Guest Post: Sherri L. Smith Author of The Toymaker's Apprentice +GIVEAWAY

When I was little (ok an even now) I always wanted to be a ballerina, and of course I loved the ballet The Nutcracker.  When I lived in Boston I finally got to see it performed on the stage, and it was magical.  

So when Penguin Random House approached me about highlighting The Toymaker's Apprentice I said yes because - HELLO it's a retelling of The Nutcracker!!!

About the Book

Stefan Drosselmeyer is a reluctant apprentice to his toymaker father until the day his world is turned upside down. His father is kidnapped and Stefan is enlisted by his mysterious cousin, Christian Drosselmeyer, to find a mythical nut to save a princess who has been turned into a wooden doll. Embarking on a wild adventure through Germany, Stefan must save Boldavia’s princess and his own father from the fanatical Mouse Queen and her seven-headed Mouse Prince, both of whom have sworn to destroy the Drosselmeyer family. 

About Sherri L. Smith

Sherri L. Smith is the award-winning author of YA novels Lucy the Giant, Sparrow, Hot Sour Salty Sweet, Flygirl and Orleans. Her books have been listed as Amelia Bloomer, American Library Association Best Books for Young People, and Junior Library Guild Selections. Flygirl was the 2009 California Book Awards Gold Medalist. Sherri was a 2014 National Book Awards judge in the Young People’s Literature category. She is a three-time writer-in-resident at Hedgebrook retreat in Washington State, as well as a resident at Wassard Elea retreat, in Ascea, Italy.

Sherri is visiting The OWL today with a guest post.  Since this is her first middle grade novel I thought it would be fun to hear from her what she was like in middle school!!

Welcome Sherri!

Gack! Me as a middle schooler. Let’s see… fifth grade was elementary school for me. We didn’t have middle schools where I lived. I would have had braces and been a quiet, bookish sort. That was pretty much true up through 8th grade. I also wore a retainer with a rubber band across my front teeth. I read a lot of everything at that age, but fantasy was becoming a front runner. Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain were favorites of mine, along with his Westmark trilogy (an influence on Toymaker for sure). Around 4th grade, I discovered Susan Cooper’s The Grey King misshelved in my elementary school library. I devoured it and was equally thrilled and dismayed to discover it was the fourth in a series called The Dark is Rising Sequence. Thrilled because it meant there were more books (!), dismayed because I hoped I hadn’t ruined anything by reading it out of order (I hadn’t). To this day, I’d recommend both Alexander and Cooper to anyone.

I was a day dreamer. I grew up on Arabian Nights, the Andrew Lang Fairy Books, Peter Pan and Charlotte’s Web. For me, the pages of a book were far more familiar and comfortable than the outer world. I love the camaraderie of these stories as much as the adventures themselves. Such different personalities had to team up to save their world or each other from the darkness. Isn’t that what everyone wants to find in real life—their very own band of companions to help weather the road? I know I do.

The year my parents divorced, I was in 7th grade at a new school in a small town that was very different from the cities I had lived in up to that point. Either because they saw what I was reading, or hear me say something just right, but a group of kids invited me to one of their barns to play Dungeons and Dragons. The boy who asked me was actually named Merlin. I kid you not. With an invitation like that, I remember thinking, “This is it! This is how the journey begins!”

Except… we didn’t have a car, and the bus didn’t go to Merlin’s farm. So I had to refuse that call to adventure. That never happened in Tolkien. *Sigh.* And, if you are wondering, I have yet to play D&D—a real loss, since I always wanted to write monster manuals.

Thank you Sherri for sharing that with us! I love the story, and someone needs to find you a game of D&D!

To see more of The Toymaker's Apprentice tour check out the sites below:

The Book Smugglers – guest post – 10/12

Novel Novice – interview – 10/13

Owl for YA – guest post – 10/14

The Compulsive Reader – 25 Random Things - 10/15

Teen Librarian Toolbox – review -  10/16

Green Bean Teen Queen – guest post – 10/19

Kid Lit Frenzy – interview – 10/20

Great Imaginations – review – 10/21

The Children’s Book Review – top 5 list – 10/22

Word Spelunking – guest post – 10/23

I have both an ARC and finished copy of the book.  Not needing both I'm going to give one away!

