Giveaways

It’s a New Book Release and Giveaway for one of our very own Mixed Up Files Authors . . .

Kimberley Griffiths Little!

When the Butterflies Came (Scholastic, 2013)

***A magical mystery!***

MUF: Why did you decide to make this story for middle grade readers?

I adore MG literature because the stories and emotions are so heartfelt and speak to the pivotal changes that go on in a kid’s life when they’re between 10-12. Reading was my *real* world when I was a kid . . . I read a book a day. Or better yet *devoured* a book a day. I was EXTREMELY shy as a child and my parents worried about me because I didn’t talk much to other people. Books were my lifesaver and best friends. We still have quite a close relationship and send greeting cards and yearly letters to each other – well mostly me to them – every chance we get.

The nice thing about middle Grade is that even though its meant for children, adults can read them too, but those are the adults that still view the world as magical and wondrous–and it’s nice that there are so many of them! I try to oblige that love (for everyone of all ages). 🙂

MUF: What was your favorite part of the book writing process?

I love when I’m thinking of a new book idea and my mind is working subconsciously – and suddenly ideas start spilling into my brain and I can’t write them down fast enough. That’s why I love first drafts more than revision. It’s all so exciting as the ideas pour out and they get down on paper. But you have to trust the process. Some days you’re pulling your hair out wondering how it’s all going to fit together, and then suddenly the Idea Goddess waves her sparkly wand and blesses you.

Researching all the gorgeous butterflies from around the world was fascinating as well as discovering the Island of Chuuk and talking to people who had lived there. Micronesia and Chuuk, especially, has a fascinating history!

MUF: Can you share an excerpt from the book that gives us a flavor of your character’s voice?

“The butterfly’s tiny black eyes fix on mine. We stare at each other, and it’s almost as if that butterfly is looking at me and knows who I am. Like it’s got a brain and is thinking.

That’s when I hear music again. Not Riley’s rock music rattling my brain, making me want to crunch my teeth. This is angel music, delicate, unearthly, filling me up until my heart feels like it’s gonna burst. This butterfly ain’t no regular butterfly!”

MUF: How did you come up with your characters voice? It started when my mind kept turning to one of the minor character from my previous book Circle of Secrets. I found myself wanting to know more about Tara Doucet. She’s a 7^th generation *Pantene Princess* of the Doucet family who lives in an old plantation house in the South. I mean, who doesn’t want to be Scarlett O’Hara! *Voice*, for me, comes after many hours of daydreaming about my character and mentally and visually putting myself in her shoes. I thought about Tara’s personal foibles, mannerisms, expressions, relationships, motivations, problems, friends and family.

A very curious picture began to emerge—not one I’d originally assumed. The most popular girl at school with silky waterfall hair was actually living in a crumbling mansion house (the trust fund is gone and they’re trying to “keep up appearances”) with a bratty older sister who wears combat boots—and she’s got a touch of OCD. The rug fringe in the front hall must be perfectly laid!

The person Tara is closest to, her Grammy Claire, is a research scientist studying some unusual butterflies in Micronesia. She’s even got a laboratory in a tree house. I also *love* the name for butterfly on the island of Chuuk: nipwisipwis – and with that word ideas for the story began to burst forth. Tara receives a set of mysterious letters and keys—from beyond the grave—which leads her on a dangerous journey as she discovers more and more about the butterflies. There are bad guys, too! Tara finds out she’s smarter and tougher than she ever thought, and, of course, the relationships of the characters is always a big component in my books as well as the magical realism.

MUF: Why did you choose the setting of your story?

I love islands and beaches and miss the ocean where I grew up near San Francisco living in the desert and mountains of New Mexico. Of course, The Doucet Mansion is set in the bayous/swamps of Louisiana in the small town of Bayou Bridge, but Grammy Claire’s research is on a remote island and her laboratory is in a tree house! Both settings are unusual and mysteriously beautiful. I was also looking for an excuse to justify a research trip out there since the waters are so pretty and the spa treatments so relaxing. 🙂 (Kidding!)

MUF: What can you tell us about your research process? What was your most unusual source?

Finding information about the Island of Chuuk was tricky, (especially since its on the other side of the world!) I scoured and read everything on the internet. Then I found some blogs by people who’d lived there – and got to talk to them by phone, which was extremely helpful. Then I went on Youtube and found some marvelous videos filmed on Chuuk as well as lots of articles about the island. I even spent hours poring over the Chuukese/English dictionary.

MUF: Who is your cover artist? Illustrator? Is the character in the illustration as you imagined him?

I’ve been blessed by the Cover Goddesses, too. Erin McGuire did the artwork for Circle of Secrets and Scholastic was so pleased they asked Erin to create the artwork for When the Butterflies Came, too. The two books have a completely different look, but the colors pop off the shelf and they’re gorgeous. Erin blogged about her process of creating my cover here. (You may be surprised at the other book jackets she’s done!): http://emcguire.blogspot.com/2012/07/when-butterflies-came-process.html

MUF: Do butterflies ever follow you?

