Author Interviews

Indie Spotlight: Monkey See, Monkey Do

By on October 26, 2012   /   Author Interviews, Indie Spotlight  
Anyone who thinks children’s bookstores are becoming a thing of the past probably needs to get out in the country more!  True, some wonderful old favorites are no longer with us, but others are doing just fine and wonderful new ones keep springing up, even in these recent hard times.  Today we’re talking to owner Kim Krug of Monkey See, Monkey Do in Clarence,  New York, whose small-town shop is just over three years old  and  has already become an asset  to the community and  earned the 2012 Pannel Prize for Children’s Specialty Bookstore from The Women’s National Book Association.
Sue Cowing for Mixed-Up Files: It’s always a pleasure to discover a new—and thriving—children’s bookstore. What led you to start one up in Clarence, New York?
Kim: Our three children inspired me to open a children’s business.  I had the wonderful opportunity to stay at home with them for the first five years and then wanted to share with them a passion I had to give back to our community, teach them the importance of following a dream and work to inspire other families with a love of reading and lifetime learning.
MUF:Describe the atmosphere in Monkey See, Monkey Do.
Kim: It’s a very warm, charming and creative space.  Both children and adults alike love to look at the books and enjoy the building.  Our bookstore is housed in a historic 1840’s building with timber beams in the young adult/adult book room.  There are six cozy rooms in which books are shelved, tables are set up and classes are held.  People are very curious about the history of the building, it is said to have ties to the Underground Railroad.
MUF: How do you select the books to carry at Monkey See, Monkey Do? What are some favorite titles, fiction or nonfiction, that you recommend to middle-graders?
Kim: I spend a lot of time reviewing advanced titles provided by independent authors and publishers.  I follow our regional book groups and the American Booksellers Association for reviews.  I love finding unique, indie titles that I can bring into the store and tie a program around.  One of my favorite titles is Wonder by RJ Palacio, I absolutely love this book and highly recommend children in grades 5 and up along with parents/adults to read it!  It’s an inspiring story about a 5th grade boy who has a facial deformity  and is homeschooled up until the 5th grade.  The story switches narrative throughout the book as we journey along with Auggie, the main character through his first year of transition in public school.  Some newly released picture books that I am a huge fan of are:  Big by Coleen Paratore, Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein, What Does it Mean to be Present by Rana DiOrio  and Say Helloby Jack & Michael Foreman. Our Gorilla Girls Book Club (Gr. 5 and up) has been reading Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, and the Bright Monkeys Literacy Club (Grades 3-6) is reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  

Gorilla Girls Book Club

MUF: The Pannel Prize folks cited your “innovative approaches to getting kids engaged with reading.” That seems like an understatement. Monkey See, Monkey Do has a strong commitment to promoting literacy and acts on it by holding a number of literacy classes and activities, even individual tutoring sessions. Tell us about some of those efforts and the community response.
Kim:We truly believe we “bring our books to life” through the variety of creative, literacy-based classes we offer each month.  This past summer we held over 40+ to inspire children to creatively engage in literature.  This Fall we began a new venture in partnering with schools in our After-School Literacy Clubs in which we offer a 6-week literacy club led by a

Reading to each other on National Star Wars Reads Day

NYS certified teacher where children practice reading aloud, work on cadence, pace, vocabulary-building and comprehension.  Children discuss the reading each week, practice journal writing and reflective questions.  In this current session we are running in the schools, the last class will end with a very special author Skype in which children can engage directly with the author to learn about what inspired them to write their book and question the author directly.

MUF:Your book camps sound fun and popular, and you hold them not only in the summer but also during school breaks throughout the year. What have been a couple of your most memorable ones?
Kim: That is a tough question, I have so many fantastic memories from many of our camps but here’s a few that really stick out:
  • Art Safari – children spend a full week reading about a new artist each day and then working on an art project inspired by that particular artisan’s work.

