Author Interview with Jane Sutcliffe

The DMS was lucky to interview Jane Sutcliffe. Fairday reviewed her book Will's Words, and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about her story. So, without further ado... take it away, Jane!

What inspired you to write Will’s Words?

Much of the credit has to go to my editor at Charlesbridge, Alyssa Pusey. She contacted me a few years ago and reminded me that 2016 was an anniversary year, the 400^th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. Charlesbridge was looking for a Shakespeare-themed picture book to commemorate the event—did I want to write it? Of course, the only possible answer to that question was “Sure!” (accompanied by some jumping up and down and fist-pumping, I admit).

The rest was up to me. I had to decide what kind of book I wanted it to be. I had done a lot of biographies in the past but I knew I did not want to do this as a biography. For one thing, there are already some excellent Shakespeare biographies for young readers out there, most notably Diane Stanley’s Bard of Avon. For another, we just don’t know enough about Shakespeare’s early life to make it an interesting project for me.

Most young readers would not have been familiar with Shakespeare’s plays or even with Shakespeare himself. They may not even have heard the name yet. But I knew that they would know some of his words and sayings, especially the everyday words like “excitement” and “hurry.” So I decided to write about those. Those words and saying are in use all around us every day and we don’t even know we are actually quoting Shakespeare when we use them! But I didn’t just want a laundry list of cool words and phrases. I wanted to insert them all into a running text in a meaningful way. What better way than to tell the story of Shakespeare’s plays and the Globe Theatre using the words and phrases from those plays.

How long did it take you to write Will’s Words? 

It took five months to research and write. Because we wanted the book released to coincide with the actual anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the deadline was very tight. And I knew that as I was writing, the illustrator, John Shelley, was waiting to see what I came up with so he could begin planning the illustrations. His deadline was even tighter than mine!

You must do a lot of research for your books. What is your research process like? Was there any aspect of your research for Will’s Words (or another book) that was the most interesting?

William Shakespeare is one of the most widely researched subject in history and I quickly found that there is not much consensus on exactly how many words he coined. Some sources says thousands; others say he actually didn’t invent them but rather just popularized words that were already in use. I had to check and double check to make sure that phrases I wanted to use in the book actually did originate with William Shakespeare. Sometimes it was frustrating.

I really wanted to be able to use the phrase “wild-goose chase,” which, believe it or not, comes from the play Romeo and Juliet. I had a hard time fitting the phrase into the story of a trip to the Globe Theatre—until I found out that the original Globe had room for three thousand people but absolutely no bathroom facilities. So I wrote: “Trying to find a restroom at the Globe would have been a wild-goose chase.” Ha!

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?

Like most authors, I was a great reader, and an even greater re-reader. Every year I reread Little Women and The Wizard of Oz, my all-time favorites. I had a series of classic books so I was also a fan of Tom Sawyer and all kinds of fairy tales. As you might expect I also loved nonfiction, especially biographies. I spent my entire fifth grade reading nothing but biographies.

How do you decide which nonfiction topic you will write about next? 

Usually I write about whatever strikes my fancy. I try to read about a variety of topics and I stay on top of whatever anniversary might be coming up in the next few years. I wrote my middle grade nonfiction book The White House is Burning: August 24, 1814 to coincide with the bicentennial of that event in 2014.

If you could befriend a person from any of your books, who would you befriend? Why?

I only write about real people so it would be a famous person from history. That’s a hard choice. I’ve written about such incredible geniuses as Shakespeare and Michelangelo. But I think I’d have to say I’d choose John Adams. I have tremendous respect for our founding fathers so I would consider it a great privilege to get to know him and count him as a friend. There are so many questions I’d love to ask him. From my research he also seemed like a pretty approachable guy who considered himself just a farmer at heart.

Where do you like to write? Do you listen to music while you are writing?

I’ve trained myself to write just about anywhere. I even write in my car while I’m driving. I have a digital voice recorder I use to work out sentences or paragraphs of books I’m working on. I have my favorite spot at home where my I can spread out all my research and write, with my dog asleep at my feet. No music, just snoring.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

I love where I live now, but to be honest, I hate cold. I mean I really detest it. I don’t want to move; I just wish it could be summer all the time.

Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

I’m actually working on several things right now. I’m excited to be researching a book about the search for King Tut’s tomb. It’s tentatively being called King Tut, Howard Carter, and the Search for the Lost Tomb. It will deal not only with Tut’s life but with the search for his tomb by archaeologist Carter. The anniversary of that discovery is coming up in a few years. It’s one of those subjects that never goes out of style but I’m hoping interest will increase as the anniversary approaches. Besides, I’ve done quite a few picture books lately. I’m eager to do another middle grade nonfiction book.

Where can we purchase your books?

They are available in most bookstores and through online retailers such as Amazon and Indiebound. Can I put in a plug here for your small neighborhood bookstore? If they don’t have a book you want, they will certainly be happy to order it for you.

Will in the wild at Linda's Story Time

We recently met Jane Sutcliffe at the CASL/CECA Technology and Literacy Summit. Thanks for introducing us to Will's Words!

CT authors, Jane Sutcliffe, Jessica Haight, & Stephanie Robinson

Interview with Kara Van Kirk Levin

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Kara Van Kirk Levin. Fairday shared her thoughts after reading Soldier with her sister, Margo. It was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about her story. So, without further ado... take it away, Kara!

What inspired you to write SOLDIER?  

It is hard to say exactly from where the story came but I have a hunch it had something to do with my own experience growing up alongside my beloved cousin, who was born with an intellectual disability.  From that vantage point, I saw how he thrived under the love and care of many creative and supportive others, such as his mother, father, teachers, and his extended family.  I suppose Soldier is an insider’s take on what it’s like to love someone whose differences make life a little bit more challenging. 

How did you come up with your characters, Soldier and the field mouse?

Soldier took shape as the words landed on the page.  It’s funny how this process worked, almost a little magical, actually.  I began with a sentence and let the mood and tone of the words I selected inform me of where to go next.  I listened to the character that was taking shape and I allowed what I know about human nature to guide me.  As for mouse, she was a cool character to create.  She represents all the helping people out there in the world, who, for whatever reason, choose to come to someone’s aid.  I specifically chose not to give mouse a name (yet) because the point was that she did not need to be recognized for her kindness, that the act alone told the reader all that they needed to know about her character.  Don’t worry, though, she will definitely get a name in the next book.  For now, with great pride, we have taken to calling her “Helper mouse.”

Soldier plays the flute. Do you play any instruments?

I did play an instrument when I was a child – the violin! I begged my mother to let me play and she did.  But, I was sort of a rambunctious child and I ended up breaking my violin bow three times.  Perhaps the violin was a little too delicate for me.  Later, I joined the choir and that was perfect.  I love to sing and it’s much harder for me to break that instrument!

You worked with two illustrators to create SOLDIER. What was the process like?

I worked with two women from Ukraine, both of whom are incredibly talented artists.  If not for their involvement, there likely would not be a Soldier book today.  Because of their experience illustrating books in Ukraine, we were able to print our book in Kiev and shipped back 1000 copies to the US. It was thrilling! 

What was so great about working directly with my illustrators is that we got to create the work together.  We would sit down a couple of times a month over coffee and brainstorm about how we envisioned the images.  Sometimes I would have an idea and Vlada would say, “YES!” Then she’d go back to her studio and work until it was perfect, often far better than I could have ever imagined.  And sometimes, I’d have an idea and Vlada would say, “Eh.” And I would have to admit it wasn’t a great idea.  And that is what you call collaboration!  It was an exhilarating process. 

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?

Here are some of my favorites from childhood:

Madeline (Ludwig Bemelman)

Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats)

Where the Wild Things Are, Pierre (Maurice Sendak)

Good Night Moon (Margaret Wise Brown)

A Great Day for Up (Dr. Suess)

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Dr. De Soto (William Steig)

Lyle Crocodile (Bernard Waber)

Corduroy (Don Freeman)

I really like books that read a little like poems, for example stories that have a language and a cadence of their own.  I find these rhythms calming and magical.  I think that stories that fit this description inspired the style I used for Soldier. 

I also really like books where the illustrations have whimsical details, in which the words and the illustrations merge to take you to another place.  And where something emotional and perhaps a little troubling is happening.  These books invoke a feeling of wonder in me long after I’ve finished them and I can return to that feeling instantly, with only the smallest bit of my memory jogged.  These are the books that truly inspire my writing and creativity. 

If you could live anyplace real or fictional, where would it be? Why?

I used to watch the cartoon Little Bear with my children.  It is set in a gentle idyllic countryside, and the bear family is nestled inside a cozy home with apple pie baking and stories being read by the fire.  Even though my boys were little (probably only 3 years old at the time – they are twins), I used to say to them, “Oooh, how I wish I lived in Little Bear’s world!” That is still true.  I love nothing more than a place that feels cozy, where signs of love and respect for humans and the natural world can be felt at every turn. 

