Author Interviews

Celebrating Snow Fright

Book jacket for Snow FrightMost people in the book business love Tuesdays because that’s when new books are released into the world. I particularly love Tuesdays when an author whose books my kids & I love has a new release. And when that author happens to be friend and Mixed-Up Files contributor Amie Borst, well, let’s just say it’s a banner Tuesday!

I was lucky enough to chat with Amie about Snow Fright, about writing with her daughter, and about all things pink and sparkly. Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of Snow Fright!

JA: Cinderskella came out in 2013. How has writing three books with your daughter changed as she’s grown? 

AB: My daughter and I actually wrote Cinderskella in 2010 shortly before her 10th birthday, so by the time it was published in 2013 and we penned Little Dead Riding Hood in 2013/2014 we’d experienced quite a shift in our partnership. First, Bethanie wasn’t a child any more but had grown into a teenager. Second, her writing skills had also blossomed. And third, she was gaining independence. I could give her a prompt and ask her to write the scene and she’d churn out 2,000 words before I’d even sat down at my desk. When it came time to write Snow Fright she penned about half of it before we even really plotted together! Of course she was on track and her writing set the tone for the novel.

JA: Do you think you’ll continue to collaborate?

AB: She’s written at least four more novels on her own and I’ve ventured into solo works as well. So that’s hard to say. She’s a teenager now who is thinking about college and career choices. I’d love to write more stories with her but….hold on….I hear her groaning in the background. Okay. Never mind. That’s a no.

JA: What was your favorite part of writing Snow Fright? 

AB: I really do love collaborating with my daughter. She’s so smart and creative. And she’s freaking funny. The best part is that she’s so uninhibited. I’ll always think that something can’t be done and she’ll say, “Why not?” Turns out she’s right, of course. It can always be done.

I think the best part was developing the seven worms that live inside Sarah’s head. That was all Bethanie’s idea, of course, and I couldn’t imagine Snow Fright any other way.

JA: Do you and your daughter read a lot of the same books? Do you tend to agree or disagree on your favorites?

AB: We definitely have very similar literary tastes! Okay, I admit I’m not a Tolkien fan but when it comes to middle-grade books we share the same love for dark stories.

A photo of author Amie Borst

Author Amie Borst

JA: What’s on your bookshelf right now? Any fall releases you’re particularly excited about?

AB: Textbooks. I recently returned to school so I’m swimming in assignments. There is one class entirely dedicated to middle-grade novels (Classics in Children’s literature). That stack includes Winnie the Pooh, The Secret Garden, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Golden Compass, The Tale of Desperaux, Adam of the Road, Holes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Where the Red Fern Grows, Sounder, James and the Giant Peach, Harry Potter, and The Lightening Thief. I’m going to be very busy this semester!

As far as new releases, I’m excited to read Rose Cooper’s The Ungrateful Dead (sequel to I Text Dead People). Rumor has it I’m in the acknowledgements.

JA: When did your obsession with the color pink begin? Does your daughter share this love, or rebel against it? 

AB: Hahaha!! No, she most definitely does not share my passion for pink. She is the furthest thing from a girly-girl and according to her, pink is classified in the ultra-girly-girl category.

My earliest recollection for my pink passion came in first grade. I wore a pink dress to school almost every day. My teacher at the time nick-named me The Pink Lady. It just kind of stuck. I actually do like other colors, green being a close second, but I think my affinity for everything pink will live forever.

JA: What’s next for the Borst writing duo?

Chocolate. Chocolate is definitely next. Maybe cookies. Perhaps ice cream. But definitely chocolate.

JA: Cookies sound good! Congratulations on the launch of Snow Fright and best of luck, Amie! Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment below for your chance to win a copy of Snow Fright!

Amie Borst loves glitter, unicorns, and chocolate. But not at the same time. That would be weird. She’s a PAL member of the SCBWI as well as a founding and contributing member of The Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors. As a featured judge on Rate Your Story, she enjoys helping new writers find their voice. Amie is the author of the middle-grade series, Scarily Ever Laughter. The series, which she co-authored with her daughter, Bethanie, features fairy tale retellings with a twist. Cinderskella, Little Dead Riding Hood, and Snow Fright are published by Jolly Fish Press. Amie lives in Virginia with her three beautiful daughters, her handsome husband, and two cute dogs named Lily and Maggie. She wishes she could travel the country in a hot pink elevator but for now, her minivan will have to do.

You can find Amie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as well as her website www.amieborst.com and blog www.amieborst.blogspot.com. She also shares a website with her daughter www.amieandbethanieborst.com.

Swing Sideways!

 

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Swing Sideways is a story about love, friendship, and hope that takes place when two girls meet at the exact moment when they need each other the most. They quickly develop a friendship that will rival that of Tom and Huck, Jess and Leslie, or Charlotte and Wilbur. It is a book that will make you want to call your best friend, then go out and pick a basketful of wild berries and dip your toes in the cool water of a creek. It is a book that will show you how your life can change in one instant when the truth of a well kept secret is revealed. School Library Journal said, “This is a summer neither Annabel nor readers will ever forget.”

