Author Interviews

Taryn Souders Interview + Giveaway

By on July 8, 2020   /   Author Interviews  

There’s nothing like a mystery to keep kids riveted to a book during these long days of summer vacation. Today, I’m thrilled to interview Taryn Souders about her new middle-grade mystery, Coop Knows the Scoop, which released this week. Once you read all about the book and Taryn, don’t forget to write in the comments section for a chance to win an autographed copy (USA only). I’ll pick a winner on Saturday, July 11, at noon and announce shortly after.

 

The whole town is talking about what’s buried beneath the playground . . .

Windy Bottom, Georgia is usually a peaceful place. Coop helps his mom at her café and bookstore, hangs out with his grandpa, and bikes around with his friends Justice and Liberty. The town is full of all kinds of interesting people, but no one has ever caused a problem. Until now.

And somehow, Gramps is taking all the blame! It seems like there are a lot of secrets that were buried in their small town after all . . .

Will Coop and his friends get to the bottom of the mystery and clear Gramps’s name before it’s too late?

 

 

Taryn has written both picture books and middle-grade novels. Her books have taken part in Battle of the Books, been named to state reading lists, including the Georgia Children’s Book Awards and the Sunshine State Young Readers Awards, and have been Crystal Kite Finalists.

Taryn is a member of both SCBWI and Word Weavers International, and is represented by Sally Apokedak of Apokedak Literary Agency.

She currently lives in Sorrento, Florida with her husband, David, their three children, and two cats—an overly fuzzy Ragdoll named Mordecai, and a polydactyl Hemingway named Sebastian—who like to terrorize flies (the cats, not her husband or children). While she’s somewhat decent at math, she is terrible at science and has an intense dislike of tarantulas.

 

What was your inspiration for Coop Knows the Scoop?

I’ve always loved mysteries—they were pretty much all I read as a kid. I also love watching them on TV. Writing a mystery was something I wanted to try, but I didn’t want it to be “gory” so I thought the discovery of a skeleton would be perfect. And an unexpected place for a skeleton to be found was a playground!

 

You’ve been praised for your depiction of small-town life in the novel. Is Windy Bottom based on a place you’ve lived in or visited?

I’ve lived a good chunk of my life in small towns in Ohio, Florida, and Texas. They really are THE BEST! They have their own personality—which is usually displayed through its citizens. Windy Bottom, Georgia, is a blend of Denton, Texas and Mount Dora, Florida—two of my favorite small towns. But the creation of A Latté Books—the bookstore/coffee shop (that sells new books, not just used books), is birthed from a cute café called The Horse’s Mouth in Buffalo, Texas. I’ve been there a couple times when visiting family and it was such a fun place to be—I knew I wanted to put it in a book.

 

Now I want to go there! Your characters are often called “quirky.” What’s your secret to creating such characters? Are they based on real people? You don’t have to name names :).

Quirky characters are also THE BEST! LOL! They aren’t based on anyone—just imagination. I create them to let loose and not feel restricted. What I mean by that is with main characters I need to know their weaknesses and strengths, conflicts, relationships, and so on. It can get pretty intense and sometimes, it’s not that fun (at least for me). With my “quirky characters” I can just get crazy. Typically, they’re there for comedic relief and I don’t worry about their arc or growth too much. My favorite one from Coop Knows the Scoop is probably Burma—who runs the Cut ‘n Curl. He is the town prankster and a lot of fun!

 

You’ve written two other middle-grade novels: Dead Possums are Fair Game and How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer. Do you find that there are themes that you keep returning to in your work?

 Yes. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes.

There was only one perfect person to walk this earth and it’s not us! Particularly for middle grade, there’s so much pressure to act or look a certain way—to try to achieve a perceived level of “perfection”, whether that be in school, sports, relationships, physical beauty, etc. It’s unattainable and unfair for kids (or adults) to put that on themselves. I want my readers to understand none of us are perfect, and that’s okay. None of us are going to be perfect, and that’s also okay.