Where do you like to write? Do you listen to music while you are writing?

I do some of my best writing while traveling between places, for example on the airplane or the subway.  There is something about moving from one place to another while being surrounded, usually in close quarters, by handfuls of strangers that stirs my emotions and makes the writing flow from my thoughts to the page.  But mostly I can write anywhere that I have something to write with or on.  And interestingly, I almost always lose track of time when I am writing. 

Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

I am currently working on the second Soldier book, in which little Soldier begins to outgrow his sweater and must go out in search of mouse for help.  I hope to be able to release it within the next year.  And I am working on a new title, which I am very excited about called The Pattern Thrower, about a little girl who experiences her emotions through patterns and when she feels something strongly, she throws a gorgeous pattern out onto everything in the vicinity: happy patterns, angry patterns, sad patterns, thoughtful patterns, playful patterns, etc.  There is a special character in the book – I don’t want to say who yet, as I want it to be a surprise – that tells the whole story from a unique point of view.  I hope to have this book written by early next year. 

Where can we buy your books or learn more about them?

If you wish to purchase Soldier or learn more about him and Little Wooden Flute, our publishing company, visit our website.  You can also see lots of fun posts on Facebook and Instagram at #SoldierBook and #littlewoodenflute.  The book is also available for sale on Amazon. 

Author Interview with Kurt Chambers

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Kurt Chambers. Lizzy reviewed The Wrath of Siren, the second book in his Truth Teller series and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about his story. So, without further ado... take it away, Kurt!

The Wrath of Siren is Book Two in the Truth Teller series. How was writing it different from writing the first book?

In all honesty, it was exactly the same. When I first started writing I was a complete novice. Truth Teller and The Wrath of Siren were originally one book when I first wrote this series. A middle grade novel that was about 125,000 words, how funny! I had no idea there was a problem with that. Once I joined a writing forum and started to learn stuff, I split it into two separate novels. 

How long did it take you to write The Wrath of Siren? Will there be a third book? (We want one!)

It took me about two years to write. Having to live in real life and support a family didn't leave me much time. I would sit in my builder’s van on my breaks and scribble into a little notebook, then type it up in the evening when I got home.

Yes, I have a third book in this series, Favian's Law. I am planning to release this title some time later this year and then publish a special edition with all three books in one. I have already received a very reasonable quote from a friend/editor, so the ball is rolling I'm pleased to say.

Siren is definitely a villain we wouldn’t want to meet! What was your inspiration for his character? 

I would have to say, Terry Brooks, was my greatest inspiration. I love the way he writes, he is a master at what he does. His Shannara books are my favourite fantasy series.

In the 2nd book we get to catch up with some characters we've grown to love, but there are many new characters too. Who was your favorite new character? Why?

This is an easy one. Guff, the talking troll. I had a lot of fun creating this character. He reminds me a little bit of, Ludo, a big scary monster of a creature from the film, Labyrinth by David Bowie, but is actually gentle and kind, willing to risk his own life for the good of others. Guff is a legend.

Charlotte and Elderfield both go through a lot of intense experiences in this book. If you had to give either of them words of advice what would you tell them at the end of this book (no spoilers, of course)?

  

Beware of unusual strangers. And don't forget to use the bathroom before you go out! Enough said. lol

Do you have a writing schedule that you follow? What do you do to when you get writer’s block?

I found over the years that I'm not like most writers. I have no schedule, I just write when I want to write. If I get writer's block I find it easier to get over if you don't stress out about it. Don't ever beat yourself up, all that will do is stress you out more and make it even harder. I try to write a little bit, even if it's just a line or two, but if nothing comes to me, I just won't write. Try again another day when I have more of a head on for it. In the meantime, I just run ideas over in my head. Sometimes, something pops in there that gets you all excited and you're off again!

You have recently published Unknown Reality, a sci-fi adventure. Can you tell us a bit more about your latest book?

Yes! How very excited I am too. After only twenty submissions I got a reply from a top UK publishing agent saying there was so much about this story that she loved and how sorry she was it was a near miss from her. Just GETTING a reply from an agent is a result these days with their no interest, no reply policy. After much deliberation though, I decided to publish it myself in order to keep a happy medium between my writing and real life.