    Art Safari

  • Cupcake Diaries – a full week camp in which children formed reading circles each day to complete reading, creating cupcake journals and writing entries that tied in with their reading and discussions and ended each day with a cupcake decorations lesson by a pastry artist.  The children learned a new cupcake recipe each day, worked on frosting/decorating skills and then enjoyed their work!
  • Let’s Go To Spain – a full day camp reading about Spanish culture, learning new vocabulary, enjoying Spanish treat and engaging in a role-playing skit.
MUF: All this community involvement and teaching and operating a bookstore, too! You must have some good help and/or very little sleep!
Kim: Yes, that is true!  We have an absolutely amazing staff of devoted teachers, employees, artisans and interns from local colleges that offer their time, talent and energy!  And yes….little sleep these days in juggling our family and the business.
MUF: Many towns have no bookstore at all, much less a children’s bookstore. If an out-of-town family decided to make an excursion to Monkey See, Monkey Do, would there be any places for them to have a snack or a bite to eat after browsing?
Kim: Yes, right in the back of our bookstore is a charming restaurant called The Carriage House.  It’s steps away from our bookstore and offers a wonderful lunch menu.
MUF: Are any special events planned at Monkey See, Monkey Do (or in Clarence) for Halloween or November?
Kim: Yes!  Next week we are hosting our 4th Annual Storybook Halloween Party in which we encourage families and children to dress up as their favorite storybook character and come to our free event that features free crafts, sweet treats and two local authors that will be reading their book and signing copies!
In November,  we will be hosting our 4th annual Black Friday camps (Friday, November 23rd) for children to enjoy and parents to have a place to drop off their children for creative programing while they shop.  On Saturday, November 24th we will have our SHOP LOCAL Holiday Event where we invite several authors, artisans and small business owners to come into our bookstore and sell their wares and promote a local shopping spirit.
MUF: Thanks, Kim, for talking with us and for creating not just a children’s book store but a center for learning to love to read  Here’s wishing you success and many anniversaries and honors in the future!
Readers, if you would like to know more about this place, go to http://www.monkeysread.com.  If reading about Monkey See, Monkey Do makes you want to visit the shop, and/or if you think Kim’s approach to running a bookstore is intriguing, please leave her a comment here.
Sue Cowing is the author of the middle-grade puppet-and-boy novel, You Will Call Me Drog, (Carolrhoda, 2011; Usborne UK, 2012)
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How to write (or be) funny

By on September 28, 2012   /   Author Interviews  

When I think funny, and in particular, funny middle grade novels, the first character I think of is

Charlie Joe Jackson.

Charlie Joe belongs to Tommy Greenwald, who is also pretty funny. When his first book, Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading was released, I interviewed him HERE. (For a while, after I posted that interview, people thought I was funny, too!)

Well…..now Charlie Joe is BACK with Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit. And I am still laughing. But now I want to know more.

Because, like a lot of writers, I would really like to know how to write funny, So, instead of an interview, I thought I would ask Tommy to share some of his secrets.

Because he is very funny.

And generous.

Or maybe he wants a favor from me.

Because he did it!

Are you ready to learn? Because here he is:

 

Write my blog post, Tommy!!!!!

(no problem, Sarah!)

People always ask me how am I able to write such funny books.

 

Then they realize I’m not who they thought I was, and they give me a slightly embarrassed look and walk away.

 

I think that may be what happened with Sarah, the nice woman who asked me to write this blog. (note from Sarah: flattery may not be funny, but it gets you everywhere!!) But the difference is, she asked me over email, so she can’t tell that I’m not the person she thought I was. And if she’s walking away embarrassed, I can’t see her.

 

So I’m writing the blog anyway. Just try to stop me.

How do you write funny? Wow, that’s a really good question. It’s kind of like asking, How do you BE funny? There’s no real answer. There are just a few tidbits, hints, suggestions, guidelines, bits of nonsense and wild guesses that I can share. It might help you. But it probably won’t.

 

