Terra Elan McVoy. BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS **Giveaway!! ***

I'm thrilled to be a part of the blog tour arranged by Literary Logistics for Terra Elan McVoy's new release BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS. (keep reading for your chance at a free copy of the book!!) I adored PURE, one of McVoy's previous books, so I was eager to dive into this one. 

Charlotte spends most of her time with boys. She manages and writes songs for a band made up entirely of boys. She has a best friend who's a boy and she studies with another boy. She has never had feelings for any of them until a new boy joins the band. She is suddenly aware that he isn't like the other guys. She isn't sure how to handle the electricity between them.

On top of those new feelings, her best guy friend suddenly begins acting strange and then proceeds to disappear from her life. It's hurtful because they were so close. All this time Charlotte loved how easy it was being friends with boys, particularly considering how some girl friends act.  But lately, the boys are confusing her more and more. What's a girl to do? Being friends with boys may not be so easy anymore.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun book! I remembered some of the qualities I love about McVoy's writing. Her characters are so relatable. Plus, she has a way of perfectly indicating a characters feelings not only with laser sharp dialogue, but also with facial expressions. She has a way of making a scene multi-layered in a way that I really admire.

Also, I want to point out something that I'm not sure other people notice. Most of the main characters names matched their personalities perfectly. I'm not sure I can explain this other than to say that I like the character development right down to the accurate naming of each person. I realize that names can have different connotations for different people. But for me - every single one of these names fit right. I don't necessarily always notice that. But I did here. In addition to the naming, each character feels rich and wonderful.

I enjoyed spending time with Charlotte and all of her boys. The relationship issues between Charlotte, the different boys, and the girls rang true. I related to many of the challenges that came up. I also fell into the same pitfalls as a teen. It was nice to see Charlotte become confident enough to stop worrying about what the popular girls thought of her and to thrive at being herself. I cheered for her as she found and developed the musician within her, and you will too!

Enjoy this wonderful summer read. You will be inspired. You may even wish you could be friends with a few of these characters yourself. I know I do!

And now for a few words from the author Terra Elan McVoy about being friends with boys. She is sharing the top 10 reasons why being friends with boys is different from being friends with girls. I get the pleasure of sharing reason #9 with you right here: 

Differences Between Being Friends With Boys, and Being Friends with Girls 
Terra Elan McVoy Blog Tour 2012

Ever since my novel, Being Friends With Boys was released, I’ve been asked a lot about friendships between guys and girls. Is it possible, for one thing (duh, yes), and how is being friends with boys different than being friends with girls. I happen to be very lucky to have had friendships with both guys and girls all through middle- and high school, and continue to have fantastic friendships with men (and women) to this day. Though I think the value and intensity of guy/girl friendships and girl/girl friendships are definitely equal, there certainly are some differences. Follow my blog tour to read a few of my thoughts on how being friends with boys isn’t quite the same as being friends with girls!

9. It’s easy to confuse liking someone as a friend for liking them another way. For me, this is the biggest problem with being friends with boys. The things we look for in friendship are so, so similar to what we want in a romantic relationship: he makes you laugh, she’s a good listener, you enjoy doing things together, he inspires and challenges you, she remembers things about you, etc. Pretty much the only difference between good friends and good romances is the whole physical fireworks part. So sometimes, especially at the beginning of a friendship, it’s easy to confuse the “Holy cow I really dig this person,” for “Holy cow I want to make out with this person.” Hopefully, if you are truly good friends, there’s room for this confusion in your relationship, and if one or the other of you goes through the mix-up (or even if you both do for awhile), you can work together and get beyond it.

So dear readers, do you agree with Terra? Have you had trouble distinguishing between liking someone and LIKING someone? Can girls and guys really be friends? Of course, this is a centuries old debate. But many women and men make it work quite well. I think it's much harder as a teen, though, having encountered some of these "confusions" myself as a teen. What do you think?

**And now for the chance at a FREE copy of BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS to enjoy for yourself! * * * * Just simply share with us in the comments your opinion of #9 (confusing liking for LIKING). Tell us whatever you'd like. Perhaps you have a funny story about this type of confusion. Or maybe you absolutely KNOW that Girls and Guys CANNOT be friends and that those crazies who claim to be friends are merely lying to themselves. Or maybe you think that OF COURSE they can be friends and why are the rest of us even wasting time asking??

Comment by midnight July 1st. I will then randomly select one of you to receive the prize of a hardback copy of BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS!!  Go forth and comment!

Connect with the book in the following places:
Goodreads   Terra's Website    Terra's Twitter    
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Author Interview: Cat Patick

I was able to snag an interview with debut author, Cat Patrick! I was excited to interview her because FORGOTTEN was such an unforgettable book. The concept of waking up everyday with a wiped clean memory is fascinating. And if you haven't read the book yet, get right on that! So without further delay, the interview:

We'll begin with a little biographical information. Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Wyoming, and have lived in Boston, San Francisco, and now outside Seattle. My husband and I have twin preschoolers. I love to write, travel, do crafts with my girls, go to movies and drink good wine; I’m afraid of flying and zombies…and flying zombies.

I'm totally with you on the zombies. 

Have you always wanted to be a writer when you grew up?

YES! I wrote my first “book” when I was about seven. It was about a dolphin and was self-illustrated (drawing is not my forte). My mom had it laminated and bound; I was so proud.

That's awesome! I hope you still have it. It would be great to show kids at school visits. 

Did you hold other less glamorous jobs while waiting to be published?

I worked in public relations for 13 years, so I spent a lot of time promoting other people’s successes while waiting for my own.

I hear many times that the first book published by an author isn’t the first book they wrote. Tell us about your first book.

The first book I wrote was an awful fiction novel that will never see the light of day. That said, it was a necessary experience for me. When I got the idea for FORGOTTEN, I never questioned that I could do it. I just wrote.

People always want to know about the writer lifestyle. How much do you write each day?

It really depends. As my girls have gotten older, my writing time has diminished. I usually have about two hours before Hubby goes to work and another two at naptime. Usually, I work Saturdays when he’s home and can hang out with the girls. I also have help one or two mornings a week. I never write in the evening. I’m worthless after about 4 p.m.

Now let’s jump into the book:
How did you come up with the idea for London’s memory issue? Is it a real condition or fictional?

It’s completely fictional. My daughters were five months old when I came up with the idea: I was incredibly sleep deprived. I was doing something in the kitchen and forgot what I was doing in the middle of the activity. My brain wandered to thoughts of amnesia…and thoughts of amnesia in high school. Then the idea of “remembering” forward instead of backward just struck me. FORGOTTEN was born.

