An Interview with Brian Falkner

Q: Of which book are you the most proud? And why?

A: I am really proud of The Project. I liked the characters in this book, and the way a seemingly innocent occurrence at the beginning quickly escalates and keeps escalating into an outrageous adventure.

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A: Interesting. I also use this analogy in my writing classes. Mostly I begin with a concept, but nothing much happens from there until the main character is clear to me. The idea for the book and the main character are so closely intertwined for me that I cannot continue until the character has become real to me.

Q: What do you hear from your readers?

A: I get a lot of emails from readers, with a wide variety of questions. I think the most common comment I get is that they wish there was a sequel to The Tomorrow Code, or to Brain Jack. I do have some ideas for these sequels, but nothing is in the works just yet.

Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adult?

A: I write Junior Fiction, and YA. I am most comfortable in these genres, partly because they are so much fun to write. Adult fiction can get quite serious, and that doesn't suit my personality or writing style.

Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?

A: I have many favourite characters, so let me restrict this question to my own characters.
In my Junior Fiction book “The Flea Thing” is a minor character called Jason. He is the best friend of the main character. He doesn't feature much, but when he does, it is very important. I really enjoyed writing Jason, and when I re-read this book, I enjoy reading him.

Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

A: Lots of things! Too many to list here, so I put them on my website under “Life of Brian/Fun Facts”.

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A: Brainy/Book Nerd I guess. Certainly none of the others.
An author friend of mine once said “It took me 35 years to become cool in middle school” and that pretty much sums me up as well.

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

A: I have two small dogs (Molly and Chester) and they don’t really help or hinder my writing, but I did try to put them in my last Junior Fiction novel. I named the main character Molly, and one of the other characters is a monkey called “Mr Chester.” Unfortunately (for Molly) there was already a series of books about a girl named Molly, so Molly got renamed to “Maddy”.

Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?

Actually I don’t find this hard, as I am usually well into the next book by this stage, and have put the recently written book out of my mind. When I actually get the first author copies, it is usually a nice kind of surprise.

Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?

Never. This hasn't happened to me. Or at least, if I have, I don’t remember it in the morning.

Thanks so much for your time, Brian! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.

To learn more about Brian Falkner, visit his website.
Whatever you do DON'T click the red button!

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Brian Falkner

Brian Falkner writes children’s books. His first action-packed book was well received by critics and his subsequent books have been equally admired. Falkner’s Super Freak, about a boy who must decide whether to use his powers for good or evil, was nominated in the Junior Fiction category of the 2006 New Zealand Post Book Awards. The Tomorrow Code was published in 2008 in Australia, the USA and Canada. It was nominated in the Young Adult Fiction category of the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards, and the 2009 LIANZA Children's Book Awards.

Brian was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. and now resides on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. To read more about him, visit his website.

An Interview with Diane Kelly

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster. What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

My grain is always a character and, as a result, I write character-driven stories. Because I write in first person, I essentially become my heroine while I write since everything is said in her voice and from her point of view.  It’s fun to step out of myself and into a different persona and to experience someone else’s life so intimately, especially when my character is a kick-butt federal agent with some darn good-looking men in her life.

Q: What do you hear from your readers?

My readers love the humor in my books.  My series is pure entertainment and really fits the bill when someone needs a good laugh.  They also enjoy the sexual tension between my heroine and her love interests.  Several readers have told me that I do a good job with descriptdiion, which I’m glad to hear.  That means I’m effectively transmitting the mental images in my head to the page and thus to the reader.

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

All of the above?  I think there was a little of each of those stereotypes in me, and I had friends from each clique.  I made pretty good grades, ran one year of cross country, unwittingly dated a pothead, and loved to go to the skating rink (and later to nightclubs when I got my fake id).  So I’m not sure where that puts me. Even then I think I was attempting to amass a variety of life experiences. It’s a good thing, too, because I draw on many of them now in my writing.

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

I have two dogs, a Dalmatian mix and a shepherd mix, both of whom we adopted from the pound.  I also have eight cats.  Strays just keep showing up and I don’t have the heart to turn them away!  But I get them all fixed so we don’t contribute to the overpopulation problem.

My cats aren't much of a problem, other than one who likes to rub her face on the corner of my laptop screen while I’m working.  The dogs like to be in and out a zillion times a day, which can be a pain.  But I’ve found that if I take them to the dog park for a couple of hours in the morning they are much more mellow the rest of the day.  I bring my netbook with me to the dog park and can usually crank out a thousand words or so while they are running around having fun.  It’s a great routine for all of us!

