FQ: I loved the idea of Pinky and her doodles. Where did the idea of Pinky come from?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: Thank you! Pinky is a name my mom used to call me when I was little. I have dreamed of having children’s books published since I was in Kindergarten. We quickly noticed I am not an artist and much more of a writer. Pinky Doodle Bug celebrates collaboration and how our individual talents combine to create.

FQ: As well, why doodles and drawing? Is drawing a passion of yours?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: Pinky shows us that when we collaborate with others, we combine our strengths and weaknesses and help each other for the greater creation. I am a passionate doodler with doodles that are not the level of much more than great scribbles ? In other words, my children’s books will always need an artist other than myself!

FQ: As I mentioned in my review, your book is written in rhyme. I’ve read quite a few rhyming books where the rhymes just don’t fit. How hard was it to work out the rhymes? To get each line to fit properly. To have them work and say what you wanted to say?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: Kris Fuller and I had so much fun creating this book together. I thought I had the book done and Kris took a look at it, read it and had many edits and great suggestions. I love her enthusiasm and talent she brings to the Pinky Doodle Bug series.

FQ: Did you ever consider writing the story in prose instead? What made you decide to go with rhyming text?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: We did not consider prose for this project. All in the series will rhyme.

FQ: You’re fond of saying, “Let Your Dreams Fly!” Would you tell our readers a bit about this and how it can help inspire children?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: “Let Your Dreams Fly” is one of my favorite sayings. I believe all of us, at all ages, can learn from this saying. Never stop dreaming and sidestep the naysayers.

FQ: As the founder and CEO of “The Best Ever You Network,” you’ve put your words into action. Please tell our readers a bit about your organization and how they can learn more.

HAMILTON-GUARINO: The Best Ever You Network was founded in 2008 to help people be their best. We invite you to join the website at BestEverYou.com. My radio show, The Best Ever You Show celebrated 500 episodes in 2020. Additionally, we have articles, videos, classes, journals, books and more. We have multiple tools and resources, mostly free or small fee items to help you be your best.

FQ: The artwork in Pinky Doodle Bug is fabulous. Did you have a vision for how Pinky, and her world, should look before you started working with your illustrator, Vova Kirichenko?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: Our illustrator is incredible. We went through a few drafts to get the character of Pinky right. We worked on every dot and every detail you see carefully. Another favorite character that we hear quite a bit about is Pete the Porcupine! People seem to love him!

FQ: Will we be seeing more of Pinky? If so, would you give us a little teaser on what to expect?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: Our next book in the series is being released May 2021. It’s called Pinky Doodle Dance and is also published by Waldorf Publishing.

FQ: From Children’s book author to Harvard Business School and being the recipient of the 2019 Excellence in Finance – Leaders award for significant contribution towards the financial sector from FiNext. Those are very impressive achievements and also quite varied. How does one go from business school to writing children’s books?

HAMILTON-GUARINO: I believe everything I do is interconnected with a goal to help people be their best – at all ages. As a mom of four sons and being married for over 22 years, life, for me, isn’t about all the things I do and awards I might win, but rather the lives we impact in a positive and gracious manner.

Thank you for this interview. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.

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