The Courage to Change
I Can Do Bad All by Myzelf follows a disgruntled elf who was not hired by Santa, so he decides to get revenge by sabotaging Santa’s workshop. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It was the month after Christmas in January 2023, and I was trying to generate some children’s book ideas. I was thinking about what the perfect job would be, and working for Santa came to mind. But Santa can’t hire everyone, right? So, even though this book was the fourth one published in the Holiday Tails series, it was the idea for this book that led to the development of all the other books, and, believe me, there will be many. Four are complete, and two more are slotted for this year.
The art in this book is unique and modern, really drawing in the older elementary-level children. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Christina Cartwright?
I always give Christina an idea of what I’d like to see on the page, but I leave it up to her imagination as well. There have been a couple of times that Christina misinterpreted what I was wanting (or more like I wasn’t as clear as I could have been), and I ended up going with what she gave me because I could see it was a better idea. For example, she proposed that we make the other elves’ skin colors be nontraditional human tones, and I thought it was a fantastic idea, so we ran with it.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The main themes I focused upon were:
Disappointment in life. Sometimes we can’t seem to make our dreams come true, no matter how hard we wish for it.
Finding the courage to change. Bad things happen – are we going to let them define us or are we going to listen to our hearts when they warn us we are on the wrong path? Can we find the courage to change?
Unconditional love. No matter what we do, everyone deserves a chance to be loved and do the right thing.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book I’m working on is a follow-up to last year’s bunny book. Yakov is a wild and funny character, so it’s great to revisit his crazy antics. It should hopefully be done by summer and available to read and enjoy by all.
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But what if Santa won’t hire you? He can’t hire everyone. The greatest job in the world will only go to a select few. What do the rest of the rejected applicants do?
Well, if your Myz the elf, you get revenge on Santa. You make him rue the day he ever turned you away from the one thing you’ve ever wished for – working for the big man himself, Santa Claus.
Myz does everything he can think of to make the big guy’s life miserable and when he finally succeeds in attaining his naughty goal? Myz sees a side of Christmas that isn’t very beautiful or joyful.
Will his heart change in time to save Christmas? Sometimes we don’t know the true meaning of things until we almost lose them.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/02/18/the-courage-to-change/
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