decide to do something, I have to do it all the way.
LisaAll the way.
LisaAnd then the rest is filled.
LisaFiller.
LisaYou understand?
HostYep, absolutely.
LisaBecause it needs to be edited and filled.
LisaThey go, okay, that's what I left out.
LisaAnd this is neat.
LisaThe rest is filler.
LisaSo the filler action happens when I'm in my car driving down the Garden State Parkway.
LisaGo.
LisaOkay.
HostYep.
LisaThat's what I need to add to this.
LisaSo the decision is made.
LisaI decide when I'm going to do it, and it's done.
HostFantastic.
HostFantastic.
HostAs we're.
HostAs we're talking to people, especially aspiring authors, what kind of advice would you give aspiring authors?
HostBecause I.
HostI know you're.
HostYou're a just do it kind of gal, but what other advice would you give someone who's maybe not as just a just do it kind of person?
LisaThe only reason I'm a just do it kind of gal is because I do a lot.
HostRight.
HostI seen that from your bio.
LisaI don't have the time to not just do it.
LisaI don't have the time, and it would bother me to not just do it.
LisaIf I had a lot of time, I would probably take my time and leisurely write, I don't know, a couple of hours a day.
LisaBut it's not me, so I'm not telling my own story.
LisaSo for a person who is writing something, just write with your heart.
LisaWrite your passion.
LisaYou know, in the shower, you know, think consciously of what you.
LisaI don't have to tell you.
LisaCause if you're an Author, you're thinking about writing your book.
HostYes.
LisaSo the times to do it will come to you when your time is your time, whether it's a shower or when you wake up first thing in the morning or when you have peace and I sit on a beach sometimes and I meditate and I write like that.
LisaSo telling you how to do it is not what I can do for you, but just telling me to put your heart and soul in it, that's really.
LisaDon't write something for fluff.
LisaWrite it because it's your passion.
LisaRight.
LisaUse passion because people will see right through superficial.
LisaPeople see through a superficial paragraph.
LisaLike what I was there and I announced people with rainy day.
LisaBetter than that.
LisaDon't.
LisaBetter than that.
LisaTell it.
LisaGive me your heart.
LisaGive me your heart.
LisaSo give the people your heart.
LisaTake your time.
LisaIf you have the time to take your time and do it and write your passion.
LisaIt takes 10 years.
LisaIt could take five years.
LisaIt could take.
LisaDon't rush yourself to write your passion project.
LisaDon't rush through it.
LisaAnd the reason, again, I did it.
LisaI'm in my business.
LisaMy, my guidebook.
LisaI'm doing what I do for 35 years.
LisaAnd all of it, I knew what I was going to write.
LisaI just had to write it in my timeline that I was going to do it or else I wouldn't do it.
HostTalk to readers.
HostLet's, let's.
HostSo let's have some encouragement for the readers here.
HostSo why should they purchase this book?
HostYour book, the My Favorite book of lullabies.
HostWhy should they purchase this book?
LisaSo they should purchase my favorite, favorite book of lullabies.
LisaBecause as I said before, it is such a.
LisaIt's.
LisaThey'll feel it.
LisaIt's such a passion project.
LisaAnd for those who have children or grandchildren, you will feel the love, the quiet, the passion and the sincerity.
LisaWhether you were an adult or a child.
LisaYou know you will feel the love because it was for my children and my grandchildren that is put into this.
LisaAnd you'll feel it.
LisaA person who purchased the book from me was a stranger.
LisaAnd I answered my phone, as I do, and she said, I'm crying.
LisaI'm going, why are you crying?
LisaShe says, I just purchased your book of lullabies.
LisaAnd she says, I listen to every song.
LisaShe says, I bought it for my granddaughter, but I'm keeping it for myself.
LisaAnd so I'm purchasing two more books.
LisaAnd I didn't know it was going to have this effect on you know what, Lisa?
HostMost of the children's Book authors that I've talked to have, have shared this insight that you're sharing that you know what a children's book is just not for children.
LisaYes.
HostYou know, it's generally you've got parents or grandparents reading the book with their children or grandchildren.
HostIt's for all of us.
HostAnd, and Lisa's absolutely right.
HostI mean, I just love what you've done with this book.
HostTell us where we can purchase your book.
LisaSure.
LisaSo it's.
LisaIt's everywhere.
LisaBooks are sold.
LisaYou can go to my website, inventing A to Z.com or my favorite book of lullabies.
LisaCom.
LisaAnd I, I mean, go there because it's just a very interesting, very, very cool website.
HostIt.
HostIt is.
HostI love your website.
HostWe have very similar thoughts how you set up your website.
HostOur website is caboose the RockyMontainBear.com.
Hostso, again, you know, the, the title works into the website, which is very important.
LisaYeah, I mean, that's what, that's really what you need to do, too.
LisaSo my lullabies, you'll hear a snippet of the book, which is really important to me.
LisaWas important to me.
LisaAnd it's creative.
LisaI mean, you'll see like a record spinning a little bit.
LisaI love it.
LisaSo I love the website, but you can buy it anywhere.
LisaSo Barnes and Noble, go to Amazon, got.com.
Lisait's everywhere.
HostGreat.
HostGood for you.
HostFinal thoughts.
HostIs there anything that you're thinking, oh, man, I want to make sure I get this final thought out to both aspiring authors and readers.
LisaFor authors out there.
LisaI mean, I have to reiterate, you know, just when you write your passion, take your time to write your passion and put on those blockers.
LisaYou know, just be, you know, do your tunnel vision self, get out there on a beach or, you know, in your favorite spot and just write your passion.
LisaWrite your passion.
LisaWrite your passion.
LisaAnd for those readers out there, give that time to the author who has written something for you to really pay attention to the literature, to what they've written on their pages for you readers.
LisaTake your time.
LisaTake your time, because somebody authored that book for you.
HostAbsolutely.
HostVery good point that.
HostWell, you know what?
HostThank you, Lisa, for being part of Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast, your generosity of time.
HostI mean, I just love it.
HostI know how busy you are and all the insight.
HostI mean, you've jammed a lot of insight into this podcast and I can't thank you enough.
HostIt's.
HostIt's just incredible.
HostThe other thing, to the listeners we'll make sure all of the links that Lisa has talked about, we make sure.
LisaThey'Ll be in the show notes inventingatoz.com, my favorite book of lullabies, and Lisa Askley's Adventurous I'm here for you.
HostWe'll make sure all your social media links are in there.
HostAnd to the listeners, if you've enjoyed the podcast, please hit the subscribe button to listen to future episodes.
HostAnd of course, this episode that Lisa's being so generous with her time.
HostThank you so much.
LisaMy pleasure.
LisaThis was so much fun.
HostI love it.