Six year old Catherine Hubbard, who lost her life in the Newton school shooting, had already made up business cards for herself as an animal “care taker.”  To honor her passion for saving animals, an animal sanctuary is being developed in her name.  Bobbie Pyron (author of A DOG’S WAY HOME and THE DOG’S OF WINTER) has organized a book auction on her website.  There are fabulous autographed books for you or someone you love.  The auction will be from June 3 to June 16.  Please consider participating and helping create this sanctuary and making Catherine’s Dream come true.

Thank you!

First, I want to congratulate Gigi because her latest book, COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM, is a finalist in the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Awards!  Hooray!  (Voting is open until June 30th.)  It’s a particularly important book for Virginia, documenting — in novel form — what it must have been like for the enslaved Gabriel and his compatriots to try organize a rebellion in 1800 and attempt to gain their freedom.  Gigi researched and uncovered fascinating documents pertaining to his life and the times.  I think it should be required reading in every Virginia school, at least.

Gigi has written a variety of acclaimed books all dealing with different, and tough, issues:  CLAIMING GEORGIA TATE, A CERTAIN STRAIN OF PECULIAR, CHANCEY OF THE MAURY RIVER, and its sequel coming this summer, MACADOO OF THE MAURY RIVER!

To get to know the lovely Gigi better, I asked her to answer some questions for us — enjoy!

Favorite season?

Summertime and the living’s easy. I love summer!

Cat or dog?

A redbone coonhound named Biscuit and two horses: Albert and Latte.

Favorite sport or form of exercise?

Yoga and horseback riding. Or, yoga on horseback! My favorite sport to watch is VCU Men’s Basketball.

Language in which you’d most like to be fluent.

I studied Russian in college, and wish I had made the time to really immerse in the language. But, I really wish I had studied Latin. It seems like people who know Latin know their way around words and language very well.

Country you’d most like to visit.

Wales. I’d like to go listen to some storytellers and ride horses in the mountains.

What / who gives you spiritual guidance and inspiration?

The Bible, nature, my horse, and my grandparents inspire and guide me.

What’s an important “nugget” that you’d like readers to take away from your book?

Come August, Come Freedom is based on the historic events surrounding Gabriel’s Rebellion, one of the largest slave rebellions ever organized in U.S. History. The leader of the rebellion, an enslaved blacksmith named Gabriel, was born in 1776 and was executed for the conspiracy in 1800. I hope readers will take away the nugget that our history is full of heroes and sheroes who we may not read about in textbooks.

Why did you write this book / choose this topic?

The historical record on Gabriel’s Rebellion is so fascinating. His is a story about power, politics, military strategy, the early republic, and the insistence of enslaved Americans to determine their own lives.

When do you write?

I work full-time, so I write when I can. Early in the mornings, late at night, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays!

Where do you write?

All sorts of places! In the winter, I sit in the big wing chair in our living room with a fire burning in the fireplace. During spring and summer, when the river is low I like to write on a big rock in the James. I LOVE to revise during half-time at basketball games. And, I get some writing done in my office, too.

What helps you write?

My dog, a composition notebook, and a Ticonderoga #2 pencil.

How do your ideas come to you?

Often ideas come while I’m walking or practicing yoga. Lots of ideas occur during research, too.

Is there a sequel?

No, there’s no sequel to Come August, Come Freedom, but I might write about a different man who was involved in the rebellion.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on the third book in the Horses of the Maury River series. The second book, Macadoo of the Maury River, comes out this August. And, also this summer, I’ll release a mobile app based on the first book, Chancey of the Maury River for the iPad, Nook, and Kindle.

Why should kids read books when there are so many other things to do?

Because readers are leaders. If you look back over history, those who determine their own lives and those who change the world can read, including the blacksmith Gabriel.

I love that, Gigi!  Thanks for the interview!  To learn more about Gigi, please visit her website.  Happy reading!

First, I want to congratulate Gigi because her latest book, COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM, is a finalist in the Library of Virginia’s People’s Choice Awards!  Hooray!  (Voting is open until June 30th.)  It’s a particularly important book for Virginia, documenting — in novel form — what it must have been like for the enslaved Gabriel and his compatriots to try organize a rebellion in 1800 and attempt to gain their freedom.  Gigi researched and uncovered fascinating documents pertaining to his life and the times.  I think it should be required reading in every Virginia school, at least.

Gigi has written a variety of acclaimed books all dealing with different, and tough, issues:  CLAIMING GEORGIA TATE, A CERTAIN STRAIN OF PECULIAR, CHANCEY OF THE MAURY RIVER, and its sequel coming this summer, MACADOO OF THE MAURY RIVER!

To get to know the lovely Gigi better, I asked her to answer some questions for us — enjoy!

Favorite season?

Summertime and the living’s easy. I love summer!

Cat or dog?

A redbone coonhound named Biscuit and two horses: Albert and Latte.

Favorite sport or form of exercise?

Yoga and horseback riding. Or, yoga on horseback! My favorite sport to watch is VCU Men’s Basketball.

Language in which you’d most like to be fluent.

I studied Russian in college, and wish I had made the time to really immerse in the language. But, I really wish I had studied Latin. It seems like people who know Latin know their way around words and language very well.

Country you’d most like to visit.

Wales. I’d like to go listen to some storytellers and ride horses in the mountains.

What / who gives you spiritual guidance and inspiration?

The Bible, nature, my horse, and my grandparents inspire and guide me.

What’s an important “nugget” that you’d like readers to take away from your book?

Come August, Come Freedom is based on the historic events surrounding Gabriel’s Rebellion, one of the largest slave rebellions ever organized in U.S. History. The leader of the rebellion, an enslaved blacksmith named Gabriel, was born in 1776 and was executed for the conspiracy in 1800. I hope readers will take away the nugget that our history is full of heroes and sheroes who we may not read about in textbooks.

Why did you write this book / choose this topic?

The historical record on Gabriel’s Rebellion is so fascinating. His is a story about power, politics, military strategy, the early republic, and the insistence of enslaved Americans to determine their own lives.

When do you write?

I work full-time, so I write when I can. Early in the mornings, late at night, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays!

Where do you write?

All sorts of places! In the winter, I sit in the big wing chair in our living room with a fire burning in the fireplace. During spring and summer, when the river is low I like to write on a big rock in the James. I LOVE to revise during half-time at basketball games. And, I get some writing done in my office, too.

What helps you write?

My dog, a composition notebook, and a Ticonderoga #2 pencil.

How do your ideas come to you?

Often ideas come while I’m walking or practicing yoga. Lots of ideas occur during research, too.

Is there a sequel?

No, there’s no sequel to Come August, Come Freedom, but I might write about a different man who was involved in the rebellion.

What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m working on the third book in the Horses of the Maury River series. The second book, Macadoo of the Maury River, comes out this August. And, also this summer, I’ll release a mobile app based on the first book, Chancey of the Maury River for the iPad, Nook, and Kindle.

Why should kids read books when there are so many other things to do?

Because readers are leaders. If you look back over history, those who determine their own lives and those who change the world can read, including the blacksmith Gabriel.

I love that, Gigi!  Thanks for the interview!  To learn more about Gigi, please visit her website.  Happy reading!

I love this idea.  A tiny library in your own neighborhood.  Most of us have books we don’t mind donating and it’s kind of fun to see what’s in there that you might enjoy reading — like a little treasure box.  You can find a Little Free Library all over the world.  This is our local little free library.  It was low on kids’ books so I donated a copy of Mockingbird.  Do you have one in your town?

I love this idea.  A tiny library in your own neighborhood.  Most of us have books we don’t mind donating and it’s kind of fun to see what’s in there that you might enjoy reading — like a little treasure box.  You can find a Little Free Library all over the world.  This is our local little free library.  It was low on kids’ books so I donated a copy of Mockingbird.  Do you have one in your town?

Just photos.  It was such a gorgeous day I couldn’t help taking photos along the way:

Just photos.  It was such a gorgeous day I couldn’t help taking photos along the way:

Several times recently I’ve been told I’m a poet.  I’m flattered although I don’t believe it for a second.  What I might be willing to accept is that my writing can sometimes have a poetic quality, occasionally even being like poetry.  I so respect real poets.  To be able to convey an idea, feeling or emotion in just a few words is something I haven’t mastered.  It’s HARD to find just the right word or short sequence of words, especially when you can use 10 or 20 to say the same thing, like I tend to do.   My poor husband has been dealing with this for years:

Me:  ”That tool with the removable ball on the end that you flip around and it goes reeh-er, reeh-er, reeh-er and you screw things in or unscrew things depending on what you want.”

