The Tuttle Twins and the Miraculous Pencil by Connor Boyack - Blog Tour

by - Wednesday, January 07, 2015



In this second book of the Tuttle Twins series, Mrs. Miner leads the twins and their classmates on a fun field trip to learn how pencils are made using parts from all over the world—and how in an economy, people from all over the world work together in harmony to produce helpful products that improve our lives. Teach your kids about the free market with a fun story and bright, engaging illustrations! Purchase

Hi everyone, 

Firstly, I wish you guys a Happy New Year! Today, I will be having a very special guest on my blog, previously I have done several reviews or book blitzs on children books, but I have yet to encounter something quite like this one. Absolutely eye opening and a knowledgable experience, I'm proud to be one of the Tuttle Twins' blog tour participant! Keep reading for an exciting interview with the author itself! 

~About the Author~

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Connor Boyack is president of Libertas Institute, a public policy think tank in Utah. He is the author of several books on politics and religion, along with hundreds of columns and articles championing individual liberty. His work has been featured on international, national, and local TV, radio, and other forms of media. A California native and Brigham Young University graduate, Connor currently resides in Lehi, Utah, with his wife and two children. Facebook Twitter

~The Interview~

Hello! I’m honored to have you on my blog today, I’ve read an eBook copy of your book and it was definitely something different, not quite like the other young children’s books I have encountered, what was the inspiration behind it?

I'm the father of two young children and a passionate advocate of liberty. I've written books for adults but hadn't really encountered any material that teaches the same concepts to kids. I wanted something to help my own kids learn about these ideas, and certainly wanted to help other parents teach their children as well, so the idea was hatched and a new book series was born!

I am always curious about the illustrations and artwork in graphic books and novels, how does it work? How the illustrator brings your imagination to life?

I'm extremely fortunate to have Elijah Stanfield as our illustrator—your readers should check out some of the sample pages and see how spectacular they are!

I make sure to keep him in the loop while working on the story so that he catches my vision, and provides creative feedback to make the story more expressive or easier to illustrate in a relevant and powerful way. Having him involved early on helps greatly so that he isn't frustrated by taking my story and not being able to do with it what he otherwise might like. 

I love writing short stories, however I have a tough time choosing the right names for my characters. What influenced you to decide on your characters’ names? Do you think names are an influential factor in setting the mood for the books?

I love alliteration, so the "Tuttle Twins" are "Ethan and Emily" — I find that kids like it, too. I wanted a name that was common enough to not make it seems un-relatable for the average child, but unique enough that it stays in their minds. I also wanted something that would have good SEO so people searching online wouldn't have to wade through hundreds of links to find mine!

What do you hope to achieve with the release of your new book?

The book is kind of sneaky — while we're definitely reaching and teaching children, their parents are getting swept up in it as well! It's a pattern that quickly emerged after our first book, and we wanted the same thing to happen with this book. So we crafted the story in such a way as to be appealing to and informative for an adult reading along with the child. 

Now for some fun questions, can you share with us one of your best fan experience?

I often do speaking events, and a few weeks ago I was in a small city a couple hours away from where I live. An older gentleman came up to me with the first book I wrote—well worn, underlined, and full of notes. He was so excited to meet me, and thankful for the book I had written. I was 29 years old when I wrote the book, and he was floored that a young guy had produced a book that had inspired him so much. It was a fun experience!
  
Tell us one fun fact about yourself! 

I played saxophone in high school and was in a ska band for a few years—a type of fun, upbeat music that peaked in popularity in the late 1990s. I've been thinking that I should start practicing again and form a new band just to have some fun, but it's unfortunately low on my priority list as I pursue projects that are inspiring and educational, rather than just fun. :)

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