Author Interviews

Melanie Conklin Interview + Giveaway

By on May 28, 2020   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

Today I’m thrilled to interview Melanie Conklin about her new novel Every Missing Piece. It was great hearing about her writing process as well as the fabulous Everywhere Book Fest, which she helped create. Read the interview below and then write us in the comments section for a chance to win a copy of the book (U.S. residents only). I’ll pick a winner Saturday night at 11:59 PM and announce on Sunday. Enjoy the interview and good luck!

First, here’s a bit about Melanie and her book.

Maddy Gaines sees danger everywhere she looks: at the bus stop, around the roller rink, in the woods, and (especially) by the ocean. When Maddy meets a mysterious boy setting booby traps in the North Carolina woods, she suspects the worst.

Maddy is certain she’s found Billy Holcomb–the boy who went missing in the fall. Except, maybe it’s not him. It’s been six months since he disappeared. And who will believe her anyway? Definitely not her mom or her stepdad . . . or the chief of police.

As Maddy tries to uncover the truth about Billy Holcomb, ghosts from her own past surface, her best friend starts to slip away, and Maddy’s world tilts once again. Can she put the pieces of her life back together, even if some of them are lost forever?

 

 

Melanie Conklin grew up in North Carolina and worked as a product designer for ten years before she began her writing career. Her debut middle grade novel, Counting Thyme, is a Bank Street Best Children’s Book, winner of the International Literacy Association Teacher’s Choice Award, and nominated to four state reading lists. Her second novel for young readers, Every Missing Piece, was published this week with Little, Brown. When she’s not writing, Melanie spends her time doodling and dreaming up new ways to be creative. She lives in New Jersey with her family. Connect with her on twitter @MLConklin.

 

What was the inspiration for Every Missing Piece?

The funny thing is that when I begin to write a story, I often don’t know why I’m writing it, and I usually haven’t discovered what my inspiration actually is. When I started writing Every Missing Piece, I had this question in my mind as to what would happen if you found a missing child. Especially if you were also a child. As the plot of the story came together, I found that I was writing about a family facing a very difficult time. Somehow, that is always the story I tell, just in different forms.

You’ve been praised for your “fine Southern storytelling” in reviews. Can you tell us a little about how your own upbringing in North Carolina played a part in your writing of this novel?

My first book, Counting Thyme, had a lot to do with how I felt about living in New York City for the first time. In Every Missing Piece, I wanted to tell the story of what it felt like to grow up in North Carolina. My parents were from up North, so we didn’t always fit in with the expectations of a small Southern town. It was difficult for me to deal with being an outsider as a kid, but over time I also experienced the affection and loyalty of a close-knit community. I hope those good reviews mean that I managed to communicate these qualities in a genuine and honest way, because I have a lot of love for North Carolina.

I know many readers and writers are fascinated by the process of writing and publishing a novel. Can you tell us a little bit about your title and the first line of the novel? Did you have both before you started? Did they evolve? If so, what were some of the titles and first lines that you didn’t use?

The title of Every Missing Piece used to be “All the Missing Pieces.” I tweaked the title during revisions with my editor, Tracey Keevan. That’s not a very big change, but it felt big to me! I usually figure out my titles very early in the writing process and they stay the same the whole way through. I like thematic titles that give the reader multiple meanings as they read. Originally, Every Missing Piece had a completely different opening chapter, but we cut it during revisions because it wasn’t needed. Sometimes less is more.

I love the idea of thematic titles. Do you find that there are themes in common with both of your novels that are important to you?

Themes are interesting. I remember learning about themes back in grade school and wondering how authors managed to wind thematic ideas throughout their stories. Now I know that themes aren’t something you plan in advance. Themes just happen organically, and yes, I tend to revisit the same ones over and over. Some common themes you’ll see in both of my books: family, secrets, friendship, and food. There is always a strong thread of food as comfort and community in my stories. Probably also because I’m always hungry!

Ha! I love reading and writing about food as well. Why have you chosen to write for the age group of middle-grade readers?