I also get to aim my new book at a whole new audience: Science fiction fans. Up until now I have only been known as a fantasy author. Here is a blurb of the story.

Blurb...

Eleven-year-old Chloe gasps in awe at the magical splendour of a theatre performance, but her excitement soon vanishes during an autograph hunt and an encounter with the baddie from the show. His unbelievable claim of a flawed universe freaks her out. This starts a chain of unexplainable events that threaten to destroy the only reality Chloe has ever known.

Then one night...they come for her.

Claiming to be her friends, the Scientists try to persuade Chloe her life was some kind of experiment that went horribly wrong, and a computer virus left her with no memory of this alien planet. Struggling to come to terms with a world she doesn’t understand, she is kidnapped from the futuristic outstation by a clan of Savages that live out in the wilderness. When confronted by a father and brother she never knew she had, she is torn between two cultures, none of which she wishes to be part of. All she wants is return to the only family she knew; a family that never really existed.

Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

Yeah, I have nearly completed a story I have been working on for a long time. It's called, The World in Johnny's Back Garden. I wanted a story that gave children an alternative view of all living things. I was originally going to write a set of adventure stories from the point of view of different living things you would find in an English garden, a mouse, a dandelion, an ant, a tree. You get the idea. But this proved to be too difficult. Then my youngest daughter insisted I read a book she was working on at school called, Feather Boy. It was a kind of strange contemporary story, but gave me an idea for a starting point for my story. I wrote a whole plot for my book and just started writing it. I have no idea of what reaction I will get; it's quite a strange story.

I posted the first chapter on my blog as it works quite well as a short story for anyone who is interested.

I was also working on another book called, Lost Childhood. This is another strange story about a young boy, Charlie, who gets a talking teddy from his dad. Again, I have the whole plot for this book and even started writing it, but then the film, Ted, came out. Admittedly, the story is completely different, just a case of bad timing so I shelved this one for now.

Where can we purchase your books?

Truth Teller and The Wrath of Siren can be purchased here...(Truth Teller is free)

Amazon US

Amazon UK

You can also find them on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and all other leading book retailers. Just search by title or author.

Unknown Reality can be purchased here...

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Again, this can also be found in all major book retailers.

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Author Interview with Wylde Scott

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Wylde Scott. Lizzy reviewed SEASIDE, and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours. So, without further ado... take it away, Wylde!

What inspired you to write SEASIDE?

Seaside is an entirely true story as told to me by the very people who were there. A long time ago I was the proprietor of a Giggle Shoppe in the market square, just next to the baker. The events that take place in the book occurred just before I arrived in Seaside. The very first time I met young Robert O’Malley and Walter I asked how the two unlikely friends had met. In writing Seaside the book, I tried very hard to recall the story as they described it. 

How did you come up with your characters, Bobby and Walter? 

It was easy. I knew them both personally and I used the names their mothers had given them. 

SEASIDE is told from different points of view. What was the most challenging part of weaving together both sides of the story?

Telling great stories is always challenging in that you want to share all of the best parts and not leave anything out. In writing Seaside I don’t think this was actually intentional. The day that Bobby and Walter told me the story, they were frantically speaking at nearly the same time, each stepping over each other to tell me each of its bits and pieces from their point of view.  I think the style I used in the book simply reflects the way I remember it being told. I have been telling stories verbally since I was a child. Growing up in a gypsy caravan we did not have televisions or phones or any of the stuff children use today so storytelling was a big part of what we did. I learned how to tell stories from my grandfather. He was always so visual and descriptive and took the time to tell all about the people and places in the stories. Now when I sit down to write a story as a book, I try and remember what it was like to sit in front of a fire and listen to him.

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you? 

I am a relentless reader, so I am inspired by many writers. I would have to say that two writers likely had the most impact on me. Charles Dickens, because I was very familiar with the worlds he created and they always spoke to me personally, and Raold Dahl, because his imagination was so unlimited. I knew he was going to take me on a fantastic journey. My own childhood was rather unique so I was always drawn to books with children in very unique situations. 

If you could become a sea creature for one day, what would you want to be? Why?

Of course I should like to be an octopus as they have so many arms to work with. I would love to know what that is like. In fact, Bobby and I made up a game where we pretended to have as many arms as Walter. We played it all of the time and had lots of fun, but I think Walter found it boring. 

If you could befriend a character from one of your books, who would you befriend? Why? 

Walter and Bobby are still two of my very closest friends. I don’t want to spoil the end of the book but Bobby became quite the seaman. We had many adventures together.