Must be a US resident

Must be at least 13

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Book Review: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Title: Brown Girl Dreaming
Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

I really enjoyed this book.  I had the ARC sitting on my shelf for awhile and knew that it had won awards and received a lot of praise, but I just hadn't read it yet.  So when it was on the list for the media specialist class I was taking I was happy because I knew now I would read it! 

This is a piece of nonfiction about Woodson's life.  It starts from the day she was born and the argument about what to name her.  From there we see her grow up first living in the North, then the South with her grandparents and then back to the North again.  

The language in this book is amazing.  It's told in verse, and what she captures in the few words of some of the poems is filled with imagery and detail.  I'm always amazed on how verse can capture a full scene and place me in it with such few words! There is a scene in the book where they are taking their bath and redoing their hair and hair ribbons.  I could see it all!  As a teacher this is the type of writing I show my students, so they see what is possible.  

What is also fantastic about this book is watching her grow up in a very turbulent and active time in our country.  I loved hearing about from first a young girl really almost unaware to the voice of someone older who sees what is happening and is struggling with it.  And what added was that not only is Woodson struggling with the larger picture of what was happening in the country - she is also struggling with who she is within her own family.  That is a theme that kids can relate to - how do I fit.  

In the end it was fascinating to see how Woodson grew from a young girl into someone who found her voice and how to use it.  Very well done.  

Nightborn: Thrones & Bones #2 GIVEAWAY

Today I'm excited to share yet another book and giveaway with you!

The book is Nightborn - second in the Thrones & Bones series!

ABOUT NIGHTBORN

Twelve-year-old Desstra is in training to join the Underhand, the elite agents of the dark elves. But her graduation is jeopardized by the betrayal of a teammate. Things go from bad to worse when she is sent on a secret mission, under the supervision of this same rival.

Karn is trading in the city of Bense when he is snatched into the air by a wyvern, who carries him to the home of the dragon Orm. The great dragon tells Karn he believes a second Horn of Osius exists, hidden across the continent in the city of Castlebriar, and that Thianna went searching for the horn and is now missing. With only a dragon’s blessing to aid them and a mysterious riddle to guide them, Karn and Thianna must race the dark elves to a prize that could alter the fate of nations.

ABOUT FROSTBORN (Book #1)

Meet Karn. He is destined to take over the family farm in Norrøngard. His only problem? He’d rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones.

Enter Thianna. Half human, half frost giantess. She’s too tall to blend in with other humans but too short to be taken seriously as a giant.

When family intrigues force Karn and Thianna to flee into the wilderness, they have to keep their sense of humor and their wits about them. But survival can be challenging when you’re being chased by a 1,500-year-old dragon, Helltoppr the undead warrior and his undead minions, an evil uncle, wyverns, and an assortment of trolls and giants.

ABOUT LOU ANDERS

LOU ANDERS’s research on Norse mythology while writing book one in the Thrones and Bones series, FROSTBORN, turned into a love affair with Viking culture and a first visit to Norway. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over 500 articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. 

You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter at @ThronesandBones. 

I think the book (and series) sounds fantastic! 

Definitely something my middle students would love!

Giveaway

1 Finished Copy of Frostborn (book 1)

1 Galley of Nightborn

1 Set of trading cards!

US only

Must be at least 13

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New Wendy Mass Book!

How did I miss that Wendy Mass had a new book out????

This is part of her Willow Falls series of stories.

Angelina D'Angelo has left town to see the world. It's now Grace's turn to use her magic to protect the people of Willow Falls, and she is up to the challenge. This is her destiny, after all. But destiny is a funny thing-it doesn't always behave the way you'd expect it to.