 

What makes you want to write for the middle-grade reader?

I LOVE writing for middle-grade readers. They are at the age where they understand a lot of different types of humor like wit, sarcasm, and even dry humor. Their conversations are the best to listen to! They are energetic and funny and up for anything!

 

What would you like those readers to come away with after reading your novel?

The main theme of the novel is forgiveness. We all make mistakes, particularly when we’re young. Let’s face it, who we are now is not necessarily who we were “back then.” We’re constantly growing and changing—hopefully for the better. Fun fact: the original title of Coop Knows the Scoop was Remains to Be Seen. I loved this because it worked on two different levels. #1—Tabby’s remains needed to be seen in order for the truth to come out and for her to receive justice. #2—it echoed the theme of the story: who we ultimately become remains to be seen. We can learn from our mistakes of the past, but not let them hold us prisoner. The title got changed to Coop Knows the Scoop, which I also love, but the theme remains the same—and those concepts of redemption and forgiveness are what I hope readers take away.

 

That’s a great takeaway! Can you give our readers, who also write, one of your best pieces of craft advice, particularly for writing a mystery?

Plan it out ahead of time! Know your red herrings, clues, suspects, motives . . . everything before you get too far into your story. I am usually a pantser (I write by the seat of my pants) but I had to outline Coop Knows the Scoop to make sure I didn’t introduce a clue or a suspect before it made sense to. And of course, read a lot of mysteries (if that’s what you want to write). Study how each author lays out their story and take notes!

Thanks Taryn for a great interview and great advice!

READERS: Don’t forget to write in the comments section before Saturday at noon for a chance to win a signed copy of the novel!

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Interview with Kristin Gray, Author of The Amelia Six

By on June 23, 2020   /   Author Interviews, New Releases  

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!

Today, I am pleased to welcome to our site, someone who I have known virtually for a while, as well as a fellow member of Middle Grade debut year of 2017, and the author of the upcoming The Amelia Six, coming from Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books next week, on June 30th.

JR: Hi, Kristin and thanks for joining us today!

JR: First off, I really enjoyed The Amelia Six. I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy, and it was such a fun mystery. For those who don’t know about the book, can you tell us a little bit about it and where the idea for this story came from?

KG: Hi, Jonathan. Thanks for having me and thank you for the kind words about The Amelia Six.

In the story, six STEM-savvy girls spend the night at the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas, and get swept up in a mysterious robbery. They settle in, expecting a night of scavenger hunts and sweet treats when Amelia’s historic flight goggles disappear.

I don’t know about you, but I have always loved CLUE, both the movie and the game. I knew one day I’d like to attempt my own cozy mystery, but the whole idea seemed daunting. The first task alone—choosing a setting—was nearly impossible. I wanted a real place kids could visit, and there are just so many cool sites! But when my family took a road trip to Amelia Earhart’s birthplace, everything clicked.

JR: Yes, I LOVE Clue. Could watch the movie over and over and over. You have six characters who all take center stage at one point. How difficult was it to veer back and forth between them during plotting?

KG: Very! Each of the girls has her own hobby or connection to aviation. Millie, the protagonist, is a Rubik’s speedcuber, vintage Nancy Drew collector, and daughter of a pilot. The story is told in her POV throughout, so I used her life lens to filter the mysterious happenings and understand the cast. My editor pushed me to make the girls distinct, and I’ll be the first to admit juggling that many middle-school voices was not easy. But I am proud of the end result. And of the floor plan I drew to keep track of where everyone was in the home and when!

JR: I love that you made a map to keep track of everyone! The book has Amelia Earhart as a central figure. How much research did you have to do about her, and what is it about her that fascinated you?

