Interview Wednesday | Playing by the book

I have no interview for today, but encourage you to check out Playing by the Book! An all around great blog I've just started reading, plus...she's gathered up interviews from Kidlitosphere. Promises to be an insightful, fun reading of blogs, learning about authors and illustrators, the writing craft 'n' more. Enjoy!

Interview Wednesday | Playing by the book

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday-The Resisters by Eric Nylund

From GoodReads:


In the tradition of Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury, million-copy bestselling Halo author and game developer Eric Nylund brings action-packed science fiction to a young audience with this riveting children's debut. Twelve-year-old Ethan Blackwood has always known exactly what he wanted — to win the state soccer championship, get into the best high school, and become an astronaut. Then he meets Madison and Felix, who tell him something . . . insane. They claim that 50 years ago, aliens took over the earth, and everyone past puberty is under their mind control. Ethan doesn't believe it. But then he sees for himself the aliens' monster bug robots and the incredible way that Madison and Felix have learned to fight them. So Ethan Blackwood has a choice: he can go back to his normal, suburban, protected lie of a life — or he can become a Resister. This is science fiction on the lines of Scott Westerfield and Cory Doctorow for middle graders.

This was, for me, a surprising delight. My first reaction was to the cover. I wasn't sure about it. (note: after I read the book, loved it, shared it with my book club kids, they made it clear they loved the cover). Now, I can't even remember why I wasn't a fan of the cover. When I started to read I was "in" from page one thinking "oh, this is going to be good." As I carried on I added to the thinks-"Can't wait to book talk this!"  Action, believable characters (as a writer of adult sci fi, Eric Nylund _totally_ captures the spirit and voice of middle grade. Check out his post for the release date of the book and the reading history he has with his son...it is no surprise to me that he wrote this book so well. Some serious writing skills (check out his adult fiction) and a love of middle grade. Oh. Kids in book club who took and read the book? Gave it a five out of five donuts (yep, our rating system based on favourite snack) all around.

That's it from me. Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and as always big, BIG thanks to the mama of this meme-Shannon Whitney Messenger @ Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.  BTW she has BIG WriteOnCon announcement. And when she says it is big...it. is. HUGE!

Some more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday-ers to check out:

Shannon O'Donnell-Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster-The Night Writer
Sherrie Petersen- Write About Now 
Natalie Aguirre-Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero-Somewhere in the Middle
Ally Beecher- Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson-Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller-her middle grade blog
Michael G-G-Middle Grade Mafioso
Jessica Lei-her blog  
Pam Torres-So I'm Fifty

Three Writing Reads

This weekend I am heading off on a mini-retreat with a good friend. We will be writing, writing and writing. Two goals will drive my writing. Polishing up a new picture book to send out to agents and continuing to work on a middle grade novel. It will be nice to have a focused few days of nothing but writing and reading about writing! Speaking of, my morning blogging travels were focused on that as well. Next are three that caught my eye.

Okay...this first one isn’t just one post, it’s a whole buncha them. Lindsey Carmichael of Ten Stories Up is hosting all Canadian Interviews for the month of July. Her first question to each author is about sharing their typical writing day. I haven’t read them all yet, but the ones I have show just how different we all are in how we process and work. Very important to remember when you are starting out-butt in chair, yes (otherwise the book won’t get written), but once the butt is in that chair? It differs. Some power through without looking back, some edit as they go, some power along one day, edit the next. This week she is featuring non-fiction writers.

Ten Stories Up

And some of you probably already familiar with these sites, but just in case.

http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2011/07/13/3GreatBlogsForChildrensWriters.aspx

And here, Elana Johnson talks about her drafting process. She is right about revising the mess after doing a fast draft. I am trying to outline more this go around, but am not sure it’s working. I might just be a fast (ish) drafter who has a whole pile of revision to do after the fact. But, what she talks about here has me intrigued!

YA Author Elana Johnson: Drafting, Drafting

WINNER-Oh PICTURE BOOKS! Canada-Interview and Giveaway with Mary McKenna Siddals

And the winner is commenter # 2. I'll be getting in touch with C. Lee and letting her know. Congrats Lee and thanks to all to entered! Following is the original interview-great insight on the creative process in general and on writing picture books in particular.

Oh PICTURE BOOKS! Canada-Interview and Giveaway with Mary McKenna Siddals

MMGM + Oh MG & YA Canada-Interview and Giveaway with Leslie Carmichael

I am repeating this Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post from last week. I'd done one of those scheduled post things, but realized that I would not be around to properly (and fully) participate in all the Marvelous that is Middle Grade Monday! (and contest is still open until tonight, midnight MST)

Just Deb...: MMGM + Oh MG & YA Canada-Interview and Giveaway with Leslie Carmichael

MMGM is the brainchild of Shannon Whitney Messenger (who has an ARC giveaway on her blog today!)

