Simply 7 with Jena Benton & Giveaway extraordinare: KAUAI’S CALL

I’m so excited to share my debut picture book with you that I agreed to let someone else interview me today!

Welcome to a very special Simply 7. After a little more than seven years of sharing other’s stories about their stories, today, we get to turn the tables on Jena as we interview her for her authorial debut picture book, KAUAI’S CALL!

My name is Matt and I’m her other half. I’d say better half, but everyone knows that isn’t true. I’m proud of my wife and all that she has accomplished, not just with her book, but the community she has created through this blog. I just hope I can do it justice.

So, grab your favorite morning beverage and pull your screen a little closer as we come together to celebrate with Jena.

Jena Benton is a third generation Alaskan. She was raised in Sitka which is nestled in the Southeast of Alaska and has a rich history. Her passion for books began at a young age through her local library. One of Jena’s highlights as a child was winning a contest and getting to meet Beverly Cleary who came to visit her small community. Jena went on to get a degree in English and became an educator in Anchorage. She has always pursued her passion for writing and uses her job as an elementary educator as an excuse to read picture books, though she would do it anyways. Just a little over 7 years ago, Jena took her passion for picture books in another direction when she became a book interviewer with the Simply 7 Blog that you enjoy today. What began as a passion has turned into a community of authors, illustrators and book lovers.

Jena’s authorial debut, KAUAI’S CALL, is one of those stories that demonstrates Jena’s love of writing, research and shared experiences. Taking place in the Hawaiian islands, Kauai, the son of a great caller, has to work out his place in the pecking order of his flock. Through doubt, stage fright, and the fear of not living up to his father’s greatness, Kauai has to find his own voice. KAUAI’S CALL is a sweet story of family, perseverance and finding your voice.

Welcome Jena to your first time as the interviewee!

Matt: We all know you as the interviewer here on Simply 7, can you tell us a little about your writing journey?

Jena: I think I always dreamed of being a writer.  I remember once when I was a kid, I found a typewriter at the back of the library.  I was so delighted that I brought my own paper to type up story on its keys.  I had notebooks of story ideas and starters.  I wrote poems that were published as early as fourth grade.

I went to college determined to take writing classes, as well as the degrees that would get me a “real job” (as my dad would say).  I published poems and newspaper articles in college, but my short stories never really succeeded.

Unfortunately, academia almost killed my love of writing.  I came out of those programs with degrees, but I had stopped writing.  It wasn’t until I wrote a poem in a sudden burst of inspiration about a year afterwards–about Helen Keller learning to communicate and coming out of the darkness—that I found my desire to write again.  And yet, I still hadn’t found my niche.

However, when I look back, there were signs all along the way.  I always loved picture books; I worked in the children’s section of Barnes and Noble.  I loved reading to kids and teaching them to read, so I became a teacher.  Yet it wasn’t until 2014 that I decided that my lifelong dream of writing and illustrating my own picture books should no longer be “someday” but NOW.

I stumbled along from a class to a book to another to SCBWI, where I found my people.  And it was as if all these pieces fell into place.  I delighted in writing children’s stories.  I met people with the same passions.  I wrote and wrote and wrote and here we are now.

Matt: Everyone’s writing journey is their own, but we often hear similar stories. Having a community to support and cheer you on is so important to get you through those low moments. What draws you to children’s books? 

Jena:  I’ve always loved them.  Even when it wasn’t cool as a teenager to go into the children’s section of my library, I would disappear in there for hours.  My local library had a sound proof children’s section with this gorgeous mural (of all these book characters) and it was like entering this whole other world.  These were the books I loved.  I adored the picture books which were at the front, all of Steven Kellogg’s books, etc..  I discovered Trixie Belden and the Happy Hollisters at the back gathering dust.  I loved everything in that section.  I dreamed of one day having a book on those same shelves.

Matt: Growing up in a small community like you did, I’m sure that for you, like it did for me, it gave you an opportunity to visit other places and create some of your own. Being from Alaska, how did you come to write a story set in Hawaii?

Jena: My first career as a high school English teacher didn’t work out.  It took me a few years to decide to go back to school for a different degree as an Elementary school teacher.  Again, when I did, the pieces fit.  When I was done with those degrees (which I worked very hard for), my sister decided to take me to her favorite place in the world as a congratulations: Hawaii.  I immediately fell in love with the place.  I went back multiple times to different islands over the years, including my honeymoon in 2016.  It was while my husband and I were on Kauai that I became fascinated with the chickens running around everywhere and the brilliant colors of the roosters in the sunshine.  I had never seen so many chickens in my life!

When I first drafted this very chicken-y story, it wasn’t set in Hawaii.  It was in a barn yard.  A friend lovingly told me that it would never sell because it was too similar to every other rooster story out there.  I knew she was right, but I didn’t want to give up on the story.  I thought about it long and hard, trying to remember what had inspired the original story.  It was then that I remembered my honeymoon.  I revamped the story to include these wild chickens (or “jungle fowl” as they’re called in Hawaii) and it increased the stakes of my story too.  I sent it off via snail mail during the pandemic to one of my favorite Hawaiian presses (I’d been collecting their picture books on every trip to Hawaii) and felt like it was the only chance that story had for marketing potential.  I completely forgot about it though and a year and a half later I got the email from the publisher saying they wanted to publish it.