Mysterious postcards from Angelina begin showing up in the mail, Grace's parents are freaking out with worry, and something BIG is coming to town that will affect everybody who lives there. But all Grace is powerful enough to do is turn leftover meatloaf into pizza.

Fortunately, she's not alone. She has Team Grace on her side! Amanda, Leo, Rory, Tara, David, and Connor know a thing or two about magic and how it works. But none of them are prepared for what's coming, and none of them know how to stop it. Life in Willow Falls is about to change forever.

So many of my middle grade girl students love Wendy Mass and this series, so I'm happy to see a new one!

Gabby Duran and the Unsittables - Book Review +Giveaway

Today I'm here with Disney Publishing to share a new middle grade book!

Title: Gabby Duran and the Unsittables

Author: Elise Allen & Daryle Conners

Release Date: May 12th

Obtained:  Review copy and Giveaway provided by Disney Publishing

About the Book

Case File: The First Unsittable

Summary: The Association Linking Intergalatics and Earthlings (hereby known as A.L.I.E.N.) has a new member. After months of investigation, Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, has proven herself to be a babysitter extraordinaire. Her celebrity clients fly her around the country to care for their rambunctious little humans. Our spy, Associate 4118-23432B, otherwise known as Edwina, believes Gabby can be trusted with the truth: aliens are living among humans on Earth. And here at A.L.I.E.N we believe that even extraterrestrials need a babysitter now and then. No one was up to the task...until now.

After accepting the top-secret position, Edwina has paired our new associate up with her first charge, a little girl from the planet Flarknartia. The timing for associate 4118-25125A is less than ideal. It's a school day on Planet Earth, Gabby's audition for the solo part in the band is tonight, and this tiny alien is a bit more than meets the eye. 

Can Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, First Sitter to the Unsittables, keep her otherworldly charge safe in the unpredictable halls of middle-school and keep A.L.I.E.N hidden?

When I was teaching 5th grade I was always looking for cute, fun books to hand to them to read - books I knew they would find fun but contain nothing I really had to worry about.  I found that in Gabby Duran!

This is just a cute book.  I think any middle school girl (or guy!) that has babysat or who has a tough younger sibling will be able to relate.  You see Gabby is called in to babysit those kids that other kids run screaming from!  Anyone who has ever babysat knows those types of kids. I know I had my share of those kids when I babysat! And if they haven't babysat for other families with tough kids to sit for - they may have seen it in their younger brothers and sisters!  What's neat though, is that these are tough "kids" to babysit for, but they aren't mean kids. They don't set out to be disrespectful or rude. They are just high energy!  I thought that was great. 

Next - I liked Gabby's family.  They are quirky, fun and loving towards each other.  Even though Gabby and her sister are so different, Gabby is nice and understanding towards her sister.  In so many books, you'd see the sisters fighting and nagging at each other.  These sisters aren't perfect, but at their core they treat each other respectfully.  There is more to Gabby's sister, that starts to come out - but I'll let you see that in the book.  I really like how it's handled though!

I found the plot kind of zany and outlandish, but it works! It's one of those stories that makes it really easy to set aside reality and just buy into the story and the events.  I laughed a little, held my breath some and kept being pulled along but fun characters and lots of twists and turns! 

My final take on this book is that it's fun and funny.  Some of the things that happen are goofy and crazy, but it just made the book light-hearted and enjoyable to read.  The pace is fast and the pages flew by.  I think younger middle grade kids would agree!

Here's a bit about the authors

Emmy-nominated writer and New York Times best-selling author Elise Allen made a name for herself with her acclaimed young adult novel Populazzi (Harcourt), and the Jim Henson's Enchanted Sisters chapter books (Bloomsbury).  In television, she has written for talent ranging from Bill Cosby to Kermit the Frog, and is currently writing for the new Disney Junior show The Lion Guard. Her dog may or may not secretly be from another planet.

