Ms. Janie interviews the author of "Heartfelt stories about Beanie Babies and those who collect" http://www.heartfeltstories.com

As the author of (The Beanie Invasion) I understand the difficulties that plague writers when trying to publish a book. " The work hours are endless and the stress is enormous".

I have had the pleasure of working with a very talented individual. I have found her to be honest, conscientious and loyal.
Please allow me to introduce you to my friend and the author of "Heartfelt stories about Beanie Babies and those who collect" (Pam Knapp)

Please provide a bio on yourself.
I have been a freelance writer for more than twenty years. I have written both feature and news articles for local newspapers and area magazines. For a few years, I worked as a newspaper correspondent for The New Haven Register, reporting news from a local community. I also work full-time as a Business Office Manager/Personnel Manager in a small health care facility in Connecticut. Between working full-time, and freelance writing, I am always busy!

I am 45 years old and live in Connecticut on the shore with my husband, Bob Schwall, and my wonderful 150 pound dog, Max. Max is a shepherd/collie who is the smartest and sweetest dog on earth.

Your collection of stories in "Heartfelt stories about Beanie Babies and those who collect" are very moving. What inspired you to gather the stories and publish the book?
I had been collecting Beanies since December 1997. It wasn't long after I started collecting when I noticed I simply was happy all the time, no matter what events were happening around me. I used to always let everything bother me, whether it was a bad day at work, or just the typical headaches of life.
I am one of those Type A personalities who is hard on myself, and "stress" became my middle name! But suddenly, I was just feeling so happy, and so focused on my Beanie hunting, that nothing got to me any more. I felt less anxiety, less worry, less stressed. I think that the focus on Beanies made me step outside of "me" and the fun of collecting just changed me - forever. Not long after the collecting bug hit, I started planning a Beanie Baby show with a neighborhood friend. We had a ball staging the show, which took, place June 14, 1998. We loved every minute of it. It was at the show when a customer told me she had quit smoking to keep her Beanies in a "smoke-free" home. I mentioned this to my husband later that evening. And he replied, "Well, if Beanies have made you so happy and stress-free, and that woman at the show quit smoking, maybe there are others out there who are experiencing wonderful life changes too. You should find out." And that was the idea that sparked the flame for this book. I posted a survey on AOL, at Beanie Mom, and at Beanie Philes. In less than a month, I had received 500 letters from people who wanted to share the wonderful life changes they had been celebrating. I realized I was not alone in this magical phenomenon of change. The reporter in me had to chronicle this amazing "side effect" of collecting Beanies!
Also, there was so much negative press about the secondary market, the haggling, the scams, etc. - I wanted to show the wonders of what Beanies can do for people. The stories were so remarkable, I just knew they had to be shared with others.

Is this the first published book you have ever been affiliated with? If
not, please provide titles of other offers.
This is my very first book, but hopefully, not my last. Writing has always been my passion and I think there might be another one in me!

How long did it take for you to gather all of your material?
The survey yielded a tremendous response from Beanie collectors. I received letters from nearly all 50 states, and from as far away as Australia and England.
I received the bulk of the letters in less than a month, and then every now and then I would get yet another letter. To this day, people continue to send me letters about the wonderful changes Beanies have brought to their lives. I love receiving these letters and I really do treasure them as much as I do my Beanie collection. So the material was gathered and reviewed, stories were selected for the book, my Introduction and Epilogue were written, etc., etc., and basically, the material was ready to go into printing production after about six months. The actual production of the book (design, copy-editing, revisions, proofreading, printing, etc.) took another nine months.

Please share any struggles you may have encountered while compiling your data?
I'm afraid there isn't enough space to print all of the struggles I had! One of the earliest and biggest, was e-mailing nearly 200 people to inform them that their stories had been selected for publication. Next, I had to e-mail permission forms to all to confirm authorization to print the stories. This took a very long time to accomplish, and last Thanksgiving, I worked through the holiday to get to these people. Unfortunately, I could not locate each and every contributor I wished to publish. Some were no longer available online. I even hired a private investigator to locate five people who had remarkable stories. He managed to find one of them for me! I was thrilled he found this woman because her story is a special one.

Was there any one particular story, which captured your attention the most?
This is almost impossible to answer. So many of the stories touched me so. To be honest, I would not be able to pick a favorite. There are stories about how mothers sacrifice for their families, how fathers go to the end of the earth to fill a child's wish, stories of courage in the face of illness, stories of accomplishments, stories about moving on after the loss of a loved one, stories that share innermost secrets and feelings that otherwise would never have been shared if not for the love of Beanie Babies. What amazes me most about the contributors is their openness to share emotions, tragedies and joys with a "virtual" online stranger. So many of these people are now my friends, and we communicate frequently by e-mail. And another amazing thing is that the contributors wrote such beautiful stories. It proved to me that everyone can write well, if he or she writes from the heart. Some of the stories are simply poetic! So, I wish I could say I had a favorite, but I truly love them all, each and every one.

