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Cover Reveal for WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, FINA MENDOZA, by Kitty Felde

By on February 9, 2019   /   Articles  

Today we’re thrilled to host Kitty Felde’s cover reveal for her upcoming debut novel, WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, FINA MENDOZA. (Black Rose Writing)

Here’s Kitty to tell us about her book:

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, FINA MENDOZA grew out of more than half a dozen years covering Congress for Southern California Public Radio. I took all those stories about life in Washington and turned them into my first middle-grade mystery.

It paints members of Congress as real people with real families, as well as petty party differences, a sense of formality from another century, and even dogs who wander the hallways as if they were the ones elected last November. These were all the stories I used to tell at dinner parties to try to explain DC to folks outside the beltway. My hope is that this middle-grade mystery will help explain how Congress works – and these days doesn’t seem to work – as it tackles the nation’s problems.

I also wanted to create a book where the characters are from Southern California – a rarity in middle-grade fiction. Fina sees DC through that West Coast lens, noting the oddities of Capitol Hill and missing her life back in Los Angeles.

Fina was inspired by the young woman I mentored for many years: smart, fearless, but a little bit shy. My real-life Fina even lent her name for the character.

What’s the story about?

Legend has it that whoever sees the Demond Cat of Capitol Hill is cursed.

And now, Fina Mendoza, the daughter of a congressman, has seen this cat. Which might explain the string of disasters in her life, including exploding jars of spaghetti sauce and he beloved Abuelita breaking her leg. The only way for Fina to save her family from future “cat”astrophes is to solve the mystery of the  Demon Cat of Capitol Hill.

And now that your appetite is whetted, ta-da…….Here’s the cover!

Illustrator: Imelda Hinojosa

More from Kitty:

I had the happy opportunity to work with the perfect illustrator. Imelda Hinojosa, another Southern California girl. She captured the Fina of my imagination. She also captured the menace and capriciousness of the Demon Cat. I love how she positioned the cat swiping at the U.S. Capitol with its paw. I also think she’s created the perfect Senator Something, the orange furry goofball of a dog who becomes Fina’s first friend in DC. Imelda “got” this book – its heart and humor, but also the basic plot.

About Author Kitty Felde:

Public radio veteran Kitty Felde hosts the award-winning Book Club for Kids podcast – named one of the top 10 kidcasts in the world by “The Times of London.” She also writes plays that are performed worldwide. She fell in love with literature for young readers when she was a young reader herself, working at her local public library. Kitty looked for the Demon Cat while covering Congress for public radio. She found the paw prints, but not the cat.

You can find out more about Kitty here:

www.kittyfelde.com

WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, FINA MENDOZA is available February 28, published by Black Rose Writing.

We’re thrilled that we could host Kitty’s cover reveal and wish her the best of luck with WELCOME TO WASHINGTON, FINA MENDOZA. Even better–we get to offer one lucky winner a free copy of an ARC to this fun book. Enter our RaffleCopter below — and good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Mixed-Up Files Does Cover Reveals

Are you a traditionally published author with a cover to reveal? We’d love to host it. To contact us, please email: msfishby@mixedupfiles.com

 

 

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Queen of Comedy: An Interview with Hillary Homzie

By on February 8, 2019   /   Author Interviews  

I’m excited to interview one of our very own Mixed-Up Files authors who recently had two book releases in her middle-grade series about the irrepressible Ellie May—Hillary Homzie. So let’s get started…

Hi, Hillary, so happy to have this chance to have you with us today. First of all, I always enjoy your books, and I especially love the humor in the Ellie May books. The illustrations by Jeffrey Ebbeler definitely add to the fun.

Can you tell us a little about the chapter books?

Absolutely! The books feature Ellie May who—whenever she tries to do something great—things tend to get a little mixed up. However, the exuberant second grader never gives up. In Ellie May on Presidents’ Day, she would give anything to be flag leader during the Pledge of Allegiance. After all, she has a really loud voice, knows how to stand super straight, and knows cools facts about the presidents. In Ellie May on April Fools’ Day, she wants more than anything to be funnier than Mo, the class clown. Right away, she begins practicing her practical jokes—with ants and all. The question becomes—will she take her mission too far?

Many teachers and librarians look for holiday stories. It’s not hard to find books for the major holidays, but you’ve picked two unusual ones. How did you choose those holidays and why?