  1. Don’t overdo it. I learned this the hard way, when I was starting out with my writing, and trying to make every situation hilarious and ridiculous and side-splitting. That just ended up making my writing completely overwrought. Keep the humor subtle, sly and surprising. Let it sneak up on you while you’re writing, and it will sneak up on the reader too. (In a good way, not in an “intruder in your house” kind of way.)
  2. Don’t underdo it. Don’t be so subtle, sly and surprising that no one gets what you’re trying to do. There’s nothing wrong with a good, solid gastro-intestinal joke every forty-seven pages.
  3. Let the characters be funny. I’m not sure this one makes sense, but I’ll say it anyway. Your job isn’t to be funny. It’s to make sure the characters are funny. The sense of humor has to be theirs, not yours. Don’t show the world how funny you can be. Show the world how funny your characters can be.
  4. Let the comedy breathe. Meaning, when something funny just happened in your writing, let the reader enjoy it for a little while. Don’t be in a rush to be funny again immediately. Take your time, get into a nice rhythm, relish in the chuckle you’re getting, then go in for the kill again a page or two later.
  5. POV. Make sure your characters have a distinct personality and point-of-view right away, complete with quirks. If the reader knows that the main character is a sarcastic, somewhat obnoxious book-hater right off the bat, then the reader knows some hopefully-entertaining commentary and situations will result.
  6. First Person rocks. I’m a huge fan of writing in a character’s voice. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but I’ve found it’s a lot easier to make a character funny when he’s able to offer snarky asides and then get completely humiliated directly to, and in front of, the reader.
  7. Do what comes naturally. Every writer has their wheelhouse. For me, it’s writing humor. The idea that I could write a complicated dystopian romance is comical in its own right. Not a snowball’s chance in Phoenix. But I can write funny, so I go with it. Write to your strength. It’s impossible to force the funny.
  8. Eat a ton of chocolate and play with your dogs a lot. That’s what I do, anyway. (note from Sarah: FINALLY! something I can do!!!)

 

So, there you have it. My non-rules for writing humor. Follow them at your own risk. Except for the gastro-intestinal joke thing. That’s a must.

 

Thank you, Tommy!

You’re welcome, Sarah!

READERS: if you want a good laugh,

and we KNOW you do…..

check out Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit. If you would like people to look at you funny, read Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit IN PUBLIC! It’s a fun book.

(Just don’t drink anything while you’re reading. If you know what I mean!)

And don’t forget….if you have a question for Tommy….or you want to try making him (or me) laugh, post a comment!!! 

Sarah Aronson is the author of books with mostly subtle humor. (Another way of saying: not really all that funny. But still good. Just not all that funny.)

 

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The Marble Queen – Interview with Stephanie J. Blake

By on September 24, 2012   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

For the past seven years, I’ve been celebrating the highs and lows of writing with my friend, Stephanie J. Blake. I’ll never forget the day she took us all by surprise and announced her book deal, not too long after she had announced that she was taking a break from writing to try out some other ventures. Most of us travel a bumpy road to publication and we learn to accept that the bumps are just part of the process. But Stephanie’s writing travels have been filled with twists and turns, and even an occasional cliffhanger.

At last, I am excited that we are now here to talk about Steph’s arrival at her first destination, a debut novel titled The Marble Queen, published by Amazon Children’s Publishing. The following description comes from Amazon.

Freedom Jane McKenzie isn’t good at following the rules. She doesn’t like any of the things that girls are supposed to like. She’s good at fishing, getting into trouble—and playing marbles. All she wants is to enter the marble competition at the Autumn Jubilee and show the boys in the neighborhood that she’s the best player. If she can’t be the Marble King, then she’ll be the Marble Queen. First, Freedom has to convince her mother to let her enter. But there’s a new baby on the way, Freedom’s daddy is drinking too much, her little brother is a handful, and her mother is even more difficult than usual. Freedom learns that when it comes to love, friendship, and family, sometimes there are no rules. Set in 1959, The Marble Queen is a timeless story about growing up.

Welcome to The Mixed-Up Files, Steph! Before we talk about your journey to publication, I’d like to know a little more about The Marble Queen which takes place in 1959. What kind of research did you do to learn about what life would be like for a young girl during that time?

Since 1922, hundreds of kids have competed (and still do) in the National Marbles Tournament, now held in Wildwood, New Jersey. Mibsters can win prizes and college scholarships. How cool is that?  I was inspired to write The Marble Queen after reading an article about a group of old men who were crowned Marble Kings as children. These men felt that playing marbles had changed their lives for the better. In 1948, sponsors started crowning a boy and a girl. A book idea was born. One problem, I knew virtually nothing about marble shooting. I took some liberties with the time frame in the book because I wanted to explore the gender roles of girls and women during the late fifties. I had a lot of fun teaching myself how to shoot and play Ringer, the marble game featured in the book. I’ve been collecting marbles from antique stores. I also learned a lot about the fifties. I ate SPAM. I watched tons of old commercials and television shows. I listened to Elvis.

Was the character of Freedom based on anyone you know?