If Ty Warner picked up your book and read it, what would you hope for him to feel?
I would hope that Ty Warner would read my book because it serves as the ultimate compliment to him for creating such a phenomenal product that has actually changed lives for the better. I wonder if he even realizes the full impact of his Beanie Babies. I know there has been a lot of press about how Beanies help so much at charity fund-raisers, and help motivate children to learn, and help in the hospital nurseries. But does he know that a young woman with social anxiety has managed to come out of her shell? Does he know that a mother found strength to get through chemotherapy? Could he ever imagine that his product has brought estranged siblings together? I would hope that Ty Warner would read the book and feel proud of what he has done for people. As I say in the book, this is the documentation of the true legacy of Beanie Babies. Forget their values - they are priceless to me and many others.

How does your book compare to other Beanie publications?
My book is not a price guide so it is very different from most of the publications, which focus on monetary values of the Beanies. Price guides are great for those wanting to know the values of their collections, so they certainly have a place in the market. Your book, The Beanie Invasion, is the only book that historically documents the beginning of this great phenomenon.
I consider my book a documentation of the sociological and cultural impact Beanies have made. My book is really about people as much as it is about Beanie Babies. And its message is universal. So if one is interested in really knowing about this era of Beanies, they should read The Beanie Invasion and Heartfelt Stories About Beanie Babies..!

Your book is inspiring and uplifting, would it be possible to share an excerpt from the book to give potential buyers a feel for its content?

My Name Is Jennifer, and Here's My Story. . . .
Surprisingly, my family started collecting Beanie Babies only about a year ago.
Sure, my sister Jayne had a few before that (her children are crazy for them), but we really started collecting when my mother, Sue, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was diagnosed on her birthday (October 18, 1997), and we found we needed something to obsess about other than the cancer. We had a plan-she was to receive one Beanie for every chemotherapy and every radiation treatment she underwent. We stuck to the plan, and the Beanies truly brightened her every day. Six months of chemo and 33 radiation treatments later, she's doing fine and has more than 100 different Beanies (each cherished and peeking out of some corner in her home). It was a highly emotional ordeal (to say the least), but we were able to get through by concentrating on the happier things in life, like the joys of collecting something that can instantly bring you back to childhood. My mother took a different Beanie to treatment each time she went, and the staff just loved it.
The treatments were tough, but she never complained; she would say she was "just in it for the Beanies." She was tired and we knew it, but she never lost her sparkle. My mother is the strongest, wisest, and kindest person I know. She is and always will be an inspiration to us all.
Amazingly, just after my mother finished her last treatment (her "graduation"), my grandmother Alleene (my father's mother) was diagnosed with breast cancer as well. My mother is helping her through it with much love and a little counseling (from someone who really knows what she's going through). And guess what Grandma's started collecting?
Jennifer Fredstrup
Age 29
Gilroy, California

Now that your dream has become reality, will you write a second edition?
That's a good question. I would only consider it if I received hundreds more letters that related stories that are very different from those already published. I would not exclude the possibility, but I am not sure at this point. Time will tell.

Please provide website information along with book price and add any extra comments.
My web site offers a glimpse of the book, as well as a place to order it online or offline. I am hoping this is the place people will turn to when they have a story to share. I am presently running a contest, which offers the winner Britannia, and Millennium! To enter, one must submit a story about how Beanie Babies have changed his/her life, or the lives of others they know. The story considered to be the most original will be chosen as the winner, and it will be published at the site March 1. The contest entry deadline is December 31.
Then we will begin a different contest in January. t

http:p://www.heartfeltstories.com

The book may be ordered toll-free by calling 1-888-568-3777. Price is $9.95. - Please note that any orders placed online at the website receive a 15% discount. Also, the book is available in major chain bookstores.

I would like to thank Pam for this interview and for publishing what I believe to be one of the best Beanie Publications ever offered.
We have all heard the saying (a picture say's a thousand words) in this case, (word's, feelings and actual experiences, say it all).
I have read the entire book; many chapters brought tears to my eyes.
If you have ever wondered why so many people are attached to this hobby, I encourage you to read this book and get a true eye opening experience.
Congratulations to Pam and the contributing writers for such a heartfelt publication.

Copyright 2004 All rights reserved.