Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authors. Show all posts

September 03, 2014

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

Paint Me a Monster

by Janie Baskin

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

August 11, 2014

Interview with author of The Briny Deep Mysteries trilogy

The new sci-fi/mystery trilogy, The Briny Deep Mysteries, is coming out September 1st, and it's going to be filled with twists and exciting turns that will keep middle graders reading!  To learn more about the writing of this exciting trilogy, we sat down with author Jennifer Torres:

Enslow Publishers: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Jennifer Torres: Since I was very young, I’ve always loved getting lost in a good book. Reading really fueled my imagination. I especially loved to read mysteries and stories about fantastical places. As I got older the idea of creating my own magical lands through writing was so exciting I just had to pursue it.

Enslow: How did you begin your writing career?

Torres: I began writing in journals as a child. My friends and I would also write scripts and plays and then share them with each other to review – and sometimes to act out.  After finishing school, I became a newspaper reporter and columnist. Over the years I worked as freelance journalist, writing for local and national magazines and newspapers. I’ve also written seven non-fiction children’s books, but THE BRINY DEEP MYSTERIES is my debut into middle grade fiction – and truly the kind of writing I’ve always wanted to do. 

Enslow: What inspired you to write “The Briny Deep” trilogy?

Torres: All the books I read growing up captured my imagination with incredible, edge of your seat stories that often involved secret passageways, doorways to other lands, or a compelling mystery seemingly beyond explanation. When I created the town of Briny Deep, I wanted to construct a place that had never existed before, populate it with a cast of amazing characters, and weave a spellbinding mystery that would engage and captivate readers in the same way I was as a child.

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


Torres: My ten year old was a bit of an obstacle because she wanted to use my laptop all the time to play her computer games. I tried to stick to an early morning schedule of writing – way before she woke up, so I didn’t have to wrestle her for it.

Enslow: When do you write best?

Torres: During the week, I like to get up early while it’s still dark outside and everyone else in the family is asleep. I brew a big cup of coffee and try to get a few hours of writing in. I feel most creative in the morning. But I also love to write when it’s raining outside or a storm is brewing. It really sets the mood for me.

Enslow:  If you weren’t a writer, what might you be doing instead?

Torres: I would be a detective or a private investigator.  I grew up wanting to solve mysteries. My childhood friend and I even opened our own “detective agency” – her dad built it for us in her backyard and we kept “files” on everyone in the neighborhood.

Enslow: What is your favorite children’s book?

Torres: I have so many books that I loved when I was growing up. My top three books would have to be; The Phantom Tollbooth, Harriet the Spy (she kept notes on everyone in her neighborhood too,) and A Wrinkle in Time.  Middle Grade books are my very favorite genre. The kind of books with secret passageways, time portals, and hidden paths to magical lands are the best.


Enslow: What kind of experience do you hope your readers have with “The Briny Deep” trilogy?

Torres: I want them to go on a thrilling ride, filled with fun twists and turns through the town of Briny Deep. As they read the series they should feel like they are on an adventure – and a quest for answers that keeps them excitedly reading until the wee hours of the morning, and leaves them with a true awareness of how much magic and wonder can be found inside a book.



Look for The Disappearing, The Return, and The Battle on SpeedingStar.com, or with your favorite bookseller.  

June 11, 2014

Meet our author, Loren Spiotta-DiMare


As an avid animal lover,Loren has been writing books and magazine articles about various animals for over 30 years. Her current personal menagerie consists of six beloved dogs, numerous pet birds, a rabbit, and a Koi pond. She has been horseback riding on and off throughout her entire life. Five years ago, Elwood, a Quarter Horse, joined the family. "The bond I've developed with Elwood is like no other," Loren says. "Since he is my first horse, I've created a strong support team to care for him including: my trainer, barn manager, vet, farrier, even an equine massage therapist! I now also have a strong social network of friends who also own and love horses. I bring all of my experiences with Elwood, and horses in general, to my writing about them."

Loren is the author of a new Enslow series, Horses That Help with the American Humane Association, written for the upper elementary reader. Each title in the four book series introduces the reader to a different working horse. By the way, Elwood is on the cover of Therapy Horses. The other three titles cover draft horses, police horses, and performing horses.

These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They can be found through your preferred vendor, local bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

October 05, 2012

Some Friday Fan Mail

Every so often we receive fan mail in our office for our authors. Here's one that continues to make us smile so we wanted to share it so you can smile too. Hey fans, keep those letters coming!





March 02, 2012

Enslow author, Jeff Burlingame, Wins NAACP Award


Author Jeff Burlingame
Enslow author, Jeff Burlingame, was on hand at the 43rd NAACP Image Awards ceremony held on February 17 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles California to receive the award for Outstanding Literary Work in the Youth/Teens category.  This was the second year in a row that Mr. Burlingame was nominated for this award. Last year, he was nominated for another Enslow biography, Malcolm X: "I Believe in the Brotherhood of Man."


And the winner is...
You can read more about Jeff Burlingame and his experience at the awards ceremony here.

