Author Interviews

Trudi Trueit—Interview and Giveaway

By on September 12, 2012   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

Joining us on The Mixed-up Files today is author Trudi Trueit who has been on the road all week visiting blogs in support of her new tween novel Stealing Popular. Trudi is the author of more than 80 books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including the Julep O’Toole books and the Secrets of a Lab Rat series. To be in the running to win a signed advanced reader’s copy of Stealing Popular, leave a comment below. The winner will be announced tomorrow. Before we begin, though, a bit about the book from Indiebound:

At Briar Green Middle School, you are either a Somebody, a Sorta-body, or a Nobody. Twelve-year-old Coco Sherwood falls directly in the Nobody category—the kids who are considered the misfits and outcasts of the school. It’s not fair. It’s not right. And it’s time to even the score.

With clever planning and sneaky tactics, Coco becomes the Robin Hood of Briar Green. Girls who never thought they had a chance to be noticed are now making cheer squad and turning into beauty queens. But when Coco takes on the ultimate challenge—taking down Popular Girl#1 Dijon Randle—her dream of equality on the middle-school social ladder may turn into a nightmare. Can Coco and the rest of the Nobodies triumph in a world where popularity is power? Or will the Somebodies win—again?

Welcome to the Mixed-up Files, Trudi, and congratulations on the release of your new book.

Thanks, Laurie! It’s a treat to be here. I’m a big fan of the blog.

Thanks! I wish I’d had a friend like Coco Sherwood when I was in middle school. Actually—correction—I wish I’d been more like Coco when I was in middle school. Can you tell us what inspired her story?

Me, too! I was inspired to write this story by my own experience in middle school. When I was young, I was bit on the shy side. I often conformed to the social rules set by others, even when I disagreed with them. It’s something I’ve regretted – giving other people so much control over my path, and that’s what it was. It was me giving my power away. I wanted to write a character with the courage to say many of the things I wished I had said back then. I tend to do that in my writing; deal with issues I didn’t handle well in my own life or try to right the wrongs of the world.

5th Grade Trudi!

One of my favorite lines comes from Chapter 2. Coco reflects, “We were three Nobodies treading water in the vast, stormy ocean of middle school. The best we could do was hold onto one another, kick like mad, and pray for a miracle.”  What was your experience of middle school like? Do you think the social hierarchy has changed much?

That line reflects how I felt in middle school – swept along with the tide. I was the A-student (with glasses and uncooperative hair) that always had her head in a book. Although I wasn’t quite as much of a misfit as Renata is in Stealing Popular, I certainly felt the sting of the occasional insult. Kids have a tendency to take digs at each other and not think anything of it, but I can tell you that when someone makes a cutting remark to you, it hurts. You remember it for a long time. If the insults continue, they can start to chip away at your confidence and self-esteem. It was my friends who helped me navigate some of those stormy seas, just as Coco’s first real friends help her discover how friendships can be the life saver you hold onto when the waves come.

From what I observe, it doesn’t seem like the social hierarchy has changed much. I think that there will always be Somebodies, Sorta-bodies, and Nobodies. But I do see more kids willing to cross boundaries and reach out to kids outside their circle, and that’s a positive step. I also think young people are becoming more aware that there are different degrees of bullying. Bullying doesn’t have to be extreme. What might seem to be “just teasing” can cause more pain than you realize.

Trudi today

Coco’s not a whiner. Once she recognizes the unfairness of the social order she’s determined to change it. In fact, she’s so focused on helping her friends she doesn’t even notice that she’s fixing her own problems as well. What a cool role model for girls! Were you thinking along those lines as you wrote the story – or was all of that Coco’s doing?

It was always in the big picture to have Coco work through some of her own issues even as she help other kids, but of course, once you start writing a strong character, she wants to hop in the driver’s seat and take off! Just like all of us, Coco wants to be accepted and loved for who she is and I had planned for her to come that realization as she develops the first real friendships of her life. What I was less sure about was how she would handle her mom’s abandonment. Once Coco came through the fog of denial, I gave her the freedom to respond in her own way. And she stunned me with her candor. I thought she would defend her mother to the bitter end, but she didn’t. That’s always my favorite part of writing – those little unexpected surprises that come straight from the heart of a character.

