Welcome the Roaming Reindeer and Positive Reinforcement into Your Family's Holiday Tradition

I have tried to remain true to my word and keep the special story of Roaming Reindeer a secret until the big reveal. With a (insert standard sound effect) drumroll, please! Please give us an introduction to Roaming Reindeer.
Angela Meju- Roaming Reindeer is a story about two of Santa’s reindeer, Gus and Sam, who see that Santa is overwhelmed with the naughty and nice lists for Christmas. They decide to help Santa by visiting girls and boys. Sam is saddened and runs away whenever he sees someone being naughty. Gus and Sam decide to work together, side by side, to visit each home. Whenever Sam runs away, he should report to Santa, while Gus sticks around to keep watch. When they run out of time to visit all of the rest of the children, the two reindeer decide to enlist their friends in pairs of two to help. They create a system for Reindeer 1 disappear to report to Santa about behavior, while Reindeer 2 sticks around. All of the reindeer leave on Christmas Eve to help Santa deliver the gifts.

That's such a brilliant idea! What exactly was your inspiration to write this adorable children's book?

Angela Meju- My children were just starting to understand the concept of Santa Claus, and I wanted to write a Christmas book they would enjoy reading year after year.

Congratulations on Roaming Reindeer's success and creating a lasting tradition for your family and so many other families to enjoy. How did Reindeer 1 and Reindeer 2 plush reindeer make their way into the homes of families along with the story book?

Angela Meju- We’ve tried other Christmas book traditions in our home and felt that they didn’t exactly cater to our schedules, and didn’t reinforce any positive behavior for children. I know that children tend to be visual learners, so I wanted to create cute, lovable reindeer who were visually identified as being together as a pair. Children associate 1 and 2 together, so if Reindeer 1 has disappeared, it is more of a visual reminder that the two aren’t together. I think that this allows children to be consciously aware of their behavior, while also teaching them about cause and effect. For children with siblings, it is a great tool for working together.

As a parent, I am very supportive of positive behavior reinforcement. How does your family incorporate Roaming Reindeer into your holiday traditions?

Angela Meju- Well, my children were exposed to “Gus” and “Sam” (that’s what our Reindeer 1 and 2 are named) very early on—long before Christmas. Our Reindeer 1 and 2 do a lot of travelling, so we have a lot of pictures of them in various (and sometimes random) locations. My children LOVE to play with the reindeer but we officially start our Reindeer countdown after Thanksgiving.

Family traditions are very important. Are there any other holiday traditions your family has?

It is a big event in our family to take pictures with Santa. We actually give out holiday mugs to family members each year with pictures of our kids with Santa.

Your family has very much embraced "Gus" and "Sam". What is your hope for other children to gain from their experience with their own Roaming Reindeer?

Roaming Reindeer is not a tool for punishment, it’s an activity to help promote positive behavior. My hope is that children have fun playing with the reindeer and see them as friends who want to stick together. I’ve had parents joke with me saying that they want their reindeer to stick around all year long. My hope is that children will continue with these habits of teamwork and great behavior throughout the year.

Can you share advice to new authors from your research and experiences writing and publishing Roaming Reindeer? What was your favorite part of the writing process?

A lot. The children’s book industry is so competitive. To have a book published and be taken seriously, you have to read and know your market. It’s also important to have an experienced editor and illustrations that will help to tell your story. My favorite part of the writing process was getting to know the characters and their personalities as I was writing. The best feeling was seeing the illustrations and allowing the characters to come to life.

I am sure that many of your new fans are wondering if you have plans on writing other books in the future?

Angela Meju- Possibly….”wink, wink”

Please share how we can keep in contact with you for more information on Roaming Reindeer.

More information and the book are both available at www.roamingreindeer.com and on Amazon.