I wasn’t very familiar with the term “middle grade” when I first started writing, but it didn’t take long to figure out that I like stories set in middle school. There’s a part of me that’s still that age, I think. It’s such a tough time in a kid’s life, when you are growing up whether you want to or not. I certainly never felt ready to grow up. I think I was the last girl in sixth grade to buy a bra! And that was only because my best friends basically forced me to. So it makes sense that I tend to revisit those times in my life, when I was learning how to be a friend, how to be a daughter, and how to be me. I love that middle grade stories always have a sense of wonder and adventure to them. We are in a golden age of middle grade literature for sure! Some recent recommendations from me: Love Like Sky by Leslie Youngblood, Just South of Home by Karen Strong, and Ultraball by Jeff Chen.

Thanks for those recommendations. What would you like readers to come away with after reading Every Missing Piece?

I hope that readers come away from Every Missing Piece with love in their hearts for flawed characters, because we all have flaws. I tend to write about grownups who have made bad choices. As a kid, it took me a while to learn that grownups can make mistakes, too. In this story, I explored the idea of what makes people good or bad quite a bit. Life is not always that simple. People are complicated, and they don’t fit neatly into boxes. Hopefully this story gives readers some food for thought, and they are excited to discuss it with their friends.

Can you give our readers who also write one of your best pieces of writing craft advice?

My favorite piece of writing advice is to be kind to yourself. As writers, we are encouraged to accept criticism of our work, and often that can lead to being super critical of ourselves all the time. When you are drafting, do your best to put your inner critic to bed. There will be time for analysis later. Drafting should be about exploration, so let your subconscious take you where you want to go and enjoy yourself!

Great advice! Would you like to tell us a little about the Everywhere Book Fest?

I was in the midst of cancelling my book tour when my friend Christina Soontornvat (A Wish in the Dark) asked me if I would like to help her and Ellen Oh (The Dragon Egg Princess) create a digital book festival in place of Covid closures. I wasn’t doing anything at the time, so I said yes! LOL. We had no idea that Everywhere Book Fest would grow to be such a signficant event in the publishing world, but I’m so happy that viewers found the sense of community and celebration that we were hoping for. If you missed the festival, all of our content is still available on our website and Youtube page!

Thanks, Melanie, for a great interview!

To get to the Everywhere Book Fest Youtube Page, click here.

To order a signed copy of Every Missing Piece, click here.

And don’t forget to comment for a chance to win a copy of Every Missing Piece.

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Interview with Author Janet Sumner Johnson

By on May 27, 2020   /   Author Interviews, For Writers, Writing  

One of my favorite things about writing for FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES is that I get to talk to so many authors. This post is especially fun for me because I got to interview my good friend Janet Sumner Johnson who does what to me seems impossible – successfully moving between writing Middle Grade and Picture Books.

 

Interview with Janet Sumner Johnson | MUFYou started your career as an author writing Middle Grade (THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURES OF THE PB&J SOCIETY). What got you interested in writing Picture Books? And, how long did it take you to write a manuscript you were happy with?

I have always loved picture books. The idea of telling a story in so few words fascinated me! When I had three young kids at home, we had just moved to a new city, and we spent a lot of time at the library and reading picture books. Kids can be pretty inspiring (lol!), and that’s when I first attempted to write a picture book.

Granted, I was busy writing middle grade during this time, but it took eight years from the moment I wrote that first picture book, to when I finally dared show a manuscript to my agent.

 

Where do you get your ideas? And, once you have an idea, how do you know if it is best suited for a Picture Book or a Middle Grade book? Do  you start out with the form specifically in mind or does it sometimes take you by surprise?

Most of my ideas come from life. PB&J Society was inspired by the 2009 recession, when so many people were losing their houses. I also dipped liberally into my own memories as a child. Help Wanted came from my daughter. She wanted Daddy to read her a bedtime story, but he was frantically working on a presentation for work the next day. She basically fired him then and there.