Daryle Conners is an award-winning writer, filmmaker and video game designer. She writes joke and riddle books and has designed many game titles for the PC and iPhone/iPad including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Scene It? Harry Potter, Hot Wheels Slot Car Racers, and Scene It? Twilight Saga. Her non-fiction books include Lunchtime LOLZ, Nintendo DS Hot Tips, ROFLs,Video Game Secrets and Monster High Jokes, all for Scholastic. Daryle lives in Seattle, where she still babysits from time to time.

To Learn More About the Book

Learn more at the Official Site

Follow Disney-Hyperion on Twitter

Follow Elise Allen & Daryle Conners on Twitter

#GabbyDuran

READ AN EXCERPT

http://www.bighonchomedia.com/assets/Disney/Gabby/GabbyDuranExcerpt.pdf

GIVEAWAY

Must be at least 13 and have a US Mailing Address

Prize Provided by Disney Hyperion

OUT OF THIS WORLD prize pack

One (1) winner receives:

A copy of Gabby Duran and the Unsittables

Branded Tumbler and UFO light-up flyer.

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Blog Tour: Jack at the Helm by Lisa Doan - GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY

Blue Slip Media asked me if I wanted to be a part of the blog tour for Jack at the Helm by Lisa Doan. It looked like a great middle grade series, so I said yes for sure!  

Later today you'll see my review of Jack at the Helm, but right now I have a guest post from Lisa.

About Lisa Doan

Lisa Doan is the author of The Berenson Schemes series – Jack the Castaway, Jack and the Wild Life and Jack at the Helm. She received a master’s degree in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her extensive travel in Africa and Asia and eight years spent living in the Caribbean were the basis for the series’ international settings. She has hatched her share of harebrained schemes, including backpacking alone from Morocco to Kenya, hitchhiking across the Sahara with Nigerian car dealers, sauntering off on an ill-advised, one-person walking safari, and opening a restaurant with no actual restaurant experience. Her occupations have included master scuba diving instructor, New York City headhunter, owner-chef of a “sort of Chinese-like” restaurant, television show set medic, and deputy prothonotary of a county court. Visit the author and download free, CCSS-aligned curriculum guides at lisadoan.org.

About the Berenson Scheme Series

Jack the Castaway

In their latest get-rich-quick scheme, the Berensons move to the Caribbean and invent a new sport. While Jack learns to drive the boat, his parents attempt to ‘drift-snorkel’ in a strong current. Sadly, Jack is set adrift in the Caribbean Sea. 

Jack and the Wildlife

The Berensons arrive in Kenya for their latest get-rich-quick scheme, building a Maasai warrior camp for tourists. Sadly, Jack stranded in the Masai Mara.

Jack at the Helm

The Berensons travel to a remote region of Nepal to launch their latest get-rich-quick scheme – gathering disciples for a religion they invented. (They expect it will take the world by storm.) Sadly, on an overnight trip to their new international headquarters in the town of Shangrilala, Jack is lost. Again.

Welcome to The O.W.L.!

Today Lisa is talking about Taking Risks

How cautious is too cautious?

I’m going throw out a four letter word here—RISK. Risk is what The Berenson Schemes series is really about. Throughout the madcap adventures spanning the globe, risk-averse Jack gains confidence and learns to take action when he can’t be entirely certain of the end result. By the end of book three, Jack at the Helm, Jack is better prepared to meet life’s challenges. Temperamentally, he’s still the same careful Jack, but he’s grown into his best version of Jack.

I wanted to explore the world of the risk-averse child because it’s easier than ever to be risk-averse. We’ve built safety systems into everything, and this cannot go unnoticed by children. I suspect that an observant and temperamentally cautious child concludes that danger lurks around every corner. They notice that when they are careful, they receive praise. They notice that adults are laser-focused on managing that other child, the high-risk-taking child—the “do now, think later” child. (You know the one—that young person who sets himself on fire for a YouTube video and then is surprised at the burns.) The cautious child intuitively understands that safety has become a moral high ground. And so perhaps the cautious child redoubles his or her efforts and plays it ultra-safe. Is that good? Is that what we were going for?

