Bing and Nero is a story I made up to tell my 5 year-old son (who is crazy about robots!) at bedtime. He wanted to hear it over and over again, and asked a lot of questions about the characters. A few of his friends also liked the story. I decided to find an illustrator in order to make it into a book I could give him as a Christmas present. When I saw Inci´s (the illustrator) pictures, I began to see this could really be a proper book many other kids might enjoy.
Do you plan to write more about these characters or more in the universe you have created?
I have already written the second book and I am busy telling the third story to my son in order to develop it to his satisfaction. When he won´t allow me to change the story anymore, I know it is probably right.
What was the hardest part of writing/publishing this book?
The hardest part was figuring out how to self-publish efficiently and at low cost. There are a lot of options and a lot of potential traps --especially people and organizations offering services that you don´t need or that are overpriced. I got very lucky and I joined a group of self-publishing professionals (Alliance of Independent Authors) who provide a wealth of solid information.
What do you do besides write?
I am a communications and marketing professional and have made a career out of corporate writing. Creativity in that arena really helps. Writing professionally every day also makes me more efficient when I write fiction. I know better than to wait around for inspiration.
What are you currently reading?
These days I am revisiting a lot of old children´s classics. These stories that have charmed kids for generations have a lot that can be learned to make you a better writer for kids. "Eloise" by Kay Thompson and "Oh, the places you´ll go!" by Dr. Seuss are next to my computer now. And I have to say that Neil Gaiman is a magician with words. I am revisiting his work all the time.
One of the nicest reviews I have received so far on Amazon (excerpt):
There are a lot of kids out there that do not have anyone to play with. A book such as this one opens a child’s mind and allows their creativity to soar beyond their imagination. Who would not want to have a robot as a friend? I know I would.
In addition, as an early childhood educator, I believe this book would be a great asset to the classroom and to any lesson plan. A whole lesson plan can be done around this book. -Evelyn G.
Bio:
Ingrid Williams is a native Californian who now lives with her family in Norway. She has had a successful career as a financial journalist for Dow Jones Newswires and as a copywriter for one of the largest creative agencies in Scandinavia, among other positions in the world of corporate communications. She is a recipient of the Humphrey´s Fellowship in Writing at Columbia University in New York. She created "Bing & Nero" for her 5 year-old son, who has a serious robot obsession that shows every sign of continuing for quite some time.
About the illustrator:
Inci Alper loves to tell stories through her art. She works as a game artist and resides in the beautiful city of Istanbul. She is a daydreamer and she likes to escape into the world of video games for hours. She also secretly wishes she had a robot friend of her own.
Synopsis:

*This book is the first in a series of books about the active adventures of boy and robot. I have written the second book and am now at work on the third.
Happy Reading!
-Melly
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