Children's Book Author Interview with Cydnee Brady of Undercover Elf

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When did you become a children’s book author?

Undercover Elf is my first children’s book, so I guess I became an author in the last
couple of years. It still feels a little strange to have a book out there with my name on it.

Do you have a writing background?

I have never really been an “official” writer. I have always enjoyed making up little
stories, songs, or poems, but rarely did I write them down. It took a lot of
encouragement from others to get this story written!

How did you come up with the story?

When my daughter was five, I wove this tale of being a secret elf, and showed her my
own “elf ear.” I didn’t really think much more of it, but when her brother was born a
month later, she immediately noticed his elf ear. Over time, the story just grew from
questions they would ask, and ways that they would try to discover if my identity was
real, and to discover the truth about Santa. Each part of the book comes from an actual
question or discussion we had during their childhood.

How did you come up with the character?

Growing up, I had/have what my mother called a “pixie ear,” or an “elf ear.” The elf-
point is hard to see, it is on the inside of the edge of the ear and not the outside. So, the
character is based on a reflection of my activities as an undercover Elf.

How do you select names for your characters?

In the book, Undercover Elf doesn’t tell anyone her name. In reality, her Elf-name is
Sugarfoot. This is a nod to my mother-in-law, as that is my father-in-law’s nickname for
her. Her name may come out if I write future stories!

Did you hire an illustrator or do the illustrations yourself?

I hired an illustrator, and he did the black-and white drawings. My grandsons and I then
took the pictures and hand-colored each of them, to give the effect of the pictures
coming from a child’s perspective.

Are you self-published or published through a publishing company?

​This book is self-published. I worked with BookBaby, and they were a terrific partner in
getting this book into print!

From the day you came up with the idea for the story until you were holding your published book
in your hand, how long did it take you to complete this book?

About twenty-five years! That is when the idea for the story began, but I did not realize
that it would turn into an actual book. From the time I decided to write a book, it took
about three years for me to get it into publication.

What made you want to publish a children's book?

Friends and family have heard the story verbally for so long, I finally took them up on
their suggestion that the story would make a great children’s Christmas story. I had
been thinking of writing the story down for a long time, but when Covid-19 hit, this
became a “pandemic project” for me.

What is one thing you wish you knew before beginning your book publishing journey?

I wish I had known how much work went into the project AFTER the writing was done. It feels now that the writing was the easy part.

Any tips for future children’s book authors?

The best tip I think is to tell future authors to get past their fear. The idea of publishing a book – and putting yourself out into the world for others to critique – is daunting, at least it was for me. Getting past the worry of being rejected was a hard step for me. Also, enlist people to help you, especially with marketing after the book is published. There are so many options out there, it is hard to know which way to go. But, if you have some good people in your corner, you can do anything.

What is the best reaction from a reader, so far?

​I have been so fortunate (so far!) to have received wonderful feedback and reviews on
this book. Almost everyone sees it as a fun, whimsical story, which is meant to get kids
excited about Christmas, and the magic of Santa. That being said, my best reaction was
from the beta version that I did in 2020 – one gentleman had a copy of the book and
called me to complain about it. He said his grandchild asked him to read it to her
EVERY NIGHT, and he wished she would just let him read a different book for one day.
It isn’t often that you get a complaint that makes you smile and feel happy inside!

What is something you’d like people to take away from your book(s)?

As I tell my kids and grandkids – the magic of Santa is real. The magic of the holiday,
and the teamwork that goes into making Christmas a success is based on love and
caring for others. That is an important feeling that we should carry with us all year.

Where do you get ideas for your stories?

​This story really came along by accident, to be honest. I don’t have an actual process or
history of coming up with ideas! If I write something for someone, I try to make it
lighthearted and a bit funny, when I can.

What's your writing process like?

Fairly haphazard, more of when a feeling or idea hits me, I’ll jot down some notes and
then try to turn it into something later on.

Do you have any other books in the works?

​Undercover Elf has been known to have to step in and help both the Tooth Fairy and
the Easter Bunny in a pinch. It is very possible that some of those adventures may show
up in a book soon!

I am planning (hoping) to publish an Undercover Elf coloring book next year, and to find a way to sell the main book and coloring book as a set. I think that would be another way that kids can enjoy the story.

What does literary success look like to you?

Literary success, to me, is knowing that your story has made someone smile. That they
have enjoyed your words, and they have something new to look for in the world.

Do you read all of the book reviews you receive?

​So far, yes, I have read them all. As this is still very new, I have been able to keep up
with them all. It would be great if one day there were so many reviews that I couldn’t
possibly keep up with them!

What was the hardest thing about getting your book published?

As I mentioned before the hardest thing was getting over the fear of “what if no one likes it?” After I got past that, it was a matter of researching the options and considering which path would be the best to take. So far, I believe I have chosen well, I am proud of the way the book looks and it has been a great experience. I have learned far more about the publishing and marketing world than I ever imagined!

What is your favorite children's book(s) of all time?

​Growing up, I loved the Nancy Drew mysteries. I would save up my allowance and get
the new books as soon as I could pay for them. When my kids were little, my favorite
series was Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter books. We had the best time looking for the
grasshopper and spider on each page. The stories had a good message, and kept the
kids engaged.