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Amie: Welcome to The Mixed-Up Files, Nancy! We’re so glad to have you hear today and learn more about you and your books. What lead you to become a children’s author? And why middle-grade books?

Nancy: When I was four we lived in England. Our neighbor gave me a vinyl record of Vivien Leigh (think Scarlett O’Hara) narrating the story of Peter Rabbit. I played that record over and over so many times, my older brother broke it in two so he didn’t have to listen anymore. (I have since forgiven him). Within minutes (like as soon as I stopped crying) I asked my mother to write down a story I wanted to tell, because I knew that by creating it myself, no one could take it away. I wrote my first “novel” when I was nine, and still have it, complete with crayon drawings of a wild horse. That same year, I read Black Beauty and when I closed it after reading the last page, I knew I would become an author someday.

It is such an honor to write for middle grade readers. Try this: ask an adult what their favorite book was when they were a kid. Don’t specify age. Nine times out of ten, they will give you the name of a book they read between the ages or 8 – 13. Why? Because those are the books that make or break us as readers. How awesome is it to be the author who changes a child’s life that way?

Another major factor for me was because I wanted to be able to teach kids about writing, and encourage them to tap into their own creativity. I can do this through presenting workshops in schools and libraries, which is something that makes my heart swing sideways.

Amie: Wow! Older brothers can be tough like that, can’t they? Admittedly, so can moms. I remember when my children would insist on listening to a song or watching the same movie repeatedly, I’d hide the cd or dvd so I wouldn’t have to endure it just “one more time.” I know, I know. *hangs head in shame*

I love that you recognize how important middle-grade books are and their lasting impact on readers. Why are you the perfect person to tell Annabel’s story in Swing Sideways?

Nancy: Annie is a dreamer who was being stuffed into a mold by outside influences (Mom, Dad, teachers, school friends, Tommy, a resort community, etc). In order for Annie to discover who she truly is as a person, and in order for her to have the strength and courage to break free and fly solo, the person who told her story had to know how it felt to be her from the inside. There had to be a friend like California to give her “permission” to be herself, to accept her for who she was and not what someone else wanted her to be, to show her how it looked to march to her own beat. We all need a California in our lives at that age. Perhaps part of Swing Sideways was written out of my need to go back and change some of the things I didn’t like about myself at that time in my own life, and who else can do that but me?

Amie: Change has to come from within. It’s important for readers to recognize that at every age. If you could visit any place on earth where would it be?

Nancy: Scotland. I know that probably sounds unimaginative to some, but my ancestors come from Scotland. There is a remarkable story about one of them, Robert St. Clair, who, as a little boy, was kidnapped by gypsies and taken by ship . . . oh, wait, I can’t tell you that story just yet. Anyway, I am now living in the place where I was always meant to be, so I would love to see some of the old castles and craggy cliffs and shores of Scotland where part of my family’s history originates.

Amie: I think that would be an incredible place to visit! Last question, Nancy. It’s an important one so pay attention. Mashed potatoes and gravy or rice and beans?

Nancy: Totally mashed potatoes and gravy. And, if I’m not feeling too terribly fat, a nice big pat of sweet cream butter between the potatoes and the gravy would be like digging in to a piece of Heaven.

Amie: I’m suddenly very hungry. Maybe I’ll cook up some…*focus, Amie, focus!* Oh, I mean, thanks for joining us here at The Mixed-Up Files, Nancy!

 

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Nanci Turner Steveson writes for middle grade readers and is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She studied under the mentorship of award winning authors Kathi Appelt, Patty Lee Gauch, and Bethany Hegedus.

At home in Wyoming, Nanci is on the Board of Directors of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, and is the Teen Creative Writing Instructor at the Teton County Library in Jackson Hole. She works as a Stage Manager for Off Square Theatre Company, with her heart tied closest to the annual Youth Musical Production. One of Nanci’s greatest ambitions is to work with kids and inspire them to become two-fisted readers, like herself, and allow their own creativity to soar through the beauty of creative writing.

A life-long horse girl, Nanci lives in a historic meadow cabin in the shadow of the Teton mountains with two horses, two dogs, and an assortment of elk, moose, great gray owls and the occasional black bear who wander down from the national forest outside her back door. After a profound experience in 2009, Nanci is dedicated to getting books into the hands of homeless people, especially in shelters that house children, through her Literacy for Hope Project.

Swing Sideways (HarperCollins), Nanci’s debut novel has received stellar reviews from important publications and was launched in May, 2016. Her second novel, Georgia Rules, is scheduled for publication May 2, 2017. She is represented by Al Zuckerman, the founder of Writers House, LLC. www.writershouse.com, and can also be reached through her website at www.nanciturnersteveson.com

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Would you like to win a copy of Swing Sideways? Well, all you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form and you’re automatically entered!

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Amie Borst is the author of Cinderskella, Little Dead Riding Hood, and the soon-to-be-released, Snow Fright. You can find her on twitter, facebook, and her website.