KG: Quite a bit of research, including two trips to the home, reading tons of biographies and articles, hours spent browsing the online archives at Purdue University, where Amelia taught as adjunct faculty. She really was ahead of her time and took on many roles from truck driver to social worker to columnist at Cosmopolitan magazine. But digging up interesting facts is one of my most favorite parts of the writing process. I felt like a treasure hunter!

 

JR: You’ve done both MG and Picture Books, do you have a preference, and what appeals to you about both formats?

KG: I was talking to a writer friend about this recently. I enjoy both, but each format presents its own challenges. Writing picture books is deceptively difficult. It can take years to distill a story into the best few hundred words. Drafting and editing (or rewriting) a novel can take years of work, too, but gives the writer more freedom . . . I tend to work on picture books when I’m stuck on a longer project or waiting to hear back from my editor. I’m always tinkering with a story. But it’s been a blast to have books available for a pre-K as well as middle schoolers.

JR: That is great. Picture Books are so daunting Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey getting to this point? 

KG: Sure. I wrote picture books for several years (back in the days of snail mail!) before one editor suggested I try writing something longer. My first middle-grade novel didn’t go anywhere, but my second novel’s opening garnered editor interest at a local SCBWI meeting. Encouraged, I took those same pages to another conference—Big Sur Writer’s Workshop—where I met and signed with my agent. That book went on to sell to Simon Kids/Paula Wiseman Books and became my debut novel, Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge.

JR: I read on your website, https://kristinlgray.com/ , that you’re an expert cookie dough taster. Is that more of an honorary title, or something that you had to be certified in?

KG: Haha. I love cookie dough, especially if I’m on deadline or you know, quarantined! Tried-and-true chocolate chip is my favorite, though peanut butter is also good. I would love to be certified, if that’s a real thing. Is that a thing? Can we find this out, Jonathan? Maybe this needs to go in a book!

JR: Okay, more importantly, I also read that you love peanut butter cups. Aren’t Reese’s Cups the equivalent of manna from heaven?

KG: Absolutely! And weirdly, I think the mini Halloween-size ones taste better than the regular-size two packs. It’s all about the perfect ratio of chocolate to peanut butter.

JR: What’s your writing process like?

KG: Sporadic at best. Especially now with my children home. I don’t write every day unless I’m on deadline. Some days are reading days, or research days, or thinking days, or responding-to-email days, like today. I’m grateful for all of it.

JR: I’m glad this was part of your diversion! What’s your favorite book from childhood?

KG: Charlotte’s Web

JR: What’s your favorite childhood movie?

KG: The Goonies

JR: That’s a popular answer here! Something people would be surprised to learn about you?

KG: I’m a twin! (We didn’t get a picture of Kristin with her twin, so just make a copy of her picture above and hold them next to each other)

 

JR: What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve received and is there any advice you can give to writers looking to break in?

KG: Best piece of advice: Pay attention to the world around you and write it as only you can.

To those looking to break in: Keep going. Find a few trusted writer friends. And always keep a stash of ice cream.

 

JR: That is great advice, and hopefully you mean pistachio ice cream. What are you working on next?

KG: I’m pages into what I hope will be my next middle-grade novel. Stay tuned!

 

JR: How can people follow you on social media?

KG: I’m @KristinLGray on all formats.

 

JR: Okay, lastly, as I mentioned, we were in the same debut year, so when you’re done with this, can you please send me a quick 20,000 word essay explaining how I was your favorite member of that debut group, and especially more than Melissa Roske?

KG: Haha! You know I’m a big fan of you and your books, Jonathan. Though I will say Melissa did buy me pancakes . . . 🙂

JR: That sounds like she was just kissing up.

 

JR: Thanks again to Kristin Gray, and make sure you go out and get The Amelia Six!