And for more Marvelous Middle Grade, check these out:

Book Dreaming

Kit Lit Frenzy

Literary Rambles

Middle Grade Mafioso

My Brain on Books

Night Writer

Novel and Nouveau

Somewhere in the Middle

Write About Now

MMGM + Oh MG & YA Canada-Interview and Giveaway with Leslie Carmichael

Today we welcome Leslie Carmichael to Oh MG & YA Canada and Marvelous Middle Grade Monday! To celebrate the double-ness of this day, the giveaway is for both of her books! Details at the end of the interview.

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Thanks for taking the time to do this. The books I’m giving away are Lyranel’s Song and Amulet of Amon Ra. Can you tell us where the idea came from for each and how developing each idea differed--or is your process the same for your novels.
The processes were very different. For Lyranel's Song, I had published a short story in a Blooming Tree Press anthology called Mistletoe Madness, the theme of which was "holiday stories." I knew music and I knew the middle ages, so I put those two together. Then the publisher said she liked it so much, she wanted me to turn it into a novel. I did NaNoWriMo that year, trying to get it jumpstarted. Of course, it was awful. Then I spent about a year redoing it.

For Amulet, it was actually the first novel I tried to write. I had it critiqued over and over again, rewrote it many times, kept changing it. When my publisher learned I had another novel ready, they offered to publish it. Meanwhile, the publisher had split off an imprint, CBAY Books, with Madeline, my editor, as its head.

What's next for you? 
I'm currently working on a YA novel, about sharks. I don't know who will publish it yet.


You are also a playwright. How does this help (or does it?) your with novel writing?
It does and it doesn't. I'm pretty good at dialogue now, but I tend to forget to describe clothing (in theatre, the costume manager decides that). Also, it takes up a lot of time, almost all year. This year, I asked for 6 months "off" so I could work on a novel. It's difficult to switch from one type of writing to another.

How do you research your novels? Can you tell us a little about your latest book that I know involved a fair chunk of research?
I read a lot. I mean, a LOT. For Amulet, I had the advantage of having grown up with books about Egypt in my father's collection. Also, I went to Egypt in 2000, to do research. Lyranel is sort of medieval, but since I had once belonged to the SCA, a medieval recreation group, I had sort of been there, too. My current book takes place in Bermuda, and I am still trying to work out a way to get there.

What advice would you have for some of my book club kids who are aspiring writers?
Persistence. Just keep doing it. Don't give up. Someone once told me, that talent, luck or persistence are required, and if you have two of the three, you'll do well, but I think persistence is the key.

Speaking of my book club kids. Something that is a recent read you’d like to recommend for them? They are ages 8 and up (have a few teen readers now) and read a wide variety of genres. What were some of your favourite reads when you were a kid?
I'm currently reading some YA SF, and really enjoyed Ship Breaker, and The True Meaning of Smekday. As a kid, my favorites were Black Beauty, Five Little Peppers, and A Wrinkle in Time. Then I discovered Andre Norton's books and was hooked on sf and fantasy forever.

And finally, favourite place to write at home? Sitting at a desk? On the couch--in bed?
At my desk downstairs when I'm home. I have no windows down there, so I put up some outdoor scenes. But I like to get out of the house and write in coffee shops and libraries, to reduce the distractions.

To learn more about Leslie, check out her website and to enter the giveaway I only ask that you comment with your email included. Open until Sunday July 10, midnight MST.  Happy Fourth to all my friends south of the border! 


If you have the time I'd love for you to check out the inaugural post for Oh PICTURE BOOKS! Canada, too. There is an interview and giveaway with Mary McKenna Siddals.

Oh PICTURE BOOKS! Canada-Interview and Giveaway with Mary McKenna Siddals

I recently read (review copy provided by the publisher) Compost Stew, written by Mary Mckenna Siddals and Illustrated by Ashley Wolff, to my grand-daughter. She loved it and so did I. As a writer I was in awe of how Mary took the alphabet and the how to make compost and mixed them into a magical picture book that was a delight to read aloud and share. The rhythm and language of the book contributed in no small part to that and added a depth to the experience that made this an instant favourite. And...the education value that flowed from the pages was amazing and added yet another level to the experience provided. Easy to follow, what to do to make Compost Stew. The illustrations are a collage of materials that can be used for composting and my grand-daughter and I loved going through the book a second time so we could have a good long look and discussion on each page. Those illustrations are vibrant, filled with color and action that work together with the text, doing exactly what makes picture book magic. We finished up the final read through with the girl saying "Oh Grandma, I love worms." Plus, she wanted to add making compost to our to-do list (I was visiting for the week). Highly recommended from me--for your local library, for your personal library as a fun book just to read, as a book to use for making your own stew.  And did I mention there is a page that has a recipe for Frozen Lemon Pie? Oh yeah.