My husband:  ”Ratchet screwdriver.”

Right, that.  So I’ll just sit back and read and admire Jeannine Atkins or Kristy Dempsey or Alma Fullerton or Mary Quattlebaum.  And be grateful to Jen Bailey for pointing out some poetic elements (that, honestly, I didn’t even recognize — another reason I’m obviously not a poet) in my novel Quaking.  I’ll try to be more cognizant of poetic language in my writing, which may be challenging given that in my current teen road trip novel the main character’s language is poetic in the style of, say, Al Pacino.  But there’s always room for some poetic language, right?

Several times recently I’ve been told I’m a poet.  I’m flattered although I don’t believe it for a second.  What I might be willing to accept is that my writing can sometimes have a poetic quality, occasionally even being like poetry.  I so respect real poets.  To be able to convey an idea, feeling or emotion in just a few words is something I haven’t mastered.  It’s HARD to find just the right word or short sequence of words, especially when you can use 10 or 20 to say the same thing, like I tend to do.   My poor husband has been dealing with this for years:

Me:  ”That tool with the removable ball on the end that you flip around and it goes reeh-er, reeh-er, reeh-er and you screw things in or unscrew things depending on what you want.”

My husband:  ”Ratchet screwdriver.”

Right, that.  So I’ll just sit back and read and admire Jeannine Atkins or Kristy Dempsey or Alma Fullerton or Mary Quattlebaum.  And be grateful to Jen Bailey for pointing out some poetic elements (that, honestly, I didn’t even recognize — another reason I’m obviously not a poet) in my novel Quaking.  I’ll try to be more cognizant of poetic language in my writing, which may be challenging given that in my current teen road trip novel the main character’s language is poetic in the style of, say, Al Pacino.  But there’s always room for some poetic language, right?

The first advance review copy of SEEING RED was overnighted to me by my lovely editor and I am seeing stars.  This book has been a long time coming and I’m giddy that it’s finally “born.”  I started this novel  14 years ago, in the previous century . . . I checked my computer and the earliest notes are from 1999.  My apologies for this long, self-indulgent post, but this book is near and dear to me.  Like all stories, it comes from my past.  It comes from my head and my heart and, most of all, from my gut.  And it has a long history . . .

… my first sale, my first publisher merger, my first change of editors, and my first sad pulling of a novel because I didn’t like the way it was ending up.  That was hard to do — I had finally made it to the “big time” and I wasn’t going to see it published.  Sometimes it’s not about the end, it’s about the journey although, I admit, I didn’t feel that way at the time.  But as I tell students at school visits when I’m encouraging them to take the time to revise, this is your name, your stamp, your brand you’re putting on this work.  Is this really what you want it to say?

This book has been through many, many revisions.  The plot has changed.  The  title has changed — here are just a few I remember over the years:   Facing Freedom, Deer Season, Freeman’s Phoenix, Cornerstone, Finding Truth, Finding Hope, etc. — but the heart of the story has remained the same.  And the era.  It’s still 1972, with all the strife of that time — Vietnam, Civil Rights, equality for women.  The characters, too, have stayed steady.  Their spirit has been the same through every revision.  Red is still angry, confused, hurt, loyal, thoughtless, caring, responsible and irresponsible– like all of us.  He’s a mix, which is what makes him not perfect but real.  Beau is sweet and kind and smarter than most give him credit for.  Miss Georgia is strong and tough, given what she has been through, and doesn’t take any guff from anyone.  I love that.  Daddy is still idealized by Red, all the more so since he’s gone, but the rest of us can probably find a few flaws because he was, after all, human.  Still, what a great dad to treat your son like a man and give him responsibilities and give support, by standing by, as he solves his own problems.  Mama is coming out of her shell and awakening to the women’s movement, helped perhaps, by Rosie, who suffers her own pain but has the hope and resiliency of youth.  I could go on because I’ve lived with these characters for a long time, but I’ll leave it to potential readers.

After my non-publication disappointment, I didn’t want to pick up this story again for a long long time.  I’d tried so many iterations and it just wasn’t working.  The manuscript was a complete jumbled mess.  But the characters still spoke to me and people kept asking about it, including my very encouraging editor.  When I, reluctantly, went back to the manuscript I saw it wasn’t such a horrible mess after all.  There was hope.  There is ways hope.  So … more revisions.  More research.  More time.  My editor retired.  I still worked on it.  Enter, stage left, Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic.  She championed it, got the support of the Scholastic book fairs and clubs, and people in house cheered for it.  Like every good editor, mine had some suggestions–give this character more room, go deeper here, face the demons.  So now I’m glad that it didn’t publish ten years ago.  I don’t think I was a mature or brave enough writer then to really write the novel I wanted to.  Now it’s finally there.  And now it’s finally here.  And I’m proud of it.  Thanks to many people along the way, it’s finally where I want it to be.  It’s the story I want to tell.  Thats why I’m seeing stars.

Oh, and a note on why revisions are so important?  Picking up the ARC, seeing it as an actual book and, even as the author, feeling more like a reader, I saw a glaring omission.  At the back of this novel is a list of some of the important characters and their inspirations.  Somehow, I neglected to explain my main character’s name.  Thank goodness for advance review copies!  The rest of the ARC’s will be out soon (although perhaps not with the explanation about Red; that will be in the final version).  Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest.  And to the teachers, librarians, booksellers and  those in the literary world who wanted an ARC, thank you in advance for taking the time to read it.  I appreciate it.

The first advance review copy of SEEING RED was overnighted to me by my lovely editor and I am seeing stars.  This book has been a long time coming and I’m giddy that it’s finally “born.”  I started this novel  14 years ago, in the previous century . . . I checked my computer and the earliest notes are from 1999.  My apologies for this long, self-indulgent post, but this book is near and dear to me.  Like all stories, it comes from my past.  It comes from my head and my heart and, most of all, from my gut.  And it has a long history . . .

… my first sale, my first publisher merger, my first change of editors, and my first sad pulling of a novel because I didn’t like the way it was ending up.  That was hard to do — I had finally made it to the “big time” and I wasn’t going to see it published.  Sometimes it’s not about the end, it’s about the journey although, I admit, I didn’t feel that way at the time.  But as I tell students at school visits when I’m encouraging them to take the time to revise, this is your name, your stamp, your brand you’re putting on this work.  Is this really what you want it to say?

This book has been through many, many revisions.  The plot has changed.  The  title has changed — here are just a few I remember over the years:   Facing Freedom, Deer Season, Freeman’s Phoenix, Cornerstone, Finding Truth, Finding Hope, etc. — but the heart of the story has remained the same.  And the era.  It’s still 1972, with all the strife of that time — Vietnam, Civil Rights, equality for women.  The characters, too, have stayed steady.  Their spirit has been the same through every revision.  Red is still angry, confused, hurt, loyal, thoughtless, caring, responsible and irresponsible– like all of us.  He’s a mix, which is what makes him not perfect but real.  Beau is sweet and kind and smarter than most give him credit for.  Miss Georgia is strong and tough, given what she has been through, and doesn’t take any guff from anyone.  I love that.  Daddy is still idealized by Red, all the more so since he’s gone, but the rest of us can probably find a few flaws because he was, after all, human.  Still, what a great dad to treat your son like a man and give him responsibilities and give support, by standing by, as he solves his own problems.  Mama is coming out of her shell and awakening to the women’s movement, helped perhaps, by Rosie, who suffers her own pain but has the hope and resiliency of youth.  I could go on because I’ve lived with these characters for a long time, but I’ll leave it to potential readers.

After my non-publication disappointment, I didn’t want to pick up this story again for a long long time.  I’d tried so many iterations and it just wasn’t working.  The manuscript was a complete jumbled mess.  But the characters still spoke to me and people kept asking about it, including my very encouraging editor.  When I, reluctantly, went back to the manuscript I saw it wasn’t such a horrible mess after all.  There was hope.  There is ways hope.  So … more revisions.  More research.  More time.  My editor retired.  I still worked on it.  Enter, stage left, Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic.  She championed it, got the support of the Scholastic book fairs and clubs, and people in house cheered for it.  Like every good editor, mine had some suggestions–give this character more room, go deeper here, face the demons.  So now I’m glad that it didn’t publish ten years ago.  I don’t think I was a mature or brave enough writer then to really write the novel I wanted to.  Now it’s finally there.  And now it’s finally here.  And I’m proud of it.  Thanks to many people along the way, it’s finally where I want it to be.  It’s the story I want to tell.  Thats why I’m seeing stars.

