Posts Tagged Author Interview

Author Spotlight: Katie Kirby

By on July 3, 2025   /   Articles, Author Interviews  
Today, let’s give a hearty Mixed-Up Files welcome to Katie Kirby, the author/illustrator of The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks. The novel, first published in the U.K. in 2021 and praised by Kirkus as “a funny and reassuring reminder that no matter how great Plan A seems, sometimes Plan B turns out to be better,” is now available from Random House in the U.S.

Lottie Brooks: A Summary:

Lottie Brooks is 11 ¾ and her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to start secondary school without any friends or glamorous swooshy hair, but she’s just discovered she’s too flat-chested to even wear A BRA! She might as well give up now and go into hibernation with her hamsters, Sir Barnaby Squeakington and Fuzzball the Third.

Lottie navigates the perils of growing up in this fantastically funny new illustrated series for pre-teens filled with friendship, embarrassing moments and, of course, KitKat bars.

Q&A with Katie Kirby

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Katie. Huge congrats on the U.S. publication of Lottie Brooks!

KK: Thank you so much! I’m very happy to be here and very excited to be bringing Lottie to America. I think she’s going to love it!

Welcome to America, Lottie!

MR: Although Lottie Brooks is new to American readers, the series is wildly popular in the U.K. (The eighth book in the series came out in the U.K. yesterday.) You even have Lottie merch, including T-shirts, totes, and sweatshirts, and mugs. What is it like to experience this kind of success following a debut? It must be pretty heady, right?

KK: To be honest with you, it’s completely mind blowing! With the first Lottie book, I just wrote something I would have enjoyed reading when I was Lottie’s age – I had no idea it would resonate with so many readers. But I’m obviously very chuffed it has, and even more chuffed that I get to say my job is being an author!

Lottie Brooks: The Inspiration

MR: What inspired you to write Lottie Brooks? I have a feeling, but I don’t want to be presumptuous. 🙂 

KK: I was a big reader when I was younger and I particularly loved books that reflected how I was thinking and feeling – Judy Blume was my number one fave! She put into words all the things I couldn’t say out loud, and that really helped me through those tricky tween and teen years. With Lottie, I’ve tried to do the same thing.

MR: And you’ve succeeded. I too am a HUGE Judy Blume fan (check out my love letter to Judy here), and I definitely picked up on the influence Judy’s writing had on your book, particularly her 1970 classic, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Both Margaret and Lottie are obsessed with bras and breast growth! 

As a follow-up, did you always envision Lottie Brooks as a series?

KK: My first book deal was for two books, so a series was always on the cards, but of course I had no idea how it would be received. Now I’m writing Book 9 and have no plans to stop!

Dear Diary…

MR: Lottie Brooks is written in diary form. What informed this stylistic decision? Did you keep diaries as a child?

KK: Funnily enough, I actually started writing the book in chapters but felt it wasn’t working quite as well. I feel like diaries lend themselves well to humor, and when I switched to that format it clicked. I also love that in a diary the protagonist can just mainly dump their innermost thoughts and feelings.

And yes, I kept diaries on and off when I was younger. They are very cringeworthy to read now, but I’m also very glad I have them – so many memories!

Portrait of an Artist

MR: In addition to writing the novel, you created the illustrations. What was the process like for you? Did you do both at the same time or add the illustrations later? Also, how does being an artist influence your writing—and vice-versa?

KK: I love doing the illustrations. I feel they add real comedy value and are often the punchline to a scene/entry. I really don’t think my books would be the same without them.

In terms of the process, I used to do the illustrations at the same time as the text, but as deadlines have got shorter, I now tend to do most of the text first and mark out places where I’ll add illustrations later on.

I love that you refer to me as an ‘artist’ but I’m not sure stick people really count – ha ha! Thanks though 😊

By Popular Consensus

MR: An overarching theme in the book is popularity. In fact, the drive to be popular causes Lottie to turn her back on her new friend at school, Jess. Why do you think tweens behave in a way that doesn’t align with their values, just to fit in? Also, is this a theme you explore in your other Lottie books?

KK: I think tweens often do feel really pressured to be popular and that being popular is the key to being happy–but that’s not the way it really works, and Lottie learns this the hard way. Her friend Jess is unapologetically herself and doesn’t care what people think of her. Don’t we all wish we could be more like Jess!

Friendships, high school hierarchies, and mean girls are common themes across the series. I won’t give too much away, but Lottie goes on a real learning journey.