As funny as the story is — a detention monitor who forces kids to knit booties for her bulldogs! — Stealing Popular takes on some serious issues, including a scene where we see how adults help perpetuate the social order. My 8th grade daughter hadn’t given much thought to popularity or most-favored status until she tried out for her first sports team this year, and it’s been eye opening. What do you think teachers and coaches can do to help both the Coco’s (the Nobodies) and the Dijon’s (the Somebodies) of the world?

When I was in middle school, I had a soccer coach that had certain favorite players. There was a clear division on the team. Even though we were talented and won nearly all of our games, nobody was very happy, even the favored kids. I got so frustrated I nearly quit a sport I loved. A year later, another parent took over the team. Her style was completely the opposite of the old coach. She made each of us feel as if we were an integral part of the team. No one player was more or less valuable than another. We began to look at each other differently. With the wall torn down, we started, for the first time ever, to play cohesively. We had fun. Most important, we became friends.

I think it’s key for adults to recognize that a student’s personal growth is more important than winning a soccer game or looking like a model in a cheerleading uniform. Every child deserves encouragement, respect, and kindness, regardless of their ability, appearance, or social standing. Teachers and coaches who are inclusive, those who draw out the shy kid in the back of the room or let an uncoordinated girl play basketball, can change lives.

Coco’s heart is in the right place, but her means can be questionable…or downright stinky as a half-composted sweat sock. (Sorry guys, you’ll just have to read the story to get the joke.) Stealing Popular would make a great conversation starter about whether the ends justify the means. Have you been able to have that discussion with any of your readers yet?

I’ve had a few readers already share their thoughts, especially because Coco does get a bit carried away with her mission. And that’s an important element to discuss. Coco thinks that as long as her mission is a noble one, it’s okay to cross certain lines. It isn’t, of course, and she discovers the dangers of getting so focused on a goal you don’t realize the high price you are paying to achieve it.

I think a lot of girls are going to fall in love with Coco. Have we heard the last from her or will there be more stories from Briar Green Middle School – a.k.a. Big Mess?

I would LOVE to write more stories about Coco and her friends. It would be fun to write from the point of view of Fawn (the fashion designer), Adair (the dancer), Liezel (the rock musician) or maybe even the popular girls, Dijon or Venice! If readers want more and ask for more, I would definitely be up for it.

Sounds great, Trudi. Thanks again for stopping by.

Thanks, Laurie! It was my pleasure.

*  *  *

For more about Trudi Trueit, visit her at www.truditrueit.com. Trudi is available for Skype visits through OnlineAuthorVisits.com and is a regular contributor to Smack Dab in the Middle, another group-authored middle-grade blog that Mixed-up Files fans should check out.

Laurie Schneider is a reader, writer, library go-fer, and scone connoisseur in North Idaho.

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The Cavendish Home For Boys And Girls

By on September 10, 2012   /   Author Interviews, Book Lists, Giveaways  

From IndieBound: 

At the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, you will definitely learn your lesson.

Victoria hates nonsense. There is no need for it when your life is perfect. The only smudge on her pristine life is her best friend Lawrence. He is a disaster—lazy and dreamy, shirt always untucked, obsessed with his silly piano. Victoria often wonders why she ever bothered being his friend. (Lawrence does too.)

But then Lawrence goes missing. And he’s not the only one. Victoria soon discovers that The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is not what it appears to be. Kids go in but come out…different. Or they don’t’ come out at all.

If anyone can sort this out, it’s Victoria—even if it means getting a little messy.

This is the book I recently had the pleasure of reading devoured.  In fact, I devoured every eggy bite then talked incessantly about it to my middle-grade daughter, who then promptly gulped down its contents.  Lucky for you, today you’ll get to hear from the author, Claire Legrand, and maybe even win a copy of this creeptastic book!  We’re honored to be part of her blog tour for Cavendish and hope you enjoy her visit!

Claire Legrand is a Texan living in New York City. She used to be a musician until she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now a full-time writer, Claire can often be found typing with purpose on her keyboard or spontaneously embarking upon adventures to lands unknown. The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is her first novel, due out August 28 from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. Her second novel, The Year of Shadows, a ghost story for middle grade readers, comes out August 2013. Her third novel, Winterspell, a young adult re-telling of The Nutcracker, comes out Fall 2014.
Make sure to check out the rest of the Cavendish Blog Tour here!
And go say hi to Claire at her
blog | twitter | facebook | tumblr | goodreads

For the writers:

Me:  What was your greatest inspiration while writing this novel? Maybe it was a dirty basement? Perhaps a creepy lady in your neighborhood?