Oh, and a note on why revisions are so important?  Picking up the ARC, seeing it as an actual book and, even as the author, feeling more like a reader, I saw a glaring omission.  At the back of this novel is a list of some of the important characters and their inspirations.  Somehow, I neglected to explain my main character’s name.  Thank goodness for advance review copies!  The rest of the ARC’s will be out soon (although perhaps not with the explanation about Red; that will be in the final version).  Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest.  And to the teachers, librarians, booksellers and  those in the literary world who wanted an ARC, thank you in advance for taking the time to read it.  I appreciate it.

Nelson County Middle School is doing a school wide read (or listen) of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.  It was such FUN talking with these smart, funny, clever young people!  Here are some of their creations:

Signs from the book for various rooms (I like how the front office got to be “Big Dawg,”) and quotes:

A beautiful Lego bridge and map, just like Mike’s, and a cat clock just like Poppy & Moo’s:

In fact, all the clocks in the school were transformed into “Felix the Cat” clocks:

A bulletin board with Lego tile comments folks can leave related to the book’s themes (“Do you remember a time you were lost?”), a skit,  quotes from the book and even, the piece de resistance, Past’s shopping cart complete with laptop, cooler and photo of Misha!  Wow!  And even flowers and a Relay for Life luminaria in my honor!  Yup, this is what makes a writer’s day — no, a writer’s whole year!  Thanks, guys!

Nelson County Middle School is doing a school wide read (or listen) of THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.  It was such FUN talking with these smart, funny, clever young people!  Here are some of their creations:

Signs from the book for various rooms (I like how the front office got to be “Big Dawg,”) and quotes:

A beautiful Lego bridge and map, just like Mike’s, and a cat clock just like Poppy & Moo’s:

In fact, all the clocks in the school were transformed into “Felix the Cat” clocks:

A bulletin board with Lego tile comments folks can leave related to the book’s themes (“Do you remember a time you were lost?”), a skit,  quotes from the book and even, the piece de resistance, Past’s shopping cart complete with laptop, cooler and photo of Misha!  Wow!  And even flowers and a Relay for Life luminaria in my honor!  Yup, this is what makes a writer’s day — no, a writer’s whole year!  Thanks, guys!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop celebrates what writers are working on or what they have coming up next. Welcome to my stop!

I was tagged by dear friend and wonderfully funny author, Kami Kindard, whose book The Boy Project (Notes and Observations of Kara McAllister) was so popular she’s finishing the sequel as we speak.  Look for The Boy Prediction (Notes and Observations of Tabitha Reddy) soon!

I have two books I’m going to cover — although I’m working on many more — one which publishes this year and one which is still in the revision process but is slated to publish next year.  I’ll do them sequentially …

1.  What is the working title of your book?

Seeing Red

We’ve been through a lot of titles for this books and I’d gotten fond of Facing Freedom but we ended up with Seeing Red.

2.  Where did the idea come from for the book?

My own past and confusion over our country’s incredibly slow march towards civil rights.

3.  What genre does your book come under?

Middle grade historical fiction, with a mystery

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a move rendition?

Oh, this is fun!

Red:  Garrett Ryan

Rosie:  Madison Pettis

Thomas:  Jaden Smith

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

After his father dies, twelve year old Red Porter wants to stay rooted in Stony Gap, Virginia, at least until he can solve a mystery for a friend, but as he unravels the mystery he discovers Stony Gap’s terrible past and is determined to make things right.

6.  Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Scholastic, October 2013

Agent:  The wonderful Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt!

7.  How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Forever!  I started this draft at least a decade ago and rewrote it completely several times.  In between, I left it for years at a time.  Thanks to the insightful and supportive Andrea Pinkney, my editor, it’s finally where I want it to be.

8.  What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Lions of Little Rock, Kristin Levine

Glory Be, Augusta Scattergood

The Rock and the River, Kekla Magoon

Down Sand Mountain, Steve Watkins

9.  Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The fact that we still have a way to go before approaching real equality in this country.  And my mother, who instilled in me a strong sense of justice.

10.  What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Banana poop?  Ima butt?  Aspic (sound it out slowly)?  There’s humor, even though the themes are serious … kind of like real life.

And here’s the novel still in progress…

1.  What is the working title of your book?

Adrian’s Turn

2.  Where did the idea come from for the book?

Medieval festivals, walking along Hadrian’s Wall in England, archery, albinism.

3.  What genre does your book come under?

Middle grade historical fiction that includes adventure and humor.

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a move rendition?

I love this question!

Adrian:  Lucas Melton (or, even better, an actor with albinism)

Hugh:  Dakota Goyo

Bess:  Peyton List

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

In 1346, thirteen year old Adrian runs away to battle the “pagan” Scots in order to prove he’s worthy of respect even though he’s small, sickly and has albinism.

6.  Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Scholastic, 2014

Agent:  The still wonderful Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt!

7.  How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It’s hard to say because I hop around so much from one project to the next, but probably about six months.

8.  What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, Rodman Philbrick

The Book of Three, Lloyd Alexander

The Squire’s Tale, Gerald Morris

Swords for Hire, Will Allen

9.  Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Boys — and girls — who wanted a medieval adventure, and my own love of that time period.  Kids who feel different and worry that they need to prove that they’re worthy of respect.  (They don’t; we already love them but often they need to go on a journey to find that out.)

10.  What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s set around an actual series of battles that took place between England and Scotland in 1346 — I found lots of cool research, even a map from that time period!

OK, if that’s too nerdy, I also hope to have a website of fun facts and activities about medieval life tied specifically to the book, from battles and plagues to food and superstitions like the evil, pointy-toothed Red Caps.

Tagging other authors:  Oops, this is the step I missed.  If you’re an author who’d like to be “tagged” about the next book you’re working on, please let me know!

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop celebrates what writers are working on or what they have coming up next. Welcome to my stop!

I was tagged by dear friend and wonderfully funny author, Kami Kindard, whose book The Boy Project (Notes and Observations of Kara McAllister) was so popular she’s finishing the sequel as we speak.  Look for The Boy Prediction (Notes and Observations of Tabitha Reddy) soon!

I have two books I’m going to cover — although I’m working on many more — one which publishes this year and one which is still in the revision process but is slated to publish next year.  I’ll do them sequentially …

1.  What is the working title of your book?

Seeing Red

We’ve been through a lot of titles for this books and I’d gotten fond of Facing Freedom but we ended up with Seeing Red.

2.  Where did the idea come from for the book?

My own past and confusion over our country’s incredibly slow march towards civil rights.

3.  What genre does your book come under?

Middle grade historical fiction, with a mystery

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a move rendition?

Oh, this is fun!

Red:  Garrett Ryan

Rosie:  Madison Pettis

Thomas:  Jaden Smith

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

After his father dies, twelve year old Red Porter wants to stay rooted in Stony Gap, Virginia, at least until he can solve a mystery for a friend, but as he unravels the mystery he discovers Stony Gap’s terrible past and is determined to make things right.

6.  Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Scholastic, October 2013

Agent:  The wonderful Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt!

7.  How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Forever!  I started this draft at least a decade ago and rewrote it completely several times.  In between, I left it for years at a time.  Thanks to the insightful and supportive Andrea Pinkney, my editor, it’s finally where I want it to be.

8.  What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Lions of Little Rock, Kristin Levine

Glory Be, Augusta Scattergood

The Rock and the River, Kekla Magoon

Down Sand Mountain, Steve Watkins

9.  Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The fact that we still have a way to go before approaching real equality in this country.  And my mother, who instilled in me a strong sense of justice.

10.  What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The Flintstones, Mission Impossible, Kung Fu.  Ima butt?  Aspic (sound it out slowly)?  There’s humor, even though the themes are serious … kind of like real life.

And here’s the novel still in progress…

1.  What is the working title of your book?

Adrian’s Turn

2.  Where did the idea come from for the book?

Medieval festivals, walking along Hadrian’s Wall in England, archery, albinism.