The Perils of Puberty

MR: Puberty is handled in a sympathetic yet hilarious way. Lottie’s family even throws her a “pubic-hair tea party” to celebrate Lottie’s first hair. Was your experience as a prepubescent similar to Lottie’s? Also, what advice would you give to 12-year-old Katie?

KK: LOL – the pubic hair tea party, I certainly didn’t get one of those!! I remember my mum giving me factual books on puberty, but we didn’t really talk about it much. I wish we had, as I think that would have made it feel much less awkward and embarrassing.

I would say to myself at 12 – don’t be ashamed as your body changes, it’s all perfectly normal and happens to everyone, and don’t worry, you won’t be flat-chested forever!

Publishing Across the Pond

MR: As above, this book was first published in the U.K. in 2021 and has been adapted for an American audience (i.e., Lottie says “Mom” instead of “Mum,” and “chips” instead of “crisps,” etc.) Were you involved in this part of the publishing process? If so, what was it like?

KK: I got to approve all of the changes, but to be honest, I largely left it in the very capable hands of my editor! I was very happy for her to make any changes that would make the book work better for U.S. readers.

Blogger-Turned-Children’s Author

MR: Prior to writing the Lottie Brooks series, you were a blogger. (Katie’s popular parenting blog, Hurrah for Gin, was adapted into a best-selling book.) What prompted your decision to write for children?

KK: That’s a blast from the past! I had always loved writing, hence the blog, and my UK publishers came across it and felt like the style would work well for children, too. I guess on reflection it was kind of silly and immature. Anyway, they asked me to give it a try, and hence Lottie was born!

Plotter or Pantser?

MR: What is your writing process like? Do you have a specific routine or word-count goals? Any writing rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

KK: I’m a PANTSER in capital letters, but I really wish I could say I was a plotter, as surely that would make my life less stressful?! Sometimes I have no idea where a book is going to go when I start writing it. I also get bored quickly so write scenes from the middle or end and then have to fit them all back together like a complicated jigsaw. It’s a real headache!

MR: Finally, what’s next on your writing agenda, Katie? Would you mind sharing a bit about your latest project?

KK: I can’t share too much as obviously I’m writing quite far down the line in Lottie’s adventures, but I will say there is PLENTY of drama and embarrassing moments in store for poor Lottie!

Lightning Round!

MR: Oh! One last thing. No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Corn-based crisps (or chips as you’d say!). I don’t think you have Monster Munch, so I’ll go with Cheetos.

MG authors that inspire you? Judy Blume – My OG writing hero!

Coffee or tea? Coffee – I hate tea, which is not very British of me!

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Nay – I’d be dead in 30 seconds.

Superpower? The ability to pause time. Think about the clever comebacks!

Favorite place on earth? This is cheesy – but home.

You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? Suncream, water, and an inflatable flamingo.

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Katie—and congratulations on the publication of The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too.

Bio

Katie Kirby is a writer and illustrator who lives by the sea in Hove, England, with her husband, two sons, and dog Sasha. She has a degree in Advertising and Marketing and after spending several years working in London media agencies, she started a blog called Hurrah for Gin, which was adapted to a best-selling humorous parenting book. Katie likes gin (obviously), rabbits, over-thinking things, the smell of launderettes, and Monster Munch. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks is her first novel. Learn more about Katie on her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Author Melissa Roske smiling and signing a book at a bookstore event. She is seated at a wooden table in front of bookshelves, wearing a sleeveless purple dress.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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STEM Tuesday– Cephalopods — Author Interview with Lynne Kelly

By on June 24, 2025   /   Cephalopods/Mollusks, STEM Tuesday  

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

Today we’re interviewing Lynne Kelly, author of Three Blue Hearts (October 2025). The book involves Max, a twelve-year-old who lives in the shadow of a powerful father and struggles with expectations that don’t match his own interests. One day, while visiting a beach town with his mother, Max sees an octopus that he thinks is dead. Instead, the octopus is injured and Max makes it his mission to find help and care for it. In doing so, he not only learns about how unique these creatures are, but finds the strength to set his own path for his life.

 

Christine Taylor-Butler: Hi Lynne. You’ve written several books about kids and animals. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Lynne Kelly: No, I always loved books but didn’t think about writing them until I was teaching special ed, grades 3-5. I had bookshelves all over the room. I helped students find the right book for them and did a lot of read alouds in the classroom. Over time I discovered old favorites and found new ones.

CTB: So what was your first book?

