Q1. Tell me about yourself?
A. I’m a retired teacher and a reading specialist. I taught for 33 years, most of them in 2nd grade. I still sub to stay connected to kids and teachers, but that’s on hold this year with Covid.
Q2.What are your favorite books to read?
A. History & fantasy. I’m on book 4 in a series by G. Lawrence about Elizabeth I. She was a feminist before the word was invented. One of my fantasy favorites is Magic Inc by Shanna Swendson. It’s a series I’ve read multiple times!
Q3. When did you decide you were going to write a book?
A. Not until 2007. That’s when I met a bat on the other end of a mop in Germany. I thought that would get the bat flying, but it climbed down on my mop.
I thought my first book would be bat time-travel where a little girl would fix Herman the German’s unhappy ending. It wasn’t. I waited till 2019 for the right idea with the right words to come along. It was a story about Neil Armstrong, in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Q4. How did you come up with the name of your book?
A. NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM was easy – the story was about building a Wind Tunnel. The ‘dream’ part came later as I did my research. Neil had a love affair with planes from the time he was 2, but his dream was to build them. Wind tunnels are key to their construction, and Neil modeled his after the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel, the one that helped them become first in flight.
LAKE FUN FOR YOU AND ME was easy too. The story was all about having fun at the lake. The ‘For You and Me’ part came later. I was looking for a way to bring kids into the book, and it became a part story, part souvenir.
Q5. What are you working on for 2021
A. Spring 2021 – a chapter book version of LAKE FUN.
Spring 2021 - a picture book about hide and seek at the zoo.
Fall 2021 – a picture book about a nativity set.
Q6. How long have you been writing?
A. Since the summer of 2007. That’s when that bat decided to hang from the curtain rod. Then it climbed down on my mop. That story became my 2nd writing attempt. Both are still on my computer.
Q7.What advice would you give other authors?
- A. Join SCBWI. It’s where you meet people who want to write like you do. You’ll find critique partners, maybe even a group. You need their eyes, their feedback to get better.
- Be persistent. Don’t give up. I’ve heard that over and over again.
- Enjoy the journey. Whether you’re published or not, you’ll meet wonderful people. There’s no place like the kid-lit world!
Q8. Where can people find you online?
A. Web- http://www.rindabeach.com/
Business Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/BeachGirlPress
Personal Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/rinda.beach
Twitter- https://twitter.com/BeachRinda
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/rindajbeach/
Pinterest- https://www.pinterest.com/rindabeach/
9. What is your favorite coffee drink?
Cold coffee with sweetener – it’s like mocha ice cream without all the sugar!
10. What is your favorite coffee shop?
Cloud 9 – it’s local and great!
11. Do you plan on making a new book in the future?
Absolutely! Spring 2021 – I have a LAKE FUN chapter book that’s coming out AND a zoo story. I’m planning one about the nativity for Fall 2021.
12. How many books have you written?
2 – Neil Armstrong’s Wind Tunnel Dream
Lake Fun for You and Me
13. Did you go to college to be a writer?
No, in college I cried my way through papers. I wanted the words to be perfect. I was working to become an elementary teacher, not a writer. PS – I never wanted to be a teacher or a writer, and I became both. Go figure!
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