Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan H Hines.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Susan, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Hello, I am Susan H Hines, author, and business owner of TJP Publications LLC. My mission is to help children develop early literacy skills in a fun and creative way. I’ve successfully done this by creating colorful adventure stories, which include familiar and lovable characters that children can easily connect to. Early readers are instantly drawn into my witty short stories. In my latest children’s book series, I’ve highlighted the daily activities of a Schnauzer pup’s exploration of life. Throughout the stories, early readers can experience laughter, play, and emulate the character’s behaviors.  This often helps in expanding their vocabulary through rhyming and sight word techniques embedded in my simple stories. The Buckley children’s book series highlights general life lessons, love of family, and overcoming challenges while learning new skills. Parents, Teachers, and Children have supplied reviews, and all agree the book style invokes imagination through this fun and creative literature.
As the CEO and founder of TJP Publications LLC, I can use this self-published platform to promote and highlight self-authored children’s books, ancillary activity books, and branded character merchandise. By creating a self-published platform there has been an increase in access and interest in early readers and those having a general love for reading within communities.

Susan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Reading and comprehension skills are fundamental, we hear this in our formative years and well into our adulthood. During the 2020 pandemic, there had been a decrease in learning among many school-aged children. Parents and Teachers were asked to do more with less access to the traditional in-school environments. Children struggled to learn, and many began to fall back on their academics. This piqued my interest and how I could help early readers in my life. My grandson was falling into this category and had a declining interest in reading. Thus, I thought it would be great to keep him encouraged by finding creative ways to make learning fun. Writing a children’s book about our family’s beloved pup seemed like a wonderful way to get started. Since the release of this book series in 2022, My grandson has excelled in school, is an A/B student, and is a leader in his class. He was awarded as a student of the month. His reading has improved, and he is excited about the new book featuring his dog. He took the book to school and his teacher read it to his class with expressed enjoyment and learning. It’s an easy and short tale, but that is the kind of excitement that a book can foster and how transformative the power of reading can be for a child. And the great news is, this can be shared. The same power a book has for one child, it can have for many.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

There are so many resources available when stepping into a creative digital space. As a business owner, author, and entrepreneur, I‘ve made mistakes.  I found myself wearing so many hats and getting pulled “to and fro”. Being organized and having a proper business foundation is essential. I’m consistently reminding myself to keep a steady pace and not move too fast.  Chasing shiny objects will get you going down a rabbit hole very quickly.  However, taking the time to conduct proper research and maintain focus on what my business needed helped me prioritize time and spending.  Establishing a trusted team to handle all the business matters i.e. Accounting, Website Development, SEO, Email Campaigns, Marketing Consulting, and Social Media platforms management has been my best investment. Also, having a vendor management strategy in place to help vet new vendor(s) is a time saver.  There are so many vendors submitting pitches, and it is easy to get bombarded by emails telling you the next vendor does it better.

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

Stepping out of the shadows of the self-given title of being an introvert was the biggest lesson I had to unlearn. Learning to minimize the distractions in my head and focus on my why? How would I introduce my rebranded self to the world? After all, who am I to have a voice? Becoming comfortable with myself and learning to share my story with larger audiences was challenging. It is easy to be in the background but having the courage to step into the spotlight, gives way to critics.  Being vulnerable I encountered a lot of questions from the nay-sayers. Many could not imagine the value of a simple story and how it could impact so many. Past acquaintances doubted me, my abilities, and the authenticity of the new business venture. I had to learn to quiet the noise in my mind and focus on the strength to persevere and become my biggest fan. I have also gained so much encouragement from the smiles and feedback from my kindergarten and first-grade readers. This keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: tjppublications.com
• Other: Linktree – https://linktr.ee/tjppublications.com

Image Credits
Photo credit – provided by Susan H Hines / TJP Publications LLC