Interview with Paint Me a Monster author Janie Baskin

Janie Baskin's acclaimed YA novel, Paint Me a Monster has just been released in softcover!  To commemorate the event, we have a Goodreads Giveaway going on right now (see the bottom of the post), and we interviewed Ms. Baskin about the writing of Paint Me a Monster and about being an author.  Check it out!

Scarlet Voyage: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Janie Baskin: Mrs. Burkham, my third grade teacher, had a class project—to make an anthology about the seasons. Each student needed to submit at least one poem; I submitted a dozen!  I loved poetry and Mother Goose nursery rhymes, and this was my chance to create my own.  After that, writing and drawing were some of my favorite playmates, though I didn’t formally write stories until high school.  Each letter I wrote home from summer camp (and I wrote every day) or a thank you note for a gift, turned out to be a little story. 

               Writing eventually took a back seat to illustrating and making art until my first illustrated book was published. Because I was interested in writing picture books, it seemed a natural progression to learn to write so I could both write and illustrate.

SV:  How did you begin your writing career?

JB: As I mentioned, I was a fine artist and illustrator who loved to write. Both fields require similar characteristics to succeed:  imagination, curiosity, attention to detail, and the willingness to work hard and be patient. After publishing as an illustrator, the challenge to become a skilled writer and author became the next rung to reach. I involved myself in a number of writing organizations, including a community writing program called Off Campus Writer’s  Workshop ( OCWW) and an independent critique group. The workshop introduced us to published authors who shared their expertise, and encouraged participants to write and submit their work for critique. Joining The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators offered an array of opportunities to learn more about writing and the book world.  At one of the OCWW meetings I heard that Vermont College offered an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. It was the only school in the country that offered such a specific degree. I sent in samples of my writing, got accepted and worked like crazy cakes to learn as much as my brain could hold.

SV: What inspired you to write Paint Me A Monster?

JB: Good question. What I had learned about writing is that you just have to write- you have to start somewhere even if that start later takes a turn in a totally different direction. My advisor told me to “write what you know, dig deep and don’t be afraid to get messy.”  I knew how fun and how hard it sometimes was to grow up in my family. I knew about life with a sister and brother, and I knew about going to an all girls’ school where completing homework assignments was like scaling Mt. Everest.

These kernels and my advisor’s push to “ keep digging deeper” inspired “Paint Me A Monster.”

SV: What is the one message you want readers to take away from Paint Me A Monster?

JB: It’s my hope that readers will turn the last page of Paint Me A Monster” with more compassion and understanding than they had when they turned the first page. If I could give my readers anything it would be the message that “you are not alone”, that life isn’t about “doing it yourself “.  It’s a collaborative effort; and because it is, what we think may be unworthy, or unable to change, can transform if we’re not afraid to ask for help.

SV: How did you go about researching and planning for writing Paint Me A Monster?

JB: Much of the book is based on reality and then fictionalized so the need for research was limited. When I came to something that needed to be researched, for example, what it is a high school counselor does, and how he might do it, I’d make a note that this information needed refining. This allowed me to continue writing without worrying about details. It’s easy to procrastinate during the writing process and not always so easy to return to the emotional and mental place a scene may require.

For smaller items like the kind of car that might have been driven in a specific year, research would have been immediate.

  

Sources for research included: reading the books my protagonist and her peers might have read, consulting with Chambers of Commerce for a variety of cities, speaking with professionals in health related fields, consulting books about issues such as eating disorders, and child abuse, reviewing my teaching and child development text books, and of course from thinking  a lot about personal experiences and sometimes reenacting them.

SV: Where there any particular obstacles you encountered while writing this book?

JB: There were no particular writing obstacles; however, getting the time line accurate was a challenge.  I did think about what effect the story might have on family members. I was concerned that people who know my family might erroneously assign truth to parts of the story.

SV: What is your typical day of writing like?

JB: Before I describe my routine, it’s important to say that much writing is done while I amble about. Perhaps I am taking a walk, driving, or reading for pleasure. I call this purposeful ambling. It’s the time ideas are generated, re-worked, and produce other ideas.

