Nicole Weaver speaks four languages fluently: English, Creole, French and Spanish. She teaches high school French and Spanish. She is the author of three trilingual books: Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle (2009), My Sister Is My Best Friend (November 2011), and My Brother Is My Best Friend (currently under contract).
Thanks for this interview, Nicole. Tell us, did you always want to be a writer?
No, I did want to be a writer. I had my heart set on being a translator and interpreter for the United Nations. I grew to like languages after learning English as a third language and later learning Spanish. I ended up taking Spanish my final year of high school because I wanted to drop a physics class. My guidance counselor gave me two choices: Stay in physics or replace it with another class. Well, lucky for me, the only class offered during physics was Spanish two honors. Even though I had never studied Spanish before, I took a gamble and switched to Spanish. Thus, began my true love affair with learning languages. Twenty-five years later, that decision has served me well. As a polyglot, I teach high school French and Spanish. Now, I have branched out by writing trilingual children books.
Congratulations on the release of your latest picture book, My Sister Is My Best Friend. What was your inspiration for it?
My newly published book: My Sister Is My Is My Best Friend is a trilingual story about two twin sisters who do everything together. I got inspired to write the story after meeting my half-sister Rachelle in 2008 for the first time.
I was very happy to have met her and sad that we did not grow up together. Since I have a vivid imagination, I began daydreaming about what it would have been liked to grow up with Rachelle. I had a blast writing the book because it helped me sort through some emotional situations. I do believe writing is great therapy for the soul.
Tell us about your children's books.
I have written three trilingual children’s picture book. My first book titled: Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle, My Sister Is My Best Friend, and a third book currently under contract with Guardian
I thought I’d share this sample that came in the mail yesterday. It’s a one-page illustration I did for Highlights magazine, a rebus puzzle, entitled “Best Friends” by Catherine Denton. This was fun to pull together and I particularly enjoy it when I keep the line work loose, clean, and simple.

(Copyright Highlights for Children, 2010)
Below: I usually do my roughs using the layout the art director sends me as a template. I’ve also included a closeup of the area where the main illustration is–the little girl with all the thought bubbles talking to her grandmother.

Some other illustrators I know who have illustrations in the November 2010 issue: Chuck Dillon (2 puzzles!), Holli Conger & Don Tate.
By: 1questionaday,
on 6/27/2010
Blog: One Question A Day
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Teens, Friends, summer, goodbyes, bored, Best Friends, moving, Summer Vacation, Answers, Add a tag
Dear Summer,
If you could just give me a new best friend I’d remember you forever. I don’t usually write letters to seasons but, here’s the thing, you’re the season where I get bored the most and times that by one hundred now that Lindsay’s moved away. And you’re the one I look forward to most of all. And, you’ve really let me down. It’s week two of Summer Vacation. What’s supposed to be golden. What I looked forward to during all of my classes, but mostly in Algebra. When I’m supposed to be having the most fun and I’m sitting cross-legged on my bed, writing in my journal like the biggest dork in DuPage County, with no vacations to look forward to this year because Mom and Dad can’t even afford to send me to camp. Outside my bedroom window, parked right across the street from my house a moving van doesn’t quite block my view of Lindsay’s old house and all afternoon men have moved dark furniture out of the van. I haven’t seen any new people, yet.
I’m crossing my toes and my fingers now. Please, please let my new best friend be the next person I see. A light comes on in Lindsay’s old bedroom. I think I’m hallucinating at first. Like my wish turned the light on. Like the way I clenched my fingers and toes together as tight as I possibly could turned the light on. I jump off my bed, turn out my light and walk to my bedroom window kind of like a burglar might if they wanted to be all quiet and stuff. I stand off to the side of my window so no one would see me from the street, and I peer through the sheer drapes. Try to get a better look at who turned the light on in Lindsay’s bedroom, thinking about all the nights Lindsay and I would use our secret light-on-light off code when our parents took our cell phones away. I whisper out loud, “Please let it be a thirteen year old girl,” over, and over as I lean into the window opening just the tiniest bit more to get a better look into Lindsay’s bedroom.
I stop chanting the minute I see the silhouette. A boy. No. A man? I’m not sure. But, it’s not Lindsay. And in that moment I know what I’d avoided thinking about since Lindsay and I said goodbye for good last week in a kinda rushed don’t-have-time-to-really-say-goodbye-really-rushed-because-her-parents-are-mad way. I’d never have another friend like Lindsay. And I’d probably never, ever see her again.
I sit cross-legged in my bed in the dark, pick up my journal and write my first non-boring thing I’d ever written in one of my dozen journals, Could I ever be best friends with anyone else? Could I ever be best friends with a boy?

0 Comments on Answer: Hang ups as of 1/1/1900

Best friends support each other.
www.sissysparrows.blogspot.com

My dog Amigo interviews the star of Judi McCoy's mystery series, Rudy.
Read the interview on Pets & Their Authors!
Thanks!

At almost three - this is what best friends look like... playing happily side by side, and everyone leaving everyone else's toys alone - actually, I think it is the mommas who are best friends at this age : )
Taken from a text message with my realtor friend:
Realtor: The couple finally landscaped that house I told you about
WDL: Hot. I can't wait to see it!
Realtor: Maybe you can come and see it afterwards and give your opinion. I have to sell it! Tell people about it PLUS its huge and cheap. Like my boobs.
In a random g-cat with my friend Scott (who also happens to be a hot,gay,Jewish librarian), the topic of my celebrity came up. While he usually fosters my delusions of grandeur, today he took a swift kick at my ego blog:
ITW:You're not a celebrity.
WDL: SHUT UP...I am too
ITW: There are no cameras.
You probably just have a cornea disorder and see flashes.
Moral of this blog: I need to see

Anette Heiberg www.wynlen.no
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aww sisters.. I wish I had one
I have a younger sister, very different personalities so not as close knit, but the love is strong.
And look at how you both are so gorgeous, those bright eyes, sparkly smiles and brilliantly wonderful way you pose perfectly together. Your facial features are close in resemblance.
I always wanted a sister. I adore my brother, but thought having a girl in the house to share shoes and hair accessories would have been fun. I too, am blessed with a wonderful family and have acquired some awesome sister-in-laws. They are honestly like my sisters, only we don't look alike.
You two are beautiful!
Have a blessed rest of the A-Z Challenge!
Carrie
Thanks everyone!
Tanisha, sisters are awesome.
Angela, my sister and I are the same, but different. Our personalities are different, but that's what makes our bond so awesome.
Carrie, I have a brother too. He's in between my sis & I. We're all pretty close. Although he's my little brother, he acts like a big brother. Lol. Takes protecting his sisters very seriously.