13 Sep Gayle Krause’s Witchy Picture Book, ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA Plus a Giveaway!

Another day, another great book! I’m thrilled to have my friend, Gayle C. Krause on the blog today. Gayle loves all things witchy and wonderful, as you can tell from her picture.  I’m happy to highlight her newest book,  Zadie and the Witch’s Tea written by Gayle and illustrated by Kate Talbot. When Little Zadie’s sisters dash her hope of attending the biggest event of the Halloween season because she has no “witchy” magic, her determination and a surprising Fairy Godspider enchantment send her as a special guest. The adult witches try to outdo each other by casting spells and chanting charms to become the assistant to the most powerful witch in the land. But a kind gesture from Zadie wins the night and the title, and her sisters learn that kindness proves stronger than any magic they possess. 

And here’s a special surprise. Check out this WONDERFUL trailer! 

EL: Gayle, first of all, congrats on this beautiful book!  Now that our readers know a bit about your book, will you tell us a little about yourself?

GK: I’m a Pennsylvania girl, through and through. Born, raised, and lived there for many years. But then, two years ago my husband and I moved from The Pocono Mountains in PA. to The Shenandoah Valley in VA to be closer to the grandkids. Big change. It’s warmer. It hardly ever rains, and it’s a college town, so there are plenty of interesting things to do. 

Though my physical surroundings have changed, my writing routine has not. I write on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. I usually write somewhere on the weekends, but not for any prolonged period. But when a thought or a scene comes to me, I’m sure to write it down, no matter where I am. I’ve been known to write a whole chapter on a restaurant napkin. 😊

EL: I am always envious of people who can structure their writing this way. I think it’s helpful. Let’s talk more about the book now. How did you get your idea for ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA?

GK: You know I love witches, and Halloween is my favorite holiday. I buy lots of candy and dress up as a witch every Halloween, even if no trick-or-treaters ring my doorbell. I set every table in my house as if I were having a witch’s tea party every Halloween as part of my holiday decorations.

So, Zadie has always been with me. Add to that, my sisters love witches as much as I do. To that end we have Witchy Sister Weekends every summer, where we dress up, drink wine, and have fun. Being the oldest of three sisters, it was a natural progression to rewrite the Cinderella tale using three witchy sisters, the youngest being Zadie.  

EL: I love this! And Kate Talbot’s gorgeous illustrations add so much to the wonderful rhyme. Gayle, How do you usually start to think about your books? 

GK: For picture books, I start with an idea that I think might make a good picture book. Then my mind starts rhyming. Different rhyme schemes, and punny alliterations, and I try to use multisyllabic end rhymes or internal rhymes to make the verse stand out. I belonged to the Poets’ Garage for six years with Diana Murray, Penny P. Klosterman, Laura Sassi, Carrie Finison, and Rene LaTulippe. I also served on Angie Karcher’s Rhyme Revolution committee for three years judging and choosing the best “rhyming” picture book in the U.S. So, rhyme is kind of my “go to” in picture books. Zadie and the Witch’s Tea went through seven rhyming versions and two prose versions before we hit the right one. I’m happy to say the “rhyming version” won out.

For novels, I may have a main character and a sidekick in mind, but don’t use an outline. I’m a panster. I don’t believe in Butt-in-Chair. If I don’t have an idea, I can sit at the computer the whole day long and waste my time. I write until I come to a logical scene conclusion, then let the story sit until I get another idea. In essence, I let the characters write the story for me.

EL: Do you have anything else in the pipeline you can talk about?

GK: Currently, I’m working on an MG Fantasy duology, also about a witch, which is based on the 200-word First Place winning entry I sent into the 2022 Kid’s Choice Kidlit Writing Contest. The first book is finished and out with Beta readers, and I’m working on the second book, which is a lot of fun to write because it’s in an original setting. (Let’s just say it’s nowhere where you’d imagine a witch to be).

EL: Sounds intriguing! Do you have any words of advice for aspiring kidlit writers or illustrators?

GK: This business is so much harder than it looks. People think picture books are easy to write because they’re for the very young. They couldn’t be more wrong. You can’t just write about your dog or an ice cream cone. You must be aware of the developmental levels and the interest levels of the child reader yet keep the parent/teacher reader engaged as well and keep it under 600 words.

Like I said, it’s much harder than it looks. However, if it’s your dream…don’t ever give up!! Here is a mantra to follow:

Persevere! Persist! Proceed!

EL: Great mantra. Thank you so much for joining us today, Gayle!

You can read more about Zadie and the Witch’s Tea at Gayle’s website, www.gayleckrause.com

Here are some places where you can get Zadie and the Witch’s Tea.

https://www.amazon.com/Zadie-Witchs-Tea-Gayle-Krause/dp/0991190467/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zadie-and-the-witchs-tea-gayle-c-krause/1143516636

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Zadie-and-the-Witch-s-Tea-Hardcover-9780991190461/1333828069?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0

https://bookshop.org/p/books/zadie-and-the-witch-s-tea-gayle-c-krause/20111845?ean=9780991190461

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Zadie-Witchs-Tea/Gayle-C-Krause/9780991190461?id=8270975592245

And now

GIVEAWAY: Gayle is offering a signed copy of ZADIE AND THE WITCH’S TEA  (USA only) along with some swag.  Just comment on this post and let me know if you share it on social media and/or if you are a subscriber for an extra chance to win! The deadline to enter is Wednesday, September 20, but we’d love to hear from you anytime! 

Until next time,

Ellen

On a personal note, please check out other parts of this website to learn more about me, my books, and my school visits. I’d love to visit your school. Thanks!