Jesse Owens: "I Always Loved Running" is part of Enslow's African-American Biography Library series.

 "An interesting and informative telling of the life of Jesse Owens. Engaging in content and format."
          –Marlene Owens Rankin, Managing Director, The Jesse Owens Foundation

ISBN: 978-0-7660-4397-6
School & Library Price: $23.95
Grades 6–up




January 27, 2012

Enslow Author Receives NAACP Nomination Second Year In a Row!


We are proud to announce that our title, Jesse Owens: "I Always Loved Running" by Jeff Burlingame has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth Teens. We're not surprised though as this is the second year in a row that Mr. Burlingame has been nominated for this award. Last year, he was nominated for our title, Malcolm X: "I Believe in the Brotherhood of Man, All Men".


ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-3497-6
Grades 6-up
$23.93 School and Library Price

What did Jeff have to say about being nominated for the second year in a row? "I am again honored, and rather amazed, at having been nominated for this prestigious award two years in a row. The shock I felt last year when I received word of my first nomination was almost inexpressible. This year, in which the Image Awards committee received a record number of submissions, I'm even more stunned. But definitely appreciative!"

When asked about his experience attending the awards in Los Angeles last year, Mr. Burlingame described it as a career and life highlight. "I met many wonderful people. My family and I walked the red carpet right behind U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and a few steps in front of the show's co-host, Holly Robinson Peete."  Once inside, Burlingame and his family were seated amongst stars who included Halle Berry and LL Cool J, just to name a few. You can read the original story here.

Author Jeff Burlingame at last year's NAACP Image Awards

Jeff Burlingame, is a journalist and author of many biographies and nonfiction books for young readers. When we asked him about his experience writing the biography of Olympic track star, Jesse Owens, Burlingame said, "I've long been a fan of the sport of track and field and have known Jesse Owens' story for as long as I can remember. The book explores themes of poverty, racism, and heroism. Jesse's story also is inspirational, controversial, educational, and somewhat heartbreaking. As an author, I just tried to get out of the way and let the story tell itself."

The 43rd NAACP Image Awards will broadcast from The Shrine Auditorium on Friday, February 17, 2012 live 8/7C on NBC.


June 01, 2011

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.

April 20, 2011

Author Laura Nunn Signs Books

This past weekend author Laura Nunn signed books from her Far-Out and Unusual Pets series and her Yucky Science series at a local bookshop.
Her friend, who is an animal expert, brought along some cool animals including a ferret, hissing cockroaches, a chinchilla, a degu, a dove, and some turtles. As you can see from the picture, the kids were intrigued!

January 07, 2011

Enslow author Linda Bozzo and search and rescue book featured in newspaper article

Linda Bozzo, an Enslow author, was featured in an article in the New Jersey Herald.

After interviewing a police officer, Linda wrote Search and Rescue Dog Heroes, using that interview with Lt. Ellicott in the book. Both Blaze, Lt. Ellicott's current canine partner, and Radar, his former canine partner, are discussed in the book, along with descriptions of their job responsibilities.

To read the article, click here.

January 06, 2011

Congratulations to Enslow author Ed Sobey!

Ed Sobey, author of the upcoming Cool Science Projects with Technology series for Enslow, was recently given an appointment as Fulbright Scholar Specialist in Science Education.

Mr. Sobey has written two Science Fair Success titles for Enslow in addition to the four Cool Science Projects with Technology titles, scheduled to be published this spring.

Those four titles are: Electric Motor Experiments, Radio-Controlled Car Experiments, Robot Experiments, and Solar Cell and Renewable Energy Experiments.

December 22, 2010

Happy Birthday Bonnie Pryor!

Having written several titles in Enslow's Historical Fiction Adventures series, Bonnie Pryor's Hannah Pritchard titles have sold quite well for Enslow Publishers.

Hannah Pritchard was published in 2008 and Pirate Hannah Pritchard was published in 2009. There will be a third Hannah Pritchard title, due out in fall of 2011. Watch for it!

December 02, 2010

Enslow Author Linda Bozzo at NJASL

Author Linda Bozzo, who has written a number of well-received series for Enslow Publishers, will be presenting at this year's New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) convention. Her presentation -- The Art of Writing for Children --is scheduled to be held on Friday, December 3rd, 7:45 am, in the Ocean Place Resort and Spa's McKinley Room.

Bozzo will also be signing copies of her books on Friday, starting at 10:30 am, at the Authors and Illustrators Alley. Her most recent Enslow series are Amazing Working Dogs with American Humane and Imagining the Future.

August 10, 2010

Happy Birthday to both Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

Yesterday (Aug. 9) was Patricia's birthday, and Aug. 12 is Fredrick's birthday.

Enslow has published a biography of these two amazing authors as part of its Authors Kids Love series. Based on a personal interview, this title was written by Michelle Parker-Rock.

August 09, 2010

Interview with author Patricia Murphy

The Louisville Courier interviewed Patricia Murphy about her book, Never Eat Soggy Waffles, which is about mnemonics.

Click here to read the interview.