Chained cover

Lynne: Chained, published by Macmillan in 2012. I didn’t realize that the road to publication would take six years. But after some time I liked finding an idea and figuring out what story could lead from there. It helps to be a big reader but learning how to write a story is more difficult. Once I began learning about writing and publishing I wanted to keep going.

CTB: So your background was in teaching?

Lynne: I taught for just a few years but have been a sign language interpreter for much longer. I loved teaching special ed. I started in 2000. But I didn’t love the planning and paperwork. I couldn’t quit my job and just write for a living so I went back to sign language interpreting as the only day job.

CTB: I noticed that your book, Song For A Whale, the main character is deaf and helps a whale who is also struggling. You used your experience with American Sign Language to help the reader understand the richness and the culture.

Song for a whale cover

Lynne: Yes. I think it’s important. There are a lot of services being offered by non-deaf influencers, but the most important resources come from those who live with being deaf every day. For example, my favorite website is ASL University. It’s easier to learn from those who are deaf so you can get it right. They have a huge video dictionary which is better than a two-dimensional book. And there are lessons if you want. There’s also a YouTube channel where deaf people demonstrate sign language so others can learn.

CTB: So this is STEM Tuesday and our monthly topic is on cephalopods. Tell us about your new book, Three Blue Hearts?

Three Blue Hearts coverLynne: It’s been in the works for a long time. Parts of it I wrote 10 years ago. The setting is made up from different coastal towns in Texas, including Indianola. That town was pummeled by two hurricanes in the late 1800’s and is now a ghost town. Much of the old town is now underwater. In the book, the main character, Max, is a sweet compassionate kid, but his father is an overbearing politician and car salesman. They also look alike. So when Max travels to the beach with his mother, it’s a welcome change from the pressures of trying to fulfill what others have planned for him – like being a football star.

Max and his mother arrive at the beach town when it’s stormy. The next day he finds an injured octopus in the sand and initially thinks it’s dead. Even so, he knows he can’t walk away. The octopus reaches out to him. So he finds help and ends up taking care of her.

CTB: How does he know it’s a girl?

Lynne: Max finds a vet clinic/wildlife center. There, he meets a guy named Jordan who helps get the octopus into a tank. Jordan points out one particular arm in which the suckers go all the way to the end. That indicates the octopus is a girl.

CTB: How did you find the facts that helped you write about Max taking care of the octopus over the summer?

Lynne: I knew I had to make a connection between the two. I had read Soul of an Octopus in 2015. I also had a National Geographic at home with an octopus on the cover. I saw an article where someone found an octopus in a parking garage after a storm. So I thought, “That’s the animal.”

Max feels honored the octopus seemed to reach out to him even though he was the only one on the beach at the time. Over time, caring for the animal, Max learns that focusing on the things that interest him are okay. He finds strength and learns it’s okay to say no to his dad (no one says no to his dad).

CTB: What research did you learn about the octopus that you would want kids to know?

octopus pulling handLynne: I watched documentaries, then got to meet octopuses at various aquariums, including Houston Zoo. At the zoo, I did a behind-the-scenes tour where I could meet them. In one instance, one of my hands was being pulled into a tank by an octopus while my other hand took pictures. The ones I met were Giant Pacific. They’re the ones most people think of even though it’s not the one in the book. They are huge. At the Houston Zoo, the octopus didn’t have a name so I named her Ursula. I used the same name in my book. Max thinks the octopus he finds looks like a deflated volleyball, so it’s smaller than the ones most people see in public aquariums.

CTB: What are their personalities like? They are so intelligent.

octopus with fishLynne: I’d written about mammals before but octopuses are so different. They’re good puzzle solvers. I was reading about their brains. It’s almost as if they have nine brains. There is a central brain, and each arm has its own brain. They can hunt for food with one arm while punching an animal with the other. They don’t have long lives. They live about 3 years. And they don’t grow up with examples, so their behavior has to be instinctual. Their fathers die after mating. Their mothers watch over the eggs then dies when they hatch.

Another thing. Octopuses have three hearts – hence the name of the book. They also have blue blood. It contains hemocyanin which is a copper-rich protein rather than iron like humans have. Octopuses have camouflaging abilities in both color and texture. Think about it. They can blend in with coral reefs despite being color-blind. Somehow its body knows what color and texture is around them. It is almost as if their skin sees their surroundings.

CTB: Where is Max caring for the octopus in your book?

