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MEET EMMA L. PRICE (1/2011)
by Ann Stalcup

What books influenced you most when you were growing up?

Emma L. Price

As a child I loved stories about animals. Someone gave me AESOP’S FABLES and I thought I was in Heaven! When it was hot, I would crawl into a cool place and read for hours. I told these fables to my friends and they loved them. My favorites were “The Fox and the Grapes” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

Were you an avid reader?

I read everything I could get my hands on! I remember reading the Bible to my grandmother. My parents could not afford to buy books. The neighbors knew I loved reading, so they gave my mother books for me. Reading was my way of visiting exciting places and meeting interesting people.

What audience did you have in mind when writing this book?

I am a retired elementary school teacher. I could not imagine writing for any other audience but children. PORTIA’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY was written for eight- to twelve-year-olds. My desire is to share my love for reading through writing the best stories I can for children.

What was the inspiration behind PORTIA’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY?

When I first started to think about a subject for my book, a vivid scene came to me. About fifteen years ago at a birthday party, a  five-year-old girl cried hysterically because she could not have cake and ice cream. She didn’t understand why. It was time to test her blood sugar. This very emotional incident stayed with me all these years.

Do you enjoy researching or do you prefer working totally from your imagination?

I had to do a lot of research, but I enjoyed it. I knew very little about type 1 diabetes. My mom died from complications of type 2 diabetes after I became an adult. But I still didn’t know a lot about it. So I had to research and read other children’s books that tackled the same issues to see how they handled it. I learned the difference between the types of diabetes and many other important facts. I also researched bullying and family separation because they are crises with which my character struggled.
In a book of fiction like PORTIA’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, the secret is to combined imagination and research information to create an emotional journey readers can relate and learn from.

Are you currently working on another book?

I’m working on my next children’s book with the working title STOP IT, YOU BIG BULLY. I’m not sure if I will continue with the Portia character or create another character.

What other projects are you working on?

I’m working to complete a Teacher’s Guide for PORTIA’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. I hope that it will be helpful to teachers, along with their successful strategies for teaching reading.
I’m busy marketing PORTIA’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. I’m organizing a contest at a local library in February. I’ve been asked to lead a Reading-Writing Workshop at two libraries during National Library Week in April. I have three upcoming book signings and I will be at the USC Festival of Books in April. 

When you do school visits, what question do children ask  you most?

They often ask how long it took  to write PORTIA’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. When I say about four years, students frown. I explain that the process of writing a book  cannot be done overnight. It takes a lot of revisions.

Has anyone ever written you a fan letter that you’d  like to share?

Yes, I visited Seaside Elementary School and really enjoyed it. The students sent me “Thank You” notes. One student wrote, “I want to be a terrific writer like you.” Another student wrote, “Your book is so interesting and so creative. That book is a really good book”. And another child wrote, “Your visit inspired me to start writing a funny story in my notebook.”

Do you have any advice for writers who are currently in the process of editing or rewriting their book?