It seems like it would be hard to keep up with some of the events London remembered and some that she didn't. Like London, did you have a lot of notes too while writing this?

Definitely. I made timeline after timeline. That said, often when writing a scene that started on a new day, I’d deliberately not read my notes so that I forgot what happened last in an attempt to try to walk in London’s shoes. I think those passages were better for my not knowing.

I get a kick out of those outtakes on DVD releases of movies. Were there some interesting scenes that you liked, but had to take out during the editing process? 

I’m a fairly drastic editor so there are too many deleted scenes to count. Nothing stands out, which I guess is why those scenes were cut. :)

Where did the name London come from? 

I believe it came from my baby name book. Naming characters is such a big deal to me: I obsess over it and can’t start writing until the main characters’ names feel right. I wanted something unique but not over the top, and felt that London fit the bill. More than that, it fit her: the character coming to life in my brain.

Australian Cover - love the tag line
(click to read it)

I agree. It totally fit her. 
I’m so blown away by the concept of this book that I can’t wait to read your next book! Can you give us a little teaser about the plot? 

I wish! I’m dying to share news about my second book because it’s finished, but alas, I can’t…yet. Please stay tuned on Facebook/Twitter and my site as I’ll announce details as soon as my publisher gives the green light. I can say that it’ll be out June 2012, and it’s also about a teen girl in a normal town with an abnormal life.

Finally, I won’t ask your favorite book, because I know how tough that can be. But tell us who some of your favorite authors are.
I have so many favorites! Here are just a few: Neil Gaiman, John Green, Suzanne Collins, Jay Asher, Lisa McMann and Carolyn Mackler. I’ve also read nearly every book by Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly. I love crime novels!

Thank you so much. Congratulations on your success! My readers and I look forward to your next book. :)

Thank you for the opportunity. Very best to you and your readers!

For more on Cat Patrick, check out her website.

Author Interview: Jennifer Trafton

Hooray! I was given the honor of interviewing the author of THE RISE AND FALL OF MOUNT MAJESTIC, Jennifer Trafton. The book is delightful! You must read it. 

First of all, I am blown away that this is your first novel. It’s really brilliant! How long have you been writing?

Thank you so much! I started really thinking about writing—doing it deliberately—when I was ten years old. I took a creative writing class and discovered how much I liked writing poetry. (I also have a vivid memory from that class of listening to a recording of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Telltale Heart”!) My parents bought me a journal, and I filled those pages with very goofy and melodramatic poems for the next decade. When I was in high school, I started writing stories that I thought could be children’s picture books, and I sent them to agents and publishers and got many, many rejections. But I learned a lot about the publishing industry that way.

Did it take long to get this book published?

Six years from first draft to publication. So the answer is “yes!”

There are so many imaginative creatures in this book, where did the ideas come from?

Oh my, from everywhere. I can’t explain why my brain works the way it does. I remember that I imagined most of them from the inside out. In other words, I knew about their inner characters and personalities first, and then their external characteristics grew out of those internal ones. For example, the Leafeaters’ concern for courtesy, beauty, and correct grammar and their sense of superiority to others shaped the way I imagined their appearance, their way of talking, and the culture of their city.

Did you have any input in the selection of the illustrator? I think Brett Helquist was the perfect match!

I think so too! I’m not sure I can say that I had “input”—it’s ultimately the publisher’s decision—but when I heard Brett was being considered, I certainly expressed my enthusiasm! Brett’s style perfectly combined the fairy tale feeling and the quirky humor of the book.

I love the ending, but it leaves me with a question or two. Are you thinking about a sequel or do you think that’s the perfect way to end our time with Persimmony?

I had always intended there to be more to this story than just the first book. However, once I finished the final revision I realized that I also really like the openness of the ending. It’s a story about “mights and possibilities,” after all—there’s something appropriate about the fact that the reader wonders “what might be?” at the end. I enjoy leaving the reader with a bit of a mystery. Will there be a sequel? That’s another mystery—to me as well as to you.

I love to ask children’s authors what they read while growing up. What did you read? Did you have any favorite authors as a child?

Like many kids, I got hooked on certain series. C. S. Lewis’s Narnia books, L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, Noel Streatfeild’s Shoes books, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, and L.M. Montgomery’s Anne and Emily books were all favorites. I also read a lot of Beverly Cleary, E. Nesbit, Judy Blume, E. B. White, Louisa May Alcott, Roald Dahl, Joan Aiken, and Shel Silverstein.

What about now? Who are your favorite authors now?

I love Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, George MacDonald, Annie Dillard, Wendell Berry, W.B. Yeats, Billy Collins . . . . I like Lewis Carroll even better now than when I was a kid. Some all-time favorite “adult” novels include Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Can you give us a sneak peak at what you’re writing right now?

Yes, as a matter of fact, it will be an extraordinarily exciting story with a hero, a villain or two, an utterly unique setting, a nail-biting climax, and possibly a few giraffes.

Giraffes - well now I really can't wait! 

Finally, if you could have dinner with any other author (alive or dead), who would it be? And more importantly, what would you talk about?

“‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said, ‘to talk of many things . . .’” I would love to spend an entire evening with Charles Dodgson (a.k.a. Lewis Carroll) making up nonsense words and discussing sealing wax and the correct way to swing a vorpal sword. We would, of course, sit on a briny beach and eat oysters and mock turtle soup. 

Sounds like fun!

My readers and I thank you very much for your time! We know you’re busy crafting your next brilliant novel – and we can’t wait to read it!

Thank you! It’s been a pleasure. 

If you'd like to read more about Jennifer Trafton or her new book, check out her website here.

Lisa Graff Interview & GIVEAWAY!!

Yay! Lisa Graff was kind enough to stop by on her Blog Tour! I got a chance to interview her, and we have a giveaway! Keep reading after the interview for your chance to win a FREE COPY of her new book SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL! (click here for my review of Sophie Simon).

Hello!! Thanks so much for your time. My readers & I appreciate it. I know you’re busy with the success of your previous books. How did it feel to have UMBRELLA SUMMER and THE THING ABOUT GEORGIE named to so many award lists?

Well, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me! I’m thrilled to visit.

I can’t tell you how exciting it’s been to be on so many state lists. It’s a big, big deal for an author, because you know kids are actually reading your books, and that teachers and librarians are behind them, too. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have on my side than teachers and librarians! It means a lot.

I love to ask authors what books they read while growing up. Did you have some favorite authors or genres?