Claire:  A couple of different things inspired Cavendish. One was this orphanage I lived down the street from in college. It always seemed a bit questionable to me—police caution tape on the doors, a serious lack of inactivity on the grounds, eerily quiet. Oh, and then there was that orphanage van that followed my friend and I all around town until we lost them in a Walmart parking lot. I knew then and there I just had to write a creepy orphanage story!

My dad’s town was also a huge inspiration. I love it there, but in a certain light, if you will, it has a certain Stepford-esque quality. People are very concerned with the superficial, maintaining a certain image, a certain ideal of perfection. I thought, “Let’s put this creepy orphanage and this Stepford-esque town in the same story.” And bam! Cavendish was born.

Oh, and one more piece of inspiration: When I was in elementary school, I took dance for a couple of years. This is particularly mystifying to me as nowadays the closest I come to dance class is blasting The Nutcracker on my stereo and doing really awful “pirouettes” around my apartment. Anyway, my dance teacher was this very kind, very patient woman named Miss Karen. Unfortunately, I once had this very vivid nightmare of Miss Karen chasing me through a house with a kitchen knife, and the image of her smiling, murderous face stuck. So, I based Mrs. Cavendish’s looks on her: dark hair, bright blue eyes, bright red lips. Elegance masking pure evil. (Sorry, Miss Karen! I can’t control my brain when I sleep.)

Me:  That’s much worse than the creepy basement I envision while writing!  *Shivers*  Who was your favorite character to create in Cavendish? Your favorite to torture? (Personally, I liked seeing Victoria get a little messy.)

Claire:  Well, I of course loved creating Victoria because, frankly, she was so easy for me to create. She just popped right into my head one day, fully-formed, demanding for her story to be told. And since I was a prickly perfectionist myself at the age of 12, I had a great time writing her. I understood her, probably more than I will understand any other character I write.

But the most fun to write was probably Mrs. Cavendish herself. I absolutely love writing villains, and Mrs. Cavendish is the kind of pure, inexorable evil you just can’t reason with. That was pretty terrifying to experience for both me and Victoria—probably more terrifying for her, as she actually had to battle Mrs. Cavendish, and I just had to sit safely at my computer.

And I agree with you: I also liked seeing Victoria get a little messy. She was my favorite character to torture because she had the farthest to fall. Her life was perfect at the beginning of the story—she was confident, successful, pretty, wealthy, with beautiful, successful parents and a beautiful house and fantastic grades. So orchestrating her fall brought me a sadistic literary delight.

Me:  Writing villains is a thrill like no other! *rubs hands together*  *laughs maniacally*   In Cavendish, Victoria is a bit of a perfectionist. What part do you think that plays in the story and why?

Claire:  A bit of a perfectionist? 😉 I’d say she’s a perfectionista! Victoria’s perfectionism—including her need to control not only her life, but also everyone else’s—is mirrored in Mrs. Cavendish’s own desire to control the town of Belleville. When Victoria realizes this, it spooks her. She realizes how close she has come to using her intelligence and ambition for evil, as Mrs. Cavendish does, and that gives her a tremendous determination—the same determination that drives her academically, the same determination that prompted her to search for Lawrence in the first place—to not be like Mrs. Cavendish.

Me:  Perfectionista it is then! (I don’t know anyone remotely similar to Victoria in my family….nope, not at all!)  So…Lawrence, Victoria’s pet project and friend, has a skunk stripe in his hair. What did you feel was the significance in that character trait as you wrote the story?

Claire:  Lawrence’s skunkish hair was actually inspired by a dear friend of mine, who started getting these beautiful silver hairs in her thick, black hair when we were in elementary school. I don’t recall people ever making fun of her for it, but it felt appropriate for Lawrence to be ridiculed for his own gray hairs. After all, in Belleville, where physical abnormalities are frowned upon. The fact that Lawrence has that weird silver streak in his hair merely serves as one more element that marks him as abnormal—along with his messy clothes and obsession with his piano over all else.

