Award-winning author Roxanne Troup writes kids books that inspire wonder and celebrate family. She is the author of more than two dozen books for kids, including My Grandpa, My Tree, and Me (which was named Book of the Year by the Ag Foundation) and Reaching for the Stars: A Mission to Space. When she's not writing, Roxanne loves hiking with her family, gazing at stars, and exploring our amazing world through stories.
Website: www.roxannetroup.com
Social Media: @RoxanneTroup
Twitter/X: https://x.com/RoxanneTroup
1. How did you begin your journey as an author?
I’ve always been good at writing but, as a young person, I never considered turning that into a profession. (I actually studied to become an early education teacher.) After my children were born, I began freelancing writing as a way to supplement our household income and stumbled upon the kidlit industry. The lightbulb went off. I could do something I was good at (writing), incorporate what I went to school to do (teach), and still stay home with my kids!
2. Who was your favorite author when you were a child? Why?
I don’t know if I had a favorite author. I was (and still am) a voracious reader, but I never read based on the author’s name. At the library, I choose whatever looked interesting that I hadn’t yet read. If I couldn’t find something interesting, I knew I had a plethora of my favorite books at home. (We didn’t have a lot of money, but my parents always bought books!)
3. Do you ever struggle to come up with your next project? Or do you have lots of ideas and find it a challenge to narrow down your ideas?
As a freelancer, I don’t always have that luxury. I’m usually on a deadline for someone else’s project. For my own books, I have lots of story ideas, but don’t always know which ones will make the best books. Most of the time I just have to start writing to figure that out. When I get stuck, I put it away and move on to something else. (Which explains all the half-finished stories sitting on my hard drive!) Occasionally, I’ll have an epiphany and come back to an old story. I may add a new line or finish the first draft, but then it’s back to deadlines.
4. Where did you get the idea for this book? What was your inspiration?
In late 2019, shortly after I learned about NASA’s new Artemis program, I thought it would be fun to celebrate all we’ve learned about space, commemorate a woman landing on the moon, and “countdown” along with NASA’s launch—but mostly commemorate a woman landing on the moon. Since I’ve always loved looking at the stars to find different constellations, it felt like a fit.
5. What was the most challenging thing you faced while researching and writing this book?
The most challenging aspect of this story becoming a book actually happened after acquisitions. Originally, I wrote the story as a rhyming, numbered countdown highlighting different elements of space/space exploration. It was titled “Countdown to Space.” Shortly before it went to printing (after illustrations, etc.) the editor who acquired the manuscript left my publisher. Our new editor had a different vision for the story and asked for sweeping changes to the book’s structure and storyline—without changing the art. It took a bit of creative maneuvering (and some help from a writing friend), but I was able to adjust the couplets and spread order to match their vision (which included dropping the countdown). Only now we needed a new title—but that is a different discussion.
6. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with?
I hope kids reading the book are encouraged to dream big—never giving up on their dreams. But also, to not be afraid of a little course-correction. NASA does it all the time!
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