31 Oct Jacqueline Jules, THE PORRIDGE-POT GOBLIN, and a Giveaway!

Happy Halloween! You may be surrounded by pumpkins, candy, and a few witches, but the book we’ll be chatting about today is filled with GOBLINS! 

I am so excited to welcome the incredible and prolific author Jacqueline Jules to Writing Outside the Lines today. Because of Jacqueline’s amazing writing and publishing history, I am sure many of you know her work. But today, we’ll be chatting about her newest picture book, THE PORRIDGE-POT GOBLIN. 

EL: Welcome, Jacqueline. Let’s dig right in. Please tell us a little bit about THE PORRIDGE-POT GOBLIN. How did you get the idea?  Feel free to tell us anything else you’d like to about this book. 

I am a huge fan of Jewish folklore. I own several collections, including Lilith’s Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural by Howard Schwartz, Yiddish Folktales by Beatrice Silverman Weinreich, and Jewish Folktales by Pinhas Sadeh. Many years ago, I even taught a folktale course to Jewish teenagers, which included tales of demons, dybbuks, and other supernatural beings. So when I came across a reference to a type of invisible demon only detected by footprints the size and shape of a rooster, I was, of course, intrigued. Could I write a story with a mischievous demon defeated by two quick-thinking children? My first drafts had some engaging moments but didn’t come together as a marketable picture book. So I put it aside. During the isolation of the pandemic, having loads of extra time to fill, I revisited the manuscript. Looking at it with fresh eyes helped me to reimagine the story into something more interesting than my original attempt. In The Porridge-Pot Goblin, Benny and Rose are frightened by an invisible goblin who threatens to disturb their peaceful Shabbat. Working together as a team, they manage to trap the goblin in a humane manner and build confidence in their own ability to handle challenges. The last line of the book is my favorite. “They were ready if the goblin ever came back.”

EL: That line made me smile too. I love when words and art blend together seamlessly like they do in your book. Can you tell us a bit about your illustrator and your relationship with him?

I think in words, not pictures. Seeing this story illustrated by a talented artist who added delightful dimensions I had not imagined was a magical experience. Hector Borlasca’s illustrations are brimming with color and action. My favorite spreads show the children with determined facial expressions as they come up with a plan to defeat the demon. While I did not have any direct contact with Hector Borlasca during the creation of the book, we have recently connected on Facebook.

EL: As we know, you have been in this business for a long time. What was your road to publication back when you were first starting out? The publishing business is not an easy one. It is full of rejections and disappointments. I became an author only because I persisted. When one story didn’t find a publisher, I put it aside and started a new one. Over the years, my virtual drawer filled with dozens of abandoned manuscripts that I would revisit periodically. Most of my published books bear little to no resemblance to their original drafts. I rewrite my manuscripts fifty or more times. Many of my books took ten or more years to write. The Porridge-Pot Goblin emerged from a twenty-year-old idea.

EL: Wow! A twenty-year old idea!  Readers, pull out those old manuscripts and jotted down notes. Jacqueline, you write in different genres. What is it like going from chapter book to MG to PB and back again? Is there any one style you like writing more, or is that like asking you to choose a favorite child?

JJ: Students often ask me to name my favorite book. I generally respond by saying my favorite book is the one most recently released or the one I am currently working on. You’re right, choosing a favorite book for me is as impossible as choosing which one of my grandchildren I love the most. I love them all for different reasons. And I enjoy writing in different genres. I worked as a school librarian for many years. During that time, I read as many books in my library collection as I could. I never restricted myself to a particular genre. As a reader and as a writer, I enjoy variety. Writing poetry often calms me. Writing fiction excites my imagination. I love seeing where the words lead me. Sometimes a story or a poem turns in unexpected ways. Writing is a process of discovery.

EL: I love that line: Writing is a process of discovery. Thank you for sharing. Do you have a specific writing routine? If so, will you explain?

JJ: I do my best to reserve several hours a day for writing. When I have no other appointments or commitments, I write most of the day and an hour or two in the evening. If I have obligations, I fit in as much writing as I can. I leave my computer on all day so that I can take advantage of every available free hour.

EL: Will you talk a little about who or what helped you along as you were starting out?

JJ: SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, was very helpful. I attended conferences and read their publications to learn the correct manuscript preparation and other particulars of the children’s publishing business.

My training and work as a children’s librarian deepened my understanding of what makes a good children’s book. As a librarian, I spent the majority of each day in storytime. So I had the opportunity to see groups of children react to picture books. Familiarity with children’s literature and knowing what is most popular with children today is crucial for anyone who wants to publish children’s books.

 EL: What advice do you have for aspiring kid lit authors?

JJ: Don’t give up. If your heart says you have stories to tell, tell them. Hold on to your dreams. It took me years to finish and find publishers for many of my books. One book, published by Albert Whitman during the pandemic, called Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence, has a title poem I often share with young readers and aspiring writers. The poem “Tag Your Dreams” was written as a pep talk to myself when I was discouraged by rejections. As the poem below says, chase your dreams until you’re breathless. Don’t let them get away.

EL: I love that! Here it is in all its glory. Thank you for sharing, Jacqueline. 

Here are a few places where you can purchase The Porridge-Pot Goblin:

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Porridge-Pot-Goblin-Jacqueline-Jules/dp/1681155915/ref=nosim?tag=jacquelinejul-20

Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/books/the-porridge-pot-goblin/9781681155913

Author’s Website http://jacquelinejules.com/

Jacqueline is happy to give away one copy of THE PORRIDGE-POT GOBLIN. To get in the running, please comment on this post. Make sure you tell us if you are a subscriber to this blog and/or have shared this post in order to have extra chances of winning.

BIO: Jacqueline Jules is the author of more than fifty books for young readers, including the Zapato Power series and the Sofia Martinez series. She writes picture books, board books, chapter books, poetry, and middle-grade novels. Her middle-grade verse novel, My Name is Hamburger, was released in October 2022 by Kar-Ben Books. She lives on Long Island in New York.

EL: Thank you so much, Jacqueline!

JJ: Thank you!

EL: Before we go, I’d love it if you’d check out my website to find out more about me, my books, and my school visits. Keep your eyes out for an announcement soon! 

 http://www.EllenLeventhal.com

Until next time,

Ellen