Featured Interview With Carolyn Watson dubisch
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m originally from New York and grew up just outside of New York City. I studied children’s book illustration at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and that’s where I met my husband, Mike Dubisch. Together we’ve traveled across the United States and around the world, had three kids, created a lot of art and written a lot of stories. Currently, we live in Mexico on the Pacific Coast and released our YA comic book “Deluge; The People That Melt in The Rain #1” (a series we’ve created together). It’s been receiving some rave reviews and we’re really excited about it!
We live in Mexico with our youngest child, Naomi, and have a very old dog we moved here with named Oscarr. We also have 4 Mexican street cats that we’ve taken in, and one cat that we sent off with our oldest daughter to live with her in Chicago. All the animal rescue we’ve been doing inspired my most recent children’s book, “The Lighthouse Cats of Mazatlán”. This book is very close to my heart. I teach art at a local elementary school and some of my students were kind enough to model as the characters for me, so I could base my illustrations on them.
My newest book is called “The Water Devil, The Dragon in The Closet, Issue #4”. This is the latest installment of “The Dragon in The Closet”, my long running children’s comic book series. It’s for middle grade readers and is full of monsters, magic, and adventure! I also run the story as a web comic on Comic Fury with weekly updates.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading all the time around age 7 or 8, I suppose. It never seemed all that unusual when I was growing up in the 1980’s, but I guess it is now. I read as much as possible as a kid because my home life was something I wanted an escape from.
I started writing in high school and my creative writing teacher was very encouraging, she felt I could be a professional writer and was the first person to ever suggest such a thing. I was obsessed with pursuing art at the time and while I took writing classes in college, art was my focus.
Over time I realized it worked best for me to combine the two. I like to think visually and have art with my writing. However, I have done some professional writing that doesn’t have pictures. I used to be the Art and Crafts reporter for a local news journal in San Diego.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading a range of genres. For a while I was focused on memoirs, then I was reading any fiction or non-fiction set in Africa (for some reason that region always fascinates me), and lately I’m reading a lot of YA fiction. I’m reading a book by Sarah Rees Brennan called Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy Book 1). So far it’s fun and riveting and full of wit.
I also read about five picture books a week, because that’s the genre I write in and I try to keep up with graphic novels as well. My favorite one recently is Treasure in the Lake by Jason Pamment, It’s ghostly and magical and the art is stunning.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My new book is called “The Dragon in The Closet, The Water Devil, Issue 4” it’s the latest chapter in my long running middle grade comic book series.
In this new issue, Orin Bean and Dragon continue their journey north to the Realm of the Ice Goblins in their quest to undo Orin’s curse. However, a new and terrifying monster is chasing them.
Will they survive the attack of this powerful creature? Will they ever meet up with Orin’s Nana and his friend Lucy?
So far the Amazon reviews have been quite positive:
Kids’ book with dragons, magic and a whole lot of imagination…
“I think “The Dragon in the Closet: The Water Devil, Issue #4″ by Carolyn Watson-Dubisch is a captivating mix of fantasy and horror. I liked how the characters faced daunting challenges, and the subtle cliffhangers kept me eagerly turning the pages. Overall, I feel like it’s a must-read for anyone interested on a thrilling adventure in a vividly imagined world.”-Kat
Action Packed!
“A barrage of fantasy action. Colorful & dynamic. Great for young lovers of magic & imagination. I’ have loved this as a good read & inspiration when I was a kid.”- Steven Avila
Adventure, excitement and beautiful illustrations!
“What a beautiful book! I personally love dragons and thought that the illustrations ( especially the dragon ones) were so beautiful!
This magical story is a continuation of a fantasy adventure about a boy called Orin and his adventures with the dragon.
Mystical characters, magic, an exciting plot and stunning illustrations and dragons! What. More could you ask for!
Additionally, there are paths to be chosen too!
Check it out – it’s such a great book!”-ZN
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles
Carolyn Watson dubisch’s Website