Thanks so much for your time, Diane! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.

To read more about Diane Kelly, please visit her website.

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Diane Kelly

A CPA and tax attorney, Diane spent several years at an international accounting firm where she had the pleasure of working with a partner later charged with tax fraud. She also served a stint as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas under an AG who pled guilty to criminal charges related to the tobacco company lawsuits. Given this work history, Diane decided self-employment might be a good idea. She also realized her experiences with white-collar crime made excellent fodder for a novel. Her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her humorous “Death and Taxes” romantic mystery series. Diane’s debut novel, Death, Taxes and a French Manicure, won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award.  Visit Diane and read excerpts at www.dianekelly.com.

An Interview with Joy Preble

Q: Of which book are you the most proud? And why?

I'm proud of all of them for different reasons: DREAMING ANASTASIA because it was the first book I ever wrote and also the first book that I sold. HAUNTED because being asked to write it meant that book 1 had done very well. ANASTASIA FOREVER because I am so proud of how I brought Anne and Ethan's story to a fitting and romantic conclusion. And THE SWEET DEAD LIFE (forthcoming next year) because I think everyone is going to love Casey and Jenna as much as I do.

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

It varies, more often than not, I start with a character. Because once I know who the story is about - at least in a general sense-- it's easier to figure out where the story needs to do. Mostly it's sort of a combination: This is going to be a story about ______ who______ and then_______. So I guess for me, character and plot are tightly interwoven.

Q: What do you hear from your readers?

They like that Anne doesn't fall for Ethan right away. They love her loyal and funny best friend Tess. They appreciate that my witch, Baba Yaga, has layers and back story and that they find themselves sometimes sympathizing with her. They like that Ethan isn't perfect but that he is devoted to Anne.

Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adult (whichever is pertinent)?

The best stories exist in the teen years. Everything is heightened then -- everything feels like life and death. All those wonderful firsts -- from love to loss-- so many of them hit us in those years. The emotional essence of my story telling always takes me to characters who are in that age group.

Possibly it also has to do with the fact that I spent a huge chunk of years teaching high school, so the drama is my norm. Every day someone was breaking up or being broken up with, someone was hurting or deliriously happy or angry at their parents -- often for good reason-- or getting kicked out onto the street or running into the room to show me a new tattoo or nipple piercing. And that's just the surface stuff. The adult world is nowhere near as interesting.

Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?

We bookworms have so many answers for questions like this that it's hard to pick just one. Recently, though, I've fallen in huge love with DJ Schwenk in Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Dairy Queen. I adore this girl and her voice is so pitch perfect. If anyone hasn't read this book you must promise to do so immediately.

Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

I love guacamole and avocados in general. So if you want to get on my good side, some killer guac and chips will do it. Yes, I can be bribed.

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

Quiet/Bookish/Star Trek fan-fiction writing/viola playing in orchestra type who hated following the rules.

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

A basset/boxer mix, otherwise known as a 45 pound log of doom. She helps when she sleeps quietly, snoring while I work. She hinders when she leaps up while I'm on deadline and slams her paw through a pane in our leaded glass window because she wanted the squirrel who was walking by. I think that covers it.

Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?

Waiting to see if it will sell through to the stores and waiting to see if it will be reviewed by the 'big' reviewers and what they will say.

Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?

Rarely.

Thanks for your time, Joy. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival!
For more information about Joy, please visit her website.

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Joy Preble

Joy Preble is the author of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series (Sourcebooks), which blends paranormal romance with historical fiction. Another paranormal – about a sixteen-year-old stoner who returns from a fatal car accident as his sister’s guardian angel – THE SWEET DEAD LIFE – is set in Houston and slated for May 2013, from Soho Press. Joy grew up in Chicago, where she dreamed of being a back up singer but settled for becoming a writer so she could get paid for making up stuff. She now lives with her family in Texas, where you can find her eating guacamole, fighting her Bravo Channel addiction and insisting that Twizzlers are a food group. 

Find out more about Joy Preble at her website!

An Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith

Q: What do you hear from your readers? 

I’m honored to receive a lot of mail from YA readers—plus the occasional fan book trailer or art, photos of their pets, and suggestions for future books. A lot of teens have requested that I put their name in a book, and it has finally happened. Cameron in Pasadena, Texas will find a namesake character in my upcoming book, Feral Nights, book one in the Feral series (Candlewick, Jan. 2013).

