Today we’d like to introduce you to Annette Czech Kopp.
Hi Annette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I didn’t realize that the Miso Mice had chosen me to chronicle their adventures until recently. I am one of 5 sisters. In March 2020 (think pandemic), one of my sisters began hosting a weekly zooming session for us, which we ended up calling IdleChatter5 (cheaper than therapy!) and even creating a website summarizing all of our chatter! Many of the topics we discussed were about what we termed “The Self Project” – creating our own future selves. We would literally spend up to 3 hours almost every week (and continue to do so now) chattering with each other on our computers. Our conversations ranged from the exchange of what each sister was doing this week, health information, and recipes to discussing time travel, the multiverse, and the questions of “why are we here” and “what are we doing here” (here meaning Earth).
These sessions changed my way of thinking about everything – realizing that I can (as my Miso Mice say) “choose’ndo” (associated with Universe rule #1: everything gets to choose). This attitude and awareness that everything is my choice has totally transformed my life both physically and mentally. I lost 40 lbs. and am now at a healthy weight. I lowered my blood pressure by being consciously aware of what I’m eating, swimming, and walking daily, and incorporating “me time” for reflection, awareness, and gratitude every day. I choose to be and am happy, healthy, and strong!
I wanted to share this information with others – that you can create your own future self, if you want – as it has brought me great joy, but many of the concepts we discussed were very academic (and, to my mind, boring) in nature, although I knew that they were important, as they changed my life. Who wants lectures, and isn’t the whole “self-help, life-changing, reinvention, healthy lifestyle, metaphysical, etc.” concept overdone? Wouldn’t it be great if I could share this information via a story – no lecturing, no homework, no “don’t do this”? My mind began to whirl with the idea of a fun, happy story with wit and sparkle that included whimsical characters, galactic adventures, time travel, energy tools, experiential exercises, and much more that would help “those who are interested” in doing what I did – creating their own future selves?!? I needed to write a story about our IdleChatter5 “Self-Project” discussions – but how? And then I remembered the Miso Mice (see the question on growing up)! Voila – enter the fantasy world in the 🐭 Adventures of the Miso Mice series via the playful, whimsical stories of five very curious, fantastical Miso Mice as they embark on their exciting galactic quests, traveling the Universe and learn how to create their own future selves! Although the themes are adult in nature, they are presented in a fun, fantastical manner with language and pictures that can be understood on many levels by all ages. Books 1: 🐭 Adventures of the Miso Mice; 2: 💫The Quantum Entanglement Party; and 3: 🌈Misos on a Mission are published, and here’s a sneak preview of book 4: 👼Observatory of the Infinite to be published this summer! “The Miso Mice are at it again, this time marshaling an interstellar galactic force (including angels!) from the Observatory of the Infinite to save the Zodiac Girls and universally renowned singing group of orange slices, The Segments, who have been scooped up by Mu Ono, Lepton, a black hole negative energy catcher. Will the Miso Mice arrive in time?” Books 5 & 6 are written but not yet published. (I am actually seeking representation at this time😊.)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am humbled at how smooth the road has been. The stories have been very warmly received. Some of the honors the books have received: Amazon and Goodreads 5-star reviews; a featured “Book of the Day”; nominated for AllAuthor’s “Cover of the Month”; Booklife’s “First Lines”; cover of The Reader Zeen; author interview in Books and Bevies; and book excerpt in Lit eZine.
And I can’t believe that the published books are already in libraries across the world!!! Patrons of California public library systems, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and many more libraries, can request 🐭 Adventures of the Miso Mice books via Hoopla digital or Overdrive/Libby in English, French, and Spanish. All books are also available in digital and/or paperback versions from bookstores, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Hudson Booksellers, Books-A-Million, LA’s The Last Bookstore, and many more independent bookstores through Bookshop.org. And soon all books will be available on Apple Audio Books.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
There is a very specific and simple goal in regard to the 🐭 Adventures of the Miso Mice, and that is to share the information that I learn with “those who are interested” in a simple, clearly understood, whimsical, fun, and entertaining manner. And what is that information? To quote from the book: “Rumor has it that it all started up in the Universe, but that’s not a rumor at all – it’s actually true!… Choices are constantly being made by every THING. That’s Universe Rule #1: every THING always gets to choose…The choices being made are creating all kinds of wonderful and amazing things. Some of those things that are being created are sparks of light energy that the Universe has nicknamed “sprites,” and they are moving around the Universe all the time, as one of the Universe’s favorite pastimes is creating sprites and experiencing the sprites’ creations. You are one of those sprites!” You are timeless energy with the ability to think, choose and create yourself. You too can “choose’ndo.” You are your own Self Project.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
The idea for the Miso Mice in a way, was actually born many, many years ago as I was growing up. As a child, I wrote and produced plays with my neighborhood elementary school friends using garages as theaters and charging 5 cents for admission (popcorn was free). Although the play and storywriting continued, productions were halted as the producer and actors were lax in putting away everything they had lugged out of houses and into garages! My love of making up stories continued in life, ultimately shared with my 2 sons as they created the Miso Mice eons ago when they were very young. We often spoke together about the Miso Mice – a group of mice that went on interstellar adventures, experiencing wonderful things, learning about themselves, and sharing what they learned with others. Those mice, of course, had superpowers (as doesn’t everyone want a superpower?) and the mice, their friends, and foes were to be pictured on trading cards (similar to the Pokémon trading cards, which were very popular at that time) and if time permitted, a game was to be created associated with the trading cards.
Pricing:
- $11.75 Paperback
- $2.99 Kindle Books
- $6.99 Apple Audio Books
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kopp-company.com/Adventures-of-the-Miso-Mice/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/annette_koppco
- Other: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16152705.Annette_Czech_Kopp; Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BN6XCSQK/about; Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/series?id=ecIvGwAAABBX2M; Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/annette%20czech%20kopp
