We recently connected with Nina Ross and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nina, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The second book in my series, “Montauk Has A Very Lonely Shark!” was created in 2020 and completed at the onset of the lockdown before we knew how long we would all be isolated from one another. Children were not seeing school friends, neighbors, relatives and the obvious conclusion to all this was loneliness. I wrote the book as a follow up to my first book, where Mike, the shark, goes in search of his friend who helped him find the best ice cream in the first book. This is my favorite story because Mike has to put a lot of effort in finding his friend and in the end he makes another friend too, When I do readings at libraries, camps and special events I often ask the children to pick which book I should read out of my series. Most of the time it’s this book! I’ve witnessed many children gravitate to this book because I believe there is an underlying loneliness that permeates our youth. When doing book signings, I might hear a parent ask their child to pick a book, and when they choose this one, the parent might direct them to another one because at first glance, the book may seem depressing. In actuality, it’s the cutest story with a great ending. This book is a meaningful project to me, because loneliness is a taboo subject. Children are supposed to be happy and in reality many are not and I hope my book itself becomes a friend to those in need of one.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have always been a student of art. At college, I received a BFA in Visual Arts and a Minor in Creative Writing. It was in college where I first studied the art of writing children’s literature. Post college, I enrolled in continuing education courses in the evening taking classes from professional illustrators and animators. During the day, I freelanced in animation, working mostly on advertising campaigns and one tv series at MTV Animation called ‘Celebrity Deathmatch’. However, living in New York City during 9/11 altered my course in life. I wanted to help in some way during those awful weeks, and donating goods at the time just wasn’t enough. I started to pursue teaching as a way to contribute to society and also writing children’s stories. One day, I decided to focus on one of the characters I invented, a shark in search of the perfect dish, to see if I could get it published. After many years, I succeeded in getting my book published and it was well received on Long Island, NY where I set the character. Soon the series followed and I have found that although the story is set on Long Island, NY, children gravitate to the illustrations of the shark. Since the onset of my first book, people from all over the country have purchased my books. The books have even gone to other countries in the world like Italy, England, Mexico, Australia and others. People appreciate the simple messages and the artwork which is not high tech, but back to the basics of watercolor and ink.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had discovered those ‘How to….’ books earlier on in my journey. I found a ‘How to Publish Children’s Stories’ so very helpful. There are many out on the market, and their step by step process of how to get published and what to expect are so useful. I had not learned any of this practical information in college. People often ask me how to get published and my number one answer is to pick up one of those ‘How To’ books from the bookstore or library.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The number one lesson I had to unlearn is that I did not need to go to graduate school. It was expensive, and most of the required courses did not interest or benefit me. If I could back track, I would have invested a fraction of the cost I paid in tuition towards my craft, in completing a project and having a digital presence. Ironically, investing in your business is what I would always tell those with an entrepreneurial attitude within them. Degrees only help to a degree. What matters is creating and bringing those projects to completion.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eastendpress.co
• Instagram: nina.ross__

Image Credits
Michael Cardacino (personal photo)