I've also gotten a fair amount of mail from readers who said the books affected them in some positive way—a lot of girls have told me that they've switched from boys who treated them badly to boys who treated them well because of the example of Quincie from the Tantalize series.

Q: Why do you write for Young Adults/Children or Adults?

I write for both. I value the audience, and I’m inspired by young heroes. Think about it: as a kid or teen, you’re as intelligent as you’ll ever be, but you’re embarking on some critical new experiences—driving, voting, kissing—for the first time. There’s a heightened intensity to reflecting that which fascinates me. It also means the character has to stretch more, grow more, be more dynamic and challenging.

Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you? 

I used to be a closeted geek. When I was a teenager, I was a student council officer and varsity cheerleader and editor of the school newspaper. But I floated across cliques and also read superhero comics and saw “Star Wars” (the original, now subtitled “A New Hope”) over 300 times at the movie theater.  The public "me" was just that—for public consumption, trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations. As I've grown up, I've embraced my inner geek, writing fantastical prose and graphic novels and connecting them with all kinds of teens.

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing. 

I am kept by four cats—Mercury, Bashi, Blizzard, and Galileo (“Leo”). All are tabbies except Blizzard, who’s, not surprisingly, snow white. They’re mischievous and affectionate and keep me company while I’m tapping away at the keyboard. They also largely inspired the werecats in the Feral series.

Thank you so much for your time, Cynthia! We look forward to seeing you at the Festival!
To learn more about Cynthia, check out her awesome blog & website!

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of TANTALIZE, ETERNAL, BLESSED, DIABOLICAL and TANTALIZE: KIEREN’S STORY (Candlewick). Her award-winning books for younger children include JINGLE DANCER, INDIAN SHOES, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME–for which she was named a Writer of the Year by Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers–(all HarperCollins) and HOLLER LOUDLY (Dutton). She looks forward to the 2013 release of ETERNAL: ZACHARY’S STORY and FERAL NIGHTS (Book One in the FERAL series)(Candlewick). Cynthia’s books also have been published in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, France, Poland, and Turkey.

Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer’s Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog at cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ was listed as among the top two read by the children’s/YA publishing community in the SCBWI “To Market” column. A former member of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA faculty in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Cynthia has lived in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Illinois, and she now calls Austin, Texas home.

An Interview with Cory Putman Oakes

Q: Why do you write for Young Adults?

A: The books that made me really fall in love with reading were all Young Adult Books, so I think that’s naturally where my brain goes whenever I sit down to write something myself. Even as an adult, I tend to read mainly YA because there is just something so appealing about that genre. They say you should start a book at the moment that the main character’s life is about to change – well, I feel like that really sums up the YA genre in general. Everyone’s life starts to get interesting when they make that transition from child to adult. It’s an inherently exciting time, full of so much possibility that it presents a never-ending string of potential storylines to writers.

I also enjoy the peculiarities of YA. The pace is quicker in YA (as compared with adult books). And I have found that teens in general refuse to waste their limited free time on anything they don’t absolutely love, so as a writer, there is the added challenge of making your book worth their while.

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A: Nerd Alert: I did pretty much everything at my high school that was not considered cool: I was a drama geek, I was captain of the water polo team, and I was in all of the Honors/AP classes. In my free time, I liked to write and take karate lessons (two things that were so nerdy there weren't even any school clubs for them). My grand finale was organizing a rebel student production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing during my senior year, after the regular drama teacher refused to consider it for the spring play.

Man, was I cool. But I wouldn't change a thing. The vast majority of people in this world did not sit at the popular table in high school, so I doubt I would be able to connect with as many readers if I had been one of the “Chosen Few” when I was younger. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself . . .

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

A. I have four pets who are the absolute rulers of the house. Even my two-year-old can’t compete with them when it comes to pure getting-their-way-ness.

The two dogs are Abby and Bailey. Abby is a 7-year-old Lhasa Apso. My husband and I got her right after we got engaged, so she has been with us through everything and has a special place in our hearts. We adopted Bailey(a shepherd mix) just nine months ago – she was a teeny 3lb fluff ball when she first moved in with us, but she has grown tremendously in size since then. Abby and Bailey get along pretty well and take turns sitting at my feet when I write at home. I bring them on walks during writing breaks and they are both very good at listening attentively while I talk out plot problems.

We also have two cats named Charlie and A.C. Their mom was a stray cat who had a litter of kittens just outside of an apartment complex we used to live in. They spent the first weeks of their lives underneath an old air conditioning unit (hence the name, “A.C.”). But now, they are accustomed to life as spoiled house cats. They both enjoy lounging on whatever surface I happen to be writing on and, like all good cats, try their best to get between me and my work. My computer screen has lots of hair on it.

