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Amanda Lorenzo is as much a character as are the denizens of her books. She has a penchant for hats, has been known to make up songs out of thin air, and loves a good belly laugh.

A former diversity trainer, software diva, and music educator, Amanda was born on the West Coast of the U.S. and has managed to live close to salt water ever since.  She shares her home in Seattle, Washington with her cool cat, Chiti.

Thank you Amanda for taking the time to answer some questions for us!  To start, please tell us about the latest project you've worked on. 

My publisher has just launched the Runt Farm series, illustrated chapter books for children, ages 6-10. These books feature a multi-species cast of animal characters that band together to fend off weasels and other villains, experience assorted scrapes and escapes, and most importantly face their own foibles. I'm big on foibles.

Why did you write the Runt Farm books?

For the love of telling and writing stories, mostly. But the books also happen to offer an inclusive view of family, and insight into the universal nature of family bonds. We need family, we make family wherever we go, whoever we are.  And in one way or another, we're all runts. Everyone has quirks. But when we find our true place and our true people, those people become part of the family.  I embrace the runt in everyone, myself included.

Who are your main characters?

Oh, there's rebellious but laid-back Kitten and his pal The Peep (a baby duck . . . with issues). Then there are Cletus and Tooth - two extra-smart escapee mice. Next comes a rambunctious bunny named Beatrice, and Blossom - a squirrel guy with a flashy style-these two have a healthy dose of sibling rivalry going. And in Book 3 we meet Clovis; she is Tooth's cousin, a slightly distracted artist who must overcome great odds to make it to the safety of Runt Farm. You can go to YouTube for a sneak peek at Book 1: Under New Management and Book 2: Beatrice and Blossom.

How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your profession?

I have worked as a diversity trainer for a large corporation, while simultaneously holding down a management job in their IT department. That gave me a unique appreciation for various cultures, ideas and models for social interaction. I've also taught choral and general music to elementary and junior high  school students. So a bit of technology, music and multiculturalism  has naturally made its way into my writing.

Where do you get the ideas for your books?

Some of them come from real life. In Runt Farm Book 2, Beatrice and Blossom, Beatrice cheats Blossom out of all his marbles using phony rules and she also uses a steel ball bearing as a shooter, a questionable tactic if ever there was one!  When I was 6 or 7 the Canaday brothers, down the block from me, got all my marbles just like that. (I got the marbles back though . . . most of them, anyway.)

How long does it take you to write a book?

Oh, the writing usually goes pretty quickly, maybe a few weeks. Getting from there to a real book in your hands takes much longer, though. More like two years!

Why does it take so long?

After I write the story, my editor makes suggestions, and we have several rounds of revisions. (I usually do what she says.) Next our illustrator, Mark, does a bunch of tiny little drawings called thumbnails and we all ooh and aah and give feedback about them (Mark is a terrific artist). That leads to more and bigger sketches, and then final artwork. Then the book designer artfully mashes it all together into a real layout and there's more ooh-ing and aah-ing. All the pages of the book get printed out and the proofreader marks in red ink where we made mistakes. After that all the mistakes get fixed and the book printer takes it from there (They print and bind the books).

Sometimes when I visit classrooms I show examples of a book in all those stages.

Who inspires you on a personal or business level?

I am particularly inspired by 8-year-old fans Keoni and Maceo, who after reading advance copies of the first two books have decided to write and direct a live stage version of Runt Farm! I met them and their parents at a book signing for another author and have attended their other musical and dance performances with great delight.

Are your characters like anyone you know?

Yes, they sure are. Cletus is a lot like me - he likes cheese and is good with tools. Beatrice and I are pretty similar, too, because I can be kind of bossy (and also brave). Tooth is similar to a famous chef whose name is Julia and to my pal Ruth. Every character is partly created from different people I know and partly just made up.

What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?

Making a name is secondary to determining what you want to offer your readers. Have a good intention, a spirit of really helping others with your writing and making them happy, and it will make you happy, too.

Of the books you've published so far, do you have a favorite?

My favorite is always the next one, whatever it may be. Books are a lot like children: they grow up and go out into the world, where other people notice things about them that I didn't even know were there. Each book has a life of its own, and all of us - all the Runt Farm readers and I - get to discover together what the life of that book will be. I just love that.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I don't have a typical work day! My time is divided between my home and my mother's home 900 miles away. My siblings and I rotate her care between us so she can stay in her own home. At 94, Mom needs a hand with almost everything. I make her meals, take her to the doctor, help her with her hearing aids, tissues, and another cup of coffee, if you please.  She is a real cutie though, and every day she says, "Oh, thank you for helping me!"

In Seattle things are a bit less hectic. My editor and I may even start the day with a working/walking stroll around Greenlake Park. Then I settle in for writing, research, illustration and design reviews, Web site twiddling and fan mail. That is, if I can find my glasses. Did I leave them at Mom's?

Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?  :)

I've Been Working on the Railroad  (Mom and I have discovered that is just the right length to grate a carrot!)

Thanks Amanda for an insightful interview!