In the Nick of Time by Deedee Cummings-I Read Book Tours-Author Interview/Review/Giveaway

 About the book

A Timely Tale about a Little Brown Boy who Saves Christmas. Nick Saint never really put a lot of thought into his name until one snowy day in December when he accidentally receives a letter meant for Saint Nick. Realizing there is not much time left until Christmas, Nick opens the letter. The unexpected message inside ultimately leads him on a journey of understanding poverty, gratitude, and service to others while discovering the real meaning of the holiday spirit. 

Chat with author

Hello and Welcome Deedee thanks for taking the time to chat a bit about your books.

 

Thank you for having me.

I am glad you had a few minutes goodness I read your bio. you are one busy lady.

I stay pretty busy.

 

I am sure you have tons of tips you could to share with working moms! Can you share one?

Not to be hard on yourself or to beat yourself up if you work outside the home. My daughter is a Bradway actress now and I believe she has been very successful in following her dreams because she grew up watching me follow mine.

 

I think readers enjoy chats about books but I know we always enjoy real life tidbits.
So tell us . . .Are you a Coffee Drinker? I am not! Dr. Pepper is my choice!

I love cream and sugar with a little coffee!

My day isn't nearly as busy as you but I do have a routine and I usually write
my interviews around lunch time. What is your usual lunch time routine?

I need to do a much better job of taking care of myself. Most days I do not have breakfast or lunch. I mean to. Throughout the day I say that I am just going to finish one more thing and then I’ll grab something to eat, or take a walk around the block, or even pee, but I never do. I just get consumed by crossing things off my to do list and so, as a consequence, most days I don’t eat until after 4.

 

I am bit tired LOL after reading all the things you do and have done. So I think it is time
for some down time. Where would you sneak off to for a much needed vaca.?

Surprisingly, my family and I do make sure we take time away. I love to go to any beach. We go very often because it is where I recenter and I get a lot of ideas for books and stories while at the beach for some reason.

You really are a busy successful lady can you share with the readers of all your
accomplishments what you are most proud of?

My children. Truly they are. They are all happy, healthy, talented, and full of big dreams. That, to me, is success. The second is the fact that I made it through Law School at night while I was a Child Protective Service Worker during the day. That was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done.

My favorite holiday is Christmas. I was glad I got to read your book. In the Nick of Time
was just such a charming book with a message. I know it is special to you can share with the readers
how you came to write it and why it is so special?

My favorite holiday is also Christmas. We love all things Christmas. Of course we celebrate the reason for the season, but we also love decorating, baking different kinds of cookies, dancing to and singing Christmas music, picking out presents, wrapping gifts, cooking meals, and having lots of friends and family stop by.

One of our favorite family traditions is reading Christmas stories as a family. We read all kinds of Christmas stories like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and The Polar Express, but we also love books with characters who look like us. One year it seemed that we had collected all the Christmas books with black characters. There just were no more to buy. Additionally, my favorite Christmas storyline is when a child gets to help Santa Clause save the day. I could not find that story at all with a black male character.

This is the story I wanted to tell for my son who was only ten years old at the time. I wanted him to see a Christmas story with a character who looked like him and who also got to save the day. My favorite review of the book comes from Nick who said that he loves this book “because it makes him feel like Christmas and (he) likes feeling like Christmas”.

Since Christmas is our topic what is your favorite family tradition?

It is definitely reading Christmas stories while eating lots of cookies!

How hard or easy was it to pen this story?

I did not find it a difficult story to write because the story was just there on my heart. There is one twist in the story I did not originally anticipate however which had to do with Nick’s name. I was watching a TV show and the character’s last name was Saint. I thought of naming the character Nick Saint all because of that. Sometimes I feel as though I am meant to see things and that was definitely one of those moments because I think it made the book better.

 

Did you have input with the illustrator?

I think this is a major benefit of self-publishing. I have a lot of say and input on the designs in the book. This is my eleventh book so usually what I do is explain the vision I have, as well as anything I really want to see. After that the illustrator will do a character sketch to see if I am happy with the characters and craft a few scenes. Once the illustrator knows that she has my vibe for the book down then she pretty much runs with the rest of the story. One of the coolest things about this process is seeing how another person interprets your message and your words. Words, and then the illustrations, really are like two simultaneous stories. It is fascinating to see the story that the illustrator sees.

It is always fun for me when I get a chance to interview an author. Can you tell
us what is your favorite part of being on tour?

This is my first book tour of any kind and I am grateful for it. Because our world has been hit by a once in a lifetime pandemic, I really don’t know how I would have been able to spread the word about the work I am doing. I am very grateful to iRead book tours and to all of the reviewers who are hosting me on this tour. It has been great so far.

Are you currently doing book signings?

I did a big launch last year when this book was first released and had a great signing. It was an awesome experience. My elderly father lives with me, so I am not doing anything where I come into contact with a lot of different people. I will sign books though if people order them and then contact me via my website to sign the book before it ships.

It has been fun to chat thanks for visiting with me.

Thank you! Merry Christmas!

And I thought

What a delightful and charming book.  

I loved the message that the author shared.

Nick was a sweet little boy that opened his heart and took a challenge and made others happy.

The illustrations in this cute little children's book at delightful.

This is a great read for the holidays.

I enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy.

My review will appear on retail sites and Good Reads.

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