               I have two basic work scenarios. In the first, I wake up early, workout, return home, clean up (sometimes), eat something and write for about three hours. Then I break for lunch, look at e-mail, make calls that can’t wait, then go back to writing for three more hours.

The second scenario occurs when a brainstorm happens while I’m sleeping. I get up, write it down, and because I am so excited, often go into my studio and flesh out the concept. I write until there is no more to say at the time. Then I get up and start the day.

SV: What is your favorite YA book?

JB: The Once and Future King by T.H. White.  I first read this book when I was a freshman in high school and can still visualize Merlin, Wart (Arthur), Guenivere and the other unique characters in their full glory. This couldn’t happen if the writing and tale had not been so enchanting. The idea of growing younger and turning into a fish or bird in order to learn a lesson still astounds me. I still wish I could have Arthur’s experiences and a Merlin-like mentor.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Paint Me a Monster

by Janie Baskin

Giveaway ends September 21, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Interview with a Zombie (Author)

Author Nadia Higgins

Nadia Higgins is the author of a new four-book series, Zombie Zappers, that will be published this fall under our new trade imprint, Speeding Star. Thanks to authors like Nadia, beginning in the fall of 2013, Speeding Star will be providing easy-to-read books on topics of high interest in an effort to keep boys and young men reading.

Now on with the interview!

How is the Zombie Zappers series different from other books you’ve written?

Well, put it this way. The last fiction series I did was a set of six fractured fairy tales ... the covers were light purple with fancy cursive writing. I also write 10-15 nonfiction school library books a year.

What kinds of research did you have to do in order to write a series about zombies?

I read every zombie book for kids I could find. I scoured the Internet and eavesdropped on zombie chat groups. The most fun was watching zombie movies with my husband every weekend. I think I was the first person ever to take notes while watching Night of the Living Dead. I didn't want to forget ideas that popped into my head while I was watching. So I'd scribble notes like, "Zombies as pets? ... Animal zombies? .... Strategy: pretend to be a zombie to escape zombies."

What types of things did you make sure you included in the Zombie Zapper series? What types of things did you try to avoid?

I have two kids of my own and we read together every night. So, in other words, I have read every kind of children's book out there with my own personal test audience. The books that we enjoy the most have a few things in common. One of them is that the protagonists are whip smart and wildly imaginative. They make mistakes, sure, but they almost always solve their problems on their own. That's what I was going for as I developed the main characters.

As far as what to avoid--two things: stereotypes and that snarky tone you see out there a lot in dialogue for this age group.

  Why do you think kids are so fascinated by zombies?

What an interesting question. The gross-out factor is big, for sure. But I also think zombie combat is more interesting than other kinds of monster battles. It requires more strategy and wit. Then there are so many awesome questions to ponder: how to reverse a zombie back to a human, how to tame a zombie, how to survive a zombie apocalypse . . . Zombies are a fun-scary way to think about life-and-death questions.

One of the main characters, Roger, is Leo’s secret half-zombie friend living in his bedroom closet. What challenges does being friends with a half-zombie have?

Ha! Well, for one, you have to make sure that none of your friend's body parts accidentally fall off in public. Neighbors tend to get freaked out by stuff like that.


Zombie hunting is what bring these characters together but what is the real central theme readers will find in each of these books?

In addition to the zombie action, each book explores a theme about relationships. In Next-Door Zombie, for example, Leo blogs some lies about his next-door neighbor. His thoughtless remarks have serious consequences, and he needs to find a way to make things right.

What does it feel like when your best friend gets another good friend? What about when a friend takes credit for your work? How does it feel to be left out? These are some of the basic issues that the set explores.

Do you suspect that there are any zombies living in your neighborhood?

Yes--my kids when I try to wake them up in the morning!

What advice would you give kids if they ever meet a zombie on the street?

Whatever you don't, don't scream! That draws the hordes. Remember that you are a lot faster and smarter than zombies. You'll have to use your wits to outsmart them. Also, adults are rarely helpful during a zombie outbreak. It's up to you, kid!




