Ask the Author - Kristi Mahoney

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and if you don’t already appreciate your child’s teachers, today’s author will help you see them in a new light! Kristi Mahoney’s Owls Make Terrible Teachers takes kids on a fun romp through what a school day—er night—might look like if an owl were their substitute teacher. Here’s Kristi to tell us more about her books and her writing journey!

Hi Kristi! Thanks for joining us on the blog today! Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us a little about your background?

Hi Mary! Thanks so much for having me on your blog. I’m the author of the picture books Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians and Owls Make Terrible Teachers (both illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne and published by Gnome Road). I live in Massachusetts with my husband, son, daughter, and 7-fur family members. My background is in Marketing, and I have a degree in Advertising, which has helped with my books coming out. However, I find it much more fun to help market others!

What drew you to children’s literature? Why do you write for kids?

I’ve loved reading all my life. The library and books were staples of my childhood. And I’ve always gravitated towards a creative environment. I spent almost a decade at a Boston advertising agency where I was surrounded by people who loved to craft words and art. After leaving to spend more time with my family, I decided to pursue something very close to my heart – my own individual stories. Every story I was inspired to write was in the KidLit genre, so I decided to try them all.

How did you get your start in the KidLit world? Tell us about your journey to publication!

I’ve always loved to write, and in 2016, I started writing more seriously. I joined SCBWI and over the next two years wrote a YA and a MG novel. In 2018, I joined 12 x 12 and discovered my true passion of writing picture books. I’ve been doing that ever since. Once I had a few good stories, I dove into the query trenches, but I realize now that was way too early. I stopped to focus on learning craft, finding some great critique partners, writing, and revising. Over the next few years, I started to have a bit more success after my stories were selected as winners in mentorships like PBChat and PBParty, so I knew I was on the right path. In 2022, I signed a contract for my first picture book with Gnome Road Publishing for Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians, and they acquired Owls Make Terrible Teachers a year later. That same year, I signed with agent Elisa Houot of The Seymour Agency.

Owls Make Terrible Teachers is the sequel to Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians. Where did the initial idea for these books come from?

I love animals and discovering facts about them, so it’s no surprise these elements are often popping into my stories. I also love humor and a lot of time humor sparks when two unlikely things are paired together. I started making a list of animals and putting them into professions that would be unlikely. The settings that were most kid-friendly seemed to work the best. Fun fact though: although it’s the second book in the series, I actually wrote my first draft of Owls Make Terrible Teachers before Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians.

Your books are the perfect blend of fact and fun! What type of research did you do to learn about the animals in your books?

Thank you so much! Researching and discovering interesting facts about these animals is my favorite part of writing these books. I read a lot of non-fiction books, watched tons of owl and alpaca videos, and visited with these animals in my area. Last year, I had the opportunity to do an event where a real alpaca came to the library where I read my story. Perhaps a real owl will show up in a classroom as well…

Did your manuscripts go through significant changes from that initial draft, whether with a critique group, your agent, or your editor?

The titles and second-person narrative stayed the same, but the final books have way more animal facts and humor thanks to the help of my critique partners. And my editor, Sandra, had the brilliant idea to tweak the ending of my books to hint at a possible next book.

What do you know now about writing or publishing that you wish you’d known when you started?

When I first started out, I queried way too early. I got discouraged easily. I didn’t yet realize the true value of critique partners, learning craft, or community.

Everything in publishing takes a long time, and it took me years to discover the importance of these P’s: people, practice, patience and persistence.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

My advice would be to surround yourself with a community of other KidLit writers that inspire you, that you can grow with, and that you can learn from. Read. Learn about craft. Give back through critiques and reviews. Cheer on others when they have good news because your good news is coming! When it does, you’ll have an entire KidLit family to celebrate your success.

What’s next for you? Any future projects you can tell us about? Perhaps one hinted at in Owls Make Terrible Teachers?

I have a couple stories out on submission now that I’m extremely excited about. And I’d absolutely love to work with Chantelle and Burgen Thorne and Gnome Road again on a possible third book in our “Terrible Animal” series!

Finally, how can readers connect with you online?

Website: www.kristimahoneybooks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristimahoneybooks/

Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/kristimahoney.bsky.social

Twitter: https://x.com/kristi_mahoney

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristimahoneybooks

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@kristimahoneybooks/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086319960933

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Thanks, Kristi! It was such a pleasure chatting with you and congrats on your relsease!