What a hard question, because even if we acknowledge that a particular child is highly risk-averse, and acknowledge that maybe that’s not good, we are left with the ponderous and irrefutable facts that sit on the other side of that. Which are—sure, this child may be hiding from life a little bit, but this child is going to make it to adulthood. This child will not set himself on fire, or fall off a trampoline or forget to put on a bicycle helmet. This child will stay alive.

I can’t argue with that. I didn’t try to come to a conclusion about what would be the right level of risk-taking, but I wanted to ask the question. If we owe it to high-risk-taking children to reel them in, do we owe it to risk-averse children to reel them out? Do we have a duty to push them out into the world, to take some chances, even if they might get hurt? And what are the ramifications if we don’t? What do you think?

Thank you for these thoughts Lisa! I know I always struggle with this when it comes to my kids!!!

Giveaway!

One lucky winner will win all three Berenson Schemes books: 

JACK THE CASTAWAY

JACK AND THE WILDLIFE

JACK AT THE HELM. 

(U.S. addresses only

Must be at least 13) 

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Walter Dean Myers 1937-2014 - He Will Be Missed

I was very saddened today to learn of the passing of Walter Dean Myers.  He was one of my most favorite YA authors going back to when I first started reading YA for a class I was taking in college. He quickly became one of my favorite authors.  I had never really read anything like him before, and I was blown away at what he write for "kids". Throughout the years I've continued to read his books staying amazed at what he produced.  I could only hope to be a tiny bit as good as him.

His ability to write books that spoke to the reality that many youth faced was beyond comparison.  Every book I read by him contained characters that could've walked off the page and become real people. They dealt with issues faced by teens everyday - and they dealt with them in a way that was open and honest not candy-coating anything. They were relatable, raw and told teens they were not alone.  The world of young adult literature will miss him and his stories.

I was lucky enough to interview him for the blog just a bit back. Check out the links below.  

Interview
Review of Lockdown

Plus you should check out his website: Walter Dean Myers

A few books to read by him if you've never read him before:

Fallen Angels

A coming-of-age tale for young adults set in the trenches of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, this is the story of Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the service when his dream of attending college falls through. Sent to the front lines, Perry and his platoon come face-to-face with the Vietcong and the real horror of warfare. But violence and death aren't the only hardships. As Perry struggles to find virtue in himself and his comrades, he questions why black troops are given the most dangerous assignments, and why the U.S. is there at all.

Monster
This New York Times bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.




Somewhere in the Darkness
Jimmy hasn't seen his father in nine years. But one day he comes back -- on the run from the law. Together, the two of them travel across the country -- where Jimmy's dad will find the man who can exonerate him of the crime for which he was convicted. Along the way, Jimmy discovers a lot about his father and himself -- and that while things can't always be fixed, sometimes they can be understood and forgiven.

Author Interview: James Ponti Author of the Dead City Series

This is being ran on Hooked on Books today - the blog written by my 6th grade students.
Please if you want to leave a commnet, leave it on Hooked on Books, so they see it!


Today we are proud to welcome James Ponti to Hooked on Books

James Ponti is the author of the Dead City Series - a great MG zombie series where a group of kids fight zombies! You can see a review of the first book in the series, Dead City, HERE on The O.W.L.

Mr. Ponti offered to do and interview and gave us the chance to review the second book in the series Blue Moon - that review is up later today!

Welcome James Ponti to Hooked on Books!

First some questions about you as an author

Why do you write?
Like many writers I have a colorful and unique family. A real family tradition was telling stories about trips and funny things that had happened to us, so I think I always liked storytelling. I also have a natural instinct to play “what if” when I see situations. For example, if I was riding in a car and saw an armored truck, I’d imagine what if someone was trying to rob that truck, how would they do it? These two things naturally led me to making up stories. At a very early age – I think around 10 – I decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. At times I changed what type of writer I wanted to be (a journalist, a playwright, a screenwriter, a novelist) but it was always one type of writer or another.