When I get an idea, it’s usually pretty clearly one or the other. Sometimes character age will dictate that. Sometimes it’s the simplicity/difficulty of the problem to be solved. And I’m a pretty visual thinker. With a picture book, I can usually see images in my head for how the story might unfold. With a middle grade, it’s more like a movie.

But every now and then, I’ll start a picture book and brainstorm my way into what could be a fun middle grade book. For example, I’m working on a picture book pirate story, and some of the ideas I jotted down for the resolution were pretty extensive. Way too much for a picture book. So I’ve tucked those ideas into my middle grade files.

 

What’s your favorite thing about working on Picture Books? What’s the most difficult? And how do those things compare to what you love about Middle Grade and what challenges you the most there?

PB and J | Interview wiht Janet Sumner Johnson | MUFWith picture books, I love the wordsmithing that’s involved. Every word matters. I get to mine my brain (and hone my Google searches) for word play and luscious words that can say MORE with less. The most difficult part is deciding what NOT to say. Pictures are so important, and leaving space for the illustrator can be a balancing act sometimes. What parts of the story need to be read, and what parts would be better left for the illustrator? I actually really enjoy figuring that out, but it’s definitely challenging.

After writing a picture book, middle grade feels so liberating. I get to use ALL THE WORDS (even if it will need revision). The whole story is mine, and I can tell as much or as little as I choose. But as freeing as that is, and as much as I love that freedom, that leads to my biggest challenge in middle grade: plotting out the story.

Plotting is tough! Not only do you have to figure out the main story, but then you have to create subplots that align and enhance the main plot. There’s so much space, and figuring out all the intricacies of the whens and the whys . . . it can be brain melting. It’s quite the contrast to picture book plotting which is so focused.

 

What skills have you gained from writing Picture Books that help in writing Middle Grade? How has writing Picture Books changed your Middle Grade writing?

So haha, Help Wanted | Interview wiht Janet Sumner Johnson | MUFthe biggest skill I’ve gained from writing picture books is plotting. As I mentioned above, I can get really bogged down with plotting in middle grade. Writing picture books has helped me learn to break it down, to really focus on the basics. Intricacies can be added in later, but if I focus on the plot in its simplest form first, that really helps me. In addition, because picture book plotting gives such an emphasis to story structure, that can help me see the possibilities of where I can go with the story when plotting a middle grade.

In addition to changing the way I think about plot, picture book writing has affected my writing on both a micro and macro level. Micro in that I tend to write a little leaner than I did before and spend more time on word choice (though I try to hold back the picture book writer in me until revisions). Macro in that I spend more time thinking about the heart of the story. Heart is so important in picture books. Without it, story can fall flat. That’s true for middle grade, too. And while I knew that, picture book writing made me think about it in a different way.

 

What was your biggest challenge in switching from Middle Grade to writing Picture Books? And, what advice do you have for writers looking to branch out into other forms?

My biggest challenge in making the switch was overcoming my own self-doubts. I would look at picture books I loved and think, “Wow, this book is amazing! I could never write something like that.” I wasted a lot of time with such destructive thinking.

Switching genres was definitely a challenge. It took me years of practice and study to figure it out (and I’m still figuring it out). But anything is possible. If you want to branch out, do it! Push away those doubts and go for it! Look for mentors who can help you through. I took a class from Susanna Leonard Hill called Making Picture Book Magic, and it was transformative. She has been an amazing mentor for me and for so many others.  So go for it! I believe in you.

 

Both  THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURES OF THE PB&J SOCIETY and HELP WANTED:  MUST LOVE BOOKS take a serious subject and infuse it with humor. Do you have any advice on how to write funny?

I love humor so much. It’s been my coping mechanism for as long as I can remember. The best advice I can give is to blend in the unexpected with the everyday and mundane. Do that well, and you’ve got humor gold. Three ways to throw in the unexpected is through your character, through the setting, and through the events.

For character examples, just look at Pigeon in DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! by Mo Willems. He takes an everyday event like driving the bus, and makes it hilarious by swapping out the bus driver. Or take the character Bunnicula in Deborah and James Howes’ BUNNICULA. Mixing a bunny and a vampire is just so unexpected! The cute and cuddly mixed with a horror monster. Neither is funny on its own, but put them together, and brilliant!

