Bring On 2013! Enter for your chance to win an autographed copy of festival author CC Hunter’s Born at Midnight, along with a Shadow Falls poster and some awesome swag! Giveaway ends Sunday at midnight. One set of entries per person. US only.
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Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Tracy Deebs
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Jill S. Alexander
Having developed a love for reading fiction in high school, I combined that with my passion for storytelling and focused my college studies on literature and creative writing.
THE SWEETHEART OF PROSPER COUNTY is my debut novel.
Visit Jill S. Alexander's website to learn more about her.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Happy Holidays Giveaway!
Happy Holidays from the Montgomery County Book Festival!
Happy Holidays Giveaway! Win a signed copy of Sophie Jordan’s Firelight and signed swag AND a copy of Joy Preble’s Dreaming Anastasia and signed swag.
Ends Friday, December 21.
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Happy Holidays Giveaway! Win a signed copy of Sophie Jordan’s Firelight and signed swag AND a copy of Joy Preble’s Dreaming Anastasia and signed swag.
Ends Friday, December 21.
An Interview with Bethany Hegedus
Q: What do you hear from your readers?
A: This is one of my favorite fan letters from one young reader in California.
Dear Bethany Hegedus,
Hello! My name is Audrey. I really wanted to write you a letter because I just read your book Truth with a Capital T. I thought it was amazing!!! I really truly wish that you will write more about Mabelle and Isaac. I like the way you write realistic fiction. I also liked how in the book you made it talk about African Americans and making sure they are important. I also want you to include Ruth, Taylor, and Jimmy (and squeezed in & Granny & Gramps) in another book.Maybe you could call it. I really want you to write about them again. Please read this 5 times and think about it.
Heart,
Audrey
Isn't that about the best thing ever? Audrey spelled my very difficult last name right, told me what she liked about the book, and when she was going to suggest to me a new title for this new book that she'd like me to think about 5 times--she stopped herself. (Wouldn't you love to know what she wanted to call it? I do. I asked her in my letter back.)
Maybe there is more to come from Maebelle, Isaac, Ruth and those Hillibrand boys--plus Granny & Gramps. Though what is in the locked wing is revealed by book's end I bet you those 5 kids could rustle up some more antics to get involved in. Hmmm...
When I wrote Audrey back I assured her I would think it over 5 times. I also let her know that those characters and their futures were now in her hands and heart, that she could decide what happened to them next. That’s what good books do. They make the characters so real that they become a part of the fabric of who we are. Audrey can now decide what happens to Maebelle and Isaac in her imagination, the same way I could, when I was creating them.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults and Children?
A: It’s funny, I moved to New York City as a twenty-something to become an actor and instead became a children’s author. The first writing class I took, though I had been writing my entire life (journals, poetry, bad poetry) out came this teen voice. I wrote some more and out came this thirteen-year-old growing up during the 1950s and dealing with the struggles of the Civil Rights era. I wrote some more and out came a spunky twelve-year-old who was spending the summer in her grandparent’s newly inherited antebellum mansion with her adopted cousin from Chicago. Were these kids’ voices in me all along? Were they mine or shades of me? I wasn’t born until long after the civil rights era, but I studied it for many years, and lived a very different life but saw prejudice and racial ick first hand when I moved from Illinois to Georgia when I was the same age as Polly in Between Us Baxters. I never lived in an antebellum home, but like Isaac, Maebelle’s cousin from Chicago the second I saw those pillars on a big stately Georgia porch I knew those houses had once been home to plantations and plantations meant one thing and one thing only: slavery.
My next book coming out is a picture book but it really is for all ages, and I don’t say that lightly. Grandfather Gandhi , which I co-wrote with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi, has a short text. It will have 32 color page gorgeous illustrations by illustrator Evan Turk. But its themes are broad, difficult and speak to us all. How do we release anger? Is lashing out after injury ever justified? How do we live up to the ideals of someone we admire—especially if that someone is a family member? How do we find peace and stillness? And the question I think the book calls for all to answer is: Will we choose to live our lives as light?
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.)