3.  What genre does your book come under?

Middle grade historical fiction that includes adventure and humor.

4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a move rendition?

I love this question!

Adrian:  Lucas Melton (or, even better, an actor with albinism)

Hugh:  Dakota Goyo

Bess:  Peyton List

5.  What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

In 1346, thirteen year old Adrian runs away to battle the “pagan” Scots in order to prove he’s worthy of respect even though he’s small, sickly and has albinism.

6.  Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

Scholastic, 2014

Agent:  The still wonderful Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt!

7.  How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It’s hard to say because I hop around so much from one project to the next, but probably about six months.

8.  What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, Rodman Philbrick

The Book of Three, Lloyd Alexander

The Squire’s Tale, Gerald Morris

Swords for Hire, Will Allen

9.  Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Boys — and girls — who wanted a medieval adventure, and my own love of that time period.  Kids who feel different and worry that they need to prove that they’re worthy of respect.  (They don’t; we already love them but often they need to go on a journey to find that out.)

10.  What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It’s set around an actual series of battles that took place between England and Scotland in 1346 — I found lots of cool research, even a map from that time period!

OK, if that’s too nerdy, I also hope to have a website of fun facts and activities about medieval life tied specifically to the book, from battles and plagues to food and superstitions like the evil, pointy-toothed Red Caps.

Tagging other authors:  Oops, this is the step I missed.  If you’re an author who’d like to be “tagged” about the next book you’re working on, please let me know!

OPERATION OLEANDER

Valerie Patterson tackles a tough subject with thoughtfulness and perseverance.  There is no shying away from the truth:  war is hell and people die.  And living on a military base, like Jess, you are surrounded by that reality.  But there is also no shying away from hope and kindness and determination.  Jess decides to help by starting Operation Oleander, a campaign to send supplies to an orphanage in Afghanistan where her father and her best friend’s mom are serving.  Not everyone thinks it’s such a great idea, especially after the orphanage is bombed while U.S. soldiers are delivering her supplies.  And Jess’s dad is critically injured; worse, her best friend’s mom is killed.  How hope and relationships survive in the midst of such tragedy make for a sensitive book that raises questions about what makes us human and humane.  Thank you, Val!

So, I asked Val and her editor, Daniel Nayeri (who is also an author), to talk to us about this book, their process, and more.  I think you’re really going to enjoy this:

Daniel, what attracted you to Val’s story, given that it’s very unlike your book, STRAW HOUSE, WOOD HOUSE, BRICK HOUSE, BLOW?

The glib answer is that if I only published books that I, myself, would have written, then I’d be fired by now. But the real answer is that editors are professional-grade manufacturers of curiosity. The core of the job is to be a curious person (this is probably why so many of us are cat people). It’s actually how I narrow down applicants for editorial assistants.

OPERATION OLEANDER is Val’s second book with Clarion—both were acquired by another editor, but this second came to me when she left. When I read Val’s first draft, there were so many fascinating elements that I was dizzy. Val has the artist’s gift of mentioning some small detail or a short scene, with such a sense of purpose, that as a reader, you think, “Wait, I want to stay there and hear more.”

For me, that moment was Jess standing in front of the TV, watching a tragedy unfold on the other side of the world, and realizing that she might have had a part in it. I wanted to know everything about that moment. So I wrote my editorial letter and asked if Val would be willing to explore that a bit more. That was my entry into the story.

Val, what’s it like working with an energetic, dynamic, out-of-the-box thinker such as Daniel? How does he approach the revision process?

Daniel is amazing.  He inherited me when the editor I had worked with on my first book left publishing. Inheriting a writer you didn’t select or being inherited by a new editor could be unsettling.  But I was very fortunate in that Daniel gave me his full attention just as if he had selected my book out of the slush pile. I’m quieter, more introverted than Daniel is, but his enthusiasm is contagious, and he made me feel at ease from the first moment I talked to him.  His editorial letters asked me questions and made suggestions but also left space for my ideas to germinate.  He tried to guide me toward understanding Jess better, rather than prescribe pages and pages of specific direction.  Maybe this meant it took me longer to finish but it also meant that the revisions were more organic. 

Val & Daniel:  What do you each hope a reader might take away from this book?

VAL:    I hope a reader might take away more questions than answers from this book. Maybe a reader might be prompted to think about what the unintended consequences might be from their own actions. I wouldn’t want them to be stymied from acting, but rather be stimulated toward thoughtful action.  Too often we see the world in simple black and white when there are many shades of grey. What does it mean to be compassionate?  To love our neighbor?  Who is our neighbor anyway—the homeless person down the street, children in a far-away war zone? 

DANIEL:  I hope they dig into the question at the center of this story. I think Val presents a perfect example of a consequentialist dilemma. Is an act of kindness worthwhile, even if we know it can come to ruin? If we can’t foresee the consequences in such complex situations, should we do nothing? If God is in the picture, how should that change our behavior? “The Lord sees the heart,” after all, so are we only beholden to having good intentions?

I would love to see young readers discussing these things, and asking how they would behave, if put in Jess’s position.

Val, what inspired this book?

I haven’t told you this before but your book QUAKING played a direct role in this novel coming about at all.  Your novel about a foster child who ends up living with anti-war Quakers (I also come from a family with a long history of being part of the Society of Friends) sparked in me an idea of exploring the impact on war of a child who lived in a military family. How does that change or challenge his or her world view? What stresses do children of military families face that children in non-military families don’t? I confess I had a hard time finding the heart of Jess’s story. I wrote several drafts of this book before Daniel ever saw it.  The very first version used Jess’s dad’s deployment as a device to have him absent, but the rest of the story didn’t stay connected to him or to military families. Even at the point that Daniel was expecting the last major revision, I called him just before it was due to say the voice wasn’t there.  I had written the book in third person and I still felt too distant from Jess. Instead of sending Daniel that version, I started over in first person.  I sent him a new first chapter in first person.  Only then did I feel I had channeled into Jess’s voice.  Daniel agreed, and I rewrote the entire novel over again in that POV.

Kathy:  Wow, Val!  I’m touched that QUAKING could have anything to do with the very beautiful OPERATION OLEANDER!  You are very kind to give it a nod.

Daniel, if you were to phrase this story as a folk, fairy or classic tale in one sentence, what would it be?

Wow. This is a very difficult question for me. I suppose I’d say the story is about a young girl who sees suffering in faraway village and wants to help however she can, but doesn’t yet understand the complexity of charity in a world full of tribalism, opportunity cost, and fear.

Did that even address your question? I guess it’s about how an act of kindness can be misperceived or possibly misdirected.

Kathy:  Yes, that’s a beautiful answer to a very bizarre, even mean, question!  Thank you.

Val & Daniel:  What’s your next book?

VAL:    I’m revising a fantasy novel, my first foray into that genre.  I also have a thriller idea that keeps interrupting me, until I break down and jot notes for a future novel. I’m still exploring genres and forms. There always are more story ideas than I have time to write.

DANIEL:  I’ve just finished a MG historical comedy set on the Silk Road in the 11th century, where a huckster merchant goes village to village swindling people.

Kathy:  Val, I’m intrigued and looking forward to what we’re going to see next.  Daniel, I cannot WAIT for the Silk Road huckster!

Val & Daniel, what’s a story you’d like to tell or think needs telling?

VAL:  I’d like to write a story about the children of undocumented immigrants who live here in the US.  I have an idea for one but it’s still germinating.

DANIEL:  I have lots to read already, so I’m not sure the industry needs my help to come up with great work. But if I had my way, I’d like to see more ambitious stories, from someone who doesn’t even know what’s trending right now. Stories with more formal invention. Stories that are more than just “a few hours of escapism.” There’s nothing wrong with escapism, I’m just not sure we’re lacking for it these days.

Val & Daniel, what’s something fun or surprising you’ve done that people might not know about?

VAL:   I was a foreign exchange student to Denmark with the American Field Service—the same year that Laurie Halse Anderson was.  In fact, we briefly were roommates at our in-country orientation.  Only years later did we meet again and realize we had been exchange students at the same time.

DANIEL:  I used to skydive a lot, until this one time, when the signals got crossed really badly, and we had to pull the chutes well past a safe altitude. When we landed, my instructor—a 6-foot-6 ex-paramilitary soldier from the Eastern Bloc–walked over to me trembling and said, “Another second and we’d both be soup.” That was the last time I went skydiving.