OctopusLynne: Max hangs out at the center. He’d grabbed post-storm debris for a makeshift tank while he searched for help. He meets Emmett, who suggests they take her to a beach house, which is the wildlife care center. Inside they see injured animals such as sea gulls, pelicans, and a sea turtle with a cracked shell. The center names the animals after book characters. They have a tank big enough to care for the octopus until she’ll be strong enough release back to the environment. Octopuses have escaped, so they have to weigh down the lid. They also have a lot of hatchlings. Some have hundreds, others have tens of thousands. Most will not make it which may be why octopuses have so many eggs.

Max was not knowledgeable so the reader is going to learn about the octopus along with him. For example, octopuses do recognize people. There are studies about it. In one study, one person would bring food and another person would poke it with a bristly thing. The octopus would shoot water at the person that poked it and swim towards the one with the food.

I enjoyed writing the story and watching Max wonder why he is so worried about the animal. Maybe it’s about him wanting to do something right.

 

CTB: So is there a future book you want us to watch out for? Anything you are excited about?

Lynne: I’m working on different projects but nothing is confirmed yet. Stay tuned.

CTB: Anything else you want our blog readers to know?

Lynne: Yes. The book comes out on October 7, 2025. That’s the day before World Octopus Day (October 8). It’s just a coincidence but very exciting.

I’m also doing an author Q&A session. Anyone who buys even one copy of the book, can get a link to the session.  

L Kelly promotion

 

L Kelly headshot

Photo by Sam Bond

Lynne Kelly’s career as a sign language interpreter has taken her everywhere from classrooms to hospitals to Alaskan cruises. Her 2019 novel Song For a Whale, about a deaf girl named Iris who forms an unlikely bond with the “loneliest whale in the world,” has been described as “finely crafted,” “important,” and “uplifting” by reviewers from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal. Song For a Whale received the 2020 Schneider Family Book Award and was named one of the best books of the year by New York Public Library. Her latest book, Three Blue Hearts, releases in October 2025. Lynne lives near Houston, Texas. Find her online at Lynnekellybooks.com and on Twitter @Lynnekelly.

 

author christine Taylor-butler

Photo by Kecia Stovall

Your host is Christine Taylor-Butler, MIT Visiting Scholar and author of close to 90 nonfiction books for kids. She is also the author of the STEM based middle grade series The Lost Tribes. Follow @ChristineTB on X, @ctaylorbutler.bsky.social‬ on Bluesky and/or @ChristineTaylorButler on Instagram

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Author Spotlight: Tom Phillips + a GIVEAWAY

By on June 20, 2025   /   Author Interviews  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Tom Phillips about his middle-grade novel, The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves 3: The Peruvian Express, an exciting mystery published by Pixel and Ink Press and described by School Library Journal as “perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket.”

Despite a lifelong struggle with dyslexia, Tom Phillips grew up with a passion for storytelling. He writes books that kids can enjoy on their own, but also read aloud and share, including the first book in the Curious League series, Egypt’s Fire. He’s had a long career as a writer and artist for clients such as HBO, Disney, and ABC. An armchair Sherlockian, Tom lives in Los Angeles with his lovely wife and his dog, Dr. Watson. Learn more and connect with Tom at https://www.tomphillipswriter.com/

All About the Book!

All aboard for a high-speed new case in the third installment of this middle grade mystery series for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Enola Holmes.

Stranded on a mountain in Peru after the crash of a luxury airship, John Boarhog has only one mission on his mind: reuniting with his mentor and guardian, Inspector Toadius McGee. John’s convinced that if he makes his way to a plume of smoke in the distance, the great detective will be waiting. The only problem is there’s a whole rainforest between them.

After battling their way through the Amazon, John and his friends find a train—The Peruvian Express—and its glittering owner, Oro Del Rey, the Golden King, who offers them passage as they continue to search for their loved ones.

Soon John’s investigation goes off the rails when he’s asked to help to locate an infamous Object of Doom. But he’s not the only one on the hunt. . . .

The third book in The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves, The Peruvian Express is a hilarious, fast-paced mystery packed with action, wit, and another unforgettable adventure.

Scroll down for details about how enter a giveaway to win signed copies of all three of Tom’s books!

Interview with Tom Phillips!

Sydney: Welcome, Tom! Thank you so much for being a guest on the Mixed-up Files! I adore The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves series. And so do a lot of people, as you’ve had a book listed as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and you’ve also been nominated for a Beehive Award and a Mark Twain Award. Can you give our readers a little background on the series and the two books leading up to The Peruvian Express?