Ha. In high school I was a drama geek, although I hear the proper term now is “theatre kid.” And yep, that is theatre spelled the “re” way-the British spelling and not the “er” Americana way. We theatre folks would never spell it any other way. Just as we would never say the name of the Scottish play inside the walls of any space where a play could be performed. It’s more than bad luck. It’s sacrilege.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
I am a newish mom to a thirteen-year-old Chihuahua. He was my husband’s dog before we married and now he is 100% all mine. Well, that’s not true. I share Toby with all the writers who come to The Writing Barn for classes, retreats, and parties. He’s kind of the Barn mascot. He follows me from the house, to the barn, to the cabin and back as we make our daily rounds of writing, welcoming people, checking them in, and making sure everything is set for an enjoyable stay. He chases the butterflies and growls at the deer (for a vegetarian dog he sure is fierce) but when I sit down to write cross-legged in my usual arm chair, he curls up next to me and burrows his little nose next to my leg and takes a nap. Toby is so beloved a fierce and protective little Chihuahua with a big spirit has ended up in a draft of a dark circus YA fantasy I am writing.
A: This is one of my favorite fan letters from one young reader in California.
Dear Bethany Hegedus,
Hello! My name is Audrey. I really wanted to write you a letter because I just read your book Truth with a Capital T. I thought it was amazing!!! I really truly wish that you will write more about Mabelle and Isaac. I like the way you write realistic fiction. I also liked how in the book you made it talk about African Americans and making sure they are important. I also want you to include Ruth, Taylor, and Jimmy (and squeezed in & Granny & Gramps) in another book.
Heart,
Audrey
Isn't that about the best thing ever? Audrey spelled my very difficult last name right, told me what she liked about the book, and when she was going to suggest to me a new title for this new book that she'd like me to think about 5 times--she stopped herself. (Wouldn't you love to know what she wanted to call it? I do. I asked her in my letter back.)
Maybe there is more to come from Maebelle, Isaac, Ruth and those Hillibrand boys--plus Granny & Gramps. Though what is in the locked wing is revealed by book's end I bet you those 5 kids could rustle up some more antics to get involved in. Hmmm...
When I wrote Audrey back I assured her I would think it over 5 times. I also let her know that those characters and their futures were now in her hands and heart, that she could decide what happened to them next. That’s what good books do. They make the characters so real that they become a part of the fabric of who we are. Audrey can now decide what happens to Maebelle and Isaac in her imagination, the same way I could, when I was creating them.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults and Children?
A: It’s funny, I moved to New York City as a twenty-something to become an actor and instead became a children’s author. The first writing class I took, though I had been writing my entire life (journals, poetry, bad poetry) out came this teen voice. I wrote some more and out came this thirteen-year-old growing up during the 1950s and dealing with the struggles of the Civil Rights era. I wrote some more and out came a spunky twelve-year-old who was spending the summer in her grandparent’s newly inherited antebellum mansion with her adopted cousin from Chicago. Were these kids’ voices in me all along? Were they mine or shades of me? I wasn’t born until long after the civil rights era, but I studied it for many years, and lived a very different life but saw prejudice and racial ick first hand when I moved from Illinois to Georgia when I was the same age as Polly in Between Us Baxters. I never lived in an antebellum home, but like Isaac, Maebelle’s cousin from Chicago the second I saw those pillars on a big stately Georgia porch I knew those houses had once been home to plantations and plantations meant one thing and one thing only: slavery.
My next book coming out is a picture book but it really is for all ages, and I don’t say that lightly. Grandfather Gandhi , which I co-wrote with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi, has a short text. It will have 32 color page gorgeous illustrations by illustrator Evan Turk. But its themes are broad, difficult and speak to us all. How do we release anger? Is lashing out after injury ever justified? How do we live up to the ideals of someone we admire—especially if that someone is a family member? How do we find peace and stillness? And the question I think the book calls for all to answer is: Will we choose to live our lives as light?
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.)
Ha. In high school I was a drama geek, although I hear the proper term now is “theatre kid.” And yep, that is theatre spelled the “re” way-the British spelling and not the “er” Americana way. We theatre folks would never spell it any other way. Just as we would never say the name of the Scottish play inside the walls of any space where a play could be performed. It’s more than bad luck. It’s sacrilege.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
I am a newish mom to a thirteen-year-old Chihuahua. He was my husband’s dog before we married and now he is 100% all mine. Well, that’s not true. I share Toby with all the writers who come to The Writing Barn for classes, retreats, and parties. He’s kind of the Barn mascot. He follows me from the house, to the barn, to the cabin and back as we make our daily rounds of writing, welcoming people, checking them in, and making sure everything is set for an enjoyable stay. He chases the butterflies and growls at the deer (for a vegetarian dog he sure is fierce) but when I sit down to write cross-legged in my usual arm chair, he curls up next to me and burrows his little nose next to my leg and takes a nap. Toby is so beloved a fierce and protective little Chihuahua with a big spirit has ended up in a draft of a dark circus YA fantasy I am writing.