I really enjoyed funny books when I was a kid (and I still do!). A few of my very favorite authors were Roald Dahl (Matilda and The Twits were my favorites), Beverly Cleary, and Louis Sachar. A few years ago I was lucky enough to meet Louis Sachar, and I turned into a giddy fan girl. I could barely remember how to talk! The other books I absolutely devoured as a child were The Baby-Sitters Club books. I think I owned about 60 of them, and I loved them so much I wrote my name in all the covers. When I left for college, my mom made me donate them to the local middle school, which I was furious about at the time, although obviously it was a wonderful thing to do. Anyway, I think it’s funny now, because that same library has lots of copies of books I’ve written, too, so now kids can read books with my name on both the inside and the outside. :)

When did you start writing?

I’ve always written for fun, mostly because my older brother, Ryan, was such a good writer (he writes screenplays), and I wanted to be just like him. When I was in first grade I won second place in a writing contest at school for a story about a birthday party at the zoo which goes disastrously awry when one of the animals gets the hiccups. But I never really took myself seriously as a writer until my freshman year of high school, when two very important things happened. The first thing was that I joined the school writing club, which was lead by Mr. Harrison, who may very well be one of the top five awesome English teachers in the world. Being in that club was so wonderful because it encouraged me not only to produce a lot of work and look at it critically, but it also introduced me to many great friends who also took writing very seriously.

The second important thing that happened to me that year was that my half-brother, Robert, was born. This was important for many reasons, obviously, but in terms of my writing it was significant because I began writing a book for him (the first novel I would ever attempt to write). It took me four years to finish and was absolutely terrible—but terrible or not, it showed me that writing novels (and specifically novels for children) was a lot of fun, and something I might really want to do. That novel was never published (I’m very happy for that), but The Thing About Georgie, which was my first published book, is dedicated to Robert and my other half-brother, David, who is a few years younger.

Did you know you wanted to be a writer while growing up?

I really had no idea, actually. I liked books and reading (my mother is a librarian, so we always had a lot of great books to read), but my favorite subjects in school were math and science, and all growing up I thought I was going to be a doctor. I actually started college as a pre-med student, and it took me a few years to realize that I thought writing was more fun than studying protists (which are eukaryotic microorganisms, in case anyone was wondering. They are not very fun.).

If you weren’t an author, what would you be doing?

I think I would either want to be a children’s book editor (which I was for several years, until I left to write full time) or a high school biology teacher.

UMBRELLA SUMMER is a current popular title in my library, so I’d love to ask about that book first. I love Annie. Was there someone in your life who inspired you to create her? 

I’m so glad you love Annie! That character is mostly based on me as a child, although I wasn’t quite as feisty as she was. That book is probably the closest to my heart, since it came out of an experience I had as a kid. When I was nine years old, my older brother, Ryan, got very sick and was in the hospital for a long time, and even though he got better (thank goodness!) and is perfectly healthy now, I’ve always remembered how scary that time was, and how worried I was not only for my brother, but for myself, too. So it was wonderful to finally be able to write about all of those feelings, and equally amazing to hear that my book has helped some other families in similar situations.

Now about your newest book, SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL. You create the best characters. Sophie is super smart and knows what she wants. She wants to spend time learning, not making friends. How did you come up with the idea for this book?

Thanks so much! Sophie Simon was a character I’d had in my head for many, many years, but I could never seem to find the right book for her. I loved the idea of this super smart little girl who knew how to do absolutely everything—except talk to people her own age. I used to put her into exercises we would do in graduate school (I got my MFA for Creative Writing for Children in 2005), and I even once had a professor say, “This character is wonderful, but you’ll never find a story for her.” It wasn’t until I started thinking of her as sort of a hired problem solver, someone who could solve other kids’ problems, even if she didn’t like the kids themselves, that the ideas really started flowing. Still, it took about four years after that for me to find the right story for her!

I think you’ve set up the beginning of a great series! Are you planning more Sophie books?

I would love to write more Sophie books! I have ideas and outlines for many more Sophie stories, but I’ve been so busy writing other books lately I haven’t gotten a chance to get to them yet. Hopefully soon!

What are you working on now? Can you give us any teasers for any upcoming publications?

Right now I’m revising my next middle-grade novel (for the same age group at Georgie and Umbrella Summer). It’s called Double Dog Dare, and it’s about two kids, a boy and a girl, who are mortal enemies and keep daring each other to do more and more ridiculous things—until they discover that they have something surprising in common. It’s coming out late next year.

On your website, you say that you wanted to legally change your name to Lisa Graff, Great Scientist. Can we hear more about that?

At some point when I was very young, someone informed me that you could change your name when you turned 18, and I thought this was the best thing I’d ever heard. I went through a whole slew of ideas (the only other one I remember is “Cupcake,” but my mother absolutely put her foot down at that one), but “Lisa Graff, Great Scientist” was the one that stuck. I think I even made people call me that for several weeks. My brother will never let me live it down.

Thanks again! I appreciate your time. J

Thanks to you for letting me visit! This has been a blast. I hope your school year goes wonderfully!

 HERE IT IS....for your very own copy of SOPHIE SIMON...

Farrar, Straus & Giroux is giving away a free copy of Sophie Simon Solves Them All to one lucky blog reader! Just send an email to graff.lisa@yahoo.com, along with the name of this blog (Mrs. Hill's Book Blog), for a chance to win (winners will be notified within the week). Or follow along on the rest of Lisa's blog tour for more chances. For the full schedule of stops, visit www.lisagraff.com.

Author Interview: ADAM SELZER

Yay! I scored an interview with one of my favorite authors - Adam Selzer. You know him from HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, ANDREW NORTH BLOWS UP THE WORLD, I PUT A SPELL ON YOU, as well as his newest I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT.
So without further delay...

My readers & I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few burning questions. I’ll begin with a few of the typical author-type questions.

Did you read a lot as a child/teen? Who were your favorite authors then?

Of course I did! In grade school I was into Daniel Pinkwater, Gordon Korman, Judy Blume and Barbara Park. In middle school I went through a brief Christopher Pike phase before moving onto Dean Koontz, Harlan Ellison, and the Beat Generation guys.

Who are your favorite authors now?

I tend to breathe better when I’m reading Dickens – I’ve read just about all of his stuff now. But I went back to some old Barbara Park lately and couldn’t believe how hilarious it was. Writing funny stuff in middle grade is extraordinarily hard, and she just makes it look effortless. I’ve also been reading the Captain Underpants series with my stepson – I love how many “big” words are in there.  I’ll take my hat off to anyone who can use the word “gastrointestinal” in a chapter book.