For setting, just look at ESCAPE FROM MR. LEMONCELLO’S LIBRARY by Chris Grabenstein. While authors and book people know that libraries are amazing, Chris Grabenstein made this one amazing to everyone! So many unexpected hidden clues, and even unexpected rooms in a library. He took something we all love and turned it on its head.

And for examples of humorous unexpected events, we have the typewriter and the cows’ demands in CLICK CLACK, MOO! COWS THAT TYPE by Doreen Cronin. So unexpected and hilarious!! It’s the combination of two mundane things that don’t usually go together that really make the book amazing.  And bonus, if you want to take a master class in unexpected events, study THE BEST WORST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER  (or any of the other books in that series) by Barbara Robinson. She is brilliant.

There’s so many great humorous books. Read them, and when you find yourself smiling or laughing, stop, and try to break down what the author did. I’m all about mentor texts.

 

I know a lot of your in-person events were cancelled due to COVID-19? Where can our readers find you on-line?

You can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. And you can always connect with me through my website, www.janetsumnerjohnson.com, which also has fun extras for both my books from coloring pages to teaching guides.

In addition, I’ve got some virtual events coming up:

On June 6th at 11 AM EST, I’ll be doing an online reading of HELP WANTED in conjunction with House of Books, a bookstore in Connecticut. I’ll be on their Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/hobookskent/.

I’ll also be participating in Nerd Camp SoCal on July 17th along with many other amazing authors. You do have to register for that, but it should be amazing!

Thanks so much for having me on From the Mixed-Up Files!

 

Janet’s picture book, HELP WANTED: MUST LOVE BOOKS is out now! You can find it and THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURES OF THE PB AND J SOCIETY at your favorite indie bookstore.

Help Wanted | Interview wiht Janet Sumner Johnson | MUF

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STEM Tuesday– Symbiotic Relationships– Author Interview

By on May 26, 2020   /   Animals, Author Interviews, Botany, Nonfiction Titles, STEM Tuesday, Symbiotic Relationships  

STEM Tuesday–Symbiosis– Interview with co-authors Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton

 

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview & Book Giveaway, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go, Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today we’re interviewing authors Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton, co-authors of Odd Couples, part of their “Things That Make You Go Yuck” series. Although busy with lots of projects–Jenn writes and illustrates science text books, and Charlie is a computational biologist–they say they collaborate on their books to meet a “fundamental ‘need’ to be creative.” Self-proclaimed science nerds who met through stand-up comedy, they bring humor to their books. In a time when basic biology has revealed its scary side, it’s a relief to be able to laugh a little while enjoying the fascinating tales of interrelationships in this book.

(*I had a lot of questions and Jenn and Charlie had a lot to share. This interview has been edited for brevity.–CCD)

 

Pictuer of the cover of Odd couples.

Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano: What’s Odd Couples about—and what was most important to you in deciding to write it?

CH: Odd Couples is part of a series of “Things That Make You Go Yuck!” books, all about interesting and unusual critters and plants. This book explores some of the cooperative – and competitive and completely bonkers – relationships between organisms. With Odd Couples and all the Yuck! Books, we wanted to show young readers that even the “yucky” bits of nature can be fascinating, inspiring and sometimes oddly beautiful.

JD: Every second is life or death in the wild, and sometimes organisms have to work together to survive. Odd Couples covers everything from weird mating habits to strange friendships (and  frenemy-ships). From a crab that waves sea anemones around like pom poms to ward off predators to sloths that have strange friendships moths that lays eggs in sloth poop, Odd Couples covers the oddest of the odd.

CCD: You are two co-authors of a book named Odd Couples, so of course I have to ask: What kind of an odd couple are you? How would you describe your creative partnership?

