Featured In The Gaurdian Witness! Plus, representing underrepresented characters.

https://witness.theguardian.com/assignment/53636472e4b08a82d90e008c/966982

Destiny and Faith love to explore and love to learn. But there's something else that makes these girls and their friends unique. They are rare in children's books.

"Mixed race twins go on a ghost hunt, accompanied by a friend who happens to be deaf. Lots of fun, with useful ghost hunting hints plus a sign language diagram." is how Destiny And Faith's Summer Adventures is described on the GuardianWitness site, submitted by Magiciansfire.

Why were the twins featured on this website. Because they are the answer to a question that many readers have been asking. Why aren't there more characters like me?

Not too long ago there was a huge Twitter campaign with the hashtag #weneeddiversebooks and many Tweeters sent in reasons why they think we need more diverse books!

The Guardian's campaign has extended to include #diversifyyourshelves and is having people send in their books with underrepresented characters.


You can see a list of their featured diverse books here.

https://witness.theguardian.com/assignment/53636472e4b08a82d90e008c

You can visit my friend Magiciansfire here.
 

The Inspiration Behind My Art Style

 

    To be perfectly honest with you, when I started out at the beginning of the long, winding road of becoming an author, I had no intention of illustrating my own books. None. I honestly did not believe I was good enough. And I think every artist is doubtful of there own work at some point in time. You just have to keep pressing forward.

Well, when it all came down to it, I ended up illustrating my own book because one of my own biggest influence's suggested it. My mom told me that I should illustrate my own books. At first I was still hesitant. Not because I didn't want to. But because of that little voice in the back of my mind.

That one that enjoys my grimace whenever it gets the chance to whisper, "You're just not quite good enough!"

But good enough by whose standards? I shared my illustrations with my circle who approved. And it was decided. I illustrated Destiny And Faith Go To Twincentric Academy myself.

 

Some people think the book's illustrations are great. Some don't think much of them at all. They are not "beautifully painted" or "masterfully created". They were simply sketched in a sketchbook. But why?

 

Some of my favorite reads as a kid included what I like to call "primitive" style sketches. I would stare at them for hours before trying to copy them. If these people could "sketch in books", why couldn't I?

 

Once of my major influences toward Destiny and Faith's style was, believe it or not, Ramona Quimby.

 

 

Louis Darling's illustrations of Ramona and her friends and family were rough and comical, exactly as I believed a chapter book illustration should be! And despite the fact that it is not a style many people would call a masterpiece, it fit Beverly Cleary's characters perfectly!

And isn't that the point of illustrating a book? To capture the character? Their personality, their essence, their humor, their overall being.

I think so.

One of the things I loved about Louis Darling's illustrations and the illustrations that I found inside many chapter books for kids was the fact that they looked like they had been sketched into the book.

Illustrators like Darling, who dared to sketch in their own unique style, are what truly inspired my artwork!

So if you are thinking about doing something, and you just keep hearing that little nagging voice in the back of your head, "You're just not good enough!" Ignore that voice! Go out and try it!

You just might find that you're better than you think!

Why Are Destiny And Faith Biracial?

A few days ago a fan asked me the million dollar question. Okay, maybe it's not a million dollar question, but it's definitely one worth answering. 

Why are Destiny and Faith biracial?

I could answer this in many ways. I choose this one.

I was eight. I wasn't popular. Most of the kids didn't even notice my existence. I still remember the day clearly in my head.

"We're going to be having a new student tomorrow. Her name is Hope. She is going to sit next to Teddy.

I tried to picture Hope in my head. Another kid who would be mean to me. Another kid who would refuse to acknowledge my existence. Another kid who would make fast friends with all the popular kids. Another kid who wouldn't like me.

The next day came and I got to meet my new seat mate.

"Hi, I'm hope," she informed me.

"I'm Teddy," I responded shyly.

She didn't stop talking to me after that. We talked more and more every day, until the teacher eventually separated us. I was never in trouble in class until Hope came along, but I had never had a true friend either.

We spent each recess together, began going back and forth to each other's houses, and were bullied together. For different reasons, though.

I was the weird kid. Hope was biracial. Her mom was white and her dad was black. Due to her race, Hope spent a lot of time being caught in the middle. She wasn't quite white enough...or quite black enough. She was forced to choose role models who were outside her "race".

We spent a lot of time writing and drawing. I would illustrate her stories, and we would dream up new ideas together. One of these ideas would be Fillie and Lillie, the inspirations behind Destiny and Faith.

We talked about the twins a lot. When we were eighteen I realized that I needed to settle on a look if I was every going to publish a book about them. We mulled over a couple different options. 

"I want to make them biracial," I decided.

"Are you sure?" Hope asked.

"Yeah, I want to make them biracial like you. I want biracial kids to have role models. And be able to read books about other biracial kids. The book doesn't have to be about being biracial."

"It might be controversial," Hope warned me.

"That's okay," I told her.

And that is the short story behind why Destiny and Faith are biracial. 

Because biracial kids need role models too. 

Because not every main character has to be white, or even black. 

Because biracial children do exist. In fact, there are lots of them.

Because even if you're not biracial, you can still read about and have fun with biracial characters.

Because they just are.

Faith rocks her natural curls.

Book Signing And Release!

I will be doing a book signing on release on December, 14, 2013. I will have copies of my newest book Destiny And Faith's Summer Adventures as well as a few copies of Tell Me How You Say Good Night and Destiny And Faith Go To Twincentric Academy in case anybody hasn't read the first book yet!

I will be willing to sign any book you buy or any book (that I wrote) that you bring in. Feel free to take bring your cellphone cameras for pictures.

Link to the facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/726226077390051/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

First Chapter Excerpt From Destiny And Faith Go To Twincentric Academy

Teddy O'Malley

Destiny And Faith

Go To

Twincentric Academy

First Edition

Copyright © Teddy O'Malley

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 1

The Academy

“Destiny! Faith! I have something important to tell you girls!” my mother called from downstairs.

“What do you think she wants?” I asked.

Faith shrugged. “I just hope it's not something I did. Race?”

“Yeah!” I agreed. Faith and I raced down the stairs. She won only because she cheated.

“Girls, please sit.” Mom pointed to the chairs. Our four-year-old sister Olive sat near her, crashing her toy airplane into her muffin.

“Your father and I have made an important decision. We wanted to let you girls know about it and see what your thoughts and opinions are.”

Faith and I turned and gave each other an “uh-oh” look. When Mom wanted our thoughts and opinions it usually meant something not-so-good was coming up like her deciding to send us to our old Aunt Hazel's house.

The only thing Aunt Hazel let us eat was chocolate chip pancakes. I love chocolate but that was a little too much pancake for me!

Mom must not have known how to word it because she simply pushed a brochure towards Faith and me.

The headline read

Twincentric Academy

Where twins reign supreme!

I grabbed the brochure, opened it and read, “Give your twins the benefits they deserve. Twins are not like singletons. They have special twin needs. Our school supports important twin issues such as twin bonding, twin telepathy, and twin development. No other school pays special attention to twins like Twincentric does!”

“What do you think, girls?” Mom asked.

Before Faith and I could give our opinions she threw in, “I have already enrolled you girls for second grade in Twincentric so I hope you'll like it.”

“I don't know,” we both said. We looked at each other, both of us contemplating a school that paid special attention to twinship. It was true our first school did not.

There teachers had made a few attempts to separate us. They even asked us to “please stop dressing alike”.

~End of Excerpt~

You can also download a PDF copy of the excert from my website.
http://www.teddyomalley.weebly.com

You can purchase Destiny And Faith Go To Twincentric Academy on Amazon too!