Today's guest is children's author and fellow Books for Children's Hospitals member, Karen Pokras Toz!!!!
Welcome Karen!!!! Awesome to have you here!!! Inquiring minds want to know, so I’m here to ask the questions. LOL
1. As a child, who was your favorite superhero and why?
I used to love Batman and Robin but not the cartoon version. I liked the TV show with Adam West & Ertha Kitt as Cat Woman – well she wasn’t exactly a superhero, but she was way cool. Of course I had a crush on Robin, and I loved when the WHAM BAM would flash on the screen. Plus they got to hangout in the batcave all day, talk on the bat phone, and slide down the bat pole to the bat mobile. I also liked Josie (from Josie and the Pussycats... yes... she was a superhero!)
2. If you were going to take over the world, how would you do it?
Can I borrow Batman? That’s a tough question. Hmm... First I will have to develop some sort of odorless gas that has special powers. Then I will need a rocket, which I’m sure NASA will hand right over to me since I mention them in my book :) Perhaps they’ll throw in a couple of cute astronauts. Then – we will release the gas as we orbit the earth. As soon as the gas is inhaled, everyone will immediately stop what they are doing, listen to me, and do whatever I ask of them, which will probably at first involve my laundry. Maybe I should experiment with my kids before I go global. Hopefully this plan does not land me on some sort of CIA most wanted list...
3. Other than writing, what is your favorite thing to do?
Do reading and sleep count? How about hanging out with my three kids? I have a teen, tween, and a five year old (Can we say timing fail? Hormones and tantrums all at the same time!) It gets a little crazy in my house, and sometimes I just feel like the cook and driver... but it’s all worth it when we finally find some quality time together. Board games are a favorite of ours – Life, Sorry, Monopoly, Pictionary – to name a few in our collection. I was the reigning Sorry champ, but my 5 year old took that away from me two nights ago. Oh well – at least they give me plenty of material for my books and my blog.
4. Top 5 favorite bands/songs?
In no particular order:
- Coldplay – The Scientist
- The Beatles - Blackbird
- Adele – Rolling in the Deep
- Stevie Nicks –Landslide
- Ben Folds – The Luckiest
5. Top 5 favorite TV shows?
The first two of my top 5 are series that are no more :(
1. Lost
2. Friends
3. Project Runway
4. Big Bang Theory
5. Real Housewives of NY (don’t judge!)
6. If you could make one statement the entire planet would hear and remember, what would it be?
I usually sign my books “Dream Big & Rock On.” I think it’s a good motto to live by.
7. Social issue nearest and dearest to your heart?
When my youngest son was 2 weeks old, he developed meningitis. It was probably one of the scariest and worst experiences of my entire life. I stayed with him in the hospital. They set up a bed for me in his room next to his little bassinet. He had tubes and wires attached to his tiny little body. The second day I was there, a nurse brought in a beautiful blue baby quilt. She put it in his bassinet and it instantly brightened up the sterile environment. It was donated by an organization called “Project Linus.” Project Linus handcrafts blankets for children of all ages to have during their hospital visits. It was a small gesture, but just knowing there was someone out there – a complete stranger – who wanted to help make our stay a little more comfortable made all the difference to me. My son is now 5. He is healthy and perfect. We still have that quilt (as well as two other blankets brought to us during our two+ week visit.) I have since made several blankets of my own to donate. To date they have donated over 4 million blankets. For more information, please visit: http://www.projectlinus.org/
.... okay ... back to silliness
8. In your opinion, what characteristics do the best bad guys have in common?
Let’s see - beady eyes, crazy hair, creepy voice, and the evil laugh work wonders. Some sort of mask or weird makeup works too. Oh and they need to be dumb as mud because no matter how hard they try, they just never seem to be able to succeed!
9. What is most likely to put you in a creative mood?
A shower. Seriously, almost all of my ideas come to me while I’m in the shower. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it’s the one place where I have no distractions, no “Mom!” no phone ringing, no Internet. I actually found a waterproof paper and pencil set that hangs in the shower to jot ideas down. Best invention EVER. I’ve written entire blog posts and even parts of my book in the shower. My water bill is not pretty...
10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your books?
Nate Rocks the World is the first book in the NATE ROCKS series, about a quirky young boy who draws cartoons that come to life. Nathan Rockledge is your typical 4th grader – he has an overprotective mom, a dad who tries to be funny, and an annoying teenage sister. He loves to hang out with his two best friends, and he does not like going to school. He may seem ordinary, but once he starts drawing, watch out. He suddenly transforms into Nate Rocks – 4th grader extraordinaire – saving the day time and time again. Nate Rocks the World uses humor and adventure to show that even kids can accomplish great things. The book is geared toward 7-12 year olds. The second book in the Nate Rocks series, Nate Rocks the Boat is due out in just a few months.
To Learn More About the Nate Rocks Series:
Website: www.karentoz.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenptoz
Twitter: www.twitter.com/karentoz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/txbX0Z
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/uviYpn
Thanks so much for joining us!!!!! We appreciate you sharing!!!!
Thank you Willow - that was so much fun!!!
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