Me:  I loved that about him!  Many writers have a favorite snack.  Do you prefer to eat chocolate covered beetles or frosted roaches while writing? I’d go with the chocolate – it makes everything taste better!

Claire:  Oh, I’m with you there! Chocolate all the way. Chocolate-covered beetles, chocolate frogs, chocolate pretzels . . . mmm . . . if I don’t stop on the way home to get some chocolate chip cookies, it’ll be a miracle!

Me:  Is Cavendish your first book? Briefly tell about your path to publication (how many query letters, rejections, how you found your agent, etc.)

Claire:  Yes, Cavendish is my first book, and the second book I’ve written overall. I originally started querying agents for the first book I wrote, which was a YA fantasy. I queried for maybe a year or a year and a half or so, and I received many rejections, all of which I keep in a tin for safekeeping. (At one point I considered making some sort of artsy mural out of them, but I never made the time. Probably a good thing!) I also received some requests, one of which was from my current agent, Diana Fox. She loved that story but was absolutely correct when she said that it wasn’t the right time for that mammoth project. I wasn’t ready yet. But she urged me to contact her when I had something else. So, I wrote Cavendish, sent it to her, and received an offer of representation shortly afterward. Diana doesn’t usually represent middle grade, but she loved Cavendish—and I’m so glad she did!

Me:  I’m glad she did, too!  Cavendish is easily one of my favorite reads of 2012! 

For the parents:

Me:  In Cavendish, most of the parents don’t seem to care , or even notice their missing children. Do you think real parents (or even children) can relate to that?

Claire:  Without giving anything away, there is a very good (and sinister) reason why the parents of Belleville start forgetting about their children and seem not to care about their disappearances. But, yes, I do think a lot of parents (and children!) can relate to that feeling of being forgotten, discarded, or not living up to someone’s expectations. Children get frustrated with their parents, not able to see how something a parent does is for the best in the long run, and assuming that means the parent doesn’t care about her own wishes. And parents, I’m sure, can feel like their children don’t care about them, especially as middle grade kids grow into teenagers. I also think parents can understand the frustration of hoping your child will do or become one thing, when they instead do or become another thing. Even if that frustration is temporary—and even though I’m sure real parents don’t actually want to send their kid to a Cavendish Home to get some sense knocked into them—I think it’s a sentiment many parents can understand. Unfortunately for the children of Belleville, the presence of Mrs. Cavendish takes these normal, temporary frustrations and turns them into something much more malevolent.

For the teachers/librarians:

Me:  What do you think makes Cavendish a unique reading experience?

Claire:  Cavendish has a lot of heart, a lot of humor, and a lot of adventure—but it’s also very scary, and I didn’t pull punches when writing it. In other words, the stakes are high for these characters, and not everything turns out okay for the good guys in the end. There is no magic wand that fixes Mrs. Cavendish’s—and Belleville’s—past wrongs. I think kids appreciate that kind of realism and bittersweet victory. They’re smart enough to realize that not everything works out like you’d hope it would in real life, and I think they like seeing that in books. It’s a reminder that, yes, bad things do happen, even when the heroes do emerge victorious in the end, but you can work through those bad things and still have a good life afterward.

Me:  I would definitely agree with that!  What books would you compare it to? (I couldn’t help but conjure up the same creepy feelings that I got from Coraline and Monster House!)

Claire:  Thank you for those wonderful, humbling comparisons! I would compare it to Coraline, for sure, and also to Matilda and Roald Dahl’s works in general. People have also told me it reminds them of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. These are all creepy, quirky, dark tales of grown-ups being bad and kids banding together to save the day—and that’s what Cavendish is too!

For the readers (the kids/prospective Cavendish residents):

Me:  If Victoria had to choose between eating the Cavendish mush for the remainder of her life or being messy, uncivilized and unorganized for one month, which would she choose?

Claire:  Ha! Great question. I think that, at the beginning of the story, Victoria would definitely choose eating some stupid mush for the rest of her life. Anything would be better than having to tolerate mess, chaos, and disorganization for a week, much less a month!

But, at the end of Cavendish, I think Victoria would absolutely choose the month of messiness. I’d say she’s learned to tolerate messiness a little better at that point, after everything she and the other kids have been through. Plus, anything messy and unorganized has the added bonus of reminding her of Lawrence. If she just focuses on thinking about Lawrence, she’ll be all right.