Barbara Dee has a few “Small Moments” with Author Beth Ain

Beth Ain

Beth Ain

 

Can you describe the fourth grade teacher’s assignment that inspired IZZY KLINE HAS BUTTERFLIES?
Yes! My daughter’s fourth grade teacher had each of the kids pick a moment or a memory to write about and they worked on drafts and went through a pretty involved editorial and peer critique process and in the end they each had a complete and well-drawn piece of writing about a moment in their lives. The teacher had the collection bound into a book called “The Stories on Our Minds,” and I was really moved and entertained by the stories. From my own daughter’s zip lining piece, “Zip, Zip, Ziiip!” to someone else’s (hilarious) “No Good, Very Bad Dentist,” to another favorite of mine, “Tia Claudia Comes to Visit, ” they displayed humor and heart and the stories were reflective and interesting. I loved also that it was called The Stories on Our Minds, because that’s just it. It was all there. They didn’t have to go very far to find their stories.
How do you think that encouraging kids to write about “small moments” helps them grow as writers? Do they have difficulty thinking “small?”
I actually think the opposite. I think they have trouble thinking big, or at least trouble writing big, which is why zeroing in on smaller moments gives them access to their own stories and their own memories and therefore gives them a jumping off point for their writing.  I think kids sometimes think writing means they have to invent a whole fictional universe out of thin air, which I suppose if you’re writing high fantasy, it is. But usually, writers access their own memories at the very least as a prompt. Most of us get our ideas from our own lives. Even if we aren’t stealing those moments directly, we are inspired by them. They trigger feelings worth writing about, or perhaps just the ambiance of the moment itself is inspiring in some way. The smell of the fresh air on the beach, the sound of the sled hitting the snow after a blizzard, the sadness of saying goodbye to Tia Claudia after a visit.
Writing can really stump some kids, but when they are reminded that the answer is likely right in front of them, it relaxes them. It’s like taking an open book test.
izzy_kline_cvr_1.11.inddSo many MG kids gravitate towards big, high-concept fantasy novels. Do you think embracing and exploring “small moments” naturally leads kids to realistic fiction?
I think in some ways, yes. I was a realistic fiction reader myself and found fantasy a bit alienating because I was searching for familiarity and I was rather practical and therefore unwilling to believe in magic of any kind–still am. (That said, my favorite book of elementary school was The Trumpet of the Swan.  Give me talking animals all day long!)
At any rate, I always credit Paula Danziger as being my mirror when I was grown up. Seeing myself in her books was helpful. Judy Blume’s characters, too, of course. Discovering characters whose lives were a bit imperfect like mine, or whose worries felt familiar, that was comforting to me. Oh look, her dad left, too. And her brother is a little testy, too. And yes, her best friend has gotten distant, etc, etc. To be fair, though, I think fantasy books can do the very same thing because the best ones truly do transcend genre. Part of the Harry Potter appeal has to do with the fact that Harry’s concerns and those of his friends are not so different from yours or mine. They’ve just been shipped off to a fantasy land where the limits of the physical world and been lifted and where Rowling could play with darkness and light in more literal ways. Almost never does the emotional world shift, even in high fantasy. There’s always magic in the small moments, whether you are in your classroom in suburbia, or your dorm room at Hogwarts. Childhood is childhood.
IZZY KLINE HAS BUTTERFLIES is a novel in verse. Can you explain the impulse to write it that way? Do you think the focus on “small moments” is especially well-suited to verse-writing? Why aren’t more MG novels written in verse?
I really do think small moments writing and verse writing are intertwined. I didn’t set out to write a novel in verse, honestly. I set out to write a novel in small moments, meaning that I wanted the language to be clear, and spare, and meaningful. I didn’t want it to be weighed down by plot and logistics. I think a kid’s day kind of happens in small moments more so than in plot points, if that makes sense. Art class. Recess. Dinner with dad. Fight with brother. Throw up. It isn’t always so linear!
As I wrote, a lot of word play started to happen and a lot of little tricks that some kids might miss and other kids (and teachers especially) will pick up on and feel really in the know. Writing that way was very exhilarating. Thinking to myself, “I know the kid who’s gonna catch that reference or see what I did there” was just very exciting. Poetry really gives a writer (and a reader for that matter) the opportunity to zero in on an experience and get deep. It can be meaning of life type stuff or small stuff, but all of it calls for artistry and evocative language and hopefully a healthy dose of humor. Somewhere in there you can get to the bottom of things. So, yes it turned into free verse as I dug deeper, as a I saw that there is so much poetry in the interior life of a child. There’s so much poetry and rhythm in the school day alone–the sights and smells and sounds and feelings of elementary school are very nostalgic for me and I feel so lucky that I get to re-live it a little through Izzy’s eyes.
What are you working on now? Is it in verse? Inspired by a “small moment?”
 
I am happy to report that I’m busy writing the sequel to Izzy Kline has Butterflies and lucky for me it’s another novel in verse. It has a lot to do with that transition out of the younger, more innocent part of childhood and into the complicated spaces of early adolescence. So, yeah. I get to smell those childhood smells a little while longer…one of these days I’ll be ready for middle school.
Barbara Dee’s sixth middle grade novel, TRUTH OR DARE (Aladdin/S&S), publishes this month.