I’ve always been fascinated with presidential history. It’s probably because I grew up in Virginia, birthplace to eight presidents and four of the first five. Presidents’ Day seemed like a great start for the series. Then my editor at Charlesbridge asked me to pick another holiday that would follow Presidents’ Day. She actually suggested April Fools’ Day, since she knew I had a background in performing sketch comedy and love all things comedic!

Can you tell us what inspired you to write these stories?

Honestly, my favorite year in school was second grade, and I had just to write about it. A friend of mine once told me—Hillary do you want to write for kids or be a kid? I’m not sure of that answer, lol!

Your books always seem to include humor. Can you give some tips for writing humorous stories?

  • Have your protagonists unaware of their own missteps. In other words, consider making him or her an innocent or a fish out of water. 2) Keep things tight. 3) Try to create an audience for your protagonist’s humiliation as it increases the stakes. I actually have a comedy writing guide, and anyone interested can just contact me by going to my website.

What do you hope readers will take away from the books?

I hope that readers will see the power of perseverance, and most of all have fun. I’m convinced when the youngest readers associate books with joy, they will turn into life- long readers.

As a former librarian and teacher, I definitely agree with that! Humor really hooks kids, especially reluctant readers.

Did you base your character on anyone you know?

Ellie May is based a little bit on the spirit and enthusiasm of my middle son. As a primary school student, he was always so eager but sometimes didn’t know how to direct his energies. Inadvertently and enthusiastically, he took some missteps in the classroom. Luckily, my son had some great teachers to help him to channel all of his energy.

Ellie May has a great voice. How do you capture a character’s voice and make it distinct?

Ah, that’s such a great question. I find that if I’m in a more relaxed state and let the character talk and react versus me trying very hard to be this impressive writer—something just works. For me, it boils down to trusting myself and just, well, listening.

I like how Ellie May grows and changes. How did you decide what problems she’d face and how they would affect her?

I actually never decided, at least with my rational mind. Ellie May sprang into being and then so did the kids in her classroom. The situations in the books were based on the characters’ personalities and how each one might react to a common classroom assignment.

Did you love to read as a child? If so, can you tell us some favorite books?

Oh, yes, I was an avid reader! As a second grader, my favorite books were A Secret Garden, Little Women, The Witch’s Buttons, Seven True Dolphin Stories, and anything by Beverly Cleary.

You’ve listed some of my favorites as well.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Probably in second grade when my teacher Mrs. McCrone wrote on my story—Hillary, you are a writer!

Aww… It’s awesome when a teacher’s encouragement leads to a future career. You never know what your influence might be when you compliment a child.

Did you have any childhood dreams for what you’d be when you grew up? If so, did they come true?

I wanted to write books and become a children’s author—and it looks like it happened! I feel so grateful.

Have you had any careers besides writing?

Lots! I’ve been a journalist, a sketch comedian, publicist and, in addition to writing books, I teach media writing at Sonoma State University during the academic year and children’s writing in the summer graduate program at Hollins University.

That must keep you busy, and it allows you to encourage a new generation of writers. I know you’re a great teacher!

What is your favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part of being a writer is when I’m swept up in the start on a new project as well as visiting schools.

What are you working on now?

A couple of picture books, an upper middle-grade fantasy, and more chapter books.

Can you tell us a bit about some of your other books?

I’ve written a half dozen books for tween girls. Queen of Likes (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin) was recently selected by the Association of Jewish Libraries for the Love Your Neighbor List. The list was created in response to the Pittsburgh tragedy and attempt to create a bridge of understanding into the lives of Jewish kids. I feel really strongly that if more children had access to books about kids from diverse cultures there would be fewer hate crimes. One of my recent light-hearted middle-grade books Pumpkin Spice Secrets seems to be a favorite among reluctant readers and was featured this fall on the front cover of Scholastic Tab—which was a true thrill!

Very cool about both features! And it’s so true that reading can help you understand others who have different customs, cultures, and personalities. I read a study that showed voracious readers are much more likely to be empathetic to others. I suspect it’s because they learn to put themselves in others’ places and see the world in a different light. It’s great when authors not only share their storytelling but also their lives and culture.

To find out more about Hillary and her other books, you can visit her website.

