Interview with Award-winning Author Lisa Umina

Lisa Umina, Award-Winning Author
Milo Finds his Best Friend, Milo Moments, Milo and the Green Wagon &
Milo y el carrito verde

Lisa Umina’s cute and cuddly character, Milo has accompanied her around the globe as she has shared her mission through humor, live entertainment and faith. The Milo book series gives children a compelling message that children can talk to God anytime, anywhere…about anything.

Lisa Umina is the owner of Halo Publishing International. Lisa not only publishes books but also enjoys a successful career as an award-winning author, motivational speaker and literary consultant. Lisa´s publishing company continues to flourish by strengthening the movement of words across the international borders in order to benefit cultures and society as a whole. She has been interviewed by countless newspapers, radio and television shows, and has traveled the world to teach children about their purpose and important life lessons inside her books.

VS: Lisa, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. It’s really is a pleasure. To get things started, can you share how long have you been writing?

Lisa: I started writing as long as I can remember. I loved keeping a journal and I always wrote down funny thoughts and stories.

VS: What inspired you to write?

Lisa: What inspires me to write is my faith and my sense of humor. I tend to look at the world a bit different and try to take the negative out and add positive in the day to day situations.

VS: What is a typical writing day like for you?

Lisa: I am both a writer and a publisher. If I am not writing I am helping other writers to become authors through my publishing company, Halo Publishing International.

VS: Is your family supportive of your writing?

Lisa: My family is very supportive in fact, I have a mascot Milo and my twin brothers both volunteered to be Milo for my shows.

VS: What was the first thing you ever had published?

Lisa: My first book I published was Milo with a Halo.

VS: Can you share with us a little about your current book? 

Lisa: Award-Winning, Milo and the Green Wagon was based on a true story. When I was younger, my brother and I garbage picked an old wagon and went around the neighborhood collecting food for the people in need. Milo and his friends find an old, discarded green wagon and decide to fix it up and use it to collect food and clothing for those who need them. This story is about generosity, selflessness and, most importantly, about love and respect.

VS: What do you enjoy most about writing?

Lisa: I enjoy writing because I come to life in a different form and I love to writing my thoughts on paper.

VS: Do you have any other works in progress? Can you share a little about them?

Lisa: Liverpool department stores in Mexico is now carrying the Milo series and puzzles and they are interested in more books to the Milo series. I am currently writing my 5th book for the stores.

VS: What do you feel is the best ingredients of a story?

Lisa: The best ingredient to a story is humor.

VS: What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours?

Lisa: I base my main character Milo on my on personal traits and I view the world.

VS: You have won an award on writing. Can you share which book?

Lisa: Yes, I received an award for my recent book, Milo and the Green Wagon.

VS: Lisa, I thank you for taking the time to share with my readers about being a writing mama.

Milo Finds His Best Friend [Paperback]

Lisa M Umina (Author), Chad Thompson (Illustrator)

One morning, Milo wakes up and tell God he is going to find his best friend...throughout the day each animal that he encounters, he asks them if they will be his best friend and play with him till days end. The animals don't want to play with Milo. Fortunately, at the end, Milo, God's little angel finds out who his best friend really is.

Milo Moments [Hardcover]

Lisa Umina (Author)

Milo Moments makes kids giggle by tickling their inquisitive natures and by light-heartedly bringing religion into everyday life in simple terms they can understand. The book shows how faith and a binding relationship with God can influence and guide even the simplest of situations and actions.

Milo and the Green Wagon [Paperback]

Lisa M Umina (Author), Chad Thompson (Illustrator)

An endearing tale based on a true story drawn from the writer's childhood. Similar to an experience Lisa shared as a youngster with her brother David, Milo and his friends find an old, discarded green wagon and decide to fix it up and use it to collect food and clothing for those who need them. Lisa's heartwarming story teaches children about generosity, selflessness and, most importantly, about love and respect for all people, no matter what their stature in life. As you read through Milo's journey with your child, he or she will learn what it means to donate and will realize the good that comes from a mission such as Milo's, a mission he calls: ACT - Action Changes Things. Umina's clever words and expressions will entice you right up until the very end when Milo and his friends' compassion is rewarded with a surprise visitor at Sunday service; a visitor that makes all of their acts of kindness well worth the effort.

Award-winning Author Lisa Umina on Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children –May 30, 2011 

Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network Show: Stories for Children with hosts VS Grenier, Kris Quinn Christopherson and Irene Roth will be chatting with award-winning author Lisa Umina about her Milo book series (Milo Finds His Best Friend, Milo Moments & Milo and the Green Wagon).

The show will air live, May 30, 2011 at 1pm EST (12pm Central, 11am MST, and 10am PST). Tune in at the BTR World of Ink Network site at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork. You can listen/call in at (714) 242-5259. (Note: if you can’t make the show, you can listen on demand at the same link.)

You can find out more about Lisa Umina’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/LisaUmina.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Lisa Umina and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions. Lisa will be checking in throughout the tour.

Learn more about Lisa Umina at http://www.halopublishing.com