Wow!!  Thanks for the interview, you two!  For more information about Val and her books, please visit her website.  To learn more about Daniel, you can visit his website and the one he shares with his sister, Dina, for the books they’ve written together (ANOTHER FAUST, ANOTHER PAN, and ANOTHER JEKYLL, ANOTHER HYDE).

OPERATION OLEANDER

Valerie Patterson tackles a tough subject with thoughtfulness and perseverance.  There is no shying away from the truth:  war is hell and people die.  And living on a military base, like Jess, you are surrounded by that reality.  But there is also no shying away from hope and kindness and determination.  Jess decides to help by starting Operation Oleander, a campaign to send supplies to an orphanage in Afghanistan where her father and her best friend’s mom are serving.  Not everyone thinks it’s such a great idea, especially after the orphanage is bombed while U.S. soldiers are delivering her supplies.  And Jess’s dad is critically injured; worse, her best friend’s mom is killed.  How hope and relationships survive in the midst of such tragedy make for a sensitive book that raises questions about what makes us human and humane.  Thank you, Val!

So, I asked Val and her editor, Daniel Nayeri (who is also an author), to talk to us about this book, their process, and more.  I think you’re really going to enjoy this:

Daniel, what attracted you to Val’s story, given that it’s very unlike your book, STRAW HOUSE, WOOD HOUSE, BRICK HOUSE, BLOW?

The glib answer is that if I only published books that I, myself, would have written, then I’d be fired by now. But the real answer is that editors are professional-grade manufacturers of curiosity. The core of the job is to be a curious person (this is probably why so many of us are cat people). It’s actually how I narrow down applicants for editorial assistants.

OPERATION OLEANDER is Val’s second book with Clarion—both were acquired by another editor, but this second came to me when she left. When I read Val’s first draft, there were so many fascinating elements that I was dizzy. Val has the artist’s gift of mentioning some small detail or a short scene, with such a sense of purpose, that as a reader, you think, “Wait, I want to stay there and hear more.”

For me, that moment was Jess standing in front of the TV, watching a tragedy unfold on the other side of the world, and realizing that she might have had a part in it. I wanted to know everything about that moment. So I wrote my editorial letter and asked if Val would be willing to explore that a bit more. That was my entry into the story.

Val, what’s it like working with an energetic, dynamic, out-of-the-box thinker such as Daniel? How does he approach the revision process?

Daniel is amazing.  He inherited me when the editor I had worked with on my first book left publishing. Inheriting a writer you didn’t select or being inherited by a new editor could be unsettling.  But I was very fortunate in that Daniel gave me his full attention just as if he had selected my book out of the slush pile. I’m quieter, more introverted than Daniel is, but his enthusiasm is contagious, and he made me feel at ease from the first moment I talked to him.  His editorial letters asked me questions and made suggestions but also left space for my ideas to germinate.  He tried to guide me toward understanding Jess better, rather than prescribe pages and pages of specific direction.  Maybe this meant it took me longer to finish but it also meant that the revisions were more organic. 

Val & Daniel:  What do you each hope a reader might take away from this book?

VAL:    I hope a reader might take away more questions than answers from this book. Maybe a reader might be prompted to think about what the unintended consequences might be from their own actions. I wouldn’t want them to be stymied from acting, but rather be stimulated toward thoughtful action.  Too often we see the world in simple black and white when there are many shades of grey. What does it mean to be compassionate?  To love our neighbor?  Who is our neighbor anyway—the homeless person down the street, children in a far-away war zone? 

DANIEL:  I hope they dig into the question at the center of this story. I think Val presents a perfect example of a consequentialist dilemma. Is an act of kindness worthwhile, even if we know it can come to ruin? If we can’t foresee the consequences in such complex situations, should we do nothing? If God is in the picture, how should that change our behavior? “The Lord sees the heart,” after all, so are we only beholden to having good intentions?

I would love to see young readers discussing these things, and asking how they would behave, if put in Jess’s position.

Val, what inspired this book?

I haven’t told you this before but your book QUAKING played a direct role in this novel coming about at all.  Your novel about a foster child who ends up living with anti-war Quakers (I also come from a family with a long history of being part of the Society of Friends) sparked in me an idea of exploring the impact on war of a child who lived in a military family. How does that change or challenge his or her world view? What stresses do children of military families face that children in non-military families don’t? I confess I had a hard time finding the heart of Jess’s story. I wrote several drafts of this book before Daniel ever saw it.  The very first version used Jess’s dad’s deployment as a device to have him absent, but the rest of the story didn’t stay connected to him or to military families. Even at the point that Daniel was expecting the last major revision, I called him just before it was due to say the voice wasn’t there.  I had written the book in third person and I still felt too distant from Jess. Instead of sending Daniel that version, I started over in first person.  I sent him a new first chapter in first person.  Only then did I feel I had channeled into Jess’s voice.  Daniel agreed, and I rewrote the entire novel over again in that POV.

Kathy:  Wow, Val!  I’m touched that QUAKING could have anything to do with the very beautiful OPERATION OLEANDER!  You are very kind to give it a nod.

Daniel, if you were to phrase this story as a folk, fairy or classic tale in one sentence, what would it be?

Wow. This is a very difficult question for me. I suppose I’d say the story is about a young girl who sees suffering in faraway village and wants to help however she can, but doesn’t yet understand the complexity of charity in a world full of tribalism, opportunity cost, and fear.

Did that even address your question? I guess it’s about how an act of kindness can be misperceived or possibly misdirected.

Kathy:  Yes, that’s a beautiful answer to a very bizarre, even mean, question!  Thank you.

Val & Daniel:  What’s your next book?

VAL:    I’m revising a fantasy novel, my first foray into that genre.  I also have a thriller idea that keeps interrupting me, until I break down and jot notes for a future novel. I’m still exploring genres and forms. There always are more story ideas than I have time to write.

DANIEL:  I’ve just finished a MG historical comedy set on the Silk Road in the 11th century, where a huckster merchant goes village to village swindling people.

Kathy:  Val, I’m intrigued and looking forward to what we’re going to see next.  Daniel, I cannot WAIT for the Silk Road huckster!

Val & Daniel, what’s a story you’d like to tell or think needs telling?

VAL:  I’d like to write a story about the children of undocumented immigrants who live here in the US.  I have an idea for one but it’s still germinating.

DANIEL:  I have lots to read already, so I’m not sure the industry needs my help to come up with great work. But if I had my way, I’d like to see more ambitious stories, from someone who doesn’t even know what’s trending right now. Stories with more formal invention. Stories that are more than just “a few hours of escapism.” There’s nothing wrong with escapism, I’m just not sure we’re lacking for it these days.

Val & Daniel, what’s something fun or surprising you’ve done that people might not know about?

VAL:   I was a foreign exchange student to Denmark with the American Field Service—the same year that Laurie Halse Anderson was.  In fact, we briefly were roommates at our in-country orientation.  Only years later did we meet again and realize we had been exchange students at the same time.

DANIEL:  I used to skydive a lot, until this one time, when the signals got crossed really badly, and we had to pull the chutes well past a safe altitude. When we landed, my instructor—a 6-foot-6 ex-paramilitary soldier from the Eastern Bloc–walked over to me trembling and said, “Another second and we’d both be soup.” That was the last time I went skydiving.

Wow!!  Thanks for the interview, you two!  For more information about Val and her books, please visit her website.  To learn more about Daniel, you can visit his website and the one he shares with his sister, Dina, for the books they’ve written together (ANOTHER FAUST, ANOTHER PAN, and ANOTHER JEKYLL, ANOTHER HYDE).