Thanks so much for your time, Cory. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
Connect with Cory at her website!

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Cory Putman Oakes

Cory Putman Oakes was born in Basel, Switzerland, but grew up in Novato, California and attended Marin Catholic High School. She then spent three fantastic years at the University of California at Los Angeles before graduating in 2001 with a B.A. in Psychology. In 2004, Cory graduated from Cornell Law School with a Juris Doctorate Degree and her husband, Mark (the first was the intended consequence of attending the school, the second was a bonus). Since then, she has been an associate at a big law firm, taught business law to undergraduates at Texas State University and written several books for young people.

Cory now lives in Austin, Texas with Mark and their two children, Sophia and Alex. In addition to writing, Cory enjoys reading, cooking, running, and hanging out with her family and pets.

For more about Cory Putman Oakes, go to her website here. 

An Interview with Mike Mullin

Q. Of which book are you the most proud? And why?

A. ASHFALL. It was my first published novel, and got my career as an author off to a great start. Check out the list of awards and honors it won at www.ashfallbook.com!

Q. Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A. My grain of sand is almost always another book. For ASHFALL, it was Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything. I found it on a display at Central Library in downtown Indianapolis. Dozens of novel ideas lurk within its pages, but the one that stuck with me was the idea of a supervolcano eruption at Yellowstone. A few weeks after I read it, I woke at 3:30 am with a scene occupying my head so completely I was afraid it would start spilling out my nostrils and ears. I typed 5,500 words, finishing just before dawn. Then I put the project away and let it gestate for eight months. When I returned to it after researching volcanoes and volcanic ash, I realized the inspired scene I wrote in the middle of the night wouldn’t work, and ultimately that whole section had to be scrapped. The only word that remains from that draft? Ashfall.

Q. What do you hear from your readers?

A. My favorite letter was from a 14-year-old on Staten Island who said she hadn’t read a book in four years—until she picked up ASHFALL. I get a quite a few letters with similar stories.

Q. Why do you write for Young Adults?

A. A novel needs conflict and change to be interesting. Humans arguably change faster and experience more conflict as teenagers than at any other stage in our lives. That’s why I write young adult fiction, and part of the reason so many adults read young adult fiction. Most adults are a bit boring by comparison to teenagers.

Q. What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

Here are five fun facts about me:
• I keep a pet alligator in the guestroom bathtub. It’s really friendly with my wife’s three cats.
• I earned a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo in April of 2011.
• The broken arm I got in fourth grade was caused by an unfortunate run-in with a grizzly bear.
• I shelve my books in binary. You can find The Story of Edgar Sawtelle under 010110100101010.
• I’m not entirely sure what the word “fact” means, but I've got fun down to an art.

Q. In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A. I’m pretty sure I was the smartest guy ever to flunk out of my high school. I hated that place. I went downtown and took the G.E.D. test—the lady who graded it said it was the highest score she’d ever seen. If I’d known how easy it was to test out of high school, I totally would have done it after 8th grade.

Q. Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

A. My wife has three cats. I bought a bunch of volcanic ash and kept it in a bowl on my desk while I wrote ASHFALL. That lasted until the stupid cats decided the ash was a good substitute for kitty litter. Darn cats! (Kidding, I like them, too. Usually.) This is me with Pepper:

Q. How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?

A. All the time! In fact as I go to sleep each night, I think about what I want to write the next day. It’s a technique for tricking my subconscious into working on my writing while I sleep. Sometimes I’ll wake up with a great idea the next morning.

Thanks so much for your time Mike! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.

To find out more about Mike Mullin, find him at the social media links below:

Website

Blog

Google+

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Pinterest

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Mike Mullin

Mike Mullin’s first job was scraping the gum off the undersides of desks at his high school. From there, things went steadily downhill. He almost got fired by the owner of a bookstore due to his poor taste in earrings. He worked at a place that showed slides of poopy diapers during lunch (it did cut down on the cafeteria budget). The hazing process at the next company included eating live termites raised by the resident entomologist, so that didn’t last long either. For a while Mike juggled bottles at a wine shop, sometimes to disastrous effect. Oh, and then there was the job where swarms of wasps occasionally tried to chase him off ladders. So he’s really glad this writing thing seems to be working out.

Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. Ashen Winter is his second novel.  His debut, Ashfall, was named one of the top five young adult novels of 2011 by National Public Radio, a Best Teen Book of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews, and a New Voices selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Check out more about Mike at his website here. 

