We had the good fortune of connecting with SARAH TUCKER and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi SARAH, what is the most important factor behind your success?
It is really about balance. Our focus on character development makes the parents and grandparents happy, But our illustrations and storytelling make the books entertaining for children to read. The secret is to be able to hold their attention with great stories they can relate to while teaching life’s important lessons.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have enjoyed writing fiction since I was very young; I came up with the main character of my book series when I was 15 years old– That was 30 years ago! He has some real staying power! I have always loved entertaining and teaching children and was hired by Fox Television as the original Fox Kids Club Hostess. My job there was to hold children’s attention, so they never changed the channel. After that, I toured the US and Canada with Covenant Players, a theater group that produced and performed morality plays. So I started doing very early in my teens teaching young people to make good decisions.
While in film production school, I met my husband, now of 22 years, who owned a successful martial arts school in Florida; he wanted to add more character development training to his classes and asked me to help. I developed a visually based character development curriculum to help him, and then we started licensing the program to other martial arts schools. We produced cartoons, visual aids, coloring sheets, and other tools to help set positive examples for young children worldwide.
During covid, the Martial Arts Industry was hit hard; many schools closed due to the pandemic. We influenced the lives of the children we reached through the martial arts industry, but I wanted to get our message directly to children and parents everywhere. So I turned my attention to writing and publishing children’s books.
I have found that we have made a big difference in their lives and their parents. Taking this new knowledge – I have taken my production company and created a publishing arm – where we authored books and produced book trailers geared to character development and life skills. I am happy to say our next five years will be exciting.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I do a lot of traveling, and I like to make new friends everywhere I go, so I ask others where the best places to walk about and hop from place to place. I don’t have just one place where I would take a friend because I usually let my nose lead me to the next best cafe or restaurant. I recommend that everyone check out all the mom-and-pop eateries or events because of the extra Love and Care they take. Let’s go on an adventure!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, there are So Many People! I could start with my 9th grade creative writing teacher who believed in me, and the people at Fox television who first put me in front of children, But the two people who are most important to the success of The Adventures of Harry and Friends would be my husband who is the inspiration for Instructor Dan in the series and the experience I gained working with him and thousands of children and my Illustrator Adam Ihle who really brings these crazy characters in my imagination to life!
Website: adventuresofharryandfriends.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahbelizatucker/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahBeliza
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahBelizaTucker
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFzXDUpyW5CmkmCb7Sc2pLg
Image Credits
Ocean Aire Productions, Inc owns rights to photos. Sarah Tucker, Adam Ihle, and random kids from author signings.