Thank you so much for your time, Bethany! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.
For more about Bethany Hegedus, visit her website.
For more about Bethany Hegedus, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Bethany Hegedus
A graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children & Young Adults, Bethany teaches privately and speaks across the country. She lives in a private home, with her husband and their dog, Toby, on the same 7.5 acres that The Writing Barn shares.
Learn more about her at her website
Friday, December 14, 2012
An Interview with Anna Myers
A: Fire in the Hills, one of my early, out-of-print books, will probably always be the book closest to my heart, but Tulsa Burning is definitely the most important book I have ever written. The story of the Tulsa race riot of 1921, it is, I believe, a book every kid should read. More than thirty square blocks of African American homes, businesses, and churches were burned. Deaths were not counted because they were almost all among the African American community. Growing up in Oklahoma, I knew nothing about the terrible incident because no one talked about it. People know now, but I am proud to have written a book that helps spread the truth.
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 a time period. After I get interested in a specific time, a character begins to grow in my mind. Plot comes after character and only after brainstorming. My writing room is glass on three sides, and I can see two streets. Should it ever be necessary, I will go out and stop a car to ask if the occupant will come inside and brainstorm with me.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults and Children?
A: I started writing for young adults and for children because they are the most important people in the world and because I remember being a child so clearly. Now, however, I find myself working on a novel for adults because the story has grown inside me and demands to be told.
Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?
A: I want my readers to know that they are part of my lifelong dream. I decided to be a writer when I was six years old. Writers cannot exist without readers. Having readers makes me happy and so very grateful.
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
A: I never dream about my work, but I do have wonderful revelations. They almost always involve water, usually the shower. I am thinking of getting a hot tub or even a pool. Maybe I could take it off my income tax as a business expense.
Thank you so much for your time Anna. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
For more about Anna Myers, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Anna Myers
Book Award and has been honored by the Oklahoma Center for the Book with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her books have also been honored by the New York Public Library as Best Books for the
Teen Age. They have earned places on American Book Seller’s Pick of the List, New York Public Library 100 Book to Read and Share, Notable Social Studies Trade Books, Children’s Crown Award Honor
Book, Society of School Librarians International Book Award, Parents’ Choice Award, ALA Quick Pick List, and Junior Library Guild Selection. Myers has addressed the New York Librarian Association,
American Library Association, International Reading Association, and many other groups of educators. She is also a popular speaker for writing conferences and workshops.
To learn more about Anna Myers and her books visit www.annamyers.info.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
An Interview with Greg Leitich Smith
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 depends. I usually get an idea first, but sometimes a character is wrapped up in that. In any case, fruitful writing never occurs unless there's an actual character to go along with the idea. With CHRONAL ENGINE, I went through two or three drafts just based on the concept until I got a handle on the character of Max and where he was coming from.
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: Definitely the brainy book nerd. Honors and AP classes, Motorola National Merit Scholar, academic competitions, the whole shebang. Of course, my school was a bit atypical, at least by the John Hughes 1980's suburban landscape standards. I went to high school in the city of Chicago (Chicago Public Schools) -- a school called Lane Tech that had a student body of about 5000; my graduating class was about 1100. We were all required to take shop classes and a lot of math and science (even the theatre kids :-)). There were so many different students doing so many different things, it was easy to find common ground -- and get lost if you wanted to :-).
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: Cyn and I have four cats: three short-haired tabbies and one long-haired white cat. The biggest problem with them is that they tend to like to sit on the keyboard.
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
A: Never. Occasionally, however, I do wake up in the middle of the night with a new idea or solution to a particular plot problem...
Thank you so much for your time, Greg. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
To read more about Greg Leitich Smith, peruse his website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Greg Leitich Smith
In addition to CHRONAL ENGINE, Greg is also the author of NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO and its companion book, TOFU AND T.REX. He and his wife, Cynthia Leitich Smith, are the co-authors of the picture book, SANTA KNOWS (Dutton 2006), illustrated by Steve Bjorkman.
