Featured Interview With Karl Beckstrand
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author of 19 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 50 ebook titles (reviews by Kirkus, School Library Journal, The Horn Book blog, ForeWord Reviews). Raised in San Jose, CA, he has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a broadcast & film certificate from Film A. Academy. Since 2004 he has run Premio Publishing. His survival western, To Swallow the Earth won a 2016 International Book Award. A college media instructor, Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. Beckstrand’s nationally lauded Y.A. stories, e-book mysteries, ESL/ELL Spanish/bilingual books, nonfiction, and wordless books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared in: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Border’s Books, Costco, Deseret Book, iBooks, The Children’s Miracle Network, LDS Film Festival, the U.S. Congressional Record, Papercrafts Magazine, and various broadcasts. FB, Twitter, http://KarlBeckstrand.com, http://PremioBooks.com
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I learned that books can be fun when I was eight. I started writing in college (when I should have been doing my homework).
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love history, so anything by David McCoullugh is ideal. Other authors I love: Tolkien, Harper Lee, C.S. Lewis, Clancy, Grisham, Shel Silverstein
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living. A child with a knack for solving problems helps some hungry fish and finds a treasure. Illustrated Asian folk tale comes with career and business ideas plus online resources (for ages 4+). Young children will be captivated by the story; older ones will want to apply the things they learn. I wrote this fable after seeing a lack of kids’ curriculum on how money is made—how to earn a living. I used to be a recruiter in Silicon Valley; today’s graduates don’t seem as prepared for work as their parents. Many young people don’t know that failure is normal and can nourish future success. It’s free on Kindle through July 23 and has been #1 in three categories since May.
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