The main character, Freedom, is the daughter I’ll never have, and she is a bit like me when I was a kid—independent, stubborn, strong-willed. The incident in church with the thimble is familiar. My mother used to thump us when we acted up. Also, I actually fed my little brother a worm once. We were going to name our last child Freedom Jane, but he happened to be a boy.

How did you know you were meant to be a writer?

In 6th grade, I decided I was going to become a writer. I kept a journal and read everything I could get my hands on. In high school, I had reported news and sports for my hometown newspaper. My first college major was journalism. I fancied myself the next Dianne Sawyer. I got a B.A. in English. My first creative publication credit was a poem in the college literary magazine. My father couldn’t understand why I didn’t get a teaching certificate. I told him I was going to be a writer! And I was/am. I wrote employee handbooks and policies & procedures for several years in the telecom field. I also worked on short stories and poetry. A few years into staying home with my boys, I started a cheesy romance novel, but quickly abandoned it for picture books. In 2006, I got serious about publication. Wrote a novel for middle grade boys. Came close, had an agent, but no offers.

Was there ever a moment when you thought you’d made a mistake about choosing to write?

I had just finished a new manuscript (ironically it was The Marble Queen), when I was abruptly dumped by my first agent. I worked with two other agents on another manuscript over two years, but nothing happened.

Agent after agent rejected The Marble Queen—17 in all. “Too quiet.” 13 publishers rejected it. I figured it was never going to happen for me. I gave up, went back to school, and earned a phlebotomy certificate. I was working at a hospital, drawing blood, when I got an offer on The Marble Queen.  The manuscript had been in a slush pile for a year! I quit that job two weeks later and haven’t looked back.

What has been one of the highest moments in your writing career?

The absolute best day was “The Call!” Of course, there have been some fairly awesome days since…depositing the advance check, squealing over cover art, seeing the printed ARC, seeing the pre-order go up on Amazon, and I’m starting to plan the launch party.

What has been one of the lowest moments?

Oh, the agony of trying to get published; don’t we all know it well? Honestly, some of my biggest challenges to date happened during revisions. I cried, I ranted, I worried, but it’s made the book stronger.

You strike me as a really strong-willed and tough person, a lot like your character Freedom. During the moments when the business side of writing becomes a drag, how do you stay motivated?

Well, thank you. I am unagented right now, so I’m going at this next part of the journey alone. I have not been assigned a publicist or given a big marketing plan, but I was given 25 ARC’s, and I am trying to place each one where it will get the most bang for its buck. I have created a school visit packet, a book club packet, bookmarks, bookplates, a website, etc. I have reached out to my local bookstores, libraries, and local media outlets.

I don’t write every day, but I do try to “work” an hour or so a day, whether it’s catching up on Facebook or Twitter, reading, research, etc. I need to get better at turning off the noise of the internet. I work better on deadline right now.

Your book was originally sold in June 2010 to Robin Benjamin at Marshall Cavendish. Then, in December, Marshall Cavendish was bought out by Amazon Publishing. Can you tell us what that process was like and what it means to you and The Marble Queen?

I found out along with the rest of the world that my original publisher had sold its children’s titles to Amazon. My heart fell out of my butt, if you want the truth. I was afraid that my little book would be swallowed whole by a big corporation. Turns out, the only thing that has really changed is the name of the publishing company. I don’t know what any of it means, except that the book will also be available for the Kindle, as well as hardcover and audio. I hope the book will be reviewed and makes its way into bookstores, but I don’t know, yet.

Do you have plans for your next book?

My editor is reading my option book, a contemporary middle grade with touches of magical realism. I’m keeping that one a secret for now. The main character’s name is Liberty. I am also working on a companion novel to The Marble Queen, which will be little sister Barbara’s story, set in 1971.

When can we get our hands on The Marble Queen?

Amazon is releasing all three versions on December 18, 2012: Hardcover, audio, and Kindle. They are available for pre-order. www.themarblequeen.com

To celebrate my birthday, Sept 24th, I would like to give away one Marble Queen ARC to a random commenter below.

That’s awesome! It’s your birthday and you’re offering our readers a chance at a free gift. Thanks, Steph. And thanks for dropping by for an interview. I hope you have a fantastic birthday!

So, readers, like Stephanie said, leave a comment below and I will draw a random name for an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of The Marble Queen. The winner will be announced on Sunday, September 30.

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