Although he's never built a time machine, Greg has degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Texas at Austin. In addition, he has a degree in law from The University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
An Interview with Diana Lopez
A: Since it's the most recently released, I'm going to say that I am most proud of CHOKE. I took on a topic, the choking game, but the book is really about friendship. I'm proud of it because it applies to situations all of us must face--the moment when friends encourage us to do something wrong. In this novel, the wrong things are the choking game and lying and betraying another friend, but if you think of CHOKE as a novel about friendship, then you can see how it applies to other situations as well.
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 begin with a voice. I can't really start writing until I hear the story's voice. I do a lot of freewriting. At some point, I have an "aha" moment where I hear the voice and where the story takes on its own life. I may not know all the details about the characters --like their ages, conflicts, family and friends--but if I can hear the narrator's voice, I can start having an imaginary conversation. That's when the story starts to take shape.
Q: What do you hear from your readers?
A: I receive email from both adult and young adult readers, but the people who email most frequently are girls between the ages of 10-14. They tell me which characters they like best or offer suggestions for sequels. They often share ways they are similar to my characters. Now that CHOKE is out, I've received a few letters from readers who have lost someone to the game or who have tried other dangerous things like cutting. So far, they agree that books need to address these issues so that others can learn how risky these behaviors are.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adult?
A: I write adult and young adult fiction, but lately, I've been more interested in the young adult, especially the middle grade, audience. Maybe it's the teacher in me. I love reading so much and think of it as a fundamental part of living a rich life. Children are naturally drawn to books, but something happens when they become teens. Many of them lose interest in reading, so I try to write stories that keep the interest alive.
Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?
A: I have a favorite in each book I write. So far, my favorites have been supporting characters. In Sofia's Saints, I love Chimuelita, a funny, toothless woman who is very superstitious and wise. In Confetti Girl, my favorite character is Ms. Cantu. Her obsession with cascarones (confetti eggs), her suspicious nature, and her I-hate-all-men attitude make me laugh. In CHOKE, my favorite character is Elena because she's funny, smart, and her own person. I secretly want to be Elena when I grow up.
Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?
I want them to know how truly grateful I am. I couldn't be a writer without readers, so they make it possible for me to continue doing something that I love.
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 jock. I worked very hard to make good grades, but I also ran cross country and track. Running was a huge part of my identity. My identity today is somewhere between quiet bookworm and gamer, only instead of video games, I play board games.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: No pets for me. I have trouble keeping plants alive. When I master that, I'll get a goldfish.
Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?
A: The toughest part is not having a project. Once your book is accepted for publication, it's mostly out of your hands. The best way to pass the time is to start a new book. When CHOKE was accepted for publication, I started a new book right away, finishing it before CHOKE was released. It's called ASK MY MOOD RING HOW I FEEL, and it'll be available the summer of 2013. But now I'm between books again, searching for the next story. I feel like I'm wasting time because I'm not at the keyboard writing, but the truth is that I'm brainstorming and hunting for the next voice.
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
A: I dream every night, but my dreams aren't about the stories I'm working on. When they relate to writing, my dreams are about being stuck or trapped. But dreams are figurative, so I have to journal and try my best to solve the puzzle of the dream. For example, a few years ago, I was having a recurring dream about whales in pools. There was always an ocean nearby that the whales were trying to reach. I was supposed to help them find the path, but I always failed. At some point, I told myself, "the next time you have that dream, you will successfully lead the whales to the ocean." I don't know enough about psychology to explain this, but I remembered my promise the next time I had that dream and was able to free the whales. I'd been stuck in my writing, and even though my story had nothing to do with whales, releasing them freed me to continue the story. Strange, huh? Yet dreams like this happen over and over.
Thank you so much for your time, Diana. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
Learn more about Diana at her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Diana Lopez
Read more about Diana Lopez at her website.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
An Interview with Lindsay Cummings
 |
| THE MURDER COMPLEX |
A: Hands down, THE MURDER COMPLEX. I wrote it in 2 weeks after I had surgery and read all of The Hunger Games (for the 3rd time) and Divergent (for the 2nd time). I said "dang....I want to write a book like these with my own dark twist!!" So I wrote..and wrote and wrote. And then it was a book, and then my agent sold it to HarperCollins, my dream pub! And all because Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth made me want to be as bad-A as they are at writing.
Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about? Is this even a question?! Clearly, it's Katniss Everdeen. CLEARLY. ***braids hair off to side***shoots arrow at an apple in a pig's mouth***
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 was that girl that was everywhere and was sort of hyper crazy all the time. You could classify me as...Skate Rat/Surfer Chick/Choir Queen/Only female on the male ice hockey team/crazy hair-girl/always had a Harry Potter book in her hands.
Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?
A: I never went to college because of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I'm sick all the time, and I have zero energy- That's why I write! Because writing allows me to do the impossible! Just because you have trials and hardships...it doesn't mean you have to give up your dreams! Sometimes it just means finding a new one that works for the time you're in! :)
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults?
A: I write YA because it's freakin' awesome. Seriously---when you're a teen, everything is a huge deal. And no offense, adult novelists, but...I don't want to write about paying taxes and raising children and what new dish cleaning soap was on the shelves at the grocery store that day. I want to write about hot guys, and fierce girls with weapons, and people beating each other up, and...
Thank you for your time, Lindsay! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.
Read more about Lindsay Cummings at her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Lindsay Cummings
Find her at her website or on Twitter at @lindsaycwrites
Monday, December 10, 2012
An Interview with Janni Lee Simner
A: It varies for me, but often I start with a mood/feeling and an opening scene. For Bones of Faerie, my first YA, I began with several opening paragraphs that set a haunting tone and made me want to keep writing to find the rest of the story. I had a very basic idea to go with those paragraphs: that there'd been a war between the human and faerie realms, and that it had destroyed the world, leaving behind deadly magic. I literally didn't know anything else about the story (not even my protagonist's name!) until I wrote the rest of it. For Thief Eyes, my starting-grain was even smaller: I had a few opening paragraphs written in Iceland, where the book is set, and no idea of where that opening would lead me. I had to write the book just to find out what happened!
I once even began a short story, "Drawing the Moon," with nothing more than an opening line: "Andrew knew that the moon had stolen his parents away." I love following threads like these to see where they lead.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults?
A: Mostly, I think I write the stories I want to tell, and those stories happen to be either YA (which is what I'm mostly writing right now), or children's books (which I've published in the past), or adult (I've also published some adult short stories). I love writing all these genres. I think YA in particular is compelling to me because it's so often set at that moment of change when characters are right on the cusp of moving into and taking control of their adult lives, a time when every decision feels like it matters. I enjoy coming of age stories, as a reader as well as a writer.
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 was totally the brainy kid and book nerd. I still love both reading, as well as learning strange and interesting new things simply for the sake of learning them. I remain an unapologetic geek!
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: We have two cats, both black-and-white tuxedo kitties, one short-haired, one long-haired. The short-haired cat is set on world domination. The long-haired cat is set on finding the best napping spots. They mostly get along really well. :-) Neither seems very interested in my writing, though, and they have a disconcerting habit of leaving the room when I try to read scenes to them.
Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?
A: Right after I finish a book, I want so badly to talk about it, because I'm so immersed in its world! Waiting a year or more to learn what readers make of that world can be hard. This is balanced by the fact that I really appreciate all the work that goes into each book on the publisher's side before it reaches readers, and wouldn't want my stories out in the world without it.
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
A: I rarely have actual dreams about my books, but I daydream about them constantly. Especially in the final stages of finishing a draft, the book can begin to feel more real than the world around me, and I'll drift off to sleep thinking about it. Those moments before sleep are also one of the times I sometimes solve plot tangles that have been troubling me during the day!
Thank you so much for your time Jannie! We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
For more about Jannie Lee Simner, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Janni Lee Simner
Friday, December 7, 2012
An Interview with Kathi Appelt
A: Usually a story begins with some sort of premise. For example, Keeper began with the notion of a girl who believed that her real mother was a mermaid. She had no real proof, but the last time she actually saw her mother, her mother was swimming away. So, for her whole life long, she believed that her mother must be a mermaid because why else would she leave? With the story that I just finished, the premise was about a pair of raccoons who lived in an abandoned car. Whenever lightning struck nearby, the old battery would get a charge, the radio would come on, and the raccoons believed that the voice they heard was "the voice of authority." Once I have a premise in my mind, I start worrying it until the story begins to emerge.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adults?
A: I write because I have to write. Originally I wrote for kids because of my own two sons. As they got older, the stories I was writing turned to older kids. But I still enjoy writing for little ones. Why do I write for any age? Because that's who I write for. I don't think I have a better answer.
Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?
A: Hands down, Black Beauty. It's my favorite book of all time. And my favorite character too. I also love Judith Schachner's Skippy Jon Jones.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: I have four gifted and talented cats. One of them, Jazzmyn, is my muse. She stays by my side most of the day, reminds me that there's work to be done. But then she also lets me know when to take a break. I rely upon her. Sometimes writing can be quite lonely, so it's good to have a cat nearby.
