Some dreams simmer longer than others.

Seven years ago, Tiffany C. Hill sat down to write a children’s book. She had a character; she had a plot. All she needed was time, focus and determination.

Her 47-page book -- Kareenie Beanie and the Circle of Royale (Volume 1) – has now been published. It’s the story of a girl named Kareenie who lives with her family on the make-believe island of Royale. There is just one problem: Kareenie is afraid of the ocean.

When her family disappears after a storm, the young girl must confront her fears to find them. Along the way, she learns some other lessons about life.

Hill, a frequent contributor to Qcitymetro.com, recently sat for a Q&A. Her answers are edited for brevity and clarity.

Q. Without giving away the ending, tell us a little about the book.
It’s very much a fantasy. Kareenie is a child who doesn’t want to explore new options and do different things. But when here family disappears, she gets a boat and goes out looking for them. Most 11-year-olds are not going to get on a boat and look for their parents. And she goes on this huge adventure and meets all these people and makes friends and builds confidence.

Is there a moral to the story?
The whole theme of the book is faith. Throughout the book people tell Kareenie to keep the faith, keep on your path and you will find what you are looking for. I meet a lot of adults who are afraid of everything as well. It starts as a child, and when people get older they have all these fears… fear of doing things new, fear of doing things different.

Q. What age did you write the book for?
I would say third or fourth grade, depending on the child. I read to some third graders and some of them didn’t really get it and some of them did, so between third and fifth grade.

Where did the story originate?
Inside my mind, but “The Alchemist” is one of my favorite books, so to me it’s like a little kid Alchemist book – you’re looking for something that’s already within you.

Q. Is it autobiographical in any way?
When I was little I was afraid of a lot of things. I was afraid of bugs and just kinda shy – actually, very shy. Yeah, I’m in it. I don’t know why but every time I read the book I cry at the end. Yes, it’s definitely me themed throughout the book.

Q. Is this your first book?
Yes, it's my first children’s book. I wrote another book about dating, which I haven’t really done much with. It’s kind of like an e-book. It’s totally opposite and I used an alias name. So this is the first one with my name.

Q. What was the experience like?
It was great. It took me seven years and a lot of things happened to me. I went to grad school and I moved. I was living in New York and my life was really, really busy, and I never sat down and finished it. But now that I’m living in Charlotte, it’s little bit slower. I got laid off a year and a half ago, so I kinda had time to find an illustrator, work with her and put it all together.

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I would say keep writing, keep reading, keep meeting people. Go to writing seminars, take classes, stay in the whole industry and know that you can do it. I (self-published) this book. You can do it yourself, but you have to do the marketing part after you publish, and that is probably the hardest thing.

Q. So, what’s next?
I want to write another one, and I sell little girls’ jewelry as well. So I want to couple the book with the jewelry and possibly sell dolls as well... and take it to the Disney level…LOL. Yes, I definitely want to keep writing children’s books.

Q. Where can parents find the book?

They can buy it at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Amazon.com (link below) or on my website.

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