An Interview with Victoria Scott

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with character or setting or something else? 

A: I always begin with a scene. It could be a boy with blood smeared across his collarbone, or a girl dancing with a faceless demon. Then I start asking questions about the scene. Why is it happening? Who is the person in my vision? These "scene flashes" come out no where, but I'm always thankful for them!

Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about? 

A: My favorite character I've created was an eighteen-year-old boy named Caden in a book called VANITY. VANITY was my first manuscript, and is now tucked away in my desk drawer. Caden's tragic flaw was his tendency to become overly obsessed with things, and one day, that thing became a girl named Holly. I have a serious obsession with the topic of...obsession. One day, I may dig out that old manuscript and try to rewrite it into something publishable.

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.) 

A: I'd label myself a Class Clown-Cheerleader.

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing. 

A: I have two enormous cats. I'm completely convinced they're waiting for me to croak so they can eat my face off. That happens. I read it somewhere. And they don't help me write. They just eat things and meow when their bowl is empty. Idiots. I will never understand why I love them so much.

Thank you for your time, Victoria. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!

To read more Victoria Scott, visit her website.

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Victoria Scott

Victoria Scott is the author of THE COLLECTOR: A DANTE WALKER NOVEL (Entangled Teen, March 2013). She has a master's degree in marketing, and lives in Dallas with her husband.

When not writing, Victoria can be found grubbing on cotton candy and snuggling obese cats. You can cyber-stalk her online on her website or on Twitter.

An Interview with Suzanne Crowley

Q. Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster. What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A. I usually begin with a character and go from there.  I might have a few plot points in mind but otherwise I just start writing and see what gloriously enfolds.  Stephen King in his book "On Writing" says he also writes from the seat of his pants because if the writer is not surprised, how is the reader going to be?  For my second book, The Stolen One, I was inspired by a historical mystery - although I was bound by the framework of history, once again, it was a character that drove the narrative, thankfully, "surprising" me the whole way.

Q. What do you hear from your readers?

A. For my first book, "The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous" about a thirteen year old girl with Asperger's Syndrome, I once received a one line email that said, "Merilee is just like me quiet with no friends."  That says it all.  I've heard from dozens of other kids, although not autistic, related to Merilee's inner struggles.  I think deep down we all struggle with something.

  

Q.  Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

A. My cat Amber used to sleep on my lap and while transferring to her other favorite position, lying across my revisions papers on the desk, would walk across the keyboard causing all kinds of interesting typos.  Very helpful indeed.  I finally bought her a blinged-out furry cat bed and placed it next to the computer and she has hardly it left since. PPPPPPPPPPVVVVVVR(((((((((.

  

Q. Why do you write for young adults or children?

  

A. I don't think we ever forget what it is like.  I recently went to my 30th High School reunion, and it didn't matter what I've accomplished, what I've made of myself and experienced since - I was reduced to my teenage self when I walked through that door. When she was well into her nineties, the famous stage and film actress Helen Hayes was asked by a reporter if she felt her age.  She responded that she still felt sixteen inside and always would.  Writing about teens and pre-teens who are coming of age, discovering themselves, and dealing with the complex world around them provides the richest and most fulfilling material.

Q. How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?

A. Very often, I think we all do. And it is usually the very much needed answer to a plot point.  But I've learned if I don't get up and write it down, no matter how vivid the dream is and no matter how strongly I feel I will remember it, it is gone by the morning.  I've also had great ideas while driving and have had to pull over and write things down.

Thanks so much for your time, Suzanne. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!

Find out more about Suzanne Crowley at her website. 

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Suzanne Crowley

Suzanne Crowley is a well-known miniature artist whose work has been featured on the covers of American and international magazines. Her debut novel, THE VERY ORDERED EXISTENCE OF MERILEE MARVELOUS received three starred reviews, was an IRA Notable Children's Book, and was selected as the Book Sense #3 Top Children's Pick for Fall of 2007. Her second book, THE STOLEN ONE, was an Indie Next Teen List Pick for Fall of 2009, a Best Books for Young Adults, and a Seventeen magazine hot summer pick. Suzanne was born in a small town in west Texas and currently lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

For  more check out her website here.

Stay tuned for our interview tomorrow!

An Interview with Jenny Moss

Q: Of which book are you the most proud? And why? 

