VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

When I first got the notification that my manuscript was accepted by Halo Publishing, I was overjoyed. It was an amazing feeling when I got the first shipment of books and seeing my name on the cover and my picture on the back. It was really a dream come true. This whole experience has not changed my relationship with any of my friends- many of whom have bought my books for the holidays.  I have found it very difficult to balance writing, the process of publishing, and publicizing the book, with my schoolwork and hobbies. I give Virginia a lot of credit with putting up with me not keeping up with deadlines etc. However, I believe that family comes first, and then school work, and then anything else.  On the side I participate in the Zoo Crew at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which is a group that teaches the public about the animals on exhibit. I also am in involved with the Future Scientists groups at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History that does surveys of wildlife ...

Rachel Yurchisin’s love of science and nature has inspired her to write her first children’s book in the hopes of passing on her passion to other young ‘budding’ naturalists. Yurchisin is a junior in high school and participates in educational programs at her city zoo and natural history museum. VS: I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today, Rachel. As a teen author, what do you do to help balance your writing life with your family life? Rachel: I have my family help me with my writing process. They have always supported me in anything that I do, they were the ones that were telling me to write more instead of spend time with them! VS: When did you start and how long have you been writing? Rachel: I wrote “Diary of My Days in Kenya” when I was in fifth grade, but I still continue to write poetry and reflections in my spare time for fun and for school. VS: What inspired you to write? Rachel: In fifth grade, it was part of the curriculum in Eng...