I love these guys!  Here it is:  Carl Kasell’s voice!  I was very fortunate to have Ben Folds of Ben Folds Five win Carl’s voice (with a little help from Peter Sagal and his team) for my voice mail.  For everyone who wants to call me up –just to hear Carl, I know — here’s the link to my website where you can listen.  And by the way, what he’s saying is not a joke … it’s true.  :o)

I love these guys!  Here it is:  Carl Kasell’s voice!  I was very fortunate to have Ben Folds of Ben Folds Five win Carl’s voice (with a little help from Peter Sagal and his team) for my voice mail.  For everyone who wants to call me up –just to hear Carl, I know — here’s the link to my website where you can listen.  And by the way, what he’s saying is not a joke … it’s true.  :o)

On this day in 1972, a Japanese soldier was discovered on the island of Guam and convinced that yes, indeed, World War Two really was over.  After hiding from the enemy for almost 30 years, Shoichi Yokoi was discovered by fisherman, subdued when he tried to attack them, and brought back to civilization.  Amazing, but true.  Even more amazing is that he went home to Japan, married, and became a celebrity.  I suspect if someone wrote a story like this the critics would complain that it was just too, well, unbelievable.  See, truth really is stranger than fiction!  So write that story, no matter how crazy you think it is.  Go on, you know you want to!

On this day in 1972, a Japanese soldier was discovered on the island of Guam and convinced that yes, indeed, World War Two really was over.  After hiding from the enemy for almost 30 years, Shoichi Yokoi was discovered by fisherman, subdued when he tried to attack them, and brought back to civilization.  Amazing, but true.  Even more amazing is that he went home to Japan, married, and became a celebrity.  I suspect if someone wrote a story like this the critics would complain that it was just too, well, unbelievable.  See, truth really is stranger than fiction!  So write that story, no matter how crazy you think it is.  Go on, you know you want to!

Natalie Lorenzi weaves two cultures together beautifully in this novel of a Japanese boy and his American cousin learning to overcome their cultural, language, family and even gender differences (how embarrassing in 5th grade for classmates to call your Japanese cousin your boyfriend!).   Skye and Hiroshi are also battling over their grandfather’s attention — who himself is battling cancer.  They both learn much in the course of the novel, as I did, and it left me wanting to learn more Japanese words (some are sprinkled throughout the story), how to fly a kite–I mean in a real kite battle, a Rokkaku–and eat mochi, Japanese candy.  I did buy three boxes of mochi (it’s gluten free!) and I think it’ll be our new holiday tradition.  Arigato, Natalie!

We’ll get to the interview in just a moment but I want to point out Natalie’s blogs — one from while she was living in Italy, Italian Moments, (from which I’m borrowing my new phrase for 2013, Speriamo bene, Let’s hope for the best) and one in which she reviews books, Biblio Links.  In Biblio Links, you can donate non-English books (authors, maybe you can donate some of your foreign language copies?) to libraries here in the U.S. where kids who speak other languages, or would like to learn them, can read books in their native language.   Just click on “Donate Books in Foreign Languages” at the top of the page.  Now, on to Natalie!

You must speak Japanese since you lived in Japan and taught.  Are you fluent?  Did you feel like Skye when you were learning?

I speak very little Japanese, unfortunately—I probably peaked at around 30 words total when I lived in Japan. When I moved to Yokohama to teach first grade at the international school there, I signed up for Japanese lessons right away, eager to learn the language. I had just moved from Italy, where I did learn Italian, so I knew firsthand that language is a significant piece to understanding a foreign culture.

But.

Unlike Italian, I couldn’t look up Japanese words in my pocket dictionary as I wandered the shops and explored the city. I could look up words in English that I wanted to say in Japanese, but if I saw a sign written in Japanese kanji, I was stuck. Also, in the city where I’d lived in Italy, most people did not speak English. In Japan, however, most people I met knew some English and were eager to practice their language skills with me, so I didn’t always need to muddle my way through my broken Japanese. But I finally stopped going to my Japanese lessons when I learned, like Skye, that Japanese has different sets of numbers for different objects. As a teacher, I’m ashamed to say this, but I gave up because it was too darned hard. (Don’t tell my students I said that.)

Did you have students like Hiroshi?  

I’ve had many, many students like Hiroshi over my 19-year teaching career as both a classroom teacher and ESOL specialist (English for Speakers of Other Languages). I have learned as much from my students as they ever learned from me; they taught me about their cultures, languages, holidays, and customs. They taught me about resilience and determination. Growing up in a military family, I attended five elementary schools, so I know what it’s like to be the new kid. Each time we moved, I had to adjust to a different school and new classmates, but I got to do all of that in English. My immigrant students have much larger hurdles to clear than I ever did, and they do so with grace and courage. Flying the Dragon is dedicated to them.

How much “cultural” translation did you have to do in Japan?  I love how you incorporated that into the ESL class and throughout the book.  

Thank you—I’m glad you enjoyed those bits in the story! There are lots of little things I learned in Japan that are woven into the pages of Flying the Dragon, such as the way Grandfather taps the sides of his hands together in an “X” to indicate “no.” I learned that the Japanese consider a direct “no” to be rude, so they’ll often nod and tap their hands like Grandfather does instead of shaking their heads or uttering the word “no.”

I first learned this when I had been in Japan only a few days and asked a shopkeeper if her store sold laundry baskets. I’d rehearsed what to say, and even though I didn’t understand her answer, she nodded and smiled and half-bowed, which I took as a “yes,” so I went traipsing off down the aisles in search of my new laundry basket. When I couldn’t find any, I went back and repeated my question, and the shopkeeper responded in exactly the same way. After wandering the store for half an hour, I realized that my quest for a laundry basket would not end in that store, and I went home empty-handed.

Have you always been interested in kite flying and is that something you learned over there (I saw in your acknowledgements that you had mentors here, too)?  Have you tried it yourself?  You gave a great feel for what it must be like.

I’ve attended the rokkaku kite battle competition at the Cherry Blossom Festival in nearby Washington DC, but only as a spectator, not a participant! Although I’ve flown kites as a kid, and more recently as a mom, it was never a hobby that I pursued. Even while I was living in Japan, I had no idea that kite fighting was a sport.

Years later, I read Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and Linda Sue Park’s The Kite Fighters, both of which piqued my interest in the cultures behind the sport. I saw that Linda Sue Park had thanked a kite expert named David Gomberg in her acknowledgements, so I emailed him to explain that I was working on a children’s novel and asked if he’d be willing to help with the kite fighting scenes. He said yes, and even referred me to Harold Ames, who has won the Cherry Blossom Rokkaku competition, the same one that my main characters enter at the end of the book. If readers come away with a good feel for the sport, it’s entirely due to the good advice I received from these two experts!

Getting to know you . . . . 

Tea or coffee?  Flavor?  Milk or sugar?

I used to be a morning tea drinker with milk and sugar, but living in Italy made me a coffee convert. Now back in the U.S., the barista in Starbucks doesn’t even need to take my order—he just makes me a venti skinny vanilla latte on sight.

What’s always in your fridge?

Lots of space, actually. My Italian husband does the grocery shopping and cooking, and since Europeans tend to buy their groceries day-by-day, he doesn’t stock up like we Americans love to do.

Favorite comfort food?

Dark chocolate. And lots of it, please.

Cat or dog?

We just got a rescue cat—our first pet ever (fish and hamsters don’t count). We love her!

Flats or heels?

Flats, always.

What most surprises you about our current culture?

Sometimes we need to step away from something in order to see it clearly. Living overseas gave me the distance I needed to see my own culture through a different lens. I learned to appreciate the way Americans value efficiency, innovation, and independence. But I also found it fascinating that other cultures don’t necessarily view these same values as 100% positive. Yes, I can run out to Target on a Sunday and buy a garden hose at two in the afternoon, and even be assured that I’ll get a parking place. In Italy, this would never happen; most shops are closed on Sundays and, parking? Good luck. But instead of running Sunday errands, Italians hang out with their families and friends and linger three hours over lunch.  In our family, we try to adopt what we love most from both worlds—my American culture and my husband’s Italian culture—and make those things our own.

One of the things I love most about books is that they allow us all to travel the globe within their pages, where we get to know each other (and ourselves) better.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Kathy!

My pleasure, Natalie!  We look forward to your next book…. Visit Natalie at her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@NatalieLorenzi)!

Natalie Lorenzi weaves two cultures together beautifully in this novel of a Japanese boy and his American cousin learning to overcome their cultural, language, family and even gender differences (how embarrassing in 5th grade for classmates to call your Japanese cousin your boyfriend!).   Skye and Hiroshi are also battling over their grandfather’s attention — who himself is battling cancer.  They both learn much in the course of the novel, as I did, and it left me wanting to learn more Japanese words (some are sprinkled throughout the story), how to fly a kite–I mean in a real kite battle, a Rokkaku–and eat mochi, Japanese candy.  I did buy three boxes of mochi (it’s gluten free!) and I think it’ll be our new holiday tradition.  Arigato, Natalie!

