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MEET ANGELA RUSS-AYON
by Bonnie O'Brian

Was your first book accepted immediately? or did you experience a number of rejections?

Angela Russ-Ayon

Basically, I nagged the illustrator of WE LOVE THE COMPANY, Irina Mirskaya, to paint a few images for some concepts that I had been working on, and took them back east to a national preschool conference. I was signing and promoting a CD that I had produced for a non-profit when an associate of mine walked by arm-in-arm with an executive from an independent publishing house. Thankfully, I was prepared. I sold the ideas, the illustrator, and the songs right there in the booth. It took 3 years to get the picture books completed.

What are the topics of some of your books?

WE LOVE THE COMPANY is a story about table manners, written from the point of view of the children, because I didn't want the book to sound like a constant scolding. It is also filled with healthy messages that encourage serving a well-balanced meal and engaging in social interaction. The book comes with a music CD.

WE EAT FOOD THAT'S FRESH features a chef who is constantly trying to get the children to try a new fruit or vegetable. The children spend all of their time telling the chef what they already eat. Cathy June captured the many ways fruits and vegetables are prepared, and the variety of settings in which to find them. This book also comes with a music CD.

Where do you get your ideas? 

I am inspired by observing and listening to children in different settings. I spend a lot of volunteer time in front of preschool and elementary school children.  If I can find a way to sing about a subject that will get a child up and moving, or make learning easier, I write it down. For a potential manuscript, I have to expand the text and re-sing the song to accommodate a 32-page book. So in my case, the manuscript and the music have to fit like a puzzle. If the song sounds ridiculous, the book will never get of the ground.

What gave you the idea for your two books?

If you have children, then you already know where the idea for WE LOVE THE COMPANY came from. I had looked for a picture book about table manners, and couldn't find one. I am constantly quoting lines from the book to my seven year old son, “No feet in the chairs. No hunched over backs. No crawling down under. We don't do that.”  - not that it works.

As for WE EAT FOOD THAT’S FRESH, health agencies across the nation have been launching anti-obesity campaigns for years now. Coupled with the fact that my daughter is a very picky eater with a uniquely sensitive palate, this book seemed like the perfect choice. It is a constant battle to get her to try something new.

Do you do other types of writing - for example, educational, nonfiction, magazine work?

When I graduated from college, a friend gave me my first historical romance. I was hooked. I joined RWA and dreamed of publishing a historical romance someday. I also freelanced for the San Diego Union Tribune reviewing romance novels for a year or so. Though my children's books flowed smoothly, I am no stranger to rejection. My first three romance novels were rejected, and the last novel earned me an agent and some wonderful critiques from the publishers. I do have a work in progress that is now 12 years running.

What are you working on now? 

I have a wonderful working relationship with my publisher and I am working on a text-less board book for children under the age of two. It should be an easy transition from another completed project that I have, and will include an English and Spanish version of a cute song that is yet to be determined.

Do you write every day and do you have set hours that you work?

I don't have set hours. I write in the car, in line at the post office, at concerts, at birthday parties, and at soccer practice.  I write on the back of notes, appointment notices, bills, and receipts. There is no organization to my thoughts, or my life, and there is no place safe from my pen, pencil, or crayon (if that is all I can find).

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

The question I hear most from 4th and 5th graders is, "How much do you get paid?" I then go into some detail about standard royalty structure. In the end, I want students to walk out thinking, “I can do this, if I want to,” and to know that the longer they stay in school, the better prepared they'll be.  I encourage them to think outside of the box, to solve a problem, fill a hole, create a mystery, make someone laugh, or give others a feeling of belonging.  It’s important for children to know that they can write at any age, and that every story is the story never told.

Is there anything about yourself that you'd like to share - hobbies, where you were born, etc.?

I am an Air Force brat. I was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and grew up traveling with my family to wherever my father was stationed in different countries and on U.S. bases. It was a wonderful experience that was difficult when I was young, but I wouldn't change it now if I could. I am a product of the many cultures that have touched me, and my experiences have taught me that challenges are there for me to overcome. I can't play an instrument or read music, and yet I compose, for example.  I have always wanted to motivate others to follow their dreams and believe in their abilities, as I do.