Nadia Higgins is the author of more than sixty books for children. In addition to Zombie Zappers, her fiction includes Fiona and Frieda's Fairy-tale Adventures and a series of comical picture books, Barnacle Barb and Her Pirate Crew. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, two daughters, and their "guard" fish, Marie.

Please note: Members of the media who wish to review Zombie Zappers may request advanced reader copies by sending an email to: customerservice@enslow.com.

Interview With Author, Sara Latta

What do these books all have in common? Yes, they are all Enslow books. But besides that, they were all written by author, Sara Latta. We thought it would fun to share our interview with Sara, a girl who was raised on a dairy farm in Kansas and grew up to become an author. Enjoy!

Enslow: Has anything in your upbringing influenced your interest in writing nonfiction?

Sara: I'm a science writer, so my interest in nonfiction grows out of my love of science. I was raised on a farm, and I was captivated by the world around me. I studied the behavior of red ants and discovered that they will bite when provoked. That was a painful lesson! My mother was understanding of dead birds in the freezer and the experiments with baby teeth and sugar. I thought I'd be a scientist when I was in college; I had a double major in Microbiology and English. It was only when I was in grad school that I realized that I'd rather write about science than DO science. 

Sara Latta at a school visit.

Enslow: If you could give a beginning writer advice, what would it be?

Sara:  Read, read, read, especially in the genre that interests you. And I mean read with a really critical eye. How does the author use everyday language to express complex issues? What is the role of narrative--everyone likes a good story! Familiarize yourself with your subject. Since I am a science writer, this often requires reading a lot of technical articles, but when you interview a scientist about his or her work, you want to show that you've done your homework in advance.

Enslow: Can you recall a specific challenge you had writing any of these books?

Sara:  You know, the three forensic science books (Bones: Dead People DO Tell Tales; Cybercrime: Data Trails DO Tell Tales; and DNA & Blood: Dead People DO Tell Tales) posed a real psychological challenge to me. I spent a good amount of time immersed in and writing about really horrible people and their horrific deeds. I wanted to tell the stories of how investigators used forensic science to solve real crimes, but I had to make sure the stories were appropriate for middle grade readers. It wasn't always easy.

Enslow: How did you overcome it?

Sara:  I finished the books.

Enslow: What is your main concern when writing nonfiction for children or young adults?

Sara: Well, good writing is good writing, so that's the main thing. But writing for children and young adults also requires putting yourself into the mind of the reader. I try to think about the metaphors that they would understand, and which concepts can they handle, especially those that might be disturbing or too abstract. But I think the key is to not underestimate the intelligence and curiosity of kids, and I don't talk down to them. I assume that they haven't bought into the idea that physics or chemistry or biology is hard. I'm hoping that my readers are the kind of kids who found out the hard way that red ants bite when provoked.

Enslow: Do you write only nonfiction?

Sara: I wrote a picture book about dark matter (Stella Brite and the Dark Matter Mystery, Charlesbridge, 2006), which is fiction but about science--something my friend Jacqueline Houtman calls sciencey fiction. And I have a couple of unfinished young adult fiction manuscripts that I hope will someday appear on bookshelves.

Enslow: Where is your favorite writing space?

Sara: My office. I'm fortunate that I have a room of my own, as Virginia Woolf put it. My husband bought me a comfortable writing chair, and I also have a sofa for reading and/or napping as the need arises. 

Sara's writing space.

Enslow: What types of books do you enjoy reading?

Sara: I classify my books into two categories. I am a huge fan of audio books; I listen to them while walking, exercising, driving, doing dishes and laundry, etc. I tend to listen to mysteries, thrillers, and science fiction. I listened to all of the books in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. The books I sit down and actually read are all over the map--fiction and nonfiction. I write a YA book review column for our local newspaper, so I read a lot of books for young adults. One of my favorites this year was Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity.

Enslow: Who would you trade places with for a day?

Sara: I'd love to be an explorer, to go where no one has gone before. The last great unexplored frontier today is the deep ocean, so I guess I'd like to trade places with an oceanographer and explorer like Sylvia Earle. I'm afraid she would find my life a bit dull, however. 