A: Oh, wow. This is a tough question. Something about each book draws me to say it's the one I'm most proud of: TAKING OFF because it honors Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger crew, SHADOW because it was the first of my novels accepted for publication; and finally WINNIE'S WAR, which has a very special place in my heart because of the main character and her relationship with her mother. I can't pick just one!

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A: For me, it's usually character. I have someone in my head who talks and talks and talks, and I have to get down her words. But occasionally, something equally compelling will hit me. I'm working on a book right now that is set in the same high fantasy world as SHADOW, but with a completely different set of characters and story. In this one, the plot got me first.

Q: What do you hear from your readers?

 A: I adore hearing from readers.  By far, the most asked question: When will there be a sequel to SHADOW?

Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?

A: Gen in THE QUEEN'S THIEF series by Megan Whalen Turner

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A: The great thing is that on the outside we appear to fit into one of the categories - but on the inside: totally more complex and different person. On the outside: I was a Brainy/Book Nerd.

Thank you for your time, Jenny! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.

Find out more about Jenny at her website. 

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Jenny Moss

We are so honored to be able to bring local author Jenny Moss to our festival! Not only does she live here, but she graduate from Conroe High School, right here in Montgomery County.

Jenny Moss is an ex-NASA engineer who now writes novels for children and teens. She was a nerd at Conroe High School long before it was cool to be a nerd.

Find out more about our local darling by visiting her website below. Stay tuned for our interview with Jenny Moss coming up tomorrow!

Jenny Moss » Books via kwout

An Interview with Wendy Delsol

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster. What is your grain of sand? Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A: This is a great question in relation to my STORK trilogy. There was definitely an idea that germinated with me for a long time. It began with an Unsolved Mysteries TV show from years back (could be as many as ten). In the episode, a boy claimed to have pre-birth memories of flying around and getting to choose his mother. The story fascinated me, enough to lodge itself in my cranium. In the fall of 2008, when I was brainstorming something fresh in the paranormal genre, I remembered the episode. I then invented a kind of benevolent or white witch charged with pairing hovering souls with the right mother on earth. From there, I sprinkled in some Norse mythology and Icelandic folklore to plot out the trilogy.


Q: Why do you write for Young Adults?

A: I write for young adults because the teen years are the most formative and interesting in an individual’s development. Physical and emotional changes are happening at warp speed. So many life events are fresh and unique. It’s a very dynamic period. Throw in a burgeoning magical ability and you have the stuff of fiction: conflict, conflict, conflict.

It also helps that I have teens (albeit reluctant-to-emote boys). Their teen experiences are reminders of my own. And I can eavesdrop on their conversations for current vernacular (if and when they talk, that is).

Q: In high school where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A: I think I was mostly thought of as a brainy/bookish type. I worked hard at my studies and had a strong GPA. I’m pretty sure most would have classified me as shy/quiet with the until-you-get-to-know-her caveat. I was a cheerleader, but in an age and at a school where it didn’t count for much. I also played basketball, tried diving for a season, was involved in student government, and was a chorus member in four musicals. For those who have read my STORK trilogy, perhaps Penny comes to mind? No coincidence there.

Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?

A: I find the cover-art reveal the most nerve-racking. Because this is an area outside the author’s control, a first peek at a cover image is highly anticipated. To date, I’ve been pleasantly surprised, but my stomach always flips when the email subject line indicates “cover art.”

Q: What is the one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

That I love reader feedback. I’m tickled and humbled to know my books are out there. It’s been the fulfillment of a life’s dream. Emails from readers are such a treat. It’s probably no surprise that authors tend to be emotional types. I am truly touched and buoyed when a reader takes time out of their busy life to contact me (wendydelsol@live.com).

Thank you for your time, Wendy. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!

Read more about Wendy Delsol at her website. 

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Wendy Delsol

Wendy Delsol is the author of a young adult trilogy: STORK (Candlewick Press 2010), FROST (2011), and FLOCK (2012). The books are inspired by Norse mythology and Icelandic folklore. STORK was one of only 25 titles to receive a 2010 VOYA Perfect Ten and won a 2011 Westchester Fiction Award. Delsol’s adult novel, THE McCLOUD HOME FOR WAYWARD GIRLS, was named an August 2011 Barnes and Noble Pick of the Week. Wendy has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a graduate degree from California State University, Long Beach. She was born in Canada, grew up in Michigan, lived in Los Angeles for 20 years, and now resides in Des Moines with her husband and two teen sons.

Come back tomorrow to catch our interview with Wendy! 
In the meantime, go to her website for more. 