And now-on with the interview!


Thanks so much for being here to do this, Mary. Very exciting to be launching Oh PICTURE BOOKS! Canada and thrilled to have you on board. Delighted to be here, Deb, and honoured to be on board for the launch… so let’s launch into it! LOL, Mary...

The specific book being given away is Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth (details at end of interview). Can you tell us a little bit about how this book came to be?  Did you love playing in the dirt as a child, in general. Growing up, my family didn’t compost, but in hindsight, I think that may have been because various circumstances simply weren’t conducive to it. And although I loved being connected to nature – playing outdoors, collecting autumn leaves, eating raspberries right off the bush – I most certainly was not fond of mucking about in the dirt.

So what, then, inspired me to begin composting? My mother made me do it. Literally. Many years ago, she came for a visit, observed that I wasn’t composting, and seemed determined to have me start. I protested vigorously – it would be too unsightly, smelly, complicated, time-consuming, hard! – but, ignoring my every objection, she simply collected a bowlful of kitchen scraps, then unceremoniously dumped them into a corner of my yard, thus establishing my first compost heap.

This was a brilliant strategy on her part, for if I was too lazy to start a compost heap, I would naturally also be too lazy to dismantle one, and sure enough, by the time she left, our compost heap was well-established and virtually maintaining itself, with the kids cheerfully adding more kitchen scraps and my husband dutifully contributing yard waste, leaving Mother Nature to do all the hard work… and letting me off scot-free! I was hooked.

Though we now use a composter (bears are a very real concern here), not much else has changed. I’m still a lazy, er, that is, a proponent of “passive composting”, meaning that I really do just add to the pot and let it all rot… and eventually it always does. In the meantime, however, while my compost was a-stewin’, my thoughts began a-brewin’…Could I come up with compostable items for every letter of the alphabet? Could I work them into a picture book? Could I fit them into a recipe format? Could I keep it entertaining? Could I make it all rhyme? The challenge was irresistible, and the result was Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth. The manuscript continued to evolve over time, then sat dormant for a while before finally connecting with the right publisher, Tricycle Press, and the perfect illustrator, Ashley Wolff, who brought it to vivid life with her stunningly detailed collages. I’m simply thrilled with our beautiful book, and so grateful for the nudge that started it all.Thanks, Mom!


Yes indeed on your Mom! And you did what you set out to do-what team work to bring it all together...a creative stew.


What are some recent environmental tie-ins for your book that you’ve found particularly fun to be a part of? In celebration of Earth Day, we hosted a big blog tour and giveaway, which shone a generous green spotlight on Compost Stew and generated lots of interest all across cyberspace. Contrary to the old stereotypes, composting isn’t just for granola-crunching tree-hugging hippie-types anymore! In fact, it’s actually quite remarkable how rapidly awareness of composting is spreading, turning it into a readily-accepted mainstream practice. I’ve been endlessly fascinated by the many innovative products that have been reinvented to make them compostable – from lunch trays and birdhouses to sneakers and wedding gowns! – and the many innovative projects that are sprouting up all around the globe as people everywhere spread a little green in the world with composting. Airports, zoos and universities compost. The Seattle Mariners compost. The Barenaked Ladies compost. Thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, even the White House composts! Illustrator Ashley Wolff and I maintain a Facebook page for Compost Stew  where we feature links to these kinds of fascinating tidbits of compost news.


I’m particularly excited, however, about one special connection that Compost Stew has made with the Aberdare RangesPrimary School in Kenya , which was established by an Australian charity for the refugee children of the region. Recently, I was contacted by their librarian, who asked if I might like to donate a copy of Compost Stew to their fledgling school library. The students, who are each given a one metre square garden plot to tend, were learning about composting as a means to recycle their rubbish into a usable resource, and she felt that the unique approach taken by Compost Stew would help them to better understand the process. I was, of course, thrilled for the opportunity to donate a copy of the book to such a worthwhile cause, and find it both humbling and gratifying to think that Compost Stew is contributing in some small way to this wonderful project that's making such a big difference in the lives of so many children. Compost Stewpendous!


Wow, Mary. Yes--how wonderful to be able to help out in this way! For those of you interested here is a video of the school she is speaking of. Inspiring.

