1. Tell us a bit about your family.
The core is my husband, my daughter and myself. My daughter is 18 months old and she’s a very happy, active toddler. I test all my books on her - if she wants to look at them then I proclaim them a success, if not then I tear the stuff apart.
2. How do you work through self-doubts and fear?
If you had a chance to go through my biography somewhere online, you will know that I feel happy 95% of the time and the lousy 5% I say to myself “things always work out for me,” and you know what? They really do! That pretty much solves any emotional issues I may have. I also have this strategy I use: if I feel negative about a specific issue (for example “my amazon ranking for my latest book is low”), I try to deactivate this thought by getting generally negative (“it’s challenging to make your book stand out with millions of books out there”). Then I get generally positive (“things always work out for me”) and then I get specifically positive (“I had months in which I sold huge numbers of copies, my books have been awarded many distinctions, they get plenty of five star reviews”).
3. What scares you the most?
It would be too scary for me to go through all the scary things that might be out there lurking, analyze them and pick the scariest one. Such thinking is not part of my nature.
4. What makes you happiest?
My family. It may sound like a cliche’ but things don’t become cliches because they aren’t true. See what I mean? I love spending time with my husband - whether it’s going to the gym together, relaxing in the jacuzzi or cuddling in front of the TV, I truly cherish these moments of closeness. And I love watching my baby daughter grow, I enjoy playing with her, laughing with her and chasing her around. Sometimes I am in the middle of writing something and she comes over and wants my attention. I always try to accommodate her because she won’t be a toddler for long and I want her and myself to know that I have always been there for her.
5. What’s your greatest character strength?
Optimism. I have a friend who seeks out gurus in the major areas of his life. He has a business guru, a health guru, a beauty guru and I’m his spiritual guru. I don’t claim to be one but he labeled me as such. You know why? It’s because I always seek pleasing thoughts. You can call it positive outlook, looking at the world through rosy glasses, seeing the glass half-full or plain optimism. Whatever you choose to call it - this thing that makes my friend call me his guru is my greatest character strength.
6. What’s your weakest character trait?
Impatience. When I get excited about a project I want it NOW! When I have a new children’s book idea - I write the draft immediately. Nobody suffers from my impatience just yet. But then I need the book edited, illustrated, colored and put together and I may sometimes put too much pressure on my team to get everything done. I think that I have improved recently though. Now that the series is gaining momentum I no longer have to push for things to get done. It became more of a pulling thing - the illustrator is asking if I have a new book for him ;) I also have to solicit fewer publicity by myself and I frequently get contacted directly from newspapers instead.
7. Why do you write?
Because I can’t not write. Even when I’m not writing picture books, I am writing my diary every single day. I just have to. I feel an inner drive to write. Now, why I write in this particular genre of children’s books is a different question entirely. I do that because I want to covey my philosophy of a positive attitude and my love for travel to my daughter and to all the other future world travelers.
Alinka Rutkowska has created a tale that will appeal to children, which teaches about choices, and encourages communication and sharing. Rating: 5.0 stars from Readers’ Favorite Reviews.
Embark on a one-of-a-kind, unprecedented, breathtaking adventure with Maya and Filippo as they travel around the globe on board the “Fun Princess” — a cruise ship full of surprises. Discover their fascinating ports of call, find out what the local customs and traditions are, join the kids in activities at sea, and explore the remarkable world they create through the power of their positive outlook.
This time the kids spend a day on board the Fun Princess. They become junior chefs at sea and learn how to bake a cake. Maya and Filippo discover how trying out different recipes gets them closer to creating the perfect dessert. They also discover the power of sharing.
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Genre - Children's Picture Book
Rating – G
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