Author Spotlight: Vivian McInerny

Photo Credit: Brianna Baggett




July 30, 2021

We are excited to feature author Vivian McInerny and her debut picture book The Whole Hole Story illustrated by Ken Lamug (Versify Jan. 2021)

Enter to win a copy!




Tell us about yourself and how you came to write for children.

When my children were young, I filled blank books with words and drawings about our everyday life. My artistic talents never developed beyond doodle stage but the kids got a kick out of reading about their extra-ordinary days. Like the time my little girl took off her swimsuit and discovered she had tiger stripe tan marks. Or my tween “sang on Broadway,” literally belted out show tunes on the busy city street. Or when we baked “rich” cupcakes imbedded with coins for April Fools’ Day. The joke was on us because the dog scarfed down the baked goods and “made change” for days!

At bedtime, instead of reading, sometimes we’d make up our own stories. The stories evolved. My now grown-up daughters remain my best beta readers.

Congrats on your debut picture book, The Whole Hole Story! Tell us about the story and what inspired you.

Thank you! The Whole Hole Story is about an inventive little girl named Zia who discovers a hole in her pocket and imagines all its possibilities from a fishing hole to an elephant trap and a tunnel to the other side of the world. Zia envisions the hole bigger, deeper, full of water, turned on its side, and rolled downhill. It’s an adventure full of silly word play. I hope inspires creativity and smiles.

Was your road to publication long and winding, short and sweet, or something in between?

My road to publishing was either a breeze or an arduous mountainous trek depending on my mood, ha. I started writing professionally in my twenties as a journalist. Deadlines are a kind of muse!

I covered the fashion beat which led in all directions. I followed doctors into the operating room. (Not for the squeamish!) I wrote stories about a young shoe designer as he moved from Oregon to New York to Italy. And I cried writing about his death from AIDS. I attended fashion week in New York twice a year as it morphed from a glorified trade show to a celebrity-packed gala and had the chance to talk to Beyonce, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Legend and enjoyed in-depth interviews with Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, and so many more. So I’ve been writing for just short of forever.

Before I submitted The Whole Hole Story, I applied all my  reporter skills to research agents and meticulously tailored every pitch. I received lots of nibbles but nothing solid. I put the manuscript away for years, rewrote it, re-researched, resubmitted, over and over again. In case you didn’t know — agents are always slammed.

Then I read a few articles about author Kwame Alexander  who was developing a new imprint with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He had a vision and exuded an energy I admired. Even though I didn’t exactly fit his wishlist, I went with my instincts and sent it to him anyway. A young editor pulled it from the slush pile and made an offer a month later.

Tell us about the illustrator.

I love Ken Lamug's work! He provided several character sketches and the Versify team weighed in, kept me in the loop, and asked for feedback. It was a thoughtful, engaging, and positive process. I’m so grateful for that! And I think Zia is adorable.

The book released during peak Pandemic which meant no book store appearances, no live signings, no IRL school visits. But I now have an intimate relationship with Zoom. Someday maybe we’ll marry. It will be a simple ceremony.


What projects are you working on?

I always have multiple projects going at once, a habit from my newsroom days. I have three picture book manuscripts and a YA novel ready to go. I also write fiction and nonfiction for adults published in small literary journals, and I continue to write personal essays for online and print publications. Balancing several books and articles at once means if  I get stuck on one thing, I can jump to another. That’s either brilliant strategizing or expert-level procrastination.


What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

All the cliches! Read, read, read, write, then rewrite.


What is one thing most people don't know about you?

I was once adventurous. At age 18, I traveled overland through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to Nepal. I wrote letters home but didn’t see my family for more than three years. I met my Welsh husband in India.

We’re still together. 


Where can people find you online

Facebook: VivianMcInernyAuthor

Twitter: @VivianMac

Instagram @VivianMac

Ello: https://ello.co/vivianmcinerny



Vivian McInerny is an author and independent journalist in Portland, OR. She’s a Fishtrap Fellow and Metropolitan Arts Commission grant recipient for fiction. Her short stories are published in several literary print anthologies including 805 Lit+Art, Dunes Review, Cardiff Review,  and Literature for Life, an online curriculum aid for underserved schools in Los Angeles.




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Comments

  1. Book looks great, my twins would love it!

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  2. I love silly wordplay! The Whole Hole Story sounds like fun.

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    1. At one point, a skeptical snake suspects a tall tale and he is "not much more than a tail himself." I was born to write corn!

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    1. Ken brought so much life to his illustrations.

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  4. This looks so cute. I would love a copy for my classroom library!

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    1. I had the chance to make a couple virtual classroom visits and got such a kick out of the kids' perspectives. Some wrote and illustrated their own hole stories! Teachers are inventive creatives.

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  5. This looks like such a fun book! Congratulations, Vivian!

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    1. Thank you! I hope people think it's a fun read that sparks imaginative thinking.

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  6. Love the title. Holes are always subject to a discovery and Zia found a hole to explore. Great plot. Congrats to you and more to come...

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    1. I've heard adult readers explain the difference between "hole" and "whole" to their young listeners and give other examples of other homophones. A challenging lesson I think and reminder why English is to two too difficult!

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  7. This idea is so clever and fun. I admire this author's imagination. Congratulations on your book!

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    1. Danielle, thank you for that! I love books that encourage creative thinking and hope this one does.

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    1. Wonderful! I have a follow up that I hope will soon be picked up by a publisher!

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  9. I must think about what is in MY pockets :-) this book looks awesome, congrats!

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    1. In mine: Phone. Keys. Endless possibilities. Thank you!

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  10. I love a good pun like in this title.

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    1. Me, too! I have an uncle who wrote Catholic mysteries with titles including Nun of the Above and Let Us Prey so maybe it's genetic?

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  11. Wow! Looks and sounds great! Congratulations!

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    1. Thank you! The American Library Association gave it a starred review which makes me very happy. A librarian helped me choose my first library books and sent me home with classics.

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  12. This looks like a cute & fun book!

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