The first book I ever read from you was when I worked at the library. Millions of Snowflakes is the name of that book. It’s difficult to craft a story in so few words. Was this no exception for you and how much part of the process were you once the illustrator was selected with this and the rest of your picture books. You might be surprised at how long it can take a picture book author to wrestle so few words into shape! I don’t remember the timeline for Millions of Snowflakes (1998) specifically, but with my concept books in general, although the idea and framework may come to me quickly, the text tends to evolve much more slowly, as I choose my words very deliberately. Even once a manuscript is essentially finished, I may continue to fine-tune endlessly – for weeks, months, even years – before I’m satisfied that I’ve got every word exactly right.

As for the illustration process, typically, authors have no involvement whatsoever, and that certainly was my early experience. As with my first picture book, Tell Me a Season (1997), I never even saw any of the artwork for Millions of Snowflakes until the book was finished! Fortunately, I loved Elizabeth Sayles’ beautiful pastel illustrations, as did the critics, and Millions of Snowflakes quickly became a perennial favourite, still in print more than 12 years later.

Fast-forward to the publication of Compost Stew (2010) for an entirely different experience. My editor at Tricycle Press included me in the process from the start, keeping me closely informed and sharing the progress of the artwork via email. From early sketches to first pages to finished collages, watching the book evolve was a real treat, and I was surprised and delighted at each step of the way. I could never have imagined all the rich detail that Ashley Wolff cooked up for Compost Stew, and I was simply thrilled to see my words being brought to such vivid life with her wonderful visual interpretation. When a last minute request for an author photo caught me off guard, I was even emboldened to ask whether Ashley might consider collaging our portraits instead… which she did, providing the perfect whimsical finishing touch to accompany our jacket flap bios.


Picture book reading and sharing is always a joy. Are there any recent reads that you would recommend we be sure to get for our library collection and young patrons and their families? Have a childhood favourite picture book writer and or illustrator? So many great books, it’s hard to pick favourites, but since you asked specifically for recent reads, I’ll try to contain my enthusiasm and limit myself to just a handful of current standouts. I’ve been recently smitten by the absolutely charming How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills, as well as the downright endearing Finn Throws a Fit by David Elliott, both books for the younger set. At the other end of the picture book spectrum, I was particularly impressed by two nonfiction titles for older readers, the utterly captivating The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull, and the totally fascinating I Feel Better with a Frog in my Throat: History’s Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia. Finally, back at the younger end again, I must mention Canadian author Deborah Hodge’s Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small Local Farm, a simply delightful photo-essay that reeled me right in with its engaging text and inviting pictures.

As for a childhood favourite, I’m rather surprised to realize that I don’t actually recall reading many picture books as a kid, or even having them read to me, though I do remember an anthology of children’s stories and poems that was especially well-loved and often-read, and I have many fond memories of my parents telling me stories from their own childhoods. One picture book, however, does stand out in my memory, A Present for the Princess by Janie Lowe Paschall and illustrated by Elizabeth Webbe. Though it’s just a humble little dime store book, now long out of print, it totally enchanted me with its touching story and sweet illustrations, and remains close to my heart, one of my most cherished possessions to this day.


And the final...what is your writing space like? How do you start your writing day (or night? or both?) Although I do have a desk where I take care of any writing business that can’t be managed without a computer – research, marketing, communications – my creative work is rarely confined to that spot. As a writer of spare picture books, I more often simply carry my manuscripts around in my head, so my actual “writing space” becomes entirely portable. I especially like to ponder my writing while I’m out for a walk, working the words of a manuscript to the beat of my feet, repeating them rhythmically until I’m home again, then writing them down in a rush while they’re still fresh in my mind. Likewise, I’ll sometimes reread a manuscript right before turning out the lights at night, then lie in bed playing with the text, mentally writing and revising as I drift off to sleep, a process punctuated by my popping up to jot down any sudden inspirations, lest they evaporate before morning. Day or night, when I’m preoccupied with a picture-book-in-progress, I simply jump in wherever and whenever it sneaks up on me and demands my attention.


Right now, however, I’m at my desk, wrapping up this interview, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks so much for the opportunity to connect with your readers, Deb. I’m delighted to have been invited to the launch of Oh PICTURE BOOKS! Canada, and wish you much success with this exciting new feature spotlighting Canadian picture book creators.


To learn more about Mary please check out her website!  


To win a copy of COMPOST STEW, comment by next Wednesday, July6 @ Midnight MST. Open to U.S. and Canada.


From the interview, Mary's recommends :