Find her at her website or on Twitter at @lindsaycwrites
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Introducing 2013 MCBF Author, Lindsay Cummings
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
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