Featured Interview With Stephanie Workman
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in New Hampshire, the youngest of five. I consider myself lucky because I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of my life exploring the United States and other countries. I currently reside in Exeter, NH.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books have always been a huge part of my life. I’ve been fascinated with books since the day my mom started reading to me. I’ve been writing stories since I could pick up a pen but it was around the age of fifteen when I realized I wanted to make a career out of it. My first published book is a children’s story but I also write adult fiction, personal essay, poetry, and screenplays.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Less Than Zero are some of my favorite books so the Bronte sisters and Bret Easton Ellis are included as some of my favorite authors. I don’t particularly have a favorite genre because I will read almost anything as long as it captivates me within the first few pages.
Lately I’ve been inspired by people I have met. For example, over a year ago I went to a reading at RiverRun Bookstore for Ellen Walker who wrote Bringing Up John. She wrote a memoir about raising her son John, who lives with autism. It wasn’t until shortly before the reading I found out my husband Tim was friends with John in high school. There is a section about Tim in her book about the impact he made on John just by being his friend. Tim had no idea. To him, John was just John. That night at the reading “Lucy’s Amazing Friend” was born.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Lucy’s Amazing Friend is a picture book about eight-year-old Lucy who befriends Daniel, a boy living with autism. The kids at school thinks he’s weird but Lucy thinks he’s amazing. It’s not just a story of autism but also one of friendship.
The character of Lucy is actually from other stories I have wrote but not yet published. The idea of Lucy’s Amazing Friend came to me in one night, took about a week to write, and a few weeks to edit. The illustrations by the fabulous Tim Raynes took about eight months.
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles