Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Simone.
Hi Danielle , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was in my 20’s, I enjoyed adventure sports and dabbled in freelance journalism to help pay for trips! Fast forward to now where I’m past the mid-century mark and a nana of six! I wanted a way to be able to share the adventures I had taken with them in a fun way. What I didn’t know when I returned to writing was how my life now would come into play. Enter into my books our adorable blue heeler, Lucy! She totally changed the tone of my stories and shaped the family in the series! A girl, her dog, and her scientist father. An educator for over thirty years, I also wanted my stories to share a message. Each story is set in a real place here in Virginia or on the West Virginia border that kids can go and explore, while learning about climate change. Kids are exposed to basic skills in each (backpacking, kayaking, caving) while learning to be good stewards of their environment! Woven throughout is a challenge for them to look after this amazing world we have been given.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The writing for me is amazingly enjoyable and honestly–that’s the easy part for me. I know that might frustrate some to hear. Once I sit down with paper and pencil in hand the stories flow easily. It’s finding the time for everything else that is hard. I have a very full-time job as preschool director, so it can be hard to find the time needed for marketing and publicity. I am not great at technology, so there is a huge learning curve here for me as well.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am most proud that my books can spark the desire for kids to get outside and get exploring. I hope they endlessly nag their parents to take them to the places that they have first explored by reading. My books each have a STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, and Math) link included, as well as even more ideas on my website. I hope that by reading my stories and engaging with my characters, kids are encouraged to take their leaning to the next level or try a new skill that they may have been hesitant about before. My books are addressing environmental challenges that our world is facing, and I hope it encourages kids (and their parents) to get invested and see how they can make an environmental impact. For example, Syd and her dad are investigating White Nose Syndrome in bats in Lost in Bone Cave. I hope this story inspires more than one family to build and mount a bat house!
How do you think about happiness?
Spending time with my husband and dog are of course at the top of this list. Weekends can’t come soon enough:) The perfect day would find me sitting with my coffee early in the morning, my dog Lucy curled up beside me, writing away for an hour. The I would work in the garden picking tomatoes, lounge pool side for the afternoon, and sit on the back porch in the evening to throw the tennis ball for Lucy while my husband put steaks on the grill. A day like this is just the best!
My role as Director at River Road Preschool in itself is very fulfilling. I get to not only help guide teachers in the classroom but get to know and work with a wide variety of families and their children.
As an author, my happiest times are at school visits–really engaging and working with the audience my books are intended for. I love making them think and question the norm, particularly in creative writing workshops.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://daniellesimoneauthor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1914goose
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydandGoose
- Other: https://www.creativemindspublications.com