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
A: I dream about my work all the time.
Thank you so much for your time Kathi. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
For more about Kathi Appelt, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Kathi Appelt
Her first novel, THE UNDERNEATH, was named a National Book Award Finalist, a Newbery Honor Book, and the PEN USA Literature for Children Award. That was followed by KEEPER, which was named an NCTE Notable Children’s Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
Ms. Appelt was presented with the A.C. Greene Award by the Friends of Abilene Public Library, which named her a “Texas Distinguished Author.”
In addition to writing, Ms. Appelt is on the faculty in the Masters of Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
She and her husband Ken live in College Station, TX with four adorable cats, Django, Peach, Hoss and Jazz. They are the parents of two even more adorable sons, Jacob and Cooper, musicians who both play the double bass. For more information, check her website: www.kathiappelt.com.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
An Interview with Nikki Loftin
A: This is one of those questions I answer differently on different days! I suppose some of my novels spring from a bit of sand – an irritation that I can’t stop thinking about. My debut novel, The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, came from a conversation my husband and I had about the watering down of classic fairy tales. We both wondered at how safe and even boring some of our old favorites had become! I explained that what I wanted to write was a scary story for kids, to keep them engaged – something like Hansel and Gretel, but set in a school, where the teachers were the witches -- and then I raced home and began to write!
My next book started with a memory. When I was a little girl, I used to climb trees. I had a favorite one, a sycamore, and I used to dream about building a nest in it. And so Nightingale’s Nest was born… Of course, it wouldn’t really take off as a novel until I wove in aspects of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Nightingale,” to give it more structure and depth.
Another of my manuscripts sprang from my love of Dante, another from my childhood as a preacher’s kid -- I guess I begin differently for every book, grateful another idea has come in whatever fashion!
Q: What do you hear from your readers?
A: I am at that most lovely stage of my career – the very beginning – when every fan latter or email makes me giddy with happiness! I have my first two letters taped to the door of my computer, to give me inspiration on the hard days, and remind me for whom I’m writing. Most of my readers ask about a sequel to my book. I’m never quite sure what to say – I have two more books coming out, but all of them are stand alones! I think I might revisit the world of my first novel with some short stories someday.
Q: Who is your favorite character you have written about?
A: The favorite character I have written about is the main character of my next book, Nightingale’s Nest (coming out in early 2014 from Razorbill/Penguin). His name is Little John Fischer and he’s a twelve-year old boy having to learn very quickly how to be a man to support and protect his family… and the magical orphaned girl who he discovers singing in a nest built high in a tree. He is such a compassionate, lonely, and honorable boy. When I think about him, I want to hug him! And then apologize for all the terrible things I did to him in the course of that book. Authors are awful to their characters; it’s shameful, really. :)
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: I have two lovely rescue dogs that keep me company while I write. They also accompany me while I think about what I’m writing. I find that, if I get stuck on a story I’m writing, a good, long walk helps me work out the problems. And having a dog who wants to take a LOT of good, long walks makes sure I always have an excuse to go and consult with the muse!
I also have chickens, and my sons have hermit crabs and a baby hedgehog. The baby hedgehog is a bit of a distraction, as she is the cutest thing ever, and I have to work not to go play with her during writing time!
Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?
A: All of it! Really, it’s a wonderful, frustrating time for me as a writer. I was not born patient, and I haven’t improved much with age. Those months -- years! – between the final revision and the book on the shelf are crazy-making. Right now, my first book is barely out there, and I already have people emailing to ask when the next one will be out! My short answer is “in a million years,” because that’s what it feels like – but I know, with all the work, writing, and life that I’ll have to deal with in the interim, the time will pass. Eventually. And it might even pass pleasantly, if I eat enough chocolate.
Did I mention how important chocolate is to the writing process? It’s the secret to my success, anyway. Lots and lots of dark, lovely chocolate. Mmmmm.
Thank you for your time Nikki. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
For more about Nikki Loftin, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Nikki Loftin
Nikki Loftin lives with her Scottish photographer husband just outside Austin, Texas, surrounded by dogs, chickens, and small, loud boys. Her debut middle-grade novel, The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy, is available now!