Only on sunny, happy days. (Or the days I use rose scented perfume. It attracts them like moths to the flame! I usually feel like I’m being stalked by the Butterfly Paparazzi. I know I occasionally stalk them with a camera hoping for a perfect shot.) Or maybe butterflies *create* sunny, happy days! Butterflies are magical because they go through this incredible metamorphosis, changing from a green, icky caterpillar into a peculiar chrysalis and then burst out of their cocoon into a gorgeous colorful butterfly. Sort of like reincarnation or resurrection!

MUF: Was there a teacher or librarian in your childhood who inspired or empowered you to be a writer?

My 8th grade teacher raised his eyebrows when I turned in a *novel* instead of a term paper, but he was very empowering when he had me reading the Classics and writing projects the other students weren’t. He encouraged me to keep writing and gave me a sense that I had a spark of talent. I think it may have been more desire than talent because it took a REALLY LONG TIME to get published, but I still think about him and his encouragement.

MUF: What is your favorite…place to write? Work day snack? 

My brother and his family came down and invaded my already stuffed house a couple Christmases ago and built me a writing cottage on the back of our one-acre property so I could get away from the crazy and just write. It was exactly what I needed but needless to say *the crazy* has a tendency of following me out there on little children’s feet. Writing breaks usually include a Large Dr. Pepper w/Ice and a salad from a local pizza place or if I’m feeling in need of a particularly large amount of “Inspiration”, then a large batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies followed by a short sugar coma on my daybed.

And now for a Spectacular Giveaway!

A signed hardcover of WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME

*PLUS* pretty bookmarks

*PLUS* a butterfly/key necklace!

Just leave a comment and you’re entered! If you share on your blog/Facebook/Twitter, etc. please let us know and your get your name added an extra time for more chances to win!

***Winner announced on Thursday, June 6th! The book trailer for WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME will air that day as well so come back for all the fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kimberley Griffiths Little just turned in the manuscript for her next magical realism novel for Summer 2014 – which includes time-slipping and a cursed doll. You can find her hanging out a lot on Facebook. (Check our her recent FB photo album of Petra, Jordan – yep, another book research trip!) Enjoy Teacher’s Guides and Mother/Daughter Book Club Guides and “filmed on location” book trailers at her website.

 

 

I’d like to introduce Lauren Baratz-Logsted. She’s one of the three co-authors of The Sisters 8 series.  Lauren has experienced two unique situations in the writing industry. One is writing with her husband and middle-grade daughter. The other you will read about later.  So grab a scone and a warm cup of tea and curl up for an interesting conversation!

Me:  Where did you get the concept for The Sisters 8  series?

Lauren:  In  December of 2006, when Jackie was still just six, we were visiting friends in  Crested Butte, Colorado, when a great blizzard hit that closed Denver Airport.  Our friends have no TV nor were there any other children around. This was fine  for the originally allotted time for the trip, but when the blizzard extended  our stay to 10 days, well, how many snow angels can a person make? Jackie had  always been proud of my career but never able to read any of the books because  they were for adults and teens. So, toward the end, to keep Jackie entertained,  I asked her what kind of book she’d like. Her: A book about sisters. Me: How  many sisters? Her: 8. (Trust me, she’d give a different answer today, having  gotten rather used to being the center of the universe.) Me: How old should they be? Her: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Me: That would be interesting, but what if we  made them something really rare like, say, octuplets? Before we knew it, my  husband Greg got into the act. We began brainstorming an entire book about  octuplets whose parents go missing one New Year’s Eve, leaving the eight  girls to solve the mystery of what happened to their parents while keeping the  rest of the world from realizing they’re living home alone. Our brainstorming  kept us entertained through the rest of of the trip and the long flight  back to Connecticut on Christmas Day. Jackie named all the sisters, I named the  cats, and Greg came up with all the crazy inventions like the talking  refrigerator and the flying watering can. Little did we know then that something  that started simply as a way to keep ourselves entertained would turn into a  nine-book series from a major publisher.

Me: That’s awesome. So can we call you the original Octomom? (just kidding, of course!) What role did each of you play in the writing process? And how was it to work together–fun, exciting, stressful?

Lauren:  When we got home from Colorado, just for fun I wrote the prologue and first  chapter. I read it to Greg and Jackie, and then we all discussed what  worked/didn’t work and what needed to happen next. That became the template for  the entire series. So I did the actual writing, but The Sisters 8 would not  exist without my co-creators. I can go through each book and see their  contributions to our invention and those contributions are massive. I think for  them it was always just fun and exciting – I’m the only one that would add  stressful! But that’s because I was the one who was responsible for keeping what  would eventually be over a thousand pages of continuous story in my brain. When  we were working on the series, sometimes we’d go out for what we called  “editorial brunches” to discuss things. But sometimes, the other two would be  throwing ideas at me so fast with me scribbling on napkins and I’d feel like  saying, “Can’t I eat my eggs first?” Still, despite the stresses of being “The  Pen” I wouldn’t change having done this for the world. Nothing in my writing  career has matched the joy of getting to work with my family on The Sisters 8  and I can’t imagine anything that ever will.

