Clarbojahn Presents: Ron Rauss – Cheerios New Author Winner: Post Two

Hi Readers!

These look good, too!

Glad to have you back. Do you have your coffee? And donuts? Get them so you can settle down and read this next installment of  Ron Rauss’s interview. I am excited to bring it to you! We’re going to have fun!   Last week we learned of his process of winning the New Author Contest and the Spoonfuls of Stories Program and today we will learn more about his personal journey.  Are you ready then? Do you have your mocha and donuts? (Personally I am eating chocolate and drinking coffee.) So let’s get started. We had questions one through three last week and the rest from four to six today.

4—Clarbojahn:   You’re book is in perfect rhyme, are you a poet? How did you get it so perfect? And with Publishers not being so keen on rhyme, how is it that your book was accepted? 

RR:  I love poetry and have written on and off for as long as I can remember. I’m kind of lucky that rhyme comes naturally to me although getting the meter and rhythm correct takes time and patience. I write picture book manuscripts in rhyme and prose and most of my stories just feel right in one or the other. I think publishers see a lot of rhyming manuscripts that are not ready or would have been better suited for prose. I believe my story was strong and the concept worked well in rhyme.

5—Clarbojahn: Simon and Schuster is doing some marketing for you right? What have they done so far and what is in the future for you?

Too Cute!

RR:  The attention my book is receiving because of the contest is unbelievable. I feel extremely fortunate as a début author to have the teams from Simon & Schuster and General Mills backing Can I Just Take A Nap? They have set up numerous interviews and readings for me and have gotten the book into millions of children’s hands across the country with the paperback version in Cheerios. I have enjoyed the awesome early response from readers who have enjoyed the Cheerios version and recently found out that the hardcover will be carried by Toys R Us in their autographed book section and will be a Children’s Book- of- the- Month Club Main Selection.

6—ClarboJahn:  What are you working on now? What might we see coming from you in the future?

RR:  I write as much as I can and am constantly working on new material. I am in the process of querying agents to represent my work and have numerous manuscripts ready for submission. I have also started a middle grade novel and am really enjoying working with that stories characters.

Clarbojahn: Thanks for answering these questions for us, Ron, We know how busy you are being Dad, holding down a job and writing during naps. After reading your wonderful book I realize young parents as well as kids and babies feel the desperate need for a nap and your book illustrates that so well in text and art.  I know I thoroughly enjoyed hearing your process of how you became a contest winner.

Bio: Ron Rauss is the winner of the 2010 Cheerios New Author Contest. His début picture book Can I Just Take A Nap?will be released in hardcover June 5, 2012. Ron lives in Northern Virginia with his wife

Ron Rauss

and son.

For more on Ron and Can I Just Take A Nap? visit ronrauss.com or follow Ron on Twitter @rdrauss. Find Ron on facebook at Can I Just Take A Nap? By Ron Rauss.

Readers: You can also read my reviews on other books that made it into the Cheerios contest the next couple of Fridays for Perfect Picture Book Fridays. I picked up no fewer than ten Cheerios boxes just for the book before Easter, stealing the book out of them and giving the cereal to my niece to feed her three teen age sons. lol.

If you would weigh in, in the comments if you enjoyed reading this and if you think you will enjoy Ron’s book?

Related articles

• Clarbojahn Presents: Ron Rauss – Cheerios New Author Winner: Post One (clarbojahn.wordpress.com)
• Spotlight: Ron Rauss winner of Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories New Author Contest (roxieh.wordpress.com)