Q&A with Elizabeth James, Author of ‘Pippa Speaks Up!’

I’m absolutely delighted to host a very special Q&A here on my blog today. We’ve got tons of treats in store, including a a video all about the book, plus Elizabeth’s wonderful art-work, AND a free download of the first chapter for you to enjoy – so do keep reading!

But firstly, a very warm welcome to Elizabeth James, creator of a new and exciting series of stories aimed at 8-12 year olds, featuring the very loveable ‘Pippa Potter.’ Elizabeth and I met via Twitter (yes, I still call it that) and have previously buddied up to read and critique each others Picture Book Manuscripts. 

Elizabeth James is the author and illustrator behind the groundbreaking “Pippa Potter, President’s Daughter” chapter-book series, which champions children’s mental-health and wellbeing through a captivating narrative set in the White House. With two decades of experience in the publishing industry, Elizabeth has previously worked as a magazine editor, freelance writer and publicist for New York Times bestselling authors and books. She also is the author of Trivia To-Go Family Challenge: Holiday Edition, a children’s Q&A trivia book, and has multiple devotions published in Guideposts’ Pray a Word a Day, vol. 2 devotional.

You can visit Elizabeth’s website here: https://t.co/7FPqzwhW71

Elizabeth very kindly agreed to answer some questions all about the first book in the series, entitled: Pippa Speaks Up! How exciting! 

Q. Hi Elizabeth! Where did you get the idea for this story? What inspired you?

I was inspired to write this story after my daughter began therapy for her anxiety when she was 7 years old. As someone who has also suffered from anxiety since I was a kid, I became really enamored with the idea of taking some of the things we were both learning about emotions (and anxiety, in particular) and weaving them into a story so that other kids could learn them from a young age, without having to necessarily enter into therapy themselves. (This is especially important because stats show that there’s a dire shortage of therapists, and anxiety only continues to rise among kids!)

Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about Pippa, your Main Character?

Pippa Potter is an endearingly anxious girl who has just moved into the White House, after her Mom was elected President. As someone who shuns the spotlight, the move has been hard for her, especially given there are two kids at her new school who won’t let anyone forget who her mom is…as if anyone could forget, since she’s the only child followed around by a Secret Service agent! Instead of basking in the glow of being the President’s daughter, Pippa instead takes refuge in her hobby of collecting crystals and visiting the Smithsonian Museum’s world-renowned gem collection.

Q. Pippa is an ordinary kid in many ways (but she lives quite an extraordinary life, doesn’t she?) When did the idea of her being the ‘First Kid’ come in? Right from the start? Or was this an idea that came later?

That’s a great compliment! I always wanted Pippa to feel very relatable to kids, especially those who struggle with anxieties. Originally, she was not the President’s daughter, but after writing the first iteration and querying it to no interest, I realized I needed a “hook.” I honestly cannot remember when the idea hit me to make her the President’s daughter. At some point, I typed it up, filed it in a folder, and then forgot about it until I picked it back up 2 years later! But then I loved it. It did take me a few versions to really get into the head of being the President’s daughter, through which I read interviews, watched Michelle Obama’s documentary and did a lot of research. But eventually, I hope I struck the balance of a kid we can all relate to while still getting the feel of living in a “fantasy” world, albeit the White House.

Q. The book is packed with tons of fun facts, not only about the Whitehouse, but also about Geology, (or should I say Petrology – I had to look that up!) as Pippa collects rocks and gemstones. Was it fun researching all the facts for this story?

It was a TON of fun! As I mentioned before, I checked out a lot of books and watched videos but also reached out to the White House Historical Association, who were kind enough to answer a bunch of questions I had about really specific things, like, “Which bedroom would my character live in at the White House?” I couldn’t find the answer anywhere, but the kind curators there were able to tell me which room most First Kids usually lived in while in the White House!

Q. The rock collecting idea was a neat way of drawing out Pippa’s character! Where did this idea come from?

When I was young (about Pippa’s age), I had a rock collection that I kept in an old fishing tackle box and always loved. I have no idea where it went, but I’ve always held a soft spot for beautiful rocks. And when I was thinking about Pippa and her anxiousness, giving her a love of collecting rocks (especially crystals) just seemed a perfect fit!

Q. Your story features a visit to the Smithsonian Museum. Have you ever visited Washington DC?

I’ve been to Washington DC twice, both times as an adult, and, yes, I was able to go to many of the Smithsonian Museums, including the one of Natural History featured in Pippa’s story! Though I definitely had to refresh my memory, but fortunately you can take “virtual field trips” inside so that was a huge help when it came to research!

Q. You illustrated and Self-Published the book – wow! This must have been both a challenging and fun process. Can you tell us a little bit about how this went? What new skills did you learn along the way?

Yes! It’s funny, because when I was in first grade, I actually wanted to be an artist. But by second grade, I was bitten by the writing bug. I always maintained an appreciation for art (my first full-time job out of college was being an editor for a graphic-design magazine), but my own skills suffered.

But chapter book illustrations are usually in black-and-white and much more simple than in picture books. Time and again I thought to myself, “I bet I could do that.” Finally, I committed myself to trying, and I’m super proud of how it turned out!

Q. How long would you say it took to write Pippa Speaks Up?

I wrote and edited Pippa Speaks Up! over about five months. I did the illustrations for the first three chapters at this time, and then finished the remaining chapters’ illustrations over about two additional months.

Q. Pippa Speaks Up is the first book in the Pippa series. Does this mean there are more Pippa books in the pipeline?

Yes! I am currently writing #2 right now, but have brainstormed storylines for at least half a dozen others! In the future, we will look at more emotions kids face, including anger, perfectionism, conflict, and other specific anxieties (such as the all-too-real fear of intruders). They will all incorporate kid-friendly mental-health concepts and tools/techniques they can incorporate into their own lives. My husband is a licensed counselor, so that’s been a big help ensuring that the information I’m providing is accurate and evidence-based.

Q. And finally…have you ever been scared to speak in front of people like Pippa was in the story? Do you have to speak in front of people now you’re an author? Is it scary? If so, how do you rise above the fear?

Yes, I very much still feel the fear Pippa does about speaking up about a variety of things! It’s one of the ways I’m trying to stretch myself, just like Pippa does. In fact, I just reached out to a school about doing an author visit. Does the idea terrify me? Yes. But just like Pippa tells herself, “I can be brave!”

YES! INDEED!

I do hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed putting it together. I’m sure you’ll all join me in extending huge congratulations to Elizabeth on the release of her book and for seeing this idea through from start to finish!  Inspiring stuff!

And as a special treat, Elizabeth has very kindly offered to send us a free download of the first chapter of the book! Simply click on the link below. Enjoy!

https://t.co/OEyYeLBwRW

You can purchase a copy of this brilliant book here: https://t.co/48jYzVeu8W