I agree that it takes a lot to make middle schoolers laugh. When did you start writing? Tell us about the first story you remember writing.

The first real story I remember was one called Vampires in the Woods that I wrote in second grade – it was about a friend of mine and I going camping and being harassed by a vampire. Everyone in class had to write a story, and we all sort of tried to outdo each other in terms of creativity (a pretty wonderful sort of competition to have).  Every kid in the school had to write a story that would be in a big book that everyone got at the end of the year – I still have my copy!

Wow, so really it was YOU who started the big vampire trend, huh? 
Was HOW TO GET SUSPENDED the first book you tried to get published?

Nope – the first one I tried to publish was called INSTANT KARMA, back when I was a teenager. It was a Dean Koontz-type metaphysical thriller.  I still have it around here, but I’m tempted to destroy it. I don’t think I’m famous enough that people will want to publish every extra scrap after my demise, but better safe than sorry!

How did you realize that you wanted to write for young adults? (It’s way cooler, of course, but are there other reasons?)

When I got started with writing, I thought the YA scene was much more exciting than the adult books that were coming out – and it seemed like they needed more funny books to go along with all of the books about issues. It’s also more of a subversive thrill to be a smartass in a book for younger readers, really.

I bet you have a lot of characters floating around in your head that you haven’t been able to use yet. Describe one for us.

I’ve got this one idea for a kid called Brendan Butte The Poop Salesman. He takes some snake poop to school for show and tell, and some kid offers him a buck for it, giving him the get rich quick scheme of the century…

Now that I'm in an elementary school, I can say with certainty, Brendan would be a huge hit! Do you base your characters on people you know? (we promise not to tell)

I have a t-shirt that says “careful, or you’ll end up in my novel,” but in reality I try to bury anything autobiographical.

Are you as funny in person as your characters?

I have my moments, but most of the time I’m pretty quiet.

You seem to really like history. Was that your favorite class in school?

A couple of semesters it was – it really depended on the teacher and what the assignments were like. It’s very easy to make history boring.

I’ve heard you say that high school really isn’t the best years of your life. Well, if my high school experience was more like HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, it might have ranked higher. What was high school like for you? What “group” did you hang out with?

I went to high school in Snellville, GA, when it was in sort of a transition period between being a total hick town and a middle class suburb. I’d just moved to Georgia from Iowa and going through some culture shock – I didn’t realize that ‘y’all’ was singular (the plural form is “all y’all”).  I got picked on by hillbillies a lot, and no one else seemed that bothered by the fact that the health teacher used his whole class to preach at us. I had plenty of friends (mostly smart, left-of-center sort of kids), but I never seemed to have any classes with them.  In my senior year I switched over to the local “alternative” school twenty miles away – they ran it like a college there. They treated the students like adults and expected us to act like it – and we did. The school had a reputation for being the place where the bad kids, stoners, and pregnant girls went, but in those days it was actually wall-to-wall smart kids.

You grew up in Idaho, right? But you’re in Chicago now? Why did you move?

Iowa, actually - then I did high school and college in Georgia. Georgia never did grow on me, so I left for Chicago right after college. I loved the idea of living in a city where I wouldn’t need a car. I think of moving back to Iowa now and then, but I love that I get paid for talking about Chicago history. No one’s going to pay me to talk about Iowa history. They might pay me to shut up about it, though.

Oops, my bad on the geography, sorry! About the ghost hunting… are you still doing that? Or is writing keeping you busy full time?

For those who don’t know, I worked professionally in the ghost busting industry for a several years – primarily doing historical research and running ghost tours, but with plenty of actual investigating thrown in. I still do it occasionally. I’ve never found anything that really made me believe in ghosts, but poking around old buildings looking for cool stuff is great fun. You’re apt to find plenty of cool stuff besides just dead people – at one old theatre, back in a little alcove we found several lip prints on the wall, which were signed and dated in the 1930s by a vaudeville dance troop.

That does sound fascinating. One more occupational question: If you weren’t a writer, how would you spend your days?

I’d probably still be in retail or restaurant gigs – that’s about all most college degrees qualify you for nowadays.

According to your website, you have a book coming out next year tentatively called Fairy Godmother. Is this a sequel or simply a book with characters we know from Cornersville Trace? Can you tell us about it?

It’s a sequel to both I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT and I PUT A SPELL ON YOU. It’s a comic noir mystery set in the same world as ZOMBIE, featuring musical theatre, vampires, magic spells, con artists, and a whole lot of unicorn poop.  I’m working full time on it lately.

Will you give us a peek into any other books you’re working on?

I’m a bit superstitious about talking about books that haven’t sold yet, but I can tell you about one called TANGLED UP IN BLUE that I think will be out in 2012 – it’s John Hughes-esque story about a girl who gets over an unrequited crush by embarking on a “holy quest” with a couple of misfits who have invented their own religion.

Wow, there's not a topic you won't tackle!

To take a look at all of Adam Selzer's books, check out his website.


For more kicks and giggles, go to the website dedicated to I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT. You will find interviews, reviews, pictures and other goodies. Like this:
<--The pamphlet that Alley reads about converting - it's really too much. LOL!

HEX HALL~ Rachel Hawkins Interview & T-Shirt Giveaway!!

Yay!! I was granted an interview with Rachel Hawkins, debut author of HEX HALL. (the awesome book I reviewed yesterday!)
After the interview, stick around to read how you can win a HEX HALL t-shirt!
Here goes:
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few of my burning questions about HEX HALL. 
After reading some of your blog, I get the idea that this book was originally called Demonglass. What made you change the title?

As cool as I thought the word "demonglass" is (and let's face it- that is an AWESOME WORD!), my editor and I both felt like it was a little too dark for a book that contains so much of The Silly!

What was the original idea that inspired Hex Hall?

There really wasn't one idea. It was more a combination of things. I was teaching high school, so I knew I wanted to write about teenagers. I also had a lifelong love for Southern Gothic, as well as boarding school stories. Once all three of those things started brewing in my brain, Hex Hall was born!

I read somewhere that the word Prodigium was a sign about the future that came from the gods. (former English teacher here too.) What is your process for coming up with such great names with significant meanings? (Hecate=also cool)

In the first draft, I just called all the magical creatures in the book "monsters." But this really bugged my husband, so he said I should find a better word! Like all students of English literature, I knew that when in doubt, go Latin. ;-) So I looked up the Latin word for monster, and lo and behold, it was prodigy! (Which is kind of scary when you think about it!) As for Hecate, she was the Greek goddess not only of witchcraft, but also of the crossroads. I couldn't ask for a better symbol!