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Legal Aspects of Writing and Publishing: Interview with Author-Agent Jacqui Lipton, and Giveaway

By on June 18, 2020   /   Author Interviews, Book Lists, children's bookstores, Editor / Agent Spotlight, For Librarians, For Teachers, For Writers, Giveaways, independent bookstores, Nonfiction  

Hello Mixed-Up Filers! I was fortunate to know Jacqui Lipton at VCFA where we both got our MFA degrees in Writing. After graduating from Vermont College Of Fine Arts, Jacqui has become an agent and an author. I’m so pleased to welcome her for an interview at Mixed-Up Files today.

 

                                   

Hi Jacqui, thanks for joining us today at Mixed-Up Files.

Thank you for having me and congratulations on your recent book deal!

Thank you, Jacqui! Tell us about your book. What motivated you to write Law & Authors?

The more I began to immerse myself in the writing community, the more I realized the need for easily accessible resources for writers who couldn’t necessarily afford to hire lawyers for every little problem, and who could use some guidance on when and how to find legal advice. One thing I’ve tried to do in the book is to make the legal issues fun and accessible by using examples from popular culture to illustrate how things like copyrights, trademarks, contracts, privacy and defamation law work. I’ve also included hints and tips about what issues writers can handle reasonably easily on their own (e.g. registering a copyright) and when legal help may be necessary.

  1. How did you become an agent and an author?

Becoming an author is easy. You just sit at a typewriter and bleed, right?

But agenting is a tougher nut to crack, and I wasn’t always sure that’s what I wanted to do anyway. While I was in the MFA program, the opportunity arose to become a reader for an established kidlit agent. I loved the editorial and manuscript development work and, with my legal background, I was fascinated by the legal and business side of the industry. After a few years of moving in that direction, and doing some informational interviews with other agents, I figured it was time to fish or cut bait.

  1. What are the top three contract provisions an author must understand before signing with an agent?

Agency contracts are actually pretty easy to follow and are usually no more than two or three pages long. It’s the with publishers that are more complex: see below. For an agency contract, it’s important to understand:

  • the scope of representation (what work the contract actually covers e.g. everything you write during the term of the agreement; only your writing in a particular genre or in a particular market etc.?);
  • when and how the agreement can be terminated (how much notice do you have to give? Are you locked in for a particular period after signing?); and,
  • if you move on to another agent, what happens to projects you’ve worked on while at the previous agency (when can you submit them to editors through the new agency? Will the original agency take a cut of the commission?)

Of course, you want to know what commission the agent gets. It’s standard for most agents to ask for 15% of your royalties for a regular sale and higher percentages if they engage other agents for subrights etc. because that sub-agent will also take a cut.

 

  1. What are the top five dos and don’ts when it comes to contract negotiations with publishers?

It probably depends on whether you’re negotiating yourself or via an agent. If you have an agent, your agent will probably guide the strategy to an extent, and will handle the negotiation on your behalf, but of course in close consultation with you. After all, the agent represents you, not the other way around.

Each contract varies with context so there are no hard and fast rules, but you should think about things like:

  • What rights the publisher is taking. If the publisher wants subrights like foreign, translation, merchandising, film/TV etc, think about whether the publisher is likely to be able to execute those rights satisfactorily. If not, try to retain them, or at least seek a reversion (ie you get back the rights) after a particular period of time.
  • How much is the advance you’re being offered? This is not something you should really look at out of context; you need to consider royalties, sub-rights etc at the same time. A lower advance will be easier to “earn out” (ie pay back out of royalties) so a lower advance isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
  • If you’re writing a book that has significant design or illustration elements (e.g. a picture book), will you get consultation or approval over those design elements, including over the choice of illustrator etc. The same comes up with choice of narrators under audio rights contracts. Many publishers will give you consultation, rather than approval, but most good publishers are collaborative on this score for the most part in any event.
  • Understand that you are likely making certain representations to the publisher that your book doesn’t infringe anyone else’s legal rights, including copyrights and trademark rights, and that your book doesn’t defame anyone. The publisher will likely seek an indemnity from you if they are sued for these things. Try to find out if you can limit the indemnity to non-frivolous legal action (frivolous claims are those that are raised more for the annoyance value than because there is a serious legal issue at stake). See if the publisher is able to extend any of its liability insurance to cover you: this is unlikely but you can ask.
  • Understand what happens if you don’t submit your final manuscript on time or you don’t submit a satisfactory manuscript. Do you have a right to have extra time (if you can’t make your initial deadline), and/or to revise to the publisher’s specifications? If you get more time, how much time? What happens to your advance if you fail to deliver a satisfactory manuscript?