Does writing all day get boring?
It is a rare thing for me to get to write all day. I have a regular job as a television producer for NBC Sports on the Golf Channel so most of my writing is done at night or on the weekends. But it never gets boring. It does, however, get frustrating at times. I will rewrite some passages thirty, forty times changing it little by little until I can get it right. This can be frustrating because I’ll know that something’s not quite the way I want it to be but I have to keep trying new twists until I figure out how to fix it.

When you were in middle school did you like to write? When did you start writing?
I started writing stories in elementary school. The first one I remember was in second grade. It was about Mickey Mouse having a birthday party and all of his friends bought him a lamp. I have no idea why I came up with a lamp but a funny thing was that when I grew up I spent two years writing for the Mickey Mouse Club.

I really got into writing, however, in middle school. During the summer before seventh grade I got the chance to write for a special kids section of my hometown newspaper (The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Florida). Then in eighth grade I wrote the class play, which we performed for the school. It was a disaster story about Santa’s sleigh being hijacked by terrorists and in addition to writing the play, I also played President Jimmy Carter. (I think I only had one line because I was a much better writer than actor.) Both of these experiences made me want to write even more.

Where you a big reader when you were a kid?
This is a great question and people are usually surprised when I say that not only was I not a big reader, I wasn't a reader at all. I think the term they use now is that I was a reluctant reader. There were a few reasons for this. First of all, I was terribly slow at it. It was beyond frustrating that other people could read so much faster and it made me not want to do it at all.

Second, I had trouble sitting still long enough to really get into a book. (This is funny, because I didn't have trouble sitting still to write, only to read.) But I would much rather go down the basketball court and shoot baskets all day than read.


Finally, when I tried to read I had trouble finding books I liked. The one exception was From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I have loved that book my whole life. I think there is more variety of books for Middle Grade now than there was when I was growing up but I just didn't connect. Where I did connect was at the movie theater. I have always loved movies and when I was a kid you were allowed to stay in the theater and watch the movie for a second time and I did that all the time.

When I went to college, I went to film school and I majored in screenwriting. This had a big impact on how I write books. I think I structure them like movies. I also like to write dialogue in books because it’s such a big part of screenwriting. It was during college that I finally started reading and I really love to do it now. Not reading as a kid is one of the only real regrets that I have.

Now lets hear about this books!
This premise of this series is pretty great. What was the inspiration for it? Where did the ideas come from?
I came up with the story backwards. I knew I wanted to write about smart kids and that led me to coming up with a science magnet school where they all meet. Then I wanted them to work as a team and solve mysteries, so I had started to wonder why type of mysteries would smart science kids solve. That got me thinking about supernatural mysteries and I thought it would be neat if some of the mysteries led them to real otherworldly creatures. But I wanted it to seem real and have it be somewhat believable. That’s what led me to undead New Yorkers who look and act like regular ones. Like I said earlier, though, it’s all “what if?” What if they tried to use science to disprove supernatural claims? And what if some of the things couldn't be disproved? And what if there were different types of zombies, some good and some bad?

Are any of the characters in Blue Moon or the series based on people you know or people you’ve met?
Almost all of the characters are based in part on people I know. It’s important that the characters you write have strengths and flaws and I put many of my flaws in all of the kids on the Omega team. The two boys characters are named after my sons Alex and Grayson and they share some of the same characteristics with the actual ones. But it’s important to remember that you can only go so far with basing characters on people. For the story to work you can’t worry about how a real person you know would react, you have to write it like the fictional person you created would react. Also, if you think of a character as someone real who you care about it’s hard to have them face struggles because part of your mind is seeing that friend.

One thing you might not think about, though, is the setting. All the locations in the books are inspired by real places I found interesting. I've worked on TV shows for networks like the History Channel and they've taken me into underground mines and subway tunnels, which play a big role in the Dead City. One time I did an interview at the very top of the George Washington Bridge. (It was terrifying.) I used that setting and what I learned there for an important scene in Dead City. Whenever I go to New York, where the books are set, I make sure to set aside time to explore and look for interesting places where Molly and her friends can also go.