I think I should like to meet Bonicelli’s father, who was long gone before I came to Seaside. He was said to be the greatest fisherman the town had ever known, and I would have liked to been with him on some of the fishing expeditions the town talked about for generations after he passed. He must have been something extraordinary! 

What is your favorite color? How about smell? 

If you haven’t already figured it out, I have a very particular shade of blue that I am very fond of. My grandfather used to wear a hat very similar to mine that was made of this color and it reminds me of him. All of my favorite colors are other shades of blue. 

My favorite smell in the whole entire world is cotton candy. 

Are you currently working on a new book? Can you tell us a little about it? 

I will be coming out with two books next year and am working on a new one currently: 

The Fun Olympics is a picture book that talks about my first time attending the event and how I became Champion. 

Starship Diwicki is my next chapter book for young and middle grade readers. It’s a comical adventure that follows eleven year old Tyler Diwicki, who leads his family into a modern day gold rush in space. Caught between a universe full of dangerous criminals and corrupt villains, the family must stay alive and find their way home. In the process, the Diwicki’s unexpectedly become heroes, and the saviors of an entire race. 

So many people have been asking me about my childhood, so I am going to tell the story from the earliest events I remember. It’s likely going to be several books, but I will start with the story that changed everything.

Authors, Stephanie Robinson, Wylde Scott, and Jessica Haight

It was awesome to meet Wylde Scott at the BEA this year, and we are happy to spread the news about this seaside adventure.

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win a signed hardcover edition of this new middle grade book!  

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Enter the giveaway and leave us a comment below: What sea creature would you want to become for a day?

 

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Author Interview with Cornelia Funke

The DMS recently reviewed Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. We were lucky enough to host an interview with this creative author after Lizzy reviewed her story Inkheart, and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours. So, without further ado... take it away, Cornelia!

What inspired you to write the Inkworld trilogy?

I think every reader secretly believes that the characters you meet in a book are real. Sometimes they do in fact feel more real than the people around us, because the pages tell us so much about them. So...I thought for quite a while about a story that brings them out of the book and how that might happen. But Inkheart came to life in many ways - there was a scene I had thought about for The Thief Lord which turned out to be part of this story and there was always Dustfinger...though I had to see fire eaters on a medieval market in Europe to understand who he is. :)

How long did it take you to write Inkheart? Which book in the series took the longest to write?

They all took about two years - which is my normal time to finish a book. Inkspell was easiest, as far as I remember. The first book is always more difficult than the sequels in my experience, as one has to open the door to a new world.

What was your inspiration for the characters Meggie and Dustfinger?

Many girls, who read my book The Thief Lord complained - rightfully so - that there was no one girl in it, but many boys, so I promised them that the next book would have a female heroine...which was Meggie. She is a bit like I was as a girl, a bit like my daughter (though that is only true for Inkspell) ...and then like all characters she just brought herself. :)

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?

There was first of all Michael Ende, the German fantasy author and Astrid Lindgren, the famous Swedish writer, who enchanted every child of my generation. Then there was Narnia and Tom Sawyer. I always loved adventure, fantasy , and science fiction books

If you could live anyplace real or fictional, where would it be? Why?

I love to live where I live - in Los Angeles, which is both big city and wilderness, endlessly inspiring, challenging, showing everything that's wonderful and terrible about our world and time. As it is so different from Europe, where I grew up, it still feels to me like a new world...and of course compared to Europe it is.

If I had to choose a fictional place I would just ask for a Tardis. :)

If you could befriend a character from one of your books, who would you befriend? Why?

The dragon in Dragon Rider of course. To ride it. :) If you want a human choice - Jacob and Fox from my MirrorWorld series. They are both my alter ego - the female and the male side. :)

The Inkworld trilogy has characters coming out of books and people going into stories as well. Is there any character you would like to have read out of a book or is there a book you would like to be read into? Why? 

My favourite book of all times is The Once and Future King by T.H.White, but I am not sure I'd enjoy to live in King Arthur's world for too long as a woman. I guess at the moment I would just like to be Fox behind the Mirror- with visits to this world whenever I want.

Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it? 

I am working on two projects at the moment. I am preparing for the third draft of Heartless, the 3rd book in my MirrorWorld series which took me all the way to Russia, and I am developing a living storybook for the IPad based on my book Dragon Rider with Mirada.

Connect with this author! 

(Her website is amazing! You should definitely stop by to check it out :)

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