Publishing contracts are much more complex than agency contracts which is why it’s a good idea to work with an agent, if you possibly can. If you don’t have an agent, it may be worth engaging the services of a lawyer with expertise in publishing contracts to help you negotiate these contracts.

  1. Could you recommend resources for authors or illustrators who would like to protect their rights in the current publishing environment?

For those who are members of the Authors Guild, there are useful legal resources on their website and they do offer contract consultations.

Volunteer lawyers for the arts organizations around the country provide pro bono legal advice to authors and artists but often have significant waiting lists.

Some writers’ organizations, like SCBWI and SFWA have helpful information about publishing dos and don’ts and current issues of concern on their website, including an “ask a lawyer” bulletin board accessible from the SCBWI website.

The Authors Alliance has useful information on their website particularly about contract negotiations, fair use and rights reversions.

I go into more detail on how to find effective and affordable legal advice in the final chapter of Law and Authors.

  1. Tell us about your experience founding Raven Quill Literary Agency, and your growing team of agents and authors.

It seems to have grown really fast but it’s been a lot of fun. I started the agency earlier this year with the aim of creating a fun and transparent, but of course professional, team of authors and agents working to bring new stories and voices into mainly the kidlit area. A significant aspect of our mission is to help make underrepresented voices heard. We also like to work closely and editorially with all of our authors. The agency largely grew by accident. It started with just me and rapidly expanded to include our other agents who are all amazing (Kelly Dyksterhouse, Kortney Price, and Lori Steel) largely through a series of happy accidents; people being in the right place at the right time.

  1. What advice do you have for authors who want to query an agent at Raven Quill Literary Agency?

Probably similar advice to querying any other agent/agency. Do your homework. Find the agent who seems like the right fit for your work. Write a professional query letter and make sure your manuscript really shines before you submit it. I always say: “I don’t want your fastest work; I want your best work.” There’s a lot of information on our website about what we’re all looking for and how to submit to each of us, and when we’re open or closed to general queries. (We all use Query Manager for submissions and try to ensure that at least one or two of us are open to queries at any given time.) We also regularly Tweet out particular wishlists. We do share submissions between us if we think something is a better fit for another agent. We do consider subsequent projects from someone who has queried us before, or even revisions of projects we passed on, but we like to see authors sit back and reflect on any feedback we may have given them for, say 6-8 weeks before submitting something new. Oftentimes what isn’t clicking for an agent in the first piece is the same in later pieces by the same author. It doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with your writing, just that the agent you submitted to isn’t the right fit. We typically respond to all queries whether it’s a pass, a revise and resubmit request or an offer of rep. We try and give feedback in our responses as often as we can but sometimes it’s just not possible with the amount of queries we receive so please excuse any generic “pass” responses. Again, it’s not an indictment of your writing, just a sign of how busy we are.

Note: My usual disclaimers apply to everything in this interview. Nothing about the law is intended as formal legal advice and those who feel they do need formal advice should consult a lawyer with the appropriate expertise.

Thank you so much for having me!

Enter the giveaway for a copy of Law & Authors by leaving a comment below.  You may earn extra entries by blogging/tweeting/facebooking the interview and letting us know. The winner will be determined on June 26, 2020 and will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (US/Canada only) to receive the book.

If you’d like to know more about Jacqui and her agency, visit her website: https://jdlipton.com/index.html or https://ravenliterary.com/ or follow her on twitter: https://twitter.com/Jacqui_Lipton

 

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