Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge by: Kristin L. Gray
I met Vilonia on a beautiful summer morning before my kids were awake. Drinking coffee I began the book. I learned quickly that like myself, Vilonia was a leftie, which had her playing first base in baseball and she was now going to try out pitching. Even though I’m an adult, making connections with characters draws you into a story, and from page two I was hoping my boys wouldn’t wake up for awhile so I could learn more about her.
I learned from reading the book that Vilonia is a true friend. She is loyal to everything she meets. I say everything, because you need to read it to hear what happened with the goldfish 🙂 She is committed to her family, although her mom is having a tough time since her mother passed away and Vilonia is trying desperately to keep the family together. Her dedication and kind heart shine through in the whole story and you only wish Vilonia would be your friend, too!
Kristin’s story has many fun moments where you want to be in on the action, while other parts speak to you about how hard it is to loose people you love.
Kristin was kind enough to answer 3 questions about the book and three questions about herself! Enjoy and don’t forget to get your copy of Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge today!
Three Questions about Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge
Tell us more about how you came up with the unique name of Vilonia Beebe.
Great question! Vilonia and Beebe are two towns in Central Arkansas, near the city of Little Rock (where I grew up).
Were there parts that are based on real life events? (Without giving us any spoilers).
Yes! I’m a preemie, like Vilonia! So the first page is my birth story. I weighed two pounds at birth. Also, my dad, like Vilonia’s, is a fisherman. (I do wish I had Leon and Vilonia’s treehouse, though.)
In the acknowledgments you said – to Jesse who told me to “write this book already”. How long was the journey to writing Vilonia’s story?
Vilonia’s story took me a whole year to write. Then, I spent another year in revision with my agent and editor. Then many months of waiting before she actually appeared in stores and libraries as a real book.
Three Questions about you
If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be and why?
Possibly an artist or illustrator. As a kid, I was always drawing. I’d give anything to be able to sketch or paint whatever I wished. Hmm. I also like cupcakes a lot. So being a baker would be fun. But I wouldn’t want the pressure of baking a wedding cake! Oh! I know. Maybe a scientist or archivist? I love research and random facts.
What is one book that has stuck with you since you’ve read it?
I just finished Claire Legrand’s SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS (2016). It is a wondrous, magical tale of family, secrets, adventure, and bravely speaking truth.
What is one item in your fridge that tells us about you?
So, let’s keep this between us, but I hide mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups in my refrigerator so my family won’t eat them all. Ha!
Thank you for having me. I love the Storymamas!
To learn more about Kristin visit her website or you can also find her on Instagram or Twitter.