About Coffee Monster and the Land of Coffee:
The Coffee Monster’s family has a secret.
The Coffee Monster has been a part of a great family for as long as he can remember. There’s mom and dad, Jenna and James. Everything in the Coffee Monster’s life is perfect until he learns of the place he came from, The Land of Coffee, and is given the chance to visit. There, he’ll learn all about his heritage and the extended family he never knew he had.
In this sequel to Nate Friedman’s debut children’s book, our lovable Coffee Monster is confronted with the truth of his past where he learns the true meaning of family through a journey to the land of his birth.
Book Details:
Series: The Coffee Monster (Book 2)
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Publish Date: February 17, 2020
ISBN-10: 1987976606
ISBN-13: 978-1987976601
Purchase Links:
Question and Answer with Author Nate Friedman
Q-A little birdy told us you have a new book
coming out! Tell us about “Coffee Monster and the Land of Coffee” and what
prompted you to write it.
A-I am super excited to have “Coffee Monster and
the Land of Coffee” finally coming out on February 17th! It’s crazy
to think about the amount of work that has went into this book since I first
had the idea several years back. As some of you may know, I launched the
original tale of “The Coffee Monster” in 2015, as my first book. This book got
some great reception and it felt like the character just had more to say and
more adventures to take us on. As a writer, these characters never leave you
and almost scream at you write more! Especially Coffee Monsters that can be
extremely energetic, there’s always a story to tell when this ball of energy is
around causing mischief. I had a lot of children and adults ask me where Coffee
Monster comes from and it seemed he needed this book to find out himself 😊 This tale couldn’t have been brought to life
any better than with the amazing illustrator Saba Bushnaq who really outdid
herself and made the tale even more fun and colourful this time around. This
one is more of an origin story where we go on an adventure to a brand-new place!
Q- How is writing a sequel different than writing
the original and were you ever worried that this installment of “The Coffee
Monster” wouldn’t be as magical?
A-Writing a sequel can be pretty tricky business. As
an author it’s easy to get set in how things should be and not want to change
your work once it’s already been published. This adds an extra layer to
thinking about a new concept while needing to fit it into the same mold as the
first. With the Coffee Monster, a lot of the work was already done in terms of
imagining the character and the world in which it takes place. Instead of being
confined to the existing cast of characters, I made it a challenge to create
some new characters, maybe even a fan favourite (*hint hint* Mocha Double
Frap). In terms of the magic, I think there’s always some out there to play
with. That’s the reason why writers feel such inspiration when they open up. I
find the same in movies: where it becomes important to regard each piece of
work as its own experience. The themes and moral of this story are much
different, including adventure and heritage along with the regular family and
friendship. The decision to add a song was also super fun and important to
giving this story its own experience. At the same time though, like a
well-timed joke, you want to keep the same sentiment and fun that you know
works and is the reason someone would pick the book up in the first place. You
also do not want to assume someone has read the first installment, which adds
an extra challenge but becomes fun to write, like a nice puzzle. The main thing
becomes trusting your own intuition and sticking to what you find to be fun as
the writer and the reader!
Q- A lot of people reading this may have their own
stories they want to share with the world. How did you go about this, and do
you have any tips or tricks?
A-Share, share, share, my goodness share! Share
until people won’t listen to you anymore, and then share some more. I recently
read an article about filmmaker Quentin Tarantino that explained he would
continually pitch his ideas to test them on people and make sure he would
continually hold interest. I like this idea, along with the Walt Disney
approach to work ethic that explains a work is never done and can be
continually improved. Write something that drives you so much you can’t wait to
get up in the morning and bring it into the world. Coffee Monster makes me
smile and I have fun with it. I think that regardless of what that passion
project is for you, when you talk about it your voice will speed up, that
twinkle will start to appear in your eyes and time will stand still. Don’t let
go of these moments, let them guide you. I can’t tell you exactly who to
approach or how exactly your work will find a home but it all begins and ends
with the product, once that is locked in 1000% stop at nothing to get it out
there and take hints from people by assuming that they all want to help you and
give you honest feedback. You have an extreme luxury right now that you don’t
even know you have: time. This means you can keep working and it won’t matter
how long it takes, can be your 1000th draft that makes it out there,
and they’ll call you a genius because they will be reading it for the first
time. Keep creating and do your best to fall in love with the process. Everyone
is potentially someone you can work with and surround yourself by like-minded
people. Find your time of day and stay as consistent as possible. The world
needs your point of view 😊
Q- Anything else to
add? And where can we find you online?
A-I’ll keep this
one short haha. I just want to add that I hope you love my brand-new book and
reading this article inspires you to go out and be creative today in some way!
Do something that scares you or just go read your favourite book and be swept
away! You can always visit my website for upcoming appearances and links at www.natetfriedman.com. There is also a
section there you can e-mail me directly with questions and/or feedback. I
always love hearing from you. I am also on twitter: @bowtiecomedy1 and on
facebook at facebook.com/natefriedmanauthor Hope you have an amazing rest of
your day!
Re-launch of The Coffee Monster, Book 1
About the Book:
There's a little 'Coffee Monster' in all of us...
In a pleasant little town lives a normal family with a mom, a dad and two beautiful children. There is just one thing that makes this family different from most other families; they don't have a dog, a cat, or pets of any kind. Instead, they have a Coffee Monster! Follow Jenna and James as they try to deal with the Coffee Monster's antics and help him overcome a personal struggle. Through this simple, but comedic tale, learn about the value of telling the truth, taking care of oneself and each other, and how to work-through everyday issues. Most of all, you just might learn that there's a little 'Coffee Monster' in all of us...
Book Details:
Series: The Coffee Monster (Book 1)
Paperback: 36 pages
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Publish Date: July 1, 2015
ISBN-10: 0994749015
ISBN-13: 978-0994749017
Purchase Links:
Follow the Book Tour:
Meet the Author:
I want to change the world, one smile at a time!
A writer from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Nate graduated from the Kinesiology program at the University of Windsor. His education has fuelled a keen interest in how people think and what drives them to be their best. Comedy is his first love and his desire to be creative has directed him towards writing children’s literature. He enjoys reading to his nephews, two of his biggest fans.
Connect with Nate:
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