Interview With Blog Talk Radio Host and Author J.D. Holiday

Recently I was on J.D. Holiday’s Blog Talk Radio Show, and I enjoyed it so much I asked her if she would be willing to do a blog interview with me. I hope you enjoy this interview with J.D. about Blog Talk Radio, and be sure to check out her children's books. 

LORILYN: Why did you start doing a reading show for children?

J.D.:  A few years back when I had just started hosting and running shows at Blog Talk Radio, I saw a movie with Jessica Tandy which I think was called “The Story Lady.” The movie was about a woman who had little to do and wanted to do something. She stumbles into recording reading to children on her own cable access channel. I thought it was doable on Blog Talk Radio with showing a few images from each story, but no one else thought it was a good idea.

After a few years, I still felt it could be done and started “It's Story Time.”

LORILYN:  What are the challenges to doing the show and is it good exposure for authors?

J.D.:  Some of the challenges are reading stories myself on the show and running the switchboard at the same time. Another is reading from a book or reading an e-book from the same monitor as the switchboard is viewed on. I seem to lose my place in the story or script moving back and forth between them.

For “It's Story Time,” I have the help of the wonderful author, Jan Britland, who takes time from her own promotion to help out with reading for authors who for one reason or another can’t come on and read their own stories. For “Halo Kids Tales” I have not found a reader to help do the same for the show.

The last challenge for me is getting authors to come on and read their books.
I have to go to Facebook, Goodreads and other sites and ask authors for the most part. I feel this is a shame since my show has a good audience and is free publicity for them. The shows are archived so not only can the audience come back and listen to the stories but the author can post the show to their own websites as a promotion.

LORILYN:  Why do a faith-based reading show for children?

J.D.:  Three thoughts came to mind. One: That there are faith-based stories for children to hear. Two:  Having a strong faith in God, I felt this was something I could do. Three: Based on my own belief that if people knew more about others of different faiths people might get along better. Not that I was going to bring about peace in any set groups, but I do know from my own life that the more you know about something, the more you understand it. I hope to have both Christian and Jewish stories on the show.

LORILYN:  What are your own children's books about?

J.D.:  I have three children’s books out right now. Two picture books: “Janoose The Goose” and “The Spy Game,” and one chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds, “The Great Snowball Escapade.”

All my stories are right out of my childhood. For instance, my first name is Janice and “Janoose The Goose” was a nickname my dad called me affectionately when I was very young. Once I was a teen he began calling me J.D.

As a kid, I loved sleigh riding. In the “Great Snowball Escapade,” that is the favorite thing the young girl in the story enjoys.  My brother, Ike, asked me to take a puppy his dog, Sheba, had. My brother named him Sidney Reilly after a spy series he and I watched together.  At the time I had a dog and didn’t think my older dog would be happy with a new addition. My brother felt sure this dog was for me and he kept it with that in mind. 

When the puppy was 11 months old, my brother died of a heart attack and Sidney came to me. I was wrong to think that my dog Snoopy and Sidney would not get along. They did in their own way. Although this did not happen in real life, in “The Spy Game,” I have my brother bring Sidney to my character’s house to live.  

LORILYN: Thank you for sharing with us today your shows on Blog Talk Radio and your books.

J.D.:  Thank you, Lorilyn, for asking me on your blog. I enjoyed it.

LORILYN:  You are welcome.

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Author and illustrator J.D. Holiday is the host on It's Story Time & The Authors' Words on Blog Talk Radio's Book Garden Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bgr
http://www.thebookgarden.net

J.D. Holiday’s children's books are: JANOOSE THE GOOSE, THE SPY GAME and  the chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds, THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE. Click on the titles here and you will will be taken to Amazon if you would like to check them out.