Me:  I think I loved that the most about Victoria – while she does change and grow during the story, its not some false, impossible transformation, but a more realistic change, one that stays true to her, yet allows her the needed growth, for both the character and the reader.  At one point in the story Lawrence has to play a piano made of bugs. He seems only slightly unnerved by it. What would really make him upset? Snakes? Spiders? Cold spaghetti?

Claire:  Oh, I think Lawrence was very upset about the bug piano. But Mrs. Cavendish had her hooks in him so deeply at that point that he was too traumatized to show much emotion, almost like he was in shock. I think the thing that scared him most of all was watching Mrs. Cavendish get the better of Victoria. Also, I think he’d be scared of something weird and surprising. Like cabbage. Or maybe butterflies.

Me:  Butterflies! Haha!

Well, there you have it!  Cavendish is a wonderfully, creeptastic story that you won’t want to miss! To win a hardcover copy of The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, fill out the form below! Contest is U.S./Canada only. Contest ends September 25th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amie Borst and her 12 year old co-author write fairy tales with a twist.  Their first book in the Scary Tales series, Cinderskella, is due out Fall 2013 by Jolly Fish Press.  You can visit her day or night at http://amie-borst.com

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Interview with Adam-Troy Castro, Author of Gustav Gloom and the People Taker

By on July 25, 2012   /   Author Interviews  

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From Indiebound: Fernie What finds herself lost in the Gloom mansion after her cat appears to have been chased there by its own shadow. Fernie discovers a library full of every book that was never written, a gallery of statues that are just plain awkward, and finds herself at dinner watching her own shadow take part in the feast!

Along the way Fernie is chased by the People Taker who is determined to take her to the Shadow Country. It’s up to Fernie and Gustav to stop the People Taker before he takes Fernie’s family.

Darkly funny and at times outright creepy, Gustav Gloom is already on my list of all-time favorite children’s horror novels (right up there with Neil Gaiman’s Coraline). Luckily, Adam-Troy Castro‘s new series will span six books, each digging a little deeper into the mysterious Gloom mansion and the Shadow Country. That means more gorgeous illustrations by Kristen Margiotta to look forward to as well – this is one of those covers you have to see in person to really appreciate how weirdly beautiful it is.

Adam was nice enough to talk to share a few thoughts on writing middle-grade horror, favorite books, and shadow food here at From the Mixed-Up Files.

While you’re an accomplished sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writer, this is your first middle-grade series. What’s your favorite thing about writing MG, and what do you feel is the biggest challenge?

My favorite element is that whimsy is a plus, not a minus. The biggest challenge — since this is a horrifically-tinged series — is edging right up to the limit of what’s appropriate, and not going over. Generally, I accomplish this by going exactly as far as I have to, and then retreating if I must.

What were your favorite books as a kid? Which authors inspired your own writing?

I was earliest to the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert Sheckley, Richard Matheson, and Harlan Ellison. They were the folks I always shot for, from the beginning.

At age 18, penning horror stories, I was told by one dismissive person that, “This is almost as bad as Stephen King,” and thus learned about him for the very, VERY first time; the criticism was made to break me, but sent me to the library, and I emerged pleased.

Gustav and Fernie become friends despite their very different personalities. What were you like as a middle schooler – outgoing and pajama-loving, or more the quiet outcast with no shadow?

The outcast, definitely — the kind of outcast who attempts to be the class clown and only succeeds about a quarter of the time. When I was funny, I was drop-dead funny. When I was not…oy vey.

The Gloom mansion is filled with strange rooms – a library with all the books that have never been written, a gallery with extremely awkward statues, a room filled with seemingly normal chairs that are not-so-normal…are there any rooms in the mansion you wish were in your own house?

The library, of course – provided I had the capacity to read it. I also wouldn’t mind wandering around the Gallery of Awkward Statues, a little bit. There’s a room coming up in Book 2, important to Gustav’s past, that is downright delightful…and another in Book 4 with an artifact that turns out to be gamechanger, and boy do I want one of those.

What’s your shadow’s favorite food? (And what’s yours?)

My shadow just loves quiche. I’m a hamburger guy.

Michelle Schusterman is the author of the I HEART BAND series (Penguin, 2014). She’s currently living in Queens, and she blogs, tweets, and Tumblrs.

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