A Rainy Day With Her Son Inspired This NYC Mom to Become an Author

Grace McCaffrey loved reading to her 4-year-old son. Before inspiration struck, she was just like any other mom. She lived in Manhattan with her son, Finn, her husband, and her dog. She worked full-time as a strategic partnerships executive at Fragment Media Group. She studied at University of Rhode Island, earning a BA in communication and media studies. She always wanted to be a writer, but never really knew what she wanted to do with the hobby.

When she noticed Finn had a hard time having a good day in bad weather, and many other “toddler grievances” like that, it inspired her to write a story. That story became McCaffrey’s first book, Knox & the Magic Raindrops, to be released on May 27.

You’re new to this world of children’s literature. For those who are curious, can you tell us a little about you and the inspiration behind the story?

[This book] is definitely a long time coming, in terms of just writing in general. I’ve always wanted to do something with writing, and I actually took a poetry course about a year ago to sort of just figure out what I wanted to do, and it really inspired something in me. I started writing short-form rhymes and poetry, and that’s where I wrote Knox & the Magic Raindrops.

I never thought that I would be a children’s author. I always did want to be a writer. I always thought I’d be writing in a different format, but I have a son and I love kids and forming these worlds [for them], so it kind of felt kismet in a way.

I work in advertising and marketing, business development, that sort of world. I’ve always focused on that, and writing was just a hobby, that thing on the side. And then, I kind of wanted to just do a little bit more with it, and that’s how it all came together.

You talked about how you always saw yourself maybe being a writer, but that children’s books wouldn’t necessarily be your medium. Did you have any idea as to where this hobby might take you before writing your first book?

Yeah, I think—back when I started college—I thought I would go into journalism. Then, I thought I’d be a novelist. And then, it’s just a million different things. It just evolved. Now it feels so right. All sorts of roads have pointed here, so I’m really happy.

Where did the idea for Knox come from?

My son. He’s particularly interested in books that rhyme. And, of course, at that age there’s lots of frustrations and different phases—things that not only frustrate, but enrage. [I wanted to] find ways to make those things fun or funny. I would also bounce my ideas off of him and make it our little project together, which he liked. That was fun, to do some of the rhymes together, and definitely inspired some of the lines.

I know you have a day job, but do you think you’re going to stick with writing? Are you going to stay with children’s books as your genre/niche?

I find more purpose and fulfillment in this sort of work. It’s been a lot of learning, but also excitement, and it’s a whole new world to me. I feel like I wake up every day and learn something new. I have so many ideas for Knox and other stories. I feel very invested in children’s books.

What elements of NYC can local families find in this book?

I did want it to be kind of New York-y. Knox lives in New York, and there’s a nod to Central Park, and just a couple of things like that. Maybe there’s a yellow taxicab in there or something. I did want to have local shout-outs, because I like that when I’m reading with my son. He’ll pick up on things, like, ‘Oh that looks like our neighborhood,’ so just fun little things like that.

More broadly, what can we expect next from you?

I would love to do another Knox story. I do have one written. I don’t know for sure if that’s the next step, but I would love for it to be another Knox adventure. I would love to bring another story for this character to life.

Knox & the Magic Raindrops will be released on May 27. The book is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Bookshop.org, as well as many other major literary retailers.