An Interview with Rachel Caine

Q: Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A: It really depends on the project. With some -- like the Weather Warden novels -- I started definitely from the character herself. Her voice was very distinctive to me, so I started from that. But in the case of the Morganville Vampires series, I started with the concept of the town itself -- literally, from the distance between streetlights. So it really does vary!

Q: What do you hear from your readers?

A: I get the most incredible email! I love it so much. I get loads of questions, of course, but I also hear some really touching stories from people who tell me the books helped them become passionate about reading. I think my favorite story was from a 21-year-old who had never read a book all the way through, but who checked out books from the library to fool people into thinking she did ... and her power went out one day, and she'd checked out one of my books. She was bored, so she started to read. She told me her lights must have come on, but she didn't realize it because she read the whole book in one sitting. Her question to me? "What else should I read?" WOW.

Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Adults?

A: I write for both young adults and adults, and honestly, I don't think I make a conscious choice to write for a specific audience -- the story and the age of the characters dictates where the story will be sold, but I write the story, first and foremost. The audience has always been very supportive, whichever aisle I'm on in the bookstore. Though to be honest, I really love writing in the YA field because of the great enthusiasm and passion of the readers!

Q: In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A: Oh dear ... I was definitely band geek all the way. I was also kind of brainy/book nerd, and shy/quiet scholar. I was a bit of an outcast, I suppose -- like most creative people tend to be in school. I had friends, but they were mainly music friends. Hell, I only had my first date when I was 17. Talk about shy ...

Q: Do you have a pet (pets)?  Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.

A: Until this year, my husband and I had exotic animals -- specifically iguanas, tortoises and lizards. Our iguanas (we had 3) gradually passed away, and we lost the eldest, Darwin, just at Christmas last year. We're making a conscious effort not to adopt any more pets right now, because of the aggressive travel schedule -- I want to be able to really enjoy being with them! 

Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?

A: Honestly, I don't think it's hard ... because I'm not waiting. I'm usually two books onward when that book you're referring to comes out ... I guess the hardest thing for me is to just keep up with the pace and schedule! (But it's fantastic, and I love being busy.) 

Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?

 A: Rarely. For some reason, my dreams most often deal with my personal life and my family, but almost never with my fictional characters! I kind of wish I did dream about it. Maybe it would shorten the plotting!

Thank you for your time, Rachel. We look forward to seeing you at the festival.

Read more about Rachel Caine at her website. 

Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine is the internationally bestselling author of thirty novels, including the New York Times and internationally bestselling Morganville Vampires young adult series: Glass Houses, The Dead Girls’ Dance,Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools, Lord of Misrule, Carpe Corpus, Fade Out, Kiss of Death, Ghost Town (2010), Bite Club (2011), Last Breath (2011) and Black Dawn (2012). The Morganville series has also been optioned for film, television and multimedia by prominent British producer Charles Armitage (Red Dwarf).

She also recently concluded the bestselling Weather Warden series: Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor,Windfall, Firestorm, Thin Air, Gale Force, Cape Storm, and Total Eclipse. The Weather Warden universe is continued in a third series, Outcast Season (Undone, Unknown, Unseen, Unbroken).

Rachel has also written paranormal romantic action/adventure for Silhouette Bombshell, and her most recent paranormal romance novel, Athena Force: Line of Sight, was a 2008 RT Reviewer’s Choice award winner. She also published an original novel for the television show Stargate SG-1 (Sacrifice Moon) under the pseudonym of Julie Fortune in 2005. She previously published under the names Roxanne Longstreet and Roxanne Conrad.

Also, Rachel is a contributor to a number of Dallas publisher BenBella Books’ SmartPop anthologies of nonfiction essays, and had short fiction in several bestselling anthologies, including My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, Strange Brew, and Dark and Stormy Knights (St. Martins) as well as Many Bloody Returns (Ace).

Until recently, she was Director of Corporate Communications and member of the Senior Management Team for a large multinational company based in Irving, Texas.  She has a Bachelors degree in business administration from Texas Tech University. Rachel Caine and her husband, award-winning artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Fort Worth, with their two pet iguanas, Popeye and Darwin.

Connect with her on the following social networks:
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Livejournal

Website:
http://www.rachelcaine.com

An Interview with Janet S. Fox

As promised, here is our interview with Janet S. Fox, the first author announced for the 2013 Montgomery County Book Festival. Enjoy!

Q:  Patty Campbell talks about the germ for a piece of writing being like the sand in the oyster.  What is your grain of sand?  Do you begin with character or setting or something else?