You can visit her online at www.nikkiloftin.com or at twitter: @nikkiloftin or Facebook at Splendid Academy. The website for the book is www.SplendidAcademy.com
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
An Interview with Bettina Restrepo
Q: What do you hear from your readers? A: I receive most of my questions via my webpage and Facebook. Some readers want to know what happened to Nora from Illegal, some are doing a class assignment and ask for an interview. A few readers asked me to do their homework (which, by the way, I refer them to my website to find their answers.)
Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?
A: Actually, I, the author, would like to disappear as they read the book. I want readers to think about the characters, the setting. I want the voice of the book to whisper in their mind and carry them away to another place.
It’s like Jennifer Aniston from the 90’s sitcom Friends. Whenever I see her in a new movie, I think… there is Rachel playing the ad executive, girl who can’t commit, or naughty dentist. I never get lost in her character or the movie.
I’m a boisterous personality with a naughty streak of bad language and black humor – but my books aren’t that way. They tend to be quiet and thoughtful. The author is just a name on a book. I’m the person who is a mom, wife, dog walking, bawdy, yet anxious and self-conscience human trying to make her way in the world.
You’ll see tiny hints of me within each character, but it’s never all me.
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.)
I was ‘jack of all trades’ leaning toward the band nerds/drama and speech crowd with a touch of honors classes.
I desperately wanted to fit in, yet did things to set myself apart. I dressed just on the cusp of Molly Ringwald meets the Breakfast Club (on a Kmart Budget), barely made B’s in my honors classes while being the most outspoken person in the room about the books we were reading and why grammar was stupid.
I worked too many hours at the local McDonald’s because I was desperate for independence. I found trouble, but hid it from people outside the group. In a way, I was innocuous. Fitting in just enough to be invisible yet not suffocated, yet standing out enough to find my own voice and cultivate my own life path.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
I have always loved animals. Winston, my Springer Spaniel, sits next to me all day (except when snoring from the bedroom). Insists on a twice-daily walk, and is an excellent Kleenex on days that I get frustrated and cry. He’s naughty and wonderful.
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
Always. I believe in writing slow and taking naps. The subconscious mind is where all of my writing begins.
Thank you for your time Bettina! We look forward to seeing you at the festival.
For more about Bettina Restrepo, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Bettina Restrepo
Bettina received her Bachelor of Science in speech communication from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993. She flunked economics her freshman year and decided a business degree wasn’t a good idea. She found literature and writing were her best fit. For fun, she played cymbals in the band.
She spent many years in the corporate world being an Internal Auditor and wearing pantyhose (not fun). She is married, lives near Dallas under the disguise of “Mommy”.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Happy 200 Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations Beth Calloway Edwards! You have won our Happy 200 Giveaway! An email is headed your way to get your shipping information for the signed copy of Kendare Blake’s Girl of Nightmares!
Thanks so much for playing everyone!
Thanks so much for playing everyone!
An Interview with Lisa McMann
A: I almost always begin with an idea for a plot, and I whittle away at the idea until I can put it into a few short phrases: For WAKE: Girl gets sucked into other people's dreams, can't tell anyone because they'd think she's a freak, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control. For CRASH: Girl sees a recurring vision of a truck hitting a building and exploding, then nine body bags in the snow. She feels compelled to stop the crash from happening; even more so when she realizes inside one of the body bags is the boy she's not allowed to love. Once I know this much, figuring out the characters is next.
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adults?
My stories are for everyone who enjoys them, and they are about young adults and children because those humans are the most interesting to me. They are in a state of constant change physically and emotionally, learning to think on their own, making decisions about major issues that could change their lives dramatically.
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 was in a constant state of awkwardness and embarrassment. I don't think I fit into any of those categories. I was somewhat invisible, I guess. Or at least I felt like I was--except when I did something awkward or embarrassing, that is. Then everybody saw it.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: Currently we have two indoor cats, one of which likes to hinder my writing by sitting on my keyboard. We tend to feed stray feral cats as well, so I count them as pets if they stay around long enough to be named. We had a precious, lovely dog for a time--Jessie died two years ago and I'm still not over it. But her death sort of enabled me to channel grief into my characters in The Unwanteds series in what I hope is a sincere way.
Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?
A: This is a tough question, but one I've been asked before so I've thought about it a bit. In my own writing there are always a couple of characters in each book or series that I adore, and they are usually minor characters who make me laugh. Mr. Appleblossom in THE UNWANTEDS series, for instance, or Captain in the WAKE trilogy. I'm still writing the VISIONS SERIES but from the start I've adored main character Jules' brother and sister and the dynamics they bring to the family.
