Camille Blue

How gratifying it is to see your name on your first book and to think your words will engage young people that may be reading their first book.  I never dreamed of being an author; I loved books and read whenever I could, but I had always been interested in being a painter and spent a lot of my spare time working with glass and paint.  I began to read children’s books and corresponded with others that were interested in writing for children.  I joined writing groups and especially have enjoyed being a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.   I attended their conference in New York in January and was amazed to see nearly 1200 people that were attending for the same reason I was.

Writing about “Marshall and his green high-tops” was a bit of an accident; I saw a tiny mouse in my laundry room at the cottage in Ontario and wondered how he had managed to get inside .   It didn’t register that he had made an impression on me until out of the blue a story came into my head and I couldn’t forget that mouse.  Gradually I put the story together and went looking for an illustrator.  I had met Lorena Pugh on the train many years ago, we were both on our way to New York for an art show.  She had given me her card at the time and I had put it away not realizing that I would come across it one day while I was going through some old things.  I immediately went to the computer and put her name in and “there she was”.  I sent her my story and the rest is history. Lorena saw Marshall just the way I did and when the proofs came, I knew we had something special.  We hope to do more stories about “Marshall” in the future.

I so enjoy putting on my “high-tops” and my “Marshall” tee shirt and reading at schools, libraries and anywhere they will have me.   He has become an important part of my life and I always can talk to people about him.  He has his own website:  www.camilleblue.com

My new book coming in about a month is called “Fish Faces”.  It is a rhyming underwater picture book.  Dr. Brian Ardel is the photographer and has contributed many good ideas for the book.  You will find a website for this book at:  www.camilleblue.com.

If you are interested in writing for children, here are some website that will help get you started:   www.scbwi.org—,  jacketflap.com, writingforchildrencenter.com.  Just type in writing for children and thousands will come up.  These are just a few .

Don’t forget your public library, they are a wealth of information.