"Children's Picture Books" by Scott Sussman

 

 

Today's speaker, Scott Sussman, was born in Fountain Valley, California in 1971 and currently divides his time between California and Italy. His children’s picture books include Silly the Seed, Weird the Beard, Lerky the Handturkey, the Mark and the Molecule Maker trilogy, and Fred and the Monster, which was an Independent Publisher Award Winner, 2015. He has also written a middle grade novel, The Shining Adventures of Shelpa McStorm, and is currently working on more middle grade novels. When not reading or writing, Scott enjoys playing the harmonica and traveling with his wife.

 

 

He became a school substitute teacher and later moved to Israel and settled into a unique type of settlement (commune) known as KIBBUTZ. The residents of these communes shared everything and worked as members of that community. While there, he studied Hebrew and started to write. One day he wrote on a blank paper "Lovely Flower in a Red Rose Sky" and gradually the words just started to flow.

 

 

The time he was in Israel he witnessed the Prime Minister getting assassinated and many people getting killed. From there he went to Santiago in South America and wrote more books there. After that the next 13 years he was in Rome, Italy. He learned the language and taught English to teenagers and older people.  There he met his wife Francesca in 2006. She had a big job with company car, etc. When they decided to move back to USA in Sep 2016 it was a tough decision. They settled in Carlsbad. He makes a living by selling autographed books. Many of the club members purchased several books from him.

 

His favorite quote is by a Japanese author -- "When you get to the top of the mountain, keep climbing".

 

 

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