Carole P. Roman Talks About "If You Were Me and Lived In ... Italy"
You have covered a lot of countries in your If You Were Me and Lived In … series. What excited you the most about writing about Italy?
I think I loved the history and the food most in that book. Writing it brought back a lot of memories of being there. I toured Italy with my husband and kids years ago. We loved the warmth of the people, the ancient beauty of the city, and the food was unbelievable.
What was the hardest thing about writing this book for you?
Editing things I wanted to include. These books primarily are for very young children and I don't want them overwhelmed. The idea is for them to be interested enough to want to explore and learn more about the world they live in.
Why did you become a writer?
I always wanted to be a writer. I love to read and I think I have a lot inside of me.
How many books have you written? How many have been published?
I have written 20 in the cultural series, sixteen have been published. I have written ten Captain No Beards, one yoga book, and now four Introductions to world history for ages 4-8. Twenty years ago I wrote and published a historical romance under my real name.
I read that your favorite books are Gone with the Wind, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, and Sho-Gun. What is it about these books that draw you in? Have they influenced the way you write?
They are timeless stories that capture the human spirit rising to meet the difficult challenges and finding strength, courage, and ingenuity to survive. Sho-Gun is an epic story of the collision of cultures, east meeting west, the ethnocentrism of Blackthorn being turned on its head as he embraces a culture as foreign to him as the moon. You begin the book with an understanding of Blackthorn's western point of view, and yet you are able to shift the perspective to understand the martial medieval Japanese society, comprehending the disciplined existence, so that by the time you finish the book, it seems as familiar as your own upbringing. Clavell caps it with a tender love story that is bittersweet. For me, that the story is based on the exploits of the intrepid navigator William Adams makes it all them more interesting. Gone With the Wind is a microcosm of the pre-civil war and post war South, written by a Southerner who understood the culture of the southern states. The characters jump off the page. They are not predictable, greatly flawed, and you love them all the more for it. The sheer scope of the war, the wasteful destruction of life, and the horror is portrayed with a deft and knowing hand. Mitchell writes of what she felt, heard, and saw in her hometown. I've read it a bunch of times and discover something new each time. The Girl With the Pearl Earring is a jewel of a book that revealed itself in layers. Much like a painting, you watch the depth of the characters take shape, feel their desires, their longings, knowing they are trapped, much like a subject in a painting. Like the luminesces of the pearl in her earring, their is a spot of hope in their dismal lives, but it is only memorialized on canvas, never to be allowed to become three dimensional. I loved that book.
Why do you write in the children's genre?
I like talking to kids. I love their honesty. I think I am a teacher and it just works for me. Believe me, you don't want to travel with me. I think I am a receptacle of useless and trivial information. Wherever we go, I know some tidbit and will bore you to death with it.
Where do you write for inspiration (i.e. kitchen table, cafe, etc.)?
I have a little laptop and can write anywhere. I write when I get my hair done. Nothing fazes me. I can write and have a conversation at the same time. It comes from living in a house full of men. They have no concept that I may be engaged in something other than them and talk to me all the time, regardless of what I am doing, expecting an answer. My brothers were like that, and so are my sons. They are oblivious, but I've adapted.
Any other interesting facts/info about you?
I studied ballet and jazz in Manhattan when I was a child. I was voted Outstanding Teenager of America in my school district. I sold fine jewelry and can guess a diamond's weight and value on a glance. I will read about anything. I believe I am a nerd. I love a good game of craps.
More About the Book
Join Carole P. Roman as she visits the Republic of Italy. Learn what it is like to live in Rome, see the famous architecture, celebrate a favorite holiday and discover popular names for both boys and girls. Be fascinated with it's diverse and rich history and colorful traditions. On the way, you might learn a word or two in Italian!
The If You Were Me and Lived In ... Series is available on Amazon.
Ages 4-8 | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | 2015 | 978-1519241412
About Carole P. Roman
Carole P. Roman
Carole P. Roman’s is the award winning author of the nonfiction If You Were Me and Lived in… series of children’s books. The first title in the collection, If You Were Me and Lived in…Mexico, won the Pinnacle Award for Best in Children’s Nonfiction in 2012. If You Were Me and Lived in…Russia and If You Were Me and Lived in...France were finalists in the Indie Fab Foreword Review Book of the Year. Norway and South Korea have also been named as Book of the Year with Rebecca's Reads and Children's Reader's View Book of the Year. Roman has also found success with her Captain No Beard children’s books. Her debut, Captain No Beard: An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life, was named a Kirkus Best of 2012, received a Star of Exceptional Merit, and won the Pinnacle Award in 2012. Roman lives on Long Island with her husband and very near her children.
Captain No Beard Tour Giveaway
Enter to win a complete autographed set of the If You Were Me series, written by award-winning author Carole P. Roman and illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga; including If You Were Me and Lived in … Italy: A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World! Plus, the grand prize winner will also receive the Educational Insights Geosafari Jr Talking Globe.
Giveaway begins January 10, 2016, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends February 16, 2016, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
If You Were Me and Lived In ... Italy Tour Dates
Sunday January 10 2016
The Children's Book Review
If You Were Me and Lived In ... Series Giveaway
Sunday January 10 2016
It's Fundamental
Author Interview with Carole P. Roman
Wednesday January 13 2016
Teacher Dance
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In ... Italy
Monday January 18 2016
The Fairview Review
Guest Post with Carole P. Roman
Thursday January 21 2016
The Children's Book Review
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In ... Italy
Tuesday January 26 2016
Icefairy's Treasure Chest
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In ... Italy
Tuesday February 9 2016
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Book Review of If You Were Me and Lived In ... Italy
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