How long did it take you to write the book? How many times did this book get sent back to the editor for changes? – Basically how many drafts did it go through – how long did it take?
That’s a hard question for me to answer. Like I said before, I don’t really get to write all the time so I have to work in clumps. Also, while I’m still writing the first draft I’ll rewrite the same section more times than I care to count. Officially my guess is that the Dead City books so far have probably taken about a month to outline, about six months to write a first draft, and another couple of months back and forth with my editor. (The extremely talented Fiona Simpson.) I would say that the first rewrite can be pretty extensive, so that’s two drafts of big changes. (For example, she convinced me to move what I originally had at the end of book 2 and save it for the beginning of book 3.) After that there’s a polish, which has to do mostly with correcting mistakes like time passage and logic and then there’s one last copyediting pass. (This one is important because someone’s whose not worked on the book at all reads it so she can have a fresh opinion.) If you added it up it’s probably four drafts over about nine months.

What is the hardest part about writing this book or series?
There’s something very unrealistic at the heart of the Dead City books and that’s the idea that there are thousands of zombies living in and under New York City. For that story to work for me, I had to make it as realistic as possible and that’s not always easy. It’s taken a lot of research about New York. The truth is, while this is hard, it’s also my favorite part of writing these books.

The other part that is really hard is coming up with a plot and series of mysteries that is hard to figure out but that also makes sense when you find out the answer. This is really the secret to me. If you’re reading it and can figure everything out before the characters you lose interest. But, if you get to the end and it doesn't make sense, you feel cheated.

What is something you want us to know about this series?
Because I struggled with reading as a kid, I've tried to write books that I would have liked to read. I've also tried to do something different in how I write them. A lot of the story has been a real mystery to me as I work on it. I know some things that I want to happen, but for the most part I try to come up with mysteries and clues that I find intriguing. Then I try to solve them along with the characters. Sometimes, it doesn't work and you have to start over but when it does it feels really great.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all our questions!!!
Watch the blog because later today there will be a review of Blue Moon, the second book in the Dead City series.

Author Interview: M.D. Payne - Monster Juice Series

Today Hooked on Books is happy to welcome M.D. Payne. He is the author of the fun Monster Juice Series.

My students brainstormed questions they had for an author, and I narrowed it down to the most common or interesting. Before we get to the answers a bit about the books.

The Fear the Barfitron
When Chris Taylor discovers that the residents of the retirement home where he volunteers are secretly monsters--and have stolen what appears to be his life essence--he leaves to recruit his friends to help him get it back. But once they return to the retirement home, the boys find themselves at the center of a vomit-inducing war against some of the grossest monsters this world has ever encountered. Will Chris and his friends join the residents to fight off the Barfitron?



Fartsunami
Chris Taylor and his friends are sent on an unexpected school field trip to a remote tropical island--only to find their new monstrous friends waiting for them. Once again, they need the boys' help: A new evil is on the rise. And it's a frightening sea monster made entirely out of dead skin. Will the boys be able to help defeat such a monster?

They look like pure fun!

Now for the interview.  Welcome to Hooked on Books!

Why do you write?

This question reminds me of a famous quote made by one of the first people to climb Mount Everest, George Mallory. When asked why he wanted to climb Everest, George replied, “Because it’s there.” The idea of doing something simply because you feel like you must rings true for me. I write because I feel I have to create, and I’ve been lucky enough, after years of dabbling in music, acting, audio production, radio, film and television that I’ve found a really fun creative outlet.

Does writing all day get boring?

I would love to find out! At the moment, I juggle my children’s book writing with a full-time job and a family that includes a beautiful 14-month old girl. That being said, my full-time job as a Director of Communications at a private school in Manhattan also requires a large amount of writing, and it does sometimes feel like I’m stuck in a computer all day long. So, I wouldn’t say it gets “boring” so much as, like anything you do non-stop, endless and overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like I spend so much time writing that I can’t communicate properly without a keyboard in front of me.

