Interview: Carole P. Roman Author of Rocket-Bye

Finalist of the 2018 Shelf Unbound Competition for Best Independently Published Book

Shelf Unbound: Tell us about your book. 

Carole P. Roman: I wrote Rocket-Bye as a ‘love letter’ to my grandchildren. We love the night sky and the words just flowed out in one take. The two boys are my grandsons-they are cousins. I especially love the ending. When I read it to them the first time both their parents and the kids got teary. It’s a keeper.

Shelf Unbound:  How did you go about developing this book? 

Roman: I wrote the poem in an hour, maybe less. I worked my way from the earth through the cosmos, thinking about the things my kids would enjoy on a midnight ride in the sky. I wrote Mati, described the kids, and we talked about the dreamy quality of the illustrations. She got it so right!!

Shelf Unbound: What was the experience of writing this book like for you?

Roman: This was highly personal and special. I wrote a companion book for my granddaughters. I completed them both in one evening. I honestly didn’t care if people bought it—it’s a favorite in my grandchildren’s libraries.

Shelf Unbound: What writing advice do you have for other indie authors?

Roman: Get onto a Goodreads threads with other authors. Talk to them. Write all the time, not just your book—but articles. Get in magazines, build your brand. Write reviews. Write noteworthy articles that will draw people to check out your books. Make yourself interesting and don’t only talk about your books. 

Shelf Unbound: What are you working on next? 

Roman: Right now I am writing on Medium and Indie Author’s Monthly Magazine. I just published my first adult work (paranormal suspense)—Bulwark under the pen name Brit Lunden. I have three radio podcasts that keep me very busy: Let’s Say Hello to Our Neighbors, where I introduce new children’s indie book authors to our community; Navigating Indieworld, where we interview new indie authors and finally Indie Author’s Roundtable, where we discuss topics that are important to indie authors.  

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