Author Interview with Suzanne Lieurance

Enslow Author, Suzanne Lieurance, talks about being an author and writing her latest Enslow book, The Lucky Baseball: My Story in a Japanese-American Internment Camp for Grades 3–6. To read the full interview, click here.

Enslow author Suzanne Lieurance Interview!

Enslow author, Suzanne Lieurance was interviewed here
on sellingbooks.com. Please click the link above for the full text!

An excerpt from the interview:

What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

My most recent book is The Lucky Baseball, My Story in a Japanese-American Internment Camp. It’s a middle grade historical novel written for Enslow Publishers Historical Fiction Adventures series. It tells the story of Harry Yakamoto, a little boy who grew up during WWII and was sent, along with his family, to an internment camp – called a relocation center – in the California desert. The book tells of the struggles Harry and his family went through – facing discrimination even before they entered the camp – and how they survived there for over three years and then went on to rebuild their lives after they were released.

Interview with Bonnie Pryor: Author of the Hannah Pritchard books

This excerpt and interview appeared in Baker & Taylor's October's CATS Meow.

Award-winning author Bonnie Pryor has written numerous picture books and novels for young readers. Bonnie’s latest historical fiction novels with Enslow Publishers are about the adventures of a teenaged pirate girl named Hannah Pritchard. Both Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution (978-0-7660-2851-7) and Pirate Hannah Prichard: Captured! (978-0-7660-3310-8) take place during the American Revolution.

In Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution, Hannah finds her family murdered by British red coats, Tories, and Iroquois Indians. Searching for revenge and adventure, Hannah hides her identity to work aboard The Sea Hawk (an American privateer ship) as a cabin boy. In Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured!, The Sea Hawk is attacked and destroyed by the British. Hannah and her friends escape with the Sea Hawk’s treasure but are later captured by the British and face brutal conditions as prisoners.

These fast-paced, adventure stories are hard to put down. Both Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution and Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured! bring history to life for readers ages 9 and up.

And now, a question and answer session with author Bonnie Pryor:

Q1. What was the inspiration behind the Hannah Pritchard series?

An editor at Enslow read one of my historical novels and asked me to write a book about a female pirate. After some research I learned that there were probably women aboard some of the privateer ships. By setting the story during the Revolutionary War, I was able to bring in the historical figures Paul Revere and John Paul Jones as well as information about the little known terrible prison ships.

Q2. How did you approach writing these titles? How do you incorporate nonfiction with a fictional story?

I did about two months of research before starting to write. Then I went through my notes to bring historical events that would work in the fictional story that was growing in my head. I especially looked for details that kids would find interesting (like using the bathroom).


Q3. How did you create each of the characters in the Hannah Pritchard series?

That is a hard question. I suppose that is why I am a writer. I have all of these characters in my head waiting for me to write them a story. By the time I start to write they are almost like real people to me.

Q4. What is your favorite part of the Hannah Pritchard series?


There is a battle in the second book Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured! that was fun to write. Then when Hannah and her friends escape the sinking Sea Hawk in the small ship’s boat Hannah insists on taking the ship’s cat and a goat.


Q5. How did you begin your writing career?

I wrote a few magazine articles in the early 80’s before I realized that what I really wanted to do was to write for children. My first book was published in 1985. I have written 40 books, both picture books and novels. I’ve written family stories, mysteries, even science fiction, but my favorites are the historical.

Q6. What made you decide to write for children?

I love books, but especially children’s books. When I was a little girl, you know, the days before X-box and cable television, I discovered reading as a way to escape into other worlds and have crazy adventures. When I had children of my own I used to go to the library and get stacks of books to read to them. I could never wait, though, I always had to sit down and read them first.

Q7. What do you do when you are not writing?

I own a children’s bookstore so I’m often there. I really enjoy matching the children that come in with just the right book.

Q8. Will there be a Hannah Pritchard part 3?

Oh, I think so; in Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured! Hannah and her crew buried a chest of Spanish coins on the Outer Banks. She will probably have to go back to retrieve it……

To learn more about these books, please visit Enslow's website.