Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Kris Tarantino

I’m excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Kris Tarantino and must say that I LOVE her books! She is going to share about her books, Be My ValenSlime, which is the perfect book for this time of year, and her follow-up book, BedSlime Blues. Welcome Kris,and thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your writing journey.

Me: Do you have any special plans for Valentine’s Day?

Kris: Thanks for having me! This year my special plans include appearing at my local Barnes & Noble on Valentine’s Day! I’ll be reading Be My ValenSlime and the second title in the Slime series, BedSlime Blues, and signing and personalizing books.

Me: Are there any activities that you participate in related to the season?

Kris: Every Valentine’s Day when my kids were growing up, I gave them each a small box of chocolate and a Valentine’s Day balloon. You see, I love balloons! Years ago, I worked for Anagram Balloons, the world’s largest mylar balloon company. So, I became quite fond of balloons and still am today.

Me: Do you have a favorite season? Is it winter?

Kris: My favorite season is fall, where the weather is cooler, and the leaves are changing colors.

Me: How long have you been writing?

Kris: I’ve been writing for over 10 years.

Me: What, or who inspired you to write Be My ValenSlime?

Kris: The idea for Be My ValenSlime came together after years of experiencing people who demonstrated a lack of love and kindness. I found myself saying, This doesn’t feel like love. What’s love anyway? The idea of exploring what love means kept rolling around in my head. I thought, what better way to get down to the kid-level on the topic of ‘love’ than with the opposite kind of character—a mash-up of monsters (typically viewed as a nasty unloving group). But they all couldn’t be monster-y. Then Snoodle burst on the page, along with the fun title, and rest was history.

As I developed the story and monster characters, I knew I wanted the story to be filled with humor and heart. So, the funny rambunctious monsters who “DON’T DO Valentine’s Day” provided the chaos and silliness, and the kind, patient, forgiving Snoodle provided the heart-part. The story is wrapped around 1^st Corinthians 13 and reminds children that love is patient, kind, and forgiving, and they can show love to others every day of the year.

Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication. Were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, aha-moments? You can share the good, bad, ugly.

Kris: I met my editor at an online conference (covid time). During my One-on-One with her, I learned she was looking for holiday books and lit up when I pitched Be My ValenSlime. She asked me to send her the manuscript post-conference (which I did). The editor got back to me and said there was internal interest and would I be willing to do an R&R (revise and resend)? Yes!

My agent and I went through two months of revisions together and sent the new version to the editor, who took it to their internal acquisition meeting. The group then asked for additional story summaries in case they decided to make the book into a series, maybe, no promises. Did I hear that right? A possible series?! After another month, the series ideas were done and sent. Shortly after that we received a formal offer!

At the editorial kick-off meeting, the original story that sold had Snoodle (the main character) and groups of other non-specific monsters. My editor asked that I develop a few of the monsters, give them personalities and character traits, and have them appear alongside Snoodle. Enter in Iggy, Zee-Zee and Fleck. There were other changes to the story too. Overall, we went through three rounds of revisions over two months. My editor’s vision ultimately made the story much stronger!

Once the manuscript was ready for art, my editor asked me to put together a list of illustrators who I thought would be a good fit for the story. So, I poured over all my favorite picture books and put together a list of illustrators, including why I liked their style, and how it could best fit Snoodle and her monster friends. And here’s the cool part. My editor put together a list too. And Cori Doerrfeld was on both of our lists! How amazing is that? I love it. And, it turns out that one of Cori’s favorite things to draw is…you guessed it…monsters!

Me: Can you tell us a little about the follow-up book, BedSlime Blues?

Kris: BedSlime Blues is about the same group of monster friends who first appeared in Be My ValenSlime—Snoodle, Iggy, Zee-Zee and Fleck—and how they don’t want to go to bed. Iggy doesn’t want to take a bath. Zee-Zee’s jammies are itchy. Fleck whines and stomps when it’s story time, and so on. With all their stomping and clomping, the bedslime blues are impossible to escape. Readers will laugh along and wonder if these grumpy monsters will ever lie down for a peaceful night of ZZZ’s.

Me: How did this follow-up book come about? Was it your idea, or your publishers?

Kris: My publishing team decided. Once Be My ValenSlime was in the final art stage, my editor had internal meetings with editorial, sales and marketing regarding what kind of story should follow. The team picked bedtime since it’s an evergreen kid category with year-round appeal.