Tom: The first book is called Egypt’s Fire. It is the story of a boy named John Boarhog who lives in The Museum of Natural History in New York City. He gets framed for stealing a ruby and has to team up with a detective to clear his name and catch the real thief, a criminal mastermind known as the Mauve Moth. The second book is called S.O.S. It takes place on a cruise ship in the sky after John has solved his first case and is now a young detective. He is now super-popular and has to navigate being a kid and a detective. It’s about the hazards of social media and how to find real friends.

Inspiration

Sydney: Your characters are so spunky and interesting, and your stories combine fun and action with so much heart. What was the inspiration behind the series, and this book in particular?

Tom: I wanted to write about stories I would have read when I was that age. And I am dyslexic, so I’m a reluctant reader, and I wanted to write a book that kids who don’t like to read will love.  I was the video editor at Reading Rainbow and something that LeVar Burton said was that if you get a self-selecting reader, you’ll have a reader for life, so I wanted to write a book that was fast and funny but still had heart and substance.

Praise

Sydney: The Peruvian Express received high praise from Kirkus: “While punctuating the narrative with nods to pop-culture icons from Agatha Christie to Indiana Jones, he also contrives to include suitable numbers of sudden threats, hair’s-breadth rescues, secret agendas and messages, betrayals, explosions, and feats of both courage and clever deduction.” How in the world do you come up with so many zany, exciting, page-turning ideas, and how do you keep track of it all while writing?

Tom: The best part of writing for kids is that your readers haven’t already read everything that’s out there. I’m interested in introducing kids to mysteries so they love very similar things to what I enjoy like Agatha Christie and Indiana Jones. The Peruvian Express has a lot of similar themes as The Orient Express. I want to get kids excited so they’ll go read more mysteries. I keep track of it with a board on my wall where I use the twelve points of the hero’s journey to plot. I meticulously put the puzzle together.

Details

Sydney: You describe the train so vividly, as well as the Peruvian setting. Did you have to do a lot of research to get the details so well? What in the story comes from personal experience? It all sounds so authentic.

Tom: I bought a book about a cruise ship that has a map of all the decks. I bought a book about The Orient Express that has a map of the layout of the train. I have not been to Peru, but I watch a lot of the Discovery Channel. I base it off truth and then put in my own fictional details.

Characters

Sydney: I’m a huge fan of your main character, John Boarhog, but you have a wonderful supporting cast of secondary characters too. Do you have a favorite secondary character? Who and why?

Tom: My favorite character to write is the Great Goatini. He’s funny.  My favorite character outside of John in Shim-Sham The Monkey because he has the personality most similar to my own, so I can ask myself, what would I do?

Takeaways

Sydney: What do you hope readers take away from this story?

Tom: This book is about finding yourself and paving your own path. The 32 Rules for Detectives are what I want to tell boys so they can find their own truth. It’s our job as men to tell the younger generation that it’ s okay to be silly, it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to dream, that happiness is a truth.

Words of Wisdom

Sydney: Do you have any advice for writers?

Tom: Three tips for writers:

  1. Even if you’re a pantser, figure out what you want the book to be and then plot it.
  2. Find your time to write and then write as much as you can at that time because once you get in the routine, your brain is ready for that routine and has less writer’s block.
  3. If you can, when you write your first chapter, try to do it by hand on paper. If you have a pen or pencil in your hand it makes you think more about what words you want to write.

Sydney: What’s a current book that you have enjoyed recently?

Tom: I just read James Ponti’s Sherlock Society. I think he’s the funniest and best of us all.

Sydney: What is your favorite part about being an author?

Tom: The kids! I was just in Missouri at a school visit, and some of the kids had never seen an author before. I loved having a chance to connect with them, and see their eyes light up, and know that some of them may one day become writers.

Sydney: Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?

Tom: I’m working on a horror book series and a retelling of Oliver Twist.

And for the lightning round:

Coffee or tea?

Tea

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset

Favorite place to travel:

Home to Colorado

Favorite dessert:

Key lime pie

Superpower:

I’d love to have technokinesis so I could communicate with machines.

Favorite music:

It’s very eclectic and depends on what I’m writing.

Favorite book from childhood:

The Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot by Robert Author

Thanks again, Tom! It was so much fun to learn about you, your writing journey, and your amazing novel! Learn more about Tom on his website and follow him on Instagram.

For a chance to win signed copies of the three Curious League books, comment on the blog!  (Giveaway ends June 27, 2025 MIDNIGHT EST.) U.S. only, please. 

 

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