This will be a series, right? (fingers crossed) I've grown really attached to Sophie, Jenna and even Archer (I’m wishful that he’ll be redeemed somehow in the next book).

It is! Hex Hall is the first of 3 books about Sophie and all her magical adventures! And don't worry, we're not done with Archer just yet!

Yay for that~ (Glad to hear about Archer too).
What are some of the biggest changes in your life now that you’re a full-time writer?

The biggest change is that I no longer have to wear pants to work, haha! And then of course there are things like self-employment taxes and paying for health care. But I also get to play with people who live inside my head, and that sure beats grading essays!

Great answer! Who are some of your favorite authors?

In YA, I LOVE Kristin Cashore, Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare, and Sarah Dessen. As for adult writers, I'm a big fan of George R.R. Martin, Jacqueline Carey, Thomas Hardy, Philippa Gregory, and Lev Grossman.

And finally, a totally random, but important question: Do you watch Supernatural, because a few phrases in Hex Hall reminded me of the show? (It’s my total favorite, by the way.)


I do watch it! My husband and I wait for it to come out on DVD so we can watch the season’s marathon sessions!

Thanks so much! I wish many more successful books for you!


To read more about Rachel Hawkins, check out her blog here.

Now for the HEX HALL T-Shirts!!Since you've read my review & realize what an awesome book HEX HALL is, you ALL want one of these beyond cool shirts, right!?
This your lucky day! I'll be giving one away. All you have to do is answer this one question in the comments section. Then, I'll pick one lucky person with my random number generator. OR YOU CAN EMAIL ME - view my profile to get my email address.

 Ready...Set...Here it is:
If you could be a one type of Prodigum for a few days just to check it out & play around, which would you pick? Faerie, Witch (or Warlock if you're male), Shapeshifter or Vampire. And tell us why you would pick that particular one to try on, please. Okay...go!
I will pick a winner by Wednesday, March 10th.(EXTENDED THE DATE due to comment posting issues) GOOD LUCK!

  

Author Interview!! MELISSA DE LA CRUZ

YAY! I got the privilege of interviewing Melissa De La Cruz, author of the intriguing BLUE BLOODS saga. It's a stellar vampire series that truly gets better with each installment.

It's no wonder the books are so intriguing - so is the author!


Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for me and my readers!

Anytime! Thanks for having me and for the great reviews of the books. Yay!

When did you start writing?

I started writing professionally in 1996. I was twenty-five years old and I submitted an essay to the New York Press. Back then you still had to fax your articles in, and the editor actually called me to tell me they were accepting it. It was one of the happiest days of my life. When the article came out I went and grabbed five issues from the bin. I remember feeling so giddy. The feeling of validation—that YES, I can do it and YES, people will pay me to do it—is immeasurable.

Did you always know you would become a writer?

Yes. It was the only thing I wanted to do, ever since I learned how to read. But did I know it would happen? I definitely hoped so and I worked very hard to make it happen. There's a difference between what you can do and what you want to do. I was a very capable: computer programmer, fashion editor, magazine editor. I did a good enough job at my day jobs, and if I had gone to law school and become a lawyer, I probably would have been a decent lawyer.

I always laugh when I read about how if Quentin Tarantino did not become a filmmaker, he says he would have been a "criminal". He was a clerk at a video store! I don't mean to bash, I love his movies, but I think artists sometimes give this perception that we are just made for our art and that is it. As someone who had a day job for nine years and made a decent living at it, I don't think it's quite true. I was competent. But I did feel like I was dying inside. Until I got my first book deal I was depressed for many years. There's this huge burning ambition and desire, and when you feel like it's not happening you feel like less of a person. I remember when I quit my day job after I sold my first novel, I gave an interview and said "I'm going to be a starving artist but I can't be happier." The fact that the books are doing so well is just gravy. I'm just thankful I get to do this.

Thanks for sharing that. It's encouraging to others who are still pursuing their dreams to here your story. We're so glad you persisted and get to enjoy your books!
Now, on to the BLUE BLOODS SAGA…
The idea of vampires as fallen angels is so intriguing, what inspired you to write your vampires this way?

I wanted to have an origin story for my vampires – and the story of Paradise Lost fit so well – I'd always loved the story of Lucifer's Fall and I wanted my vampires to have a very solid foundation in the myths of the world. I'd never read any vampire book that explained WHY they were around. So I wanted an explanation for that.

So true. I do enjoy the explanation - the unraveling we get along the way. 
You skillfully combine ancient history and fantasy. Did you have to do a lot of biblical research for the series?

No. I grew up knowing these stories – I grew up in the Philippines, and went to Catholic school. Religion and mystery and superstition are all much more weaved into daily life in my country. I grew up going to processions – walking for miles holding a candle for the Feast of the Holy Virgin, or during Lent you would see people walking by the highway wearing barbed wire crowns dragging crucifixes. It was just part of what I knew growing up. We moved to America when I was fourteen, and in college when I took a literature class on the Bible I was amazed at how little many of my fellow students knew about the stories.
But the Blue Bloods story is not rooted in a Biblical story per se – Lucifer's Fall is a pre-Biblical story – there's not much mention of it – and while Lucifer is thought to be Satan it's debatable—I think of the angels story as not quite canon – and I would never touch events that were important to the religion I was brought up in.  For instance a reader asked if Schuyler was related to Jesus—No, No, No! I'm not writing the Da Vinci code. I would never go there. I'm Catholic! The myth of angels exists in Christian, Hebrew and Muslin theology, so while it seems like the books are tied to a certain religion, my idea was that they are tied more a more universal myth. And I wanted the Blue Bloods to be tied to all the major historical events, so yeah, they were in Egypt and Rome and Versailles, but they're not part of the New Testament.

Wow, what an interesting upbringing! It's no wonder you've be able to weave in all the different myths and histories so seamlessly. I think that's what makes the novels so rich (for me anyway).
I love posting your Book Trailers with my reviews. Who does those? Do you have any say in what they will look like?

Of course! I produced and paid for them. I hired a company that specializes in anime to do the Revelations trailer and my cousin who's a comic-book artist did all the art. For Van Alen Legacy, a good friend of mine from college is a stop-motion animation director and I hired him to do the trailer (he makes commercials for McDonalds and AT&T and he gave me a discount on his fee – thank god!)– I write all the scripts and then the directors translate my ideas into the screen. I'm really happy with both, and I give them notes on what I think is working or not working. I have a huge say in them since they are an extension of my work. My publisher also made a trailer for Van Alen Legacy, with more of the idea of showcasing me, so I had to appear on camera, and then they show me the piece and I tell them which angles I like better. Their trailer was also amazing – I loved what Disney did and I'm so glad I had two awesome trailers for the book!