A: I love this question, and I really love the metaphor. I almost always begin with a character – with a voice. I can hear the voice of my main character long before I know where the story will go, and that voice is crucial to my “falling in love” with my character. I might have the germ of an idea (but usually not) and I write ten or twenty pages and if it feels right, I run with it.

I’m a very seat-of-the-pants writer, so I almost never plan. Once the grain of sand (the character) gets in there, I write about and around that character, learning and pushing and trying to decipher what it is that character has to say.

Occasionally I’ll have an idea that is a core idea for my plot. For example, with FORGIVEN, my second novel, I knew I wanted to set it in San Francisco during the Great Earthquake of 1906. But it was Kula who led the way through the plot to the earthquake, and not the other way around.

So the pearl grows around my character and her/his voice and personality and needs.

Q: Why do you write for Young Adults?

A: I write for young adults because I am still, in my heart, the young adult who fell in love with reading. The saying is that we each find ourselves arrested at a certain age, and for me that age is around 15. At 15 I read classics (that was about all there was for young adults at the time) but I also found books by Ian Fleming, and Agatha Christie; I found Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s Perelandra series. So mysteries, fantasies and science fiction became the literary currency of my youth, in addition to the “historical” novels of Austen and Fitzgerald.

This is why it’s no accident that my novels often incorporate mystery, that my first novels are historical romances, and that I’m currently working on several fantasy and science fiction novels.

Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?

A: I have a former life that not too many people are aware of – I have an MS in marine geology. While I was studying, I had several opportunities to go to sea on research cruises, including a cruise that utilized the submersible Alvin. I dove to the bottom of the Cayman Trough in the Caribbean, and it was an astonishing experience. The oceans are full of life that no one can see unless they have the ability to dive – tiny organisms that are bioluminescent and that form complex structures that move or float through the darkest depths under extreme pressure.

Along the way to my MS, I also spent 3 months on a very small Chilean boat (definitely not a ship! – it was only 15 feet long) in the fjords of southern Chile. There was no bathroom on board and only a few cots for sleeping, and it was an amazing and life-changing experience to study science under primitive conditions.

Q:  In high school, where did you fall? (Prom Queen/King, Gamer Geek, Brainy/Book Nerd, Jock, Shy/Quiet Scholar, Skate Rat, Stoner, Class Clown, etc.)

A: Oh so definitely Brainy/Book Nerd. My friends and I used to sing “We’re in with the out crowd” and we had the back corner table cornered. We were also the ones who made the grades and got into the best colleges.

Now, the interesting part of this is that once out of high school my persona completely changed. I went total hippie. It was as if, in college, I had to find out who I really was, underneath the insecurity that high school is so famous for invoking. I tried out for a rock band; I marched for civil rights; I fought for women’s rights.

But my dreams and certainly my reading and writing habits were formed in high school, and that’s the place I return to when I pull characters out from deep inside.

Q:How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?

A: Speaking of dreams...I dream all the time about my writing. I often work out my plots in my sleep. In fact, my favorite way to fall asleep is to ask myself about my current work. To think about the next scene, to take my characters there...and often I wake up with ideas and new plot lines.

In fact, once I woke up at about four in the morning with the most perfect sentence for a particular spot. I had to memorize it, reciting it over and over, so I wouldn’t wake up my hubby. But it was with me when I got up!

I see this “night work” as getting the internal editor out of the way. There’s a little monster inside every writer, a monstrous internal editor, always telling the writer, “you’re not good enough”. A wonderful way to silence the editorial monster is to put it to sleep while you keep on working, in your subconscious.

So, yes, I often dream about my work, my characters, my plot.

Thank you for your time, Janet. We look forward to seeing you at the festival! 

Find out more about Janet at her website: www.janetsfox.com and on her blog: http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/

Introducing 2013 MCBF author, Janet S. Fox

Today marks the beginning of a series of posts introducing our author line up for the 2013 Montgomery County Book Festival. Our first author is Janet Fox!

Janet Fox is the author of books for children and young adults. Faithful (Speak/Penguin, 2010), set in Yellowstone National Park in 1904, was a YALSA Best Fiction for YA nominee and an Amelia Bloomer List pick, 2011. Forgiven (2011, Speak), set in 1906 San Francisco during the great earthquake, is a Junior Library Guild selection, 2011.

Janet has numerous MG and YA projects underway including another YA novel, set in 1925, due out 2013. She is a former high school English teacher and received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults in 2010 (Vermont College of Fine Arts). Janet lives in Bozeman, Montana.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for an interview with Janet to learn more about her.