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Stuck in a Midwinter Rut? Middle Grade Journey Stories to the Rescue

By on February 7, 2019   /   Fiction  

The very words make one shiver: polar vortex. We were plunged into the depths of one last week, here in Pennsylvania and across much of the country. School was cancelled, the lemon tea was steaming, and the furnace was valiantly trying to tame the chill. With a few extra hours to peruse some middle grade novels, I knew where I wanted to go: long journeys to faraway places.

Even if you live in a warm-year-round kind of place, you might be ready for a good book to take you away. February is a short month by its count of days, but it can feel quite long, no matter the weather nor where you live. If you are a teacher, student, librarian, or homeschooling parent, this month might require some extra patience; the holiday season is over, signs of spring are stubbornly holding off, last summer is a nostalgic memory, and next summer isn’t countdown-worthy just yet.

Many students and adult readers alike appreciate a good book journey at this time of year: questing through a fantasy world, trailing a real-life athlete toward a championship, playing time-traveler to witness historical events through the characters who experience them. I crave books in which I can follow the character on actual traveling experiences, planned or spontaneous, with ocean settings or road trips to new lands—I suppose because I dream of travels, old and new, in late winter.

After some reflection, I think readers might also be drawn to journey stories for reasons like these:

  • Atmospheric settings are an important, teachable element of MG works. A descriptive passage lends itself to analysis of figurative language devices such as imagery and metaphor. Often a setting symbolizes a character’s emotions or foreshadows an event yet to occur.
  • A character “leaving the ordinary world” is an iconic plot device (see Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces or Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey for more) that pulls in a wide variety of readers of all ages, as it speaks to a questing spirit and curiosity about other places, times, and cultures.
  • The culmination of a journey to a new place—whether that journey is a literal traveling experience or an internal, dynamic shift of emotion or conviction—seems particularly fulfilling with a well-drawn MG character, and often provides inspiration to readers of many ages.

Here are a few journey-themed books from recent years on my midwinter reading table.

 Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm – Turtle is a strong-minded girl who bravely faces reality: in the Depression-era South, her mama must take a live-in housekeeper job with a no-children-allowed rule. Turtle tries to be positive about being sent to live with an aunt and cousins in Key West, Florida; however, she is out of her element there (scorpions like to hide in shoes, so be careful; also, alligator pear is what’s for breakfast—rather, avocado on toast.) Turtle tries to find ways to get along with the relatives who were not expecting her arrival, and to open her heart to a deeper meaning of family.

Stowaway by Karen Hesse – The first-person journal narrative of Nicholas Young, a stowaway on Captain James Cook’s ship in 1768, relates a historical sailing story through the perspective of a bold narrator. The opening of Stowaway pulls the reader in to join Nick in his tiny, cramped hiding place on the Endeavour, waiting through long days and nights, until the ship sails far enough away from England for him to be revealed to the Captain and crew. Nick’s story brings the reader along for adventure and excitement in long-ago days of exploration and discovery as Captain Cook pursues a secret mission to relatively unknown waters.

A Bandit’s Tale: The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket by Deborah Hopkinson — In the mood for a picaresque tale? Think “I-voice” narrative by a roguish young person setting out on independent adventures in the face of daunting surroundings or social circumstances; examples include Moll Flanders, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Oliver Twist, to name a few. In A Bandit’s Tale, main character Rocco’s story begins with an actual journey from late 1800s Italy to America following a misunderstood misdeed in his hometown. In New York, the guardian supposedly responsible for him requires that he and other boys play street instruments for money. Rocco’s “journey” continues as he learns to navigate difficult living conditions, the challenges of early immigrants, and historic reform movements to improve the treatment of children and animals.

 

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell  — Baby Sophie is rescued after a ship sinks in the English Channel and brought up by Charles, an eccentric and loving guardian who quotes Shakespeare, serves meals on books, and allows Sophie to wear trousers and practice handstands. But once Sophie turns twelve, their enigmatic way of life catches the attention of the authorities, and Sophie is set to be sent to an orphanage for young ladies. Using only a few cryptic clues, the two set out on a journey to Paris to attempt to find Sophie’s mother–who may or may not still be alive.

Of course, the journey is just one theme that might interest midwinter snow day or “cold day” readers. What are your getaway titles, and do any themes connect them?

Thanks for reading!

 

 

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