Speaking of movies of your books, if BLUE BLOODS becomes a movie, who would be your ideal casting for Schuyler? Or any of the other characters? (We would all be lining up to see this movie on opening day!)

It's hard to say – whoever plays Schuyler would have to look fifteen years old and I am not as up on the young actresses as some of my readers are. I do see some of the dream-casts and they are so great, I'm always so impressed. I think Alexis Bledel would have made a good Schuyler, she's probably too old now. But someone who had her look would nail it I think. I also love Amanda Seyfried for Mimi, she could probably still play it if the movie gets made sooner rather than later.

You're so right about Amanda Seyfried - that's exactly how I picture Mimi in my head!
I heard that you’re working hard on the next BLUE BLOODS installment – can you give us any teasers about it?

Sure! I've given teasers to other sites, so I'll talk about things I haven't yet before. We see a lot of Allegra in this book, part of the book takes place in Florence during the Italian Renaissance and in a boarding school in Connecticut in the 1980s. It's really fun to work with the same characters but in different time periods.

Oh I can't wait to hear more about Allegra. All this time, she's been such a mystery, and everyone has had so much passion for her. I'd love to read her life story.
Thank you so much!! I’ll send the link to the interview when I’ve posted it. Looking forward to the next book!


You're so welcome!! This was fun! Can't wait to see it!



To find out more about Melissa De La Cruz, please visit her website here. 
Here is the link to my review of the latest in her BLUE BLOODS saga THE VAN ALEN LEGACY.
I'll let you know when the latest installment is out! 

Lisa Yee Interview!

I was lucky enough to score an interview with Lisa Yee. I asked her about her new book ABSOLUTELY MAYBE (reviewed here) and other questions about her life as a writer.
Here we go:

You seem to always write such quirky, interesting characters. Do you have a lot of quirky people in your life for inspiration? Or are you just real creative?

I think my family considers me the quirky one. However, I believe that everyone has their little quirks and that’s what makes us all different. When I develop my characters, I’m always interested in the small details. For example, if a person ate Corn Nuts at every meal that would reveal much more to me than knowing they were a dentist.

What was your inspiration for Maybe’s story? Someone you know? An event?

The book started out as a funny middle grade novel called CHARM SCHOOL DROPOUT. But as I started developing the story, it began to change. It went from a spoof about beauty pageants to something deeper and darker . . . although still funny. And Maybe morphed from a middle schooler to a 17-year old.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and love it here. I also lived in Orlando, FL for a good chunk of my life. However, I was always homesick. Maybe’s story is about her homecoming (to LA), a place she had never been before.

You are awesome at describing characters. I could see Maybe, Hollywood, Ted and even Chessy in complete detail in my head. Does that come naturally for you or have you honed that talent over the years?

Even when I was a kid, I was wondering about the lives of others. I’d make up stories about people I’d see. I still do that. Before I start any book, I usually take a week or two just figuring out my characters--who they are, what they like, what they’re scared of. All my books are character driven, and they dictate the storyline.

Your blog is very entertaining. I love the way that authors today are so accessible through so many places online. Do you find that being on the computer a lot distracts from writing?

Yes. No. Sometimes.

To me, the computer is a necessary tool. I don’t think I could be an author if we still used typewriters. I love blogging and am on Facebook too much. But it’s also part of the process. Writing is a very lonely business, so with the internet I feel connected to the rest of the world.

I noticed in your bio that you’ve had a wide variety of jobs in the past. If you weren’t a writer, what career do you think you would have enjoyed?

Hmmm . . . I’ve often thought that I’d like to make jewelry. Being Brad Pitt’s stylist wouldn’t be a bad job either.

Is being a published author all you thought it would be? Any surprises? Favorite parts?

It’s better than I could have ever imagined. I was surprised, however, by all the public speaking. I had never equated that with being an author.

My favorite part is meeting my readers. When a kid tells me that one of my books changed their lives, well, that’s what makes all of this so worthwhile.

When do you write? Do you like mornings? In the middle of the night?

My best writing is done after 10 p.m. When I’m on a deadline I’ll stay up until 3 a.m. or so. That’s when the house is quiet, and I’m not distracted by e-mail or the laundry calling me.

What’s next for you? Any works in progress you can talk about?

The first of a chapter book series is out in September. It’s called BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) and it’s with Arthur A. Levine Books. I also have a short story in the YA anthology, GEEKTASTIC: STORIES FROM THE NERD HERD. And just this week I turned in a sequel to the MILLICENT MIN series. That will be out next spring.

And finally, inquiring minds want to know, how did the fascination with Peeps begin?

NPR is to blame for that. I was listening to a program about blowing up marshmallow Peeps and just had to try it. Then I got hooked and started blowing up Peeps all the time and taking photos for my blog.

I believe it was a fan who sent Peepy to me. Now she travels with me everywhere. She even has her own fans who give her presents!

Thank you so much for your time! My students thank you also! We'll be looking for your upcoming novels!

Find out more about Lisa Yee and her books at her website here.
Her blog is here.
Also, her newest book ABSOLUTELY MAYBE has its own website here.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW! Collins & Rideout

Yay! Author interview:
I was fortunate enough to interview Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout about their writing process, their books, and what they plan next for us.
To refresh your memory, I reviewed GIRL V BOY here, as well as THE BLACK SHEEP here. (loved them!)

I’m curious about what it’s like to write together. I’m sure you have a system now after having written so many together. After you generate your ideas, what do you do next?

With our first book, Yvonne wanted to sit side by side and write every word together (probably because she knew Sandy would try to take over and hog the whole thing!). But that plan didn’t survive long. Our schedules are just too different. Sandy works in corporate communications, a day job, whereas Yvonne works as a camera assistant, which often means spending 18 hours a day on a film set. So we had to develop a way of working on projects independently that gives us equal input.

We get together in person during the brainstorming stage and hammer out a high level outline together. Then Yvonne takes a crack at the first draft of each chapter and passes it on to Sandy for the next draft. Sandy sends the full manuscript back to Yvonne for revision and Sandy gives it a final polish.

We seldom get together when we we’re actually writing, and rely on e-mail and occasional desperate voicemail messages to resolve unforeseen glitches.

Do you ever disagree about what a character should do next? And how do you decide who’s right?

We do have to agree on an outline in advance. During that discussion, there’s generally a lot of “OR, she could do this…” The idea is to distract the other person from her (bad) idea with an intriguing alternative. Eventually we reach a solution that’s better than the original idea.