We’ll get to the interview in just a moment but I want to point out Natalie’s blogs — one from while she was living in Italy, Italian Moments, (from which I’m borrowing my new phrase for 2013, Speriamo bene, Let’s hope for the best) and one in which she reviews books, Biblio Links.  In Biblio Links, you can donate non-English books (authors, maybe you can donate some of your foreign language copies?) to libraries here in the U.S. where kids who speak other languages, or would like to learn them, can read books in their native language.   Just click on “Donate Books in Foreign Languages” at the top of the page.  Now, on to Natalie!

You must speak Japanese since you lived in Japan and taught.  Are you fluent?  Did you feel like Skye when you were learning?

I speak very little Japanese, unfortunately—I probably peaked at around 30 words total when I lived in Japan. When I moved to Yokohama to teach first grade at the international school there, I signed up for Japanese lessons right away, eager to learn the language. I had just moved from Italy, where I did learn Italian, so I knew firsthand that language is a significant piece to understanding a foreign culture.

But.

Unlike Italian, I couldn’t look up Japanese words in my pocket dictionary as I wandered the shops and explored the city. I could look up words in English that I wanted to say in Japanese, but if I saw a sign written in Japanese kanji, I was stuck. Also, in the city where I’d lived in Italy, most people did not speak English. In Japan, however, most people I met knew some English and were eager to practice their language skills with me, so I didn’t always need to muddle my way through my broken Japanese. But I finally stopped going to my Japanese lessons when I learned, like Skye, that Japanese has different sets of numbers for different objects. As a teacher, I’m ashamed to say this, but I gave up because it was too darned hard. (Don’t tell my students I said that.)

Did you have students like Hiroshi?  

I’ve had many, many students like Hiroshi over my 19-year teaching career as both a classroom teacher and ESOL specialist (English for Speakers of Other Languages). I have learned as much from my students as they ever learned from me; they taught me about their cultures, languages, holidays, and customs. They taught me about resilience and determination. Growing up in a military family, I attended five elementary schools, so I know what it’s like to be the new kid. Each time we moved, I had to adjust to a different school and new classmates, but I got to do all of that in English. My immigrant students have much larger hurdles to clear than I ever did, and they do so with grace and courage. Flying the Dragon is dedicated to them.

How much “cultural” translation did you have to do in Japan?  I love how you incorporated that into the ESL class and throughout the book.  

Thank you—I’m glad you enjoyed those bits in the story! There are lots of little things I learned in Japan that are woven into the pages of Flying the Dragon, such as the way Grandfather taps the sides of his hands together in an “X” to indicate “no.” I learned that the Japanese consider a direct “no” to be rude, so they’ll often nod and tap their hands like Grandfather does instead of shaking their heads or uttering the word “no.”

I first learned this when I had been in Japan only a few days and asked a shopkeeper if her store sold laundry baskets. I’d rehearsed what to say, and even though I didn’t understand her answer, she nodded and smiled and half-bowed, which I took as a “yes,” so I went traipsing off down the aisles in search of my new laundry basket. When I couldn’t find any, I went back and repeated my question, and the shopkeeper responded in exactly the same way. After wandering the store for half an hour, I realized that my quest for a laundry basket would not end in that store, and I went home empty-handed.

Have you always been interested in kite flying and is that something you learned over there (I saw in your acknowledgements that you had mentors here, too)?  Have you tried it yourself?  You gave a great feel for what it must be like.

I’ve attended the rokkaku kite battle competition at the Cherry Blossom Festival in nearby Washington DC, but only as a spectator, not a participant! Although I’ve flown kites as a kid, and more recently as a mom, it was never a hobby that I pursued. Even while I was living in Japan, I had no idea that kite fighting was a sport.

Years later, I read Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and Linda Sue Park’s The Kite Fighters, both of which piqued my interest in the cultures behind the sport. I saw that Linda Sue Park had thanked a kite expert named David Gomberg in her acknowledgements, so I emailed him to explain that I was working on a children’s novel and asked if he’d be willing to help with the kite fighting scenes. He said yes, and even referred me to Harold Ames, who has won the Cherry Blossom Rokkaku competition, the same one that my main characters enter at the end of the book. If readers come away with a good feel for the sport, it’s entirely due to the good advice I received from these two experts!

Getting to know you . . . . 

Tea or coffee?  Flavor?  Milk or sugar?

I used to be a morning tea drinker with milk and sugar, but living in Italy made me a coffee convert. Now back in the U.S., the barista in Starbucks doesn’t even need to take my order—he just makes me a venti skinny vanilla latte on sight.

What’s always in your fridge?

Lots of space, actually. My Italian husband does the grocery shopping and cooking, and since Europeans tend to buy their groceries day-by-day, he doesn’t stock up like we Americans love to do.

Favorite comfort food?

Dark chocolate. And lots of it, please.

Cat or dog?

We just got a rescue cat—our first pet ever (fish and hamsters don’t count). We love her!

Flats or heels?

Flats, always.

What most surprises you about our current culture?

Sometimes we need to step away from something in order to see it clearly. Living overseas gave me the distance I needed to see my own culture through a different lens. I learned to appreciate the way Americans value efficiency, innovation, and independence. But I also found it fascinating that other cultures don’t necessarily view these same values as 100% positive. Yes, I can run out to Target on a Sunday and buy a garden hose at two in the afternoon, and even be assured that I’ll get a parking place. In Italy, this would never happen; most shops are closed on Sundays and, parking? Good luck. But instead of running Sunday errands, Italians hang out with their families and friends and linger three hours over lunch.  In our family, we try to adopt what we love most from both worlds—my American culture and my husband’s Italian culture—and make those things our own.

One of the things I love most about books is that they allow us all to travel the globe within their pages, where we get to know each other (and ourselves) better.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Kathy!

My pleasure, Natalie!  We look forward to your next book…. Visit Natalie at her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@NatalieLorenzi)!

What a fun — and beautifully written — novel!  It’s a bit like A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS meets WATER FOR ELEPHANTS with a little Joan Bauer and Frank Cottrell Boyce mixed in.  Actually, it’s a totally unique voice but I’m thinking if you like any of those books and authors, I suspect you’ll love WONDER SHOW, and even if you don’t like any of those books or authors (how is that possible?), WONDER SHOW is different, engaging, and a fantastic ride.  You’ll love it, anyway.  Now, to hear from Hannah Barnaby herself….

Can you tell us how this book came to be published?

In 2004, I was chosen to be the first Children’s Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library. They gave me a monthly stipend and an office space, and that’s where I wrote the first draft of Wonder Show. Then the story sat around for a couple of years and I was doing other things (teaching, working at a bookstore, getting married). It took a long time for me to find my way back to it, but once I did, I polished it up and asked my friend Kate O’Sullivan, an editor at Houghton Mifflin, if she would be willing to read it. Two revisions later, Kate called me up and offered me a contract to publish the book.

Why did you choose this topic?

I have always had a fascination with circuses, carnival, gypsies, micro-cultures that exist within our larger cultural system. Writing Wonder Show gave me the chance to throw all of that into a single story, and to research the history of some really unique characters. Like the Hilton sisters, a pair of conjoined twins who were also movie stars, and Robert Wadlow, a real-life giant who worked with P.T. Barnum.

What’s an important “nugget” that you’d like readers to take away from your book?

We all have times when we feel isolated, different, odd. We all have the sense at one time or another that there is something strange about us, that no one really understand what’s happening in our heads. In a way, this feeling actually unites us. Portia’s story is really about finding a community of kindred spirits, and I want Wonder Show to give hope to anyone who is seeking that same thing.

How much of your book is autobiographical?

Not very much at all, although I did borrow some details from people around me. For instance, Portia’s mother’s name is Quintillia—I borrowed that from my father-in-law’s great-uncle, who named his children numerically, in Italian. Primo, Secundo, etcetera. Quintillia was the fifth child and the only daughter.

What are you working on now?

Another young adult novel, with a contemporary setting. It’s the story of a girl who’s been in a car accident which her brother didn’t survive, and her quest to track down the recipients of his organs…with a dark purpose.

Favorite season?

Definitely fall. I love the colors, the kids go back to school, and my birthday is in November.

