Cheryl has a lovely blog called the Children and Teen Book Connection. She's giving away a copy of the book at the end of this post.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a wife and mother of three who is
also a licensed real estate agent. Our son is married, but our two girls are
still at home. We also have three cats and two hamsters. In my spare time, I
like to garden and cook.
I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher
told you they wanted to publish your first book.
This was so exciting because I had
read many books by Guardian Angel Publishing
(GAP) prior to submitting Little Shepherd
to them. GAP believes “we can change the world by investing in children, one child at
a time.” This is a powerful mission that I wholeheartedly support. As soon as
Lynda sent me the contract, I started texting, emailing, and calling everyone I
knew.
Please tell us about Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving.
Macaroni and Cheese for
Thanksgiving
finds Macy employing quick thinking and ingenuity to help save dinner when the
dog swipes the turkey off the table. 
What inspired you to write it?
In 2010, I participated in Picture
Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) for the first
time. This annual event challenges writers to create 30 picture book ideas in
30 days. Believe me, it’s not as easy as it sounds. This was idea number 24.
I really wanted a book that wasn’t
simply about being thankful. There are plenty of kid’s books about Thanksgiving
with that message. This review captured the essence of the book well, “The author has written a story about a family, much like yours or mine,
perhaps, that works together when life doesn’t turn out the way they want it
to. They take a situation and make the best of it… And in working together,
they also discover that being with family is more important than what they eat.”
What do you want kids to get out of this book?
Be creative. Don’t be afraid to try
something new. Just because something has always been done a certain way
doesn’t mean you can’t do it differently.
Since we are in the Holiday season, what is your favorite
Christmas/Kwanza/Hannukah Tradition?
I am a huge Christmas fanatic. If it
weren’t for the cats, the tree would stay up all year long. Spending time
together at Christmas has always been important to us. It’s fun to see the
traditions carry on from generation to generation.
Are you working on anything else right now?
I’m gearing up to participate in
PiBoIdMo this coming January (it used to be in November). My sincere hope is
that I can finish the middle grade historical I’ve been working on and get it
ready for submission. I also have several picture books that are looking for
homes. Website Address: http://ccmalandrinos.com/
Blog Address: https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/
Twitter Address: @ccmalandrinos
Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/Cheryl-C-Malandrinos-170542359697682/
Goodreads Address: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4341623.Cheryl_C_Malandrinos
Thank you for being here, Cheryl.