To keep the work interesting, we do leave room in the outline for surprises. That way, when we’re reading, there are moments when we think, “Hey, I wasn’t expecting that,” or “Cleverly done, partner.” (Not to mention, “She’d better not leave me to figure out a way out of this trap.”)

Was it difficult to get your first book published? How long did it take? Any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Actually, our road to publication was deceptively smooth with TOTALLY ME: THE TEENAGE GIRL’S SURVIVIAL GUIDE—probably because it was non-fiction. We sent out a query that got some interest from agents. Then we moved on to write a proposal and sample chapter. All told, it took about four months to find an agent and then a publisher.
The hard part came later, when we learned we only had three months to write the book, and we didn’t really know what we were doing! It was such a blur that sometimes we flip though it and wonder, “Did we really write that?”

We ran into more roadblocks when we started writing fiction. For example, our first agent didn’t like SPEECHLESS, so we found a publisher on our own. Then we went through the agent hunt all over with our first teen novel, INTRODUCING VIVIEN LEIGH REID: DAUGHTER OF THE DIVA. In each case, we wrote the entire book without knowing whether we’d find a publisher.

The best advice we can give any aspiring writer is just to persist. We’ve been discouraged many times. It does help to have a coauthor to commiserate!

I loved THE BLACK SHEEP. I thought the idea of a reality show was very trendy, yet the story was still very fresh & original. How did you come up with that idea?

It started with an episode of Wife Swap. We realized a show like that would give a teenage girl a chance to trade in her family and try someone else’s on for size. Plus, we know from Yvonne’s experience that “show business” is a never-ending source of comic relief!

I also loved GIRL v BOY. I read that you two grew up in suburban Toronto, but the school depicted in the novel seems more inner-city, in fact it’s Chicago, right? How did you get such an accurate feel for that environment?

We attended the same small, suburban high school and it was nothing like Colonel Dunfield. So we had to rely on research and imagination.

We usually try to visit the city where our story is set before we start writing. For our Vivien Leigh Reid series, we spent time in Los Angeles. For THE BLACK SHEEP, we drove up the coast to Monterey and hung out at the aquarium.

But we couldn’t make it to Chicago before writing Girl v. Boy so we interviewed friends who’d been there.

Yvonne finally went to Chicago last fall and was relieved to find we’d done okay.

The characters in Girl v Boy are quirky and fun. I love Lu and her friends. But, Mariah cracked me up. Did you base her on anyone you know? I mean, really, if I saw a girl dancing at school, I would laugh hysterically.

Yvonne has met a lot of really interesting (read: crazy) people on film sets. A few of them, like Mariah, would perform anytime, anywhere, for anyone. These were adults, so we just imagined what they might have been like in high school.

Pitting the girls against the boys seems like a marvelous way to ratchet up the competition in a school (I may have to employ this technique at my school). Did something inspire that idea?

We started out with the idea of dueling columnists and then had to work backwards to figure out what kind of conflict would make that work. It actually took a fair bit of shooting down each other’s ideas (through the distraction technique described above) to come up with the battle of the sexes.

What do you have planned next? More YA fiction, more adult fiction?

We’ve just started work on a new teen series for Hyperion, details still under wraps. We’re also tossing around ideas for a screenplay, just to keep things interesting.

A screenplay. Sounds exciting!
Thank you so much! My readers & I really appreciate your time.
To check out all the books by the team of Collins & Rideout, check out their website here.

And for some fun, watch the awesome book trailers below

Here's GIRL v BOY


And the funny one for THE BLACK SHEEP

Suzanne Supplee: Author Interview

Yay! I had the honor of interviewing YA author Suzanne Supplee. I recently reviewed ARTICHOKE'S HEART and I loved it so much that I really wanted to speak with the author. The interview is here:

Q. What was your inspiration for ARTICHOKE’S HEART?

A. I was sitting in the chair at my hairdresser’s, and I had all this glop on my head, and the lighting was bad, and that black cape is always hideous, and there were mirrors everywhere. I couldn’t wait to leave! Suddenly, I had this idea about a girl who couldn’t escape because she worked there. I guess it’s appropriate that Rosie was born in a beauty shop.

Q. I think many girls will relate to Rosemary’s struggles as a teen today, with her worries about her weight and how she looks. How did you write Rosemary so realistically?

A. I decided my own insecurities must be good for something, so I used them!

Q. When thinking back to my own teen years, I don’t remember as much pressure to be skinny. Do you think the pressure on teen girls to look a certain way is worse today than it was in previous generations?

A.I think all generations have pressures. Truthfully, I don’t think this will ever change. What can change, however, is our response to these pressures. We don’t always have to buy into what marketers and advertisers are telling us.

Q. Were your teen years enjoyable?

A. I’m sure most people thought I was happy. I probably looked happy. But I had a lot of burdens as a kid. My dad died when I was five. My mother struggled financially. Deep down I felt lonely and out of place, like Rosie. I wanted two parents, a so-called normal family.

Q. Would you say that you were more like Kay-Kay or Rosemary as a teen?

A. This is a hard question because I get so into my characters that I become all of them in a way. I was probably somewhere in the middle.

Q. While reading the book, I wondered if the Bluebirds were a real organization. Then I saw something about them on your website. Is this a real group for girls? Are they cheerleaders, a dance team, or something else?

A. I came up with the name Bluebirds because years ago, I heard someone talking about their elementary school reading groups. The superstar readers were the Bluebirds. I think the lower group was called the Earthworms. Those names just stuck with me. There were sororities at my high school, and we were always trying to outshine one another. It was silly, of course, but I think we thought we were pretty important at the time.

Q. The southern mannerisms, phrases and names like Rose Warren and Willy Ray felt really authentic. I’m from the south and I recognized several family members. Are you from the south too?

A. Yes, and I love the South. Even though I’ve lived in Baltimore for nearly 20 years, I still think of Tennessee as home. I always tell my daughters they’re half Southern. I also love Flannery O’Connor. She’s my literary hero (I named one of my children after her). When I first read her stories, I remember thinking Hey, I know these people! I also love Truman Capote and Eudora Welty and Lee Smith.

Q. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Rosemary feels at her most vulnerable (in a swimsuit!), yet Kyle shows up at that exact moment and asks her to the prom! It was funny and so sweet. Do you have a favorite scene?

A. This question makes me think of that old Percy Sledge song, “When A Man Loves a Woman.” Kyle loves Rosie. She is smart and funny and real. She doesn’t intimidate him the way those Bluebirds do.

