Featured Interview With Keisha Williams
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I'm Keisha! I'm a lawyer, a former educator, a tennis enthusiast, and a mom — and I've always believed that the most important stories are the ones that show you something is possible before you ever thought to try. I am first-generation Jamaican-American and was born and raised in Maryland and still call it home.
These days you can find me in Silver Spring with my wife, my 2-year old son Cosmo and our rescue dog Elsa, a Chihuahua terrier mix who loves a good cuddle.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved fiction books and getting lost in stories. I started reading more as an adult in an attempt to bring more joy and whimsy into "adulting."
I find joy through reading, play and exploring the beauty in the little things in nature. Even seeing the droplets of rain on a blade of grass is something new that I have discovered.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite books to read with my son Cosmo are the Little Blue Truck series.
My favorite genre for myself is fiction and I also love self-help books. Untamed by Glennon Doyle and An American Marriage are recent favorites of mine.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
When my son Cosmo came along, story time became one of my favorite parts of the day. We read everything. But after a while, I kept feeling like something was missing. I wanted a book that would tell him what I believe every child needs to hear — that you can do anything you put your mind to, that falling down is just part of the journey, and that just because you've never seen something done doesn't mean you can't be the one to do it.
That became Purple Panda Learns to Ride a Bike, my first picture book and the first in the Purple Panda Adventures series. It's a rhyming picture book about courage, perseverance, and trying something you've never seen done before. But honestly, it's just as much about friendship and community and about the people who show up and cheer for you while you're still figuring it out (chosen family).
I'm also the founder of Magical Cosmic Tales, LLC, which is named after my son Cosmo. My biggest hope is that every child and caregiver who reads this book walks away not just having visited a magical world, but feeling deep down that they are the magic. This is a message for my son but I also realize that it is a message that I needed to hear also.
Cosmo's smile he gives every single time he hears his name on the dedication page warms my heart and I hope it touches children and caregivers everywhere.
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