Gale Leach is the author of four books, of which her three children’s books about a caterpillar named Bruce have earned the Mom’s Choice Award®!

After retiring from her own company that focused on writing, editing, and desktop publishing for biotechnology companies, she moved to Arizona with her husband. There, she and her husband fell in love with the sport of pickle ball! This silly-named sport combines tennis and badminton into a fun activity that’s fun for everyone, from children to seniors. It also inspired Gale to write her first book, called [amazon_link id=”0981462987″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Art of Pickle Ball[/amazon_link].

After writing her pickle ball book, Gale really wanted to write fiction! She started writing [amazon_link id=”1937083004″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bruce and the Road to Courage[/amazon_link] in 2006, but due to being busy and unsure of how to proceed, it took her 5 years until the book was fully complete. After finishing her first children’s fiction book, she knew it was the path for her. She has now written [amazon_link id=”1937083101″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bruce and the Road to Honesty[/amazon_link] and [amazon_link id=”1937083128″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Bruce and the Road to Justice[/amazon_link], all three of which are Mom’s Choice Award® winners!

Please welcome Gale to the Spotlight!

MCA: Welcome to the spotlight Gale! Can you please tell us about what motivated you to create your Bruce series for middle-grade readers (ages 9 to 12)?
Gale: I always wanted to write novels, but I needed to find the right premise in order to get started. When I came up with the idea of a caterpillar who is afraid to become a butterfly because he’s afraid of heights, I knew I’d found a character I could love, and Bruce’s story followed easily. 

MCA: Now that you have three award-winning books, what are your goals for the next year?
Gale: I’ve started a new series of books for children and adults. These will be fantasy of a different kind, with the world as we know it and a magical world colliding.

MCA: Please name three ways your Mom’s Choice Award® will help you attain your goals.
Gale: Being able to say I am an “award-winning” writer is huge, and the prestige of the Mom’s Choice Award® should help bolster sales of my existing books and may steer readers to them.

MCA: Can you share with us what you learned about yourself as a writer in creating your award-winning book?
Gale: I discovered that stories often lead you in directions that are different from what you’d planned, and it’s best to let them have their way. The characters know where they want to go.

Gale signing books at a school

MCA: Since launching your book, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Gale: My first children’s book, Bruce and the Road to Courage, was the first reading assignment in a fifth-grade classroom in California.

After a few days of reading it aloud, the mother of a girl who had never enjoyed reading called the teacher, asking what book was being read, because her daughter kept talking about it and wanted her mother to buy her a copy.

Having children tell you they want to read because of your books is an incredible thing. Another wonderful memory is when a boy wrote and told me that, after reading my book, he is no longer afraid to stand up for himself and be who he is.

MCA: That is an excellent story to hear, Gale! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

[amazon_link id=”1937083004″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Bruce and the Road to Courage
by Gale Leach
Juvenile Level 2
2012 Silver – Fantasy, Myths, & Legends

[amazon_link id=”1937083101″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Bruce and the Road to Honesty
by Gale Leach
Juvenile Level 2
2012 Silver – Series

[amazon_link id=”1937083128″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Bruce and the Road to Justice
by Gale Leach
Juvenile Level 2
2012 Silver – Fantasy, Myths, & Legends

Contact, Connect, and Network with Gale

The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.