What’s always in your fridge?

String cheese, greek yogurt, and white wine. And leftovers.

Favorite comfort food?

My grandfather’s clam chowder. He handed down the recipe and I make it every Christmas Eve. It has a lot of bacon in it. Can’t go wrong with bacon.

Chocolate or some lesser nectar of the gods?

Dark chocolate with chili powder. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

Food you’d rather starve than eat.

Green peppers. Liver. Anchovies. (That would be the worst pizza of all time.)

Cat or dog?

I grew up with cats, but I married a dog person so I may have to convert.

Jeans or fancier?

Jeans for daily life, but I still love playing dress-up. As a result, I’m generally way overdressed when I go out for dinner or to a party. But I’m okay with that.

Ideal evening.

“Ideal” depends. If it’s midweek, I’m happy to get the kids in bed, pour a glass of wine, and knit something frivolous while I watch t.v. A weekend night might be slightly more glamorous—sushi dinner with my husband, going to see a movie and eating candy we’ve smuggled in from CVS. The best nights are usually spontaneous. If I have too much time to plan, I overthink it.

Favorite board, card, or computer game?

Yahtzee. Some friends got us hooked on a beach vacation, and I will always associate playing it with feeling really relaxed and happy. I’m also addicted to jigsaw puzzles, but I can only do them once in a while or I will neglect my children.

Language in which you’d most like to be fluent.

Portuguese? Italian? Any of the Romance languages. I know a few words in several different languages. I can ask where the bathroom is in German. That may prove useful someday.

Country you’d most like to visit.

Spain.

Skill you’d most like to acquire.

Self-hypnosis.

Favorite musical instrument.

Fiddle.

You’re going on a book tour:  Plane, train or automobile?

Plane. I love airports. The people-watching is unparalleled, and I let myself buy an unlimited number of trashy magazines.

Topic you’d most like to write about.

I don’t approach projects by thinking about a topic; I’m more character-driven. But I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Bonnie and Clyde, and someday I’d like to write about them.

Author you’d like to meet.

There are authors whose work I admire deeply, but when I really love a book, I’m almost afraid to meet the person who wrote it. Because really, authors are just regular people. Some of us are socially awkward, some of us are charming, some of us are outrageously cool. We are all probably all of those things in different moments.

That said, I wish Edward Gorey was still alive so I could have a drink with him. And maybe he’d draw a really creepy picture of me.

Some favorite books?

Feed by M.T. Anderson. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Thursday’s Child by Sonya Hartnett. When We Were Saints by Han Nolan. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Funny Little Monkey by Andrew Auseon. The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken.

Some favorite movies?

Anything by Wes Anderson. Amelie. Big Fish. All of those have an atmospheric, storytelling quality that appeals to me as a writer. On the flip side, I love a good action movie. The Bourne Trilogy, James Bond, Salt. It’s like the difference between contemporary YA fiction and traditional high fantasy—in the first, the characters propel the story and in the second, the plot does the work. A good dose of both is essential.

Thanks, Hannah!  Please visit Hannah Barnaby at her website.

What a fun — and beautifully written — novel!  It’s a bit like A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS meets WATER FOR ELEPHANTS with a little Joan Bauer and Frank Cottrell Boyce mixed in.  Actually, it’s a totally unique voice but I’m thinking if you like any of those books and authors, I suspect you’ll love WONDER SHOW, and even if you don’t like any of those books or authors (how is that possible?), WONDER SHOW is different, engaging, and a fantastic ride.  You’ll love it, anyway.  Now, to hear from Hannah Barnaby herself….

Can you tell us how this book came to be published?

In 2004, I was chosen to be the first Children’s Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library. They gave me a monthly stipend and an office space, and that’s where I wrote the first draft of Wonder Show. Then the story sat around for a couple of years and I was doing other things (teaching, working at a bookstore, getting married). It took a long time for me to find my way back to it, but once I did, I polished it up and asked my friend Kate O’Sullivan, an editor at Houghton Mifflin, if she would be willing to read it. Two revisions later, Kate called me up and offered me a contract to publish the book.

Why did you choose this topic?

I have always had a fascination with circuses, carnival, gypsies, micro-cultures that exist within our larger cultural system. Writing Wonder Show gave me the chance to throw all of that into a single story, and to research the history of some really unique characters. Like the Hilton sisters, a pair of conjoined twins who were also movie stars, and Robert Wadlow, a real-life giant who worked with P.T. Barnum.

What’s an important “nugget” that you’d like readers to take away from your book?

We all have times when we feel isolated, different, odd. We all have the sense at one time or another that there is something strange about us, that no one really understand what’s happening in our heads. In a way, this feeling actually unites us. Portia’s story is really about finding a community of kindred spirits, and I want Wonder Show to give hope to anyone who is seeking that same thing.

How much of your book is autobiographical?

Not very much at all, although I did borrow some details from people around me. For instance, Portia’s mother’s name is Quintillia—I borrowed that from my father-in-law’s great-uncle, who named his children numerically, in Italian. Primo, Secundo, etcetera. Quintillia was the fifth child and the only daughter.

What are you working on now?

Another young adult novel, with a contemporary setting. It’s the story of a girl who’s been in a car accident which her brother didn’t survive, and her quest to track down the recipients of his organs…with a dark purpose.

Favorite season?

Definitely fall. I love the colors, the kids go back to school, and my birthday is in November.

What’s always in your fridge?

String cheese, greek yogurt, and white wine. And leftovers.

Favorite comfort food?

My grandfather’s clam chowder. He handed down the recipe and I make it every Christmas Eve. It has a lot of bacon in it. Can’t go wrong with bacon.

Chocolate or some lesser nectar of the gods?

Dark chocolate with chili powder. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

Food you’d rather starve than eat.

Green peppers. Liver. Anchovies. (That would be the worst pizza of all time.)

Cat or dog?

I grew up with cats, but I married a dog person so I may have to convert.

Jeans or fancier?

Jeans for daily life, but I still love playing dress-up. As a result, I’m generally way overdressed when I go out for dinner or to a party. But I’m okay with that.

Ideal evening.

“Ideal” depends. If it’s midweek, I’m happy to get the kids in bed, pour a glass of wine, and knit something frivolous while I watch t.v. A weekend night might be slightly more glamorous—sushi dinner with my husband, going to see a movie and eating candy we’ve smuggled in from CVS. The best nights are usually spontaneous. If I have too much time to plan, I overthink it.

Favorite board, card, or computer game?

Yahtzee. Some friends got us hooked on a beach vacation, and I will always associate playing it with feeling really relaxed and happy. I’m also addicted to jigsaw puzzles, but I can only do them once in a while or I will neglect my children.

Language in which you’d most like to be fluent.

Portuguese? Italian? Any of the Romance languages. I know a few words in several different languages. I can ask where the bathroom is in German. That may prove useful someday.

Country you’d most like to visit.

Spain.

Skill you’d most like to acquire.

Self-hypnosis.

Favorite musical instrument.

Fiddle.

You’re going on a book tour:  Plane, train or automobile?

Plane. I love airports. The people-watching is unparalleled, and I let myself buy an unlimited number of trashy magazines.

Topic you’d most like to write about.

I don’t approach projects by thinking about a topic; I’m more character-driven. But I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Bonnie and Clyde, and someday I’d like to write about them.

Author you’d like to meet.

There are authors whose work I admire deeply, but when I really love a book, I’m almost afraid to meet the person who wrote it. Because really, authors are just regular people. Some of us are socially awkward, some of us are charming, some of us are outrageously cool. We are all probably all of those things in different moments.

That said, I wish Edward Gorey was still alive so I could have a drink with him. And maybe he’d draw a really creepy picture of me.

Some favorite books?

Feed by M.T. Anderson. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Thursday’s Child by Sonya Hartnett. When We Were Saints by Han Nolan. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Funny Little Monkey by Andrew Auseon. The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken.

Some favorite movies?

Anything by Wes Anderson. Amelie. Big Fish. All of those have an atmospheric, storytelling quality that appeals to me as a writer. On the flip side, I love a good action movie. The Bourne Trilogy, James Bond, Salt. It’s like the difference between contemporary YA fiction and traditional high fantasy—in the first, the characters propel the story and in the second, the plot does the work. A good dose of both is essential.

Thanks, Hannah!  Please visit Hannah Barnaby at her website.