Guest Post from Veronica del Valle Author of The Book of Four Journeys (plus an Extract from the book) – The Strawberry Post

Today we’re welcoming Veronica del Valle to the blog, author of The Book of Four Journeys, a middle grade children’s book, for a chance to share a guest post about what her daughter taught her about writing.  You can find out more about the book in a special excerpt below, as well as find out more about the author, book and see some buy links below too, but first let’s hear from Veronica about how her daughter has inspired her writing.  I hope you enjoy this guest post. 🙂

Guest Post by Veronica del Valle: What My Daughter Has Taught me About Writing

Children, I’ve learned, are the sharpest editors: curious, unsparing, and attuned to truth in ways adults often forget. One such child is my nine-year-old daughter, Tomiko. Wild-hearted and keenly observant, she’s taught me as much—perhaps more—about writing for children than any book or editor ever could.

If I had to distill the things I’ve learnt from her, it would take the shape of six essential reminders:

1.  Children have an extraordinary radar for plot holes. If something doesn’t make sense, they’ll find it instantly, and let you know. They spot every inconsistency, every lazy sentence, every moment when the writer is no longer fully awake.

2.  Logic matters as much as magic. If an imp appears, it must have a reason to be there. If a door opens into another world, it must do so with purpose.

3.  Stories must earn attention. Adults might politely finish a chapter. Children will simply walk away.

4.  Rhythm is key. Not just in language, but in the movement of the tale. A story must breathe, shift, and hold wonder.

5.  Children don’t read to admire your prose; they read to believe.

6.  Stories must find their way not only through the narrative, but into the reader. They must stir something real. The wilder the tale, the truer the emotion must be.

Over time, I’ve come to understand two things:

One: children don’t ask for perfection. They ask to be met with awe, coherence, and heart. And two: the best children’s stories are written for children, but they’re also written from the part of us that still remembers what it felt like to be one.

-Thank you for Joining us on the blog today Veronica, and I agree, it really is important to listen to children when writing for them and to remember the child inside us too. 🙂

Extract from The Book of Four Journeys

From the story of Mumik & Pimnik

Day One
In the Northernmost Part of the World

Mumik Opipok opened his eyes and knew straight away what he had to do. It would take courage, loads of it. He would have to summon it all because he was not the most confident person. In fact, Mumik Opipok’s life had so far been dotted with doubtful moments: should I fish with my fishing rod or with my net? Should I walk to the lake or go on my sledge? Should I wear my white scarf or my checquered one? Should I make fish fillet, or seafood chowder for lunch? For each choice, Mumik debated with himself for hours, and when he finally made a choice, he would second-guess it one more time. Just in case.

But not that morning. Mumik was more confident than he had ever been about any decision. In fact, he had made up his mind as soon as he’d heard what the White Bright Sprite had told him. He knew what he had to do. There was no other way to look at it.

From that moment, his day was dedicated to getting everything ready for his journey. He borrowed an old sailboat courtesy of a former sailor-turned-igloo-maker who had a spare boat. It was rusty, but it floated and that was what mattered. The former sailor-turned-igloo-maker taught Mumik the essentials of sailing: the menaces one can find at sea, how to read charts, how to trim the mainsail and how to use a sextant to let the stars guide him to his destination.

When the sailing class was over, Mumik walked home. He lived in an igloo of bluish blocks of ice in the Northernmost Part of the World. “The top of the globe,” he liked to say. This was a place shrouded in eternal winter, which meant it was always very very cold, but also very very snowy, silvery white and spotless. His good friend, Koko, a wordy and cunning Arctic fox, was waiting by his front door.

“All ready?” Koko asked.

“Almost,” Mumik answered. “Where are Sesi and Sila?”

“Around the back of the igloo, sleeping like true grey wolves,” Koko said.

Mumik went inside and packed some items of clothing, his fishing rod, some cans of food
and many bottles of water. He was aware he was not the best planner, but he figured he would be
fine with the things he had selected. Before sunset, everything was ready. He would leave in the
morning.

When the full moon lit the sky, Mumik went outside and woke up Sesi and Sila.

“Come on, my friends, time for one last ride.”

About The Book of Four Journeys

Title: The Book of Four Journeys
Author: Veronica del Valle
Publisher: Silverwood Books
Genre: Older children’s/middle grade fiction

Description: A single step into uncharted space can set an entire journey in motion. The Book of Four Journeys by Veronica del Valle brings together four tales that start at exactly that point. Each story follows a character at the threshold of change, where the path ahead is uncertain but full of emerging possibility.
The Book of Four Journeys gathers four short stories connected by a central question: how does a journey shape the one who takes it? Through the perspectives of Alfalfa Spooly, Mumik and Pimnik, Neboo McCloudy, and Lincoln Jax, the book explores what unfolds when curiosity and necessity push characters away from what they know and toward what they must discover.
Alfalfa Spooly is a postman drawn into a mission that demands he cross into the unknown, challenging his sense of order and routine. Siblings Mumik and Pimnik embark on separate adventures in search of each other, each navigating unfamiliar paths filled with unexpected obstacles. Neboo McCloudy, a creature defined by his grumpiness and hesitation, faces his fears as he seeks a mysterious treasure tied to a world beyond his own. Meanwhile, Lincoln Jax, an orphan fueled by determination, follows a route that may lead her to a kingdom holding long-awaited answers.
With its blend of unpredictable turns and unusual characters, this collection highlights the courage found in taking the next step—no matter how uncertain.

Buy  from Amazon UK    Buy from Amazon US

About the author Veronica del Valle

Veronica del Valle is the author of The Word-Keeper and The Book of Four Journeys. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Kingston University and has worked as an editor and writer for news organizations and magazines in both London and Argentina. She has also taught creative writing at Universidad de San Andrés. Now based in Buenos Aires, she continues to write stories shaped by her love of language, imagination, and adventure.

Visit author’s website    Visit author on Instagram

-Thanks to Author Marketing Experts for a chance to be a part of this blog tour! 🙂  Review to come. 🙂

What do you think of this guest post or book?  Have you ever had a memorable journey?  Let me know what you think in the comments below 🙂