My favorite scene is when Rosie goes to the Bluebirds’ car wash. Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” is playing on the radio, and she’s in her red VW bug and feeling scared but a little powerful, too. She imagines that Julia Roberts and Roy Orbison are in the car with her! I can just see them sitting in the backseat, singing along to the radio and egging Rosie on! I love this particular scene because it’s when Rosie decides these girls don’t have power over her any longer. They may still say ugly things about her and to her, but she’s moved on.

Q. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying – Yummy Cover! Did you have input in creating it? Did you design your website before or after the cover was designed? (I love your website, by the way)

A. The book cover design is by Natalie Sousa, and I don’t know her. In fact, I’ve never even spoken with her, but her design is brilliant! I can’t take any credit for it. My website was designed by Rob Miller, a teacher at my school. If anyone is interested, they can go to my website and click on the link to Rob’s site. He also does beautiful artwork.

Q. What’s your favorite part of being a published author?

A. Hearing from teenagers. I get the best emails from readers. So email me!

Q. Have you started writing your next book?

A. Yes, my next book is Somebody Everybody Listens To, and it’s the story of Retta Jones, a Tennessee River girl who wants leave her small town to become a big-time country music star. I’ve also written a novel for Penguin’s Students Across the Seven Seas series called When Irish Guys Are Smiling. Irish Guys was released this past January, and it’s available in paperback.

Q. Thank you so much for your time! This is one of my favorite books of the year, and I heartily recommend to my students.

I look forward to reading more of your books in the future!

A. Thank you for giving Artichoke’s Heart such a great review and for interviewing me.

It was my pleasure!
Read more about Suzanne Supplee and her books at her website here.

Deborah Hopkinson: Author Interview

I'm thrilled to be hosting Deborah Hopkinson on the first stop of her Blog Tour! You probably know her from her many, spectacular historical fiction books. She's been winning awards since her very first book, SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT, which won the International Reading Association award in 1994. Her books have won ALA recognition, as well as many state awards. Deborah was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Massachusetts and a master's in Asian Studies from the University of Hawaii. She is a great supporter of education and loves to do school visits. Plus, she has a ton of great resources for teachers and librarians on her website.

Click here to see a few of my favorite books by Deborah.

Here is her brand new book: ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK


Let's get on with the Interview! (several of the questions were contributed by students)

Q: When did you get started writing? Did you write as a child?

A: As a girl I loved to read fiction, and I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I didn’t write much as a child, although I did keep a journal. It wasn’t until I had a little girl of my own that I began writing.

When I began taking my daughter, Rebekah, to the library I suddenly realized that picture books were short enough for a busy working mom to try. And so I did!

I think reading is the best preparation you can make for being a writer. And remember, most of us have to do some kind of writing whatever job we get. 

It’s all practice!

Q: Are you a full time writer or do you work in another occupation in addition to writing?

A: No, I am not a full time author. I work in philanthropy, which means I raise money to help others. I do lots of writing in my day job too.

Q: Since most of your books are picture books and younger reader chapter books, what made you decide to write INTO THE FIRESTORM, your middle school/YA novel?

A: Actually, before I wrote Into the Firestorm I had written a longer fiction piece for middle grade readers, a Dear America diary called Hear My Sorrow. I also wrote two longer nonfiction books for older readers. So it was a natural step to try a novel for middle grade readers. I love history and couldn’t resist the opportunity to learn more about the Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire in 1906, which forms the setting for Nick’s story in Into the Firestorm.

Q: I was surprised to read that you didn't like history much as a child. But I know what you mean. History in textbooks isn't the same as reading stories about history. What inspired you to write historical fiction?

A: The part of history I did like was being able to learn on my own and do research. I actually wrote a really long term paper in the sixth grade about horse racing! I didn’t study history much in college, though. But when I began to search for topics to write about I returned to history. Historical fiction and nonfiction are great ways to learn more about ordinary people who lived before us who often did extraordinary things!

Q: Do you enjoy the research involved with writing historical fiction?

A: I guess most kids will think I am a real nerd, but the truth is I could do research all day long! I love poking into libraries, finding old books no one has checked out in years, poring over maps, and looking on the Internet. Of course, the very best research takes place when I have the chance to actually go someplace and see it with my own eyes! I remember walking up the old stone stairs to Jubilee Hall of Fisk University, where my book A BAND OF ANGELS is set, and getting shivers just thinking that the young people in my book probably walked up and down these very same stairs long ago.

Q: After researching so many time periods for your books, is there a time in American history that you're particularly fond of?

A: Most of my books are set during the 1800s, and it really was a fascinating time in American history. So many dramatic events happened, including the Civil War, and the beginnings of the suffrage movement, as well as the arrival of many immigrants. The more I write about this period the better I understand how our country came to be.

Q: Which do you like writing better: picture books or chapter books?

A: Well, since I still have a full time job, I do like writing picture books, partly because they are shorter and easier to concentrate on when I come home tired from work!

Q: My students are always curious about how illustrators are selected for picture books. Can you tell us a little about that process? Do you get to have some input?

A: In most cases, a book’s editor chooses the artist for the book. The author may have some input but may not make the final decision. Sometimes, though, it’s possible to get together with an illustrator and come up with an idea. For instance, illustrator James Ransome and I put our heads together to come up with the theme of building the Empire State Building in SKY BOYS How They Built the Empire State Building.

Q: Did you have any favorite authors while growing up?

A: My favorite books growing up were The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austin, and Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte. I still love these books. In fact, I have a tape of The Secret Garden in my car to listen to right now!

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors now?

A: I have many favorite authors! I like reading books for young readers by Deborah Wiles, Cynthia Rylant, Christopher Paul Curtis, and Lois Lowry. And I still read Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen a lot!

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a successful, published author?

A: It is a wonderful feeling to create something new, like a book. But it’s even better to be able to share that book with kids. I love meeting young people and talking about books. And luckily, being an author means I get to do that a lot.

Q: Tell us about your new book, ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK. Did something inspire you to write this story?

A: The year 2009 is the 200^th anniversary of Abe Lincoln’s birth. My new book tells a story about Abe as a boy most people don’t know: how he was rescued from downing when he was seven by his friend, Austin Gollaher. I think it’s a fun book about two boys getting into trouble that that kids today will like – especially the pictures!

Thanks so much for taking time away from your busy schedule to answer some questions for my students and readers! We’re looking forward to reading your new book.

Read more about Ms. Hopkinson on her website or blog:

WEBSITE: www.deborahhopkinson.com
BLOG: www.deborahhopkinson.blogspot.com

Thanks again to Deborah Hopkinson for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check

http://www.provatoevents.com