CH: Oh, we’re odd. We met around fifteen years ago doing amateur standup comedy around the Boston area among a crowd of fellow misfits. We began collaborating on creative projects a few years ago, which has turned out to be much more productive than telling jokes at a coffee shop at midnight on a Tuesday. We’ve taken a “sure, let’s try it” approach to projects, leading to working together on writing books as well as short plays, producing a web series and short films, and various other oddities-in-progress.

JD:  In biological terms, we’re in a parasitic relationship. The parasite is whomever is not paying the tab that week.

CCD: What’s one of your favorite organism relationships from the book? Why is it a favorite?

CH: We researched a number of parasites for Odd Couples, which is a really… interesting way to spend your Saturday afternoons. My favorite is a flatworm called Ribeiroia that infects frogs during one phase of its life cycle. The worms’ next stage of development occurs in birds. To improve their odds of getting there, the worms affect infected frogs’ development, causing them to grow extra, gangly useless legs that hinder their hopping. These frogs are less likely to escape birds trying to eat them, which is good for the worms – though not as much for the Franken-frogs. It’s basically a Bond movie villain strategy for getting ahead.

JD: My favorite animals are spiders. (Yes, really. I had pet tarantulas when I was younger.) So, I have to go with the peacock spider. It’s an adorable little arachnid who basically does the Y.M.C.A. dance to attract a mate. Scientists recently discovered a new species of peacock spider that has markings that resemble a skeleton. You know, because spiders need to double-down on their creepy reputation.

CCD: Can you say a little about how your writing partnership works? For example, who does what when?

CH: On most projects, we discuss an outline and detailed plans for writing. I promptly forget most of it, and Jenn reminds me of the parts she says that we both liked the best. It’s not the most efficient process, but it works. While writing, we generally pass material back and forth – in the case of Odd Couples, we agreed on a format and researched the organisms we wanted to include, then split them up to each write about our favorites. Sort of like a fantasy sports draft, only with more spiders and parasites.

JD: Nothing happens until food and drinks arrive. It’s very possible that our waiter/waitress is our muse. Several hours later, we have something that resembles an outline typed out in Jenn-ese on my phone. I translate it to something that resembles English, and from there it’s a 50/50 split. We’ve been writing together for so long that we’ve developed a joint voice, and we sometimes forget which part each of us wrote. There have been more than a few times we have seen/heard a joke in something we’ve written and wondered which one of us was responsible for that nonsense.

CCD: What’s next for you as authors?

JD: Another infographics book (is) waiting in the wings after Awesome Space Tech.

(Awesome Space Tech, also an infographics project, is Jenn and Charlie’s latest book. –CCD)

CCD: Well, I’d bet that your humor and serious science creds have led to yet another book that will inspire, entertain, and fascinate kids. Your symbiosis certainly benefits others! Thanks so much for your time!

Win a FREE copy of Odd Couples

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below.  (Scroll past the link to the previous post.) The randomly-chosen winner will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (within the U.S. only) to receive the book.

Good luck!

 

 

Snapshot of co-authors Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton in a comic pose.

Boston-based collaborators, Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton are co-authors of Prufrock Press’s series, “Things That Make You Go Yuck!” and, in Charlie’s words, “several other, far more ridiculous projects.”

By day, Jenn writes science textbooks, assessments, and lab manuals for grades K–12. By night, she writes comedy screenplays, stage plays, and other ridiculous things with Charlie Hatton. Her favorite creepy crawlies are spiders.

Charlie is a bioinformatician who slings data for a cancer research hospital–as well as a science fan and humorist. He enjoys working with genetic and other data to support cancer research, learning about new and interesting scientific areas, and referring to himself in the third person in biographical blurbs.

 

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photo of author and STEM Tuesday contribuor Carolyn DeCristofanoCarolyn DeCristofano, a founding team member of STEM Tuesday, is a children’s STEM author and STEM education consultant. She recently co-founded STEM Education Insights, an educational research, program evaluation, and curriculum development firm which complements her independent work as Blue Heron STEM Education. She has authored several acclaimed science books, including Running on Sunshine (HarperCollins Children) and A Black Hole is NOT a Hole (Charlesbridge).

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