Joining us today is Robert L. Calixto, author of The Cloud Seekers, A Pirate Ship in the Clouds, a picture book for children. We’re going to talk to Robert about his new book and learn more about him as an author.
Welcome, Robert. It’s great to have you with us. Please tell my readers a bit about yourself.
Robert: I was born in Manila, Philippines. My family migrated to Los Angeles in the late seventies, when I was ten years old. So you can say I’m bi-cultural. I’ve always been a very creative person, and have had a passion for all forms of arts ever since I can remember; music, photography, film, writing original stories, etc. I also have a passion for pop culture, business and the world at large.
How did your writing career begin?
Robert: I began writing seriously about three years ago. Prior to that, I owned and operated a real estate company for over seventeen years. Between the years 2001 and 2006, as a way to give back to the community, I taught real estate and loans to would-be agents in my area, for free! I put together my own “manual” as a guideline for the classes, complete with motivational articles and my own personal take on the business world. The response was great, and a few students suggested I re-write it as a self-help book. The author in me came out from this promising experience. About three years ago, I started writing various stories and began my research on publishing my stories.
What age group is this book for?
Robert: It is written for the first and third grade levels, but really for children of all ages!
What inspired you to write it?
Robert: When I was a child growing up in the tropical islands of Manila, I used to go to the roof of my grandmother’s house and “stare at the clouds” for hours, sometimes all by myself. I used to love the rainy seasons because after it rained, the clouds would move very quickly and I could find more things in the sky. I wrote about the experience in an essay called “A Cloud Seeker’s Story”. A friend read it and convinced me to include it in the first book. I’m very glad I did. It’s also in the website.
In what forms is your book available? Is it available in e-book, hard cover or traditional paperback, or all?
Robert: For now, it’s available only on perfect-bound paperback. That could change depending on the demand.
Tell us about any other books that you have written and or are working on.
Robert: The Cloud Seekers “A Pirate Ship in the Clouds” is my very first published literary work. I am currently working on publishing the next two follow-ups to the series: Book 2 is called “Meet The Cloud Seekers” and Book 3 is called “Whales in the Sky”. In Book 2 and 3, the kids actually “ride” on Cloud Nine, and their cloud-flying adventures begin!
I’ve also written three other children’s books that hasn’t seen the light of day yet. I am currently in the process of finding the right illustrator for two of them. The third one, called The Racers, looks like it will also be illustrated by Russel Wayne. He illustrated the Cloud Seekers.
For homeschool parents, such as myself, we are always looking for the best curriculums, workbooks, supplements and subjects to best teach our children. What will children learn from The Cloud Seekers?
Robert: There are two major lessons that children will get out of the Cloud Seekers series. One is diversity and acceptance. The characters come from various cultural backgrounds, and they are all very friendly with each other. Another is the idea of being outdoors, using your imagination when you look for things in the clouds. There is absolutely no age limit to using our imagination. I still love to look for things in the clouds!
Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?
Robert: Yes. We’re at http://thecloudseekers.com
For more of my other writing projects, please go to: http://robertlcalixto.weebly.com
Where can readers purchase your books and how much do they cost?
Robert: You can purchase the book from Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, halopublishing.com, and thecloudseekers.com. If you get it through The Cloud Seekers website, I will personally sign the book! The cost is $12.95
What's next for you? Is there anything else that you are involved in?
Robert: I am in the process of shopping The Cloud Seekers series for a production company, to produce The Cloud Seekers Animated Television series, if you can believe that. I am also working on other movie and book projects.
Is there anything else that you would like to add or share about you or your books?
Robert: Yes, my favorite genre is definitely chidren’s books, but I’ve also written quite a few original stories for adults, soon to be in a bookstore or movie theatre near you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to our readers today. Good luck in all of your future endeavors. Please check out The Cloud Seekers, A Pirate Ship in the Clouds.
Robert: Thank you and God Bless!
This book is also being offered as a book give-away. Here are the rules. Anyone who wishes to participate will need to:
1) Become a member on both of my sites. http://www.reneeahand.com/ and http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com/
2) Become a member on Robert Calixto's site as well at http://thecloudseekers.com/
Please blog me and let me know that you are a member on all three sites. A drawing will be done randomly Monday April 19th.
Good luck to all who enters. This book was given to me by the author for review.
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