Me: I love that! There’s nothing more thrilling than to see children involved and excited about writing, books and creating.  Does your daughter, Jackie, aspire to be a writer as a career? 

Lauren:  Jackie is 13 now. She does enjoy writing, but she also enjoys acting and  singing, and she plays a mean electric guitar – all things that have guaranteed  well-paying careers with full benefits! She also likes shows about  house-flipping. Honestly, I have no idea what she’ll do for a career, and I  don’t think she does either, but whatever she chooses I suspect she’ll be good  at it and I hope she’ll be happy.

Me: It’s so hard to know what they’ll do. My daughter (and co-author) wants to go to the Olympics for archery. But it’s still fun to write together! It was hard facing rejections though.  Did your previous relationships with editors, agents and industry  professionals help ease concerns when working with a child author? Did  it require convincing or were they unconcerned (perhaps even excited) about working with Jackie?

Lauren:  I did have a prior relationship with our editor at Houghton Mifflin  Harcourt, Julia Richardson. She’d also been my editor at Simon & Schuster  where she’d bought three books from me and two from Greg. She’d even met Jackie  before. So, no, they were not concerned at all, only excited. When we went to  Boston to meet with everyone else at the company, they just loved Jackie, which  is an easy thing to do. She’s funny, bright, creative and easygoing, so what’s  not to love? A few months before the first two books came out, they had us do a  group book signing at the New England Independent Bookseller Association’s  annual conference. The night before, while out to dinner she talked me into  buying her a large stuffed lobster, which she put in front of her on the signing  table, signing books with a large feather pen she’d brought from home. People  just couldn’t stop smiling at her. And I do believe she was on to something.  Perhaps all authors should sign with stuffed lobsters. I know if Norman  Mailer were still alive, he’d be more accessible with one.

Me: Too cute! I’m keeping that idea in my back pocket!  So, The Sisters 8 series is traditionally published, but your Hat City series is  self published, correct? Tell us a bit about that experience.

Lauren:  The sad truth about traditional publishing is that even when something is  successful on some measures and The Sisters 8 has sold 200,000 copies, it still  can be not enough and the publisher has no plans to do more at this time. And  yet, every day, I receive emails from kids – and parents, grandparents, teachers  and librarians – telling me they love the series, sometimes even that they hated  reading before discovering the books, and that they want more. If it were up to  me, we’d be writing The Sisters 8 forever – and The Brothers 8! – and it’s  immensely gratifying to think that something we originally did for  ourselves has turned into a source of joy for so many. But it’s also been  heart-breaking, having all these kids who want more and not being able to give  it to them. So I decided to start a new series and publish it on my own. How  it’s different: everything is on me, which makes it tremendously scary and  tremendously wonderful all at the same time.

 

Me:  One last question:  Pistachio ice cream or lemon bars? Skittles or Dove chocolate? Elves and fairies or the creature from the black lagoon? (Okay, that was more than one…)

Lauren:  Greg is a huge fan of pistachios but in nearly 30 years together, I don’t  think I’ve ever seen him eat pistachio ice cream, and I can’t remember any of us eating lemon bars. Greg and Jackie are both Skittles and Dove chocolate, while  I’m just Dove. We are all elves and fairies and The Creature from The  Black Lagoon.

Me:  I think we’d get along famously! Thanks for joining us here today, Lauren!

Lauren has offered to give away not one, not two, not three but four (yes, FOUR) books in The Sisters 8 series!  Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below and leave a blog post comment and maybe you’ll be the lucky winner of the following four books! (open to U.S. only, please)

A rather large problem has befallen the Huit girls. (Sisters, actually. Octuplets to be exact.) One particular New Year’s Eve, the girls wait for their mommy to bring them hot chocolate and their daddy to return with more wood for the fire. But they don’t. Mommy and Daddy, that is. They’re gone. Poof! Maybe dead—no one knows for sure.
You must see the problem here. Eight little girls on their own, no mommy or daddy to take care of them. This is not a good thing.
So now these little girls, must take care of themselves. Get to school, cook the meals, feed the cats (eight of them, too), and pay the bills. They can’t ask for help, oh no. Any self-respecting adult would surely call in social services, and those well-meaning people would have to split them up. After losing their parents, being split up would be completely unbearable.
At the same time, the question remains:What happened to Mommy and Daddy? The Sisters Eight (as they are called, affectionately and otherwise) are determined to find out. Luckily, they do seem to have someone or something helping them. Notes keep appearing behind a loose brick in the fireplace.
It’s a good old-fashioned mystery with missing (or dead) parents, nosy neighbors, talking refrigerators, foul-smelling fruitcake (is there any other kind?), and even a little magic. Eight little girls, eight cats, and one big mystery—let the fun begin!