Matt: Finding your own voice and perspective is so important when telling stories. Drawing from your experiences can give your story a fresh look that separates it from the rest. Though you are an illustrator, you did not illustrate this book. Was there anything that surprised you in the illustrations?

Jena:  Yes!  Every single one!  I was delighted when I saw Kristi Petosa-Sigel’s first sketches of Kauai.  He was every bit as cute as I was hoping he would be.  And I hadn’t imagined so many different types of cars stopping to see the chickens.  I loved all the vehicles that were included in the book.  But my favorite spread is of Kauai and his dad walking on the beach.  It was almost exactly what I had imagined in my own head.  Exactly!  I absolutely love it!

Matt: I love the fact that his feathers make him look like he’s wearing shorts! There are also some interesting facts about chicken (jungle fowl) behavior. Did you grow up raising chickens?

Jena:  Oh goodness no!  LOL!  I have a friend who has chickens, and I learned a lot from her over the years, but it was all research.  Before I even wrote the first draft, I did a lot of research about chickens, their social orders, why rooster’s crow, etc.  I dug into farmer’s blogs and scientific research based on questions I had, like when does a young rooster start to crow?  A lot of picture books have the cliché of a rooster only crowing at dawn, but they crow all day and for various reasons.

On my honeymoon in Kauai, we had stopped at an overlook in our vehicle and were astonished by how quickly we were surrounded by chickens.  Mother hens and chicks were hiding under the vehicle, etc.  WHERE had they all come from?  WHY did they come?  It was only after my research that I realized it had been the rooster’s crow I had heard and ignored.  He had called them to come eat.  That was the kernel of the story and I only found it after I researched.

Matt: Much like Kauai struggles to be a great caller like his dad, our journey to write and illustrate can be full of struggles. What is something that kept you going through those struggles and moments of doubt? 

Jena:  That is a great question.  Hmm…I think it was because my dream would never die.  I won’t lie; there were moments of sheer despair where I felt like I was never going to make it or that I was a fraud.  I was embarrassed anyone had seen my first illustration portfolio so hastily thrown together, or that first manuscript that was way too long and broke all the rules, etc.  There were closed doors and lost opportunities and what if I never got another chance?  Many tears were shed over the years.

I heard another writer talk about letting herself have cheesecake every time she had a major rejection.  I learned from her to let myself have ONE day to have a pity party.  That’s it.  I could mope and cry and be in the dumps for only 24 hours.  Because you have to admit that rejection is part of the process, and it hurts!  But you also need to limit it or you can drown in it.  Then I would get back up and keep plodding on.  I keep writing and drawing and learning and practicing.  It’s all part of my journey.

Matt: It’s always important to celebrate the little successes, even in the face of rejection. We often hear about “success” but rarely do we get to experience the struggles, the fears and the tribulations of writing and illustrating. Even in a writing community, it can feel daunting when you see the success of others which seems to come so easy for them. Over our journey, we often forget how far we’ve come or the successes, no matter how small, that we have had, especially when we compare ourselves to others. What is one piece of advice from your writing and illustrating journey that you would want to share with yourself ten years ago?

Jena: Oh boy.  That’s a tough one.  They say it takes 10,000 hours of practice to gain a skill and become a true artist or craftsman.  I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to keep drawing and writing.  There were times where I stopped.  AND I’d like to tell myself to get started on my journey to be a children’s book author sooner!

Also, don’t listen to the people that tell you that you’re never going to be good enough.  I had an art teacher in sixth grade tell me that I couldn’t be both a writer and an artist, after I’d shown him one of my drawings.  He said I needed to choose (and he strongly implied that I should not be an artist).  I wish I could go back and tell that younger version of myself to not listen to him.  As writers AND illustrators we suffer enough from imposter syndrome.  We don’t need to let others feed into that.

I might also tell myself to keep plodding.  Take it one day and one step at a time.  You will get there!  Just don’t give up.  I think that’s advice I need even now.  This is just one of my dreams that’s come true.  I have many more and I’m going to keep going in the direction toward them.

Matt: Thank you, Jena, for your time today. That is some good advice. No matter where you are on your journey, remember there is always a next step. Sometimes that next step is a leap of faith or a walk on the beach, but you never know if you don’t try.

I am so proud of what Jena has accomplished, I’m sure we all are, and we know that this is just the beginning. I hope that you enjoyed today’s interview and that you go out and get a copy of your own. And should you find Kauai wandering around, please send Jena your pictures on social media @JenaNBenton

Thank you Matt!  But wait, dear readers!  There’s more!  I’m hosting a major giveaway to launch my book into the world. 

Not only will I be giving away a copy of my book, but I will also be giving away a Hawaiian shirt covered in roosters (a slim fitting 2X), Hawaiian tea, a Hawaiian hot beverage travel mug (using the Hula girl design I love from the same company that put out my book), and a rooster pin from Hawaii.  It’s the biggest giveaway I think I’ve done yet!  As such, this giveaway will be running for TWO weeks and the winner will be announced on the Fourth of July!  Be sure to enter the rafflecopter here! 

(And if I get a lot of interest, I just might throw in a few more little prizes as well.)