When you were in middle school did you like to write? When did you start writing?

I’ve always liked writing. When I was seven, I wrote a book of cool presidential facts—not for school or my parents or anyone but me. (That reminds me—I really need to ask my mother where that is!) In middle school I won the Young Writer’s Competition and had my worked published in my local paper, the Idaho Statesman. I just recently re-read my story, Creatures of the Night, and I was shocked at how violent it was. I was writing for adults as a kid, and now, as an adult, I’m writing for kids! But, it’s all been horror so far.

Where you a big reader when you were a kid?

Yes! I remember reading during recess out in the huge grass field behind Rio Vista Elementary School. I read a lot in elementary school—Bunnicula, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The House with the Clock in its Walls, A Wrinkle in Time, and countless other tales. By the time I hit middle school, I spent most of my free time playing video games, but I still read, mainly Stephen King and lots of non-fiction.

This premise of this series is pretty funny and crazy. What was the inspiration for them?  Where did the ideas come from?

The series started with a very simple idea—what would a retirement home filled with monsters look like? Then, I had to figure out what would happen if kids unraveled the secret of the retirement home. Then, I realized the reason that the old monsters were so old was because newer, more evil monsters were taking over. And what would save the old monsters, and in turn, all of humanity? Gross stuff. Barf and burps. By then, I was just really excited to see how I could mix everything together—be funny, gross and scary all at once, but in a way that moved the story along.

I have so many influences. On the funny-scary side, Goosebumps was a huge influence, as was The Addams Family and The Munsters. On the funny-gross side, my number one influence was the cartoon Ren and Stimpy, which to this day I regard as the funniest thing ever animated. And I’ve always been a funny person—I love making people laugh.

Are any of the characters in Monster Juice series based on people you know or people you’ve met?

Many of the characters in Monster Juice are based on people I know. I actually had a really hard time figuring out how to write the first book, until I started thinking about my own time at middle school, and all of the people I knew there. That’s what got me goin’! Chris is me as a kid, so I get to write as “myself.” Shane is a dear friend of mine from middle school who is like his namesake in many ways—having a black belt, for one. Ben is an interesting character because I wrote him with an adult friend of mine in mind--I never actually knew him as a kid. Gordon is totally made up. Then there are teachers featured who actually were real—Mr. Stewart is the greatest science teacher of all time, and I was lucky to have him in the 8^th grade.

How long did it take you to write either book? How many times did this book get sent back to the editor for changes? – Basically how many drafts did it go through – how long did it take?

Fear the Barfitron took a really long time, as I was working with my editor on the entire series idea as well as the first book that would kick it off. We started talking about the idea in 2009, and it wasn’t until mid-2011 that I really started drafting. Then, it took about a year of going back and forth with changes and refinements to make it right. The main bulk of the book went through 3 major drafts before we focused in on just a few sections and finished it off. Fartsunami was a completely different beast—it only took 2-3 months to draft, there were only a few structural changes in a second draft, and then a lot of changes came after it was laid out because it was too long. I think, all told, Fartsunami took 6 months from beginning to end.

What is the hardest part about writing this series?

This was my first series, as well as my first books, so the hardest part was just answering the question, “Can I really do this?!” I had a lot of doubts that I had to break through, and I also had to learn patience—as you see from above, writing a book takes a lot of time! The second hardest thing was writing for 8-10 year olds—you become quite limited not only by simpler words but by simpler plot devices: you can’t confuse the reader or they’ll slam the book shut, but you need to keep the story going. I think I hit a happy medium.

What is something you want us to know about this series?

I had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs writing it, so I hope that readers have a lot of fun and tons of laughs while reading it. It takes a while to get into the characters and the story, but then once the second half gets cookin’, BOOM, you’re off! So be patient. I know I had to be. J

Thank you so much for visiting with us! If you want to know more about the series check out the video below or M.D. Payne's Tumblr account House of Payne.

This interview was also ran on my student book review blog Hooked on Books.