Thank you so much for your time Lisa! We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
To learn more about Lisa McMann, visit her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Lisa McMann
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| © Vania Stoyanova, VLCPhoto |
Lisa McMann is the New York Times bestselling author of the paranormal WAKE trilogy and VISIONS series, the dystopian fantasy THE UNWANTEDS series, and other books for teens and tweens. She lives with her husband Matt, two kids, and two cats in Mesa, Arizona.
Monday, December 3, 2012
An Interview with Mari Mancusi
A: I’m particularly proud of my novel Gamer Girl, which was released back in 2008. The book deals with bullying and is actually a fictionalized account of something similar I went through when I was in Junior High and started at a new school. I wanted to share what happened to me—but also give my heroine a happily ever after—to show that it can happen, despite how hopeless things might seem at the time.
After the book was published I received countless emails and messages from girls and even boys talking about their own experiences being bullied. They told me that my main character, Maddy, inspired them to stand up for themselves and get their own happy ending. That, of course, made my day—to know the book I wrote made a difference in their lives.
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’m a concept person. I like to think in elevator pitches and movie trailers. Once I come up with a concept (for example, my newest book was pitched as “Terminator with dragons!”) then I create the story and characters to live in it. Sometimes the story and characters change as I’m writing them and I never know exactly how things are going to turn out. But it’s that initial “What if?” that gets my creative juices flowing!
Q: What do you hear from your readers?
A: As I mentioned above, sometimes my books inspire them. But sometimes they just make them laugh. Or maybe make them swoon. And that’s okay, too! Not all books should be life changing. Some should just be entertaining and a great way to spend the afternoon. I get a lot of readers saying they get in trouble at school—for reading my books during class. That makes me laugh. I used to get in trouble for the opposite—for writing stories during boring lectures!
Q: Why do you write for Young Adults or Children or Adults?
I’ve written for both adults and young adults, but these days I much prefer to write for teens. Unlike adults, who will often just pick up a book, read it, then put it aside, teens want to live in the world their favorite author has created. No, not just live—but actually become a part of it and help build it. I have readers who not only draw pictures and make videos based on my books, but also create fan fiction or role play my characters on Facebook. In a sense, that makes them part of the universe. And that’s just really cool. They’re enthusiastic and smart and passionate about what they read—and that’s so rewarding for an author.
Q: Who is your favorite character you have written or read about?
A: I have a lot of fun writing Rayne McDonald, the bad twin in my Blood Coven Vampires series. It’s just fun to write a character who always speaks her mind—even if it gets her in trouble. In real life we can’t always do that—say exactly what we’re thinking with no filter. But Rayne doesn’t care what people think about her. She just blurts it all out. So much fun to write!
Q: What is one thing you would like your readers to know about you?
That I love them as much as they love my books! Okay, maybe that sounds creepy, lol. But I just appreciate so much their willingness to delve into a world and characters I’ve created. It thrills me to no end to get their emails and Facebook messages and blog posts. I don’t think I could do this job—which is often solitary and a bit lonely—without knowing that they’re out there, chomping at the bit for the next book!
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: Goth girl and drama geek. I dressed all in black and listened to New Wave and goth bands and went clubbing at the local goth club every weekend. I dated skateboarders and guys with piercings and shaved heads. I was also very active in my high school drama department and won Best Director my senior year. One thing I realized in school—once you no longer cared what people thought about you, then you became much more interesting to them.
Q: Do you have a pet (pets)? Tell us about it (them) and how they help/hinder your writing.
A: I have a Border Collie mix named Mesquite. She motivates me to go jogging each day – which helps with brainstorming whatever I’m working on at the moment. I consider her my only co-worker. Not so great when it comes to the company Christmas party, but at least she never takes a sick day!
Q: What is the hardest part of waiting for a book from the end of your writing to when it is released?
A: Not spilling the secrets! Especially since all the Blood Coven books end on cliffhangers. I get antsy, wanting to tell readers what happens next!
Q: How often do you dream about the writing you are working on?
A: Hardly ever. I think it’s stored in a different part of my brain. I’m definitely no Stephanie Meyer – getting my ideas in my sleep. I wish I were that lucky!
Thank you so much for your time, Mari. We look forward to seeing you at the festival!
For more about Mari Mancusi, check out her website.
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Mari Mancusi
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