Next, I wrote a story that showed how these monsters—who generally don’t like anything—also don’t like bedtime. I thought about how that would look within typical bedtime routines. Since this was a series, I needed to keep some elements from Be My ValenSlime to anchor this next story. For example: I kept key works, like wowza, grumpy, and gruffy. I also added a few new ones, like slime-tastic and monster-ific. In addition, I kept each monster’s personality and character traits. And I kept a similar opening to the story.

Meet the monsters! A tad gruffy. A bit grumpy. And definitely not ready for . . . BEDTIME!

Finally, there was the title. It had to contain the word ‘slime’. The original title was BedSlime for Monsters. But the team wanted something punchier. So, I spent a weekend brainstorming and landed on BedSlime Blues. I thought it was hooky and fit the monsters—they could be singing the blues, the bedslime blues (not literally singing, but grumping about it). My editor loved it!

Me: Is BedSlime Blues tied to a bible verse?

Kris: Yes. BedSlime Blues is tied to Psalm 4:8. I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone Lord, will keep me safe. There’s a good combination of silliness and sweetness as the little monsters finally wind down, one by one, showing young readers the big concept of God’s perfect peace, what it is and how it feels. The verse is not obvious as in Be My ValenSlime, but the theme of finding peace is definitely woven throughout.

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?

Kris: Perseverance is #1. Don’t give up. Keep writing. Get your work critiqued. Be open to critique feedback. Love revision. Surround yourself with other kid-lit writers. Ask questions. Attend SCBWI conferences. Listen to kid-lit webinars. Submit your work. Embrace R&R’s. Stretch into new directions. And…be read for a little luck.

Me: What are your plans for the future? Writing or otherwise, traveling, hobbies, etc.

Kris: Besides writing, I love playing tennis, gardening, and going for walks. I’m also hoping to visit more national parks. I’ve already been to over 25 with my family!

Me: I’d love for you to share a recipe with me.

Hello Dolly Squares

¼ lb. butter (1 stick)

1 C. Graham Cracker Crumbs (break down the graham crackers inside a plastic bag)

1 C. Flaked Coconut

1 C. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

1 C. Nuts (optional)

1 C. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

Melt butter. Add to 9 x 9 pan.

Sprinkle in graham cracker bits to make a crust layer. Pat down.

Add coconut.

Add chocolate chips.

Add nuts (optional).

Pour Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed milk over all.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-minutes

Cool.

Cut into squares.

Thanks so much for your time; it’s always fun getting to know writing friends. I am inspired by your books and how you incorporate faith into your writing. And the Hello Dolly Squares are delicious!

Bio:

Kris Tarantino is a children’s book author whose work is filled with humor and heart. Her debut book, Be My ValenSlime, illustrated by New York Times bestsellingCori Doerrfeld, received critical praise and a Starred Revies by School Library Journal. Kris is a member of SCBWI and speaks frequently at conferences and schools. Most recently, she was selected to participate in the 2025 Storyfest Literacy Day in San Antonio, TX. In 2024, Kris was selected to be a faculty presenter at the All-Texas SCBWI Conference.

Visit her online at:

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn

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Kris is offering a giveaway for a copy of her new book, Bedtime Blues! To enter, like, comment on this post and share it on social media.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Linda Teed

I’m so happy that we will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with Linda Teed, author of six children’s picture books including her new release I’m Making a Wish, written by Linda Teed and illustrated by the incredible Erin Richardson.

Me: What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?

Linda: Valentine’s Day is such a beautiful holiday and a time to show others the best gifts of all: friendship and love. I can still close my eyes and remember the excitement I felt as my paper “mailbox” on my desk in my elementary school classroom began filling with Valentine cards left by my friends. Is there anything better than a reminder of the love and friendship we feel for each other? Later as an adult married lady, I loved the extra-special presents my husband Pat left me in so many top-secret hiding places in our home. Valentine’s Day is such a great day; one that I wish would last far longer than one day.

Me: Do you have a favorite season? Is it winter?

Linda: My favorite season of all is autumn. The brilliance of a beautiful fall day was my inspiration for my current book, I’m Making a Wish. Erin did a gorgeous job creating art to enhance a beautiful Wisconsin car ride in the fall.

Me: How long have you been writing?

