MaryAnn Tatro attended Southern Ohio Business College and
received a degree in Office Administration and Communication. She also attended
Cooper School of Art for one year and took with her a love to create, design
and color. She worked several years for a publishing company in Cleveland while
raising her son Ryan.
Tatro grew up in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, but her heart
is in the country. She currently lives in Wadsworth, Ohio with her husband
Dennis of 20 years and their cat. She and her husband enjoy nature walks,
antiques, yard sales and being with family.
VS: I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing
Mama today, Maryann.What do you do to help balance your writing
life with your family life?
Maryann: I don’t write
everyday, only when I feel inspired to do so.
If an idea comes to mind, I will jot down the idea and perhaps use it
for future reference. My family always
comes first.
VS: How long have you been writing?
Maryann: I started
writing about 7 years ago and kept my stories in a journal, but I actually
became serious about writing a few years ago.
VS: Is your family supportive of your writing?
Maryann: My family is
very supportive. In fact, my husband
encouraged me some years ago to get at least one story published. Perhaps now, I’ll have more published soon.
VS: Can you share with us a little about your
current book(s)?
Maryann: Milton is a
turtle with a square shell. One
afternoon and being new to the area, he decides to take a walk down to the pond
to relax. Just when he finds the perfect
spot, he can’t stay. Not wanting to
cause a problem, he goes further up the pond only to discover, home is the best
place to relax.
VS: What did you find to be the most challenging
part of writing your book(s)?
Maryann: Writing the
initial story is the easy part. Naming
the character to go with the personality is the hard part.
VS: What part of your book do you feel really
stands out to you personally?
Maryann: Even though the
pond animals may be a little frightened because of Milton’s square shell,
Milton doesn’t allow that to bother him.
VS: What do you think are the basic ingredients of
a good book?
Maryann: I think the
basic ingredients of a good book are personality to your main character and a
good story line. I write for ages 0-7
and I also feel illustrations play an important part of the book. My book has wonderful illustrations, very
colorful and children love visual.
VS: What do you feel as parents we need to do to
help our children see success?
Maryann: Good
question!!!!! Always encourage
them. Be willing to help them reach
their goals, visions and dreams. Let
them know when one door closes, another will open.
VS: Where can the readers of The Writing Mama find
out more about and your writing?
Maryann: Readers can go
to Halo Publishing’s website, google, or contact me via e-mail at: dtatro62@yahoo.com,
or call me at 330-391-1564. I will soon
have a face-book page.
VS: Is there anything else you would like to share
with us about being a “Writing Mama or Dad”?
Maryann: Don’t give up if writing is your passion, your
dream. It doesn’t matter where you are
“age-wise” in life, just go for it. It’s
never to late. Whether your book is
published or not, don’t get discouraged.
Perseverance is the key.
Just when he thinks he finds the perfect spot, he can't stay. Not wanting to cause a problem, he goes further up the pond, only to discover, home is the best place to relax.
Title: Milton the Square Shell Turtle
Author: MaryAnn Tatro
Illustrator: Diane Lucas
Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-61244-103-1
Publication Date: June 2013
$11.95
Places available for sale:
Amazon.com