Linda: I’ve been writing since I was a little girl. I have kept a journal most of my life and still have many of them. It’s fun to go back in time and remember what I was thinking and reminisce about some special memories that I still hold in my heart. I became a serious writer when I became a teacher. I created many of the lessons I taught. I have always enjoyed creating meaningful lessons that open up my students’ beautiful imagination. In my classroom there were always extensions of the many things that I taught, most of which included writing. After I retired from teaching my husband was diagnosed with cancer and the days became very dark ones for me. I decided to write a story that would fill some of my time with light and hope. The miracle of this story is that it became a published children’s book. It’s entitled The Nest of Chockablock Hair. This story on so many levels catapulted me to continue my writing journey. Writing is infectious and very contagious!

Me: What, or who inspired you to write this book?

Linda: I was fortunate to have had two very important men in my life, my grandfather and my husband. This book is a dedication to these two most beautiful souls. I loved my grandfather deeply and found great joy in spending time with him. He never had a little girl of his own so when I was born a great love was also born between the two of us. I found that same great love with my husband Pat. He was such a beautiful soul and reminded me so much of my grandfather. Both were so wise and so humble and made the little girl, now the young lady very happy just being together. This book, I’m Making a Wish, is a tribute book to both of them.

Me: It’s so beautiful that you made this book a tribute to the two special men who have given you so much love and joy. When I read this book, I noticed that same love and joy radiating throughout the story. Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication. Were there any bumps and bruises along the way, obstacles you had to overcome, an a-ha moment? You can share the good, bad, ugly lol, or not.

Linda: The most important thing that I have learned about the publishing of my books is that there are ALWAYS bumps in the road! Nothing EVER goes as planned. Not only do authors write books but they are in constant communication with others about so many things. I have learned over the years that patience is a virtue, that deadlines are never set in stone, and that you will drive yourself crazy thinking that you can change some things in the process. Having said that, you must remain diligent in keeping things moving and following up. It’s definitely a balancing act. With this book, Wish, my problems included working around others’ schedules, staying vigilant about attempting to meet deadlines, and of course, no matter the preparation there is always a problem printing the book. There are ALWAYS glitches. I have learned over the years that some things are in your control and others aren’t and to rush the process is never a good idea. My biggest problem was in the printing of the hardcover version of Wish. When I received my author’s copy two pages were missing that were not missing in the proof. I knew it was the printer’s mistake. Trying to rectify the situation in a timely manner was difficult. I had a scheduled book launch party, a large party which included food, drink, and music to celebrate the arrival of this new book. On the day of the party, I had my paperback books but didn’t have my hardcover books. I was grateful to have had the paperbacks. In spite of the missing hard covers the party was a wonderful success both financially, but more importantly personally. People came from all over to celebrate the book with me and to celebrate my husband. My biggest take away always is that despite the hard work put into a book, there are always problems.

Me: What is one piece of advice you can give writers just starting out or who are still in the query trenches?

Linda: My biggest piece of advice is to believe in yourself, in your ability as a writer and in the dream you have. You will ALWAYS have naysayers who give you advice or make you feel inadequate. Rejection is always tough but makes you stronger and I believe more determined to continue to try. When in doubt, head to the library! There you will find thousands of books written by people who took a leap of faith, who had a story that they were brave enough, bold enough, wise enough to tell through a tough process and who had that undying dream, who fought hard, and realized it. The library is full of heroes. When in doubt, go visit. You will be inspired!

Me: What are your plans for the future?

Linda: 2025 is the year of optimism for me. I am a big believer in the power of writing down goals. This year I set my sights high and wrote down 20 BIG goals. My goals are “all over the place”; from big ideas like traveling, North Carolina in particular, to promoting my book. Along the way are simple goals…extending myself to others in need, smiling more, enjoying the simple things in life, reading, soaking up some sun, bike riding, spending an afternoon in a convertible, singing, being with family and truly enjoying this beautiful life I’ve been given.

Me: I like the idea of setting BIG goals, you’ve really inspired me to do the same! Before I let you go, I’d love for you to share a recipe with me, I have a collection of recipes from friends and family that goes back many years. I would love to include yours, as well as share it with my readers.

Linda: I’ll share my family’s award-winning BBQ recipe.

Me: Thanks so much for your time, it was wonderful getting to know you, and I knew your new book was the perfect story for my Valentine’s Day blog post. I’m off to make a list of my BIG goals now, and maybe, cook some chili.

Click here to learn more about Linda and purchase her books.