Chicken Butt!

Maw Books:  Where in the world did you get the idea to write a book that’s well . . . mainly about a chicken butt?!

Erica Perl: I always thought the nonsequitur joke “You know what? Chicken Butt!” was funny, and I wanted to figure out a way to put it in a book.  Originally, I thought it could be a board book (with flaps) for hipster parents.  But then, when I worked on it, the voices of parent and child just came to me, and it became more of a book told from both a kid and a grown-up’s perspective.  I like writing books that both kids and parents can enjoy, so I was pleased at the direction this one took… it ended up feeling like the scene at our house!  Minus the chicken, that is… we don’t have one.

Maw Books:  Describe you new book in just one word.

Erica Perl: Cluck!

Maw Books:  Chicken Butt! is a great read-a-loud book.  It must be so much fun to do school visits and presentations.  What are some of your favorite experiences from sharing Chicken Butt! and your other books with young readers?

Erica Perl: I LOVE doing Chicken Butt! with school groups.  Basically, I divide the group in two and assign one group the role of “kid” and the other group the role of “grown-up”… they immediately start throwing themselves into it, hamming it up on both sides.  And without realizing it, they do all the reading… I’m just the conductor.  Also, I always pause between the page turns and ask kids to guess the rhymes.  I’ve gotten some great ones, like “chicken stew!” and “chicken hair!”  So we go over the concept of rhyming, which kids love to play with.  And then I always encourage everyone to read the “chicken” lines… everybody loves to read the “Chicken Butt! Chicken Butt!  Chicken Butt!” page together.

Maw Books:  I bet that gets really loud!  Could you talk with us a little about why books with a tempo/rhyme are excellent choices for young readers learning how to read.

Erica Perl: Rhyming books are great because kids can anticipate the rhyme, which helps emergent readers decode more easily.  And rhymes are fun – kids love to play with words and have more ease than grown-ups, who get caught up in what is a “real” word.  Also, I always talk to kids about meter, because I like to make the connection between rhyming verse and musical rhythm.  It’s important that the tempo of a piece is consistent (as you see in Dr. Seuss, for example) so the reader can really lose him or herself following the beat of the words.  This is one of the reasons I like to sing my book NINETY-THREE IN MY FAMILY with kids, and I always point them to the recording of the song, which can be found on my website: www.ericaperl.com (it is on the “and more” page).

Maw Books:  Did you test your book out on any young readers before submitting it for publication?  Do you have certain young reviewers in your life that you trust?

Erica Perl: I always read everything out loud, alone and to kids.  I trust my own kids, but I try to read to other kids as well… classmates and friends of my kids.  And I get kids to read stuff aloud, to see how they read it.  Always a lot of research before I take a book to the next step.

Maw Books:  Reading out loud definitely makes a difference.  And now you saw how I read it!  Have you had any feedback from parents, librarians, or booksellers expressing dissatisfaction with the subject matter of Chicken Butt! Personally, I thought it was cute when my three year old starting repeating the words chicken butt back to me and laughs real big at the monkey butt.  But I’m sure not all parents would say the same.

Erica Perl: So far, no complaints.  I too am waiting for it, but the teachers and parents I’ve met have been very positive about it.  One parent did tell me that her daughter was surprised that “the governor” would let me put “BUTT” on the cover of a book.  But no complaints from the authorities yet either!

Maw Books:  Phew!   So much of a picture books personality comes through its illustrations.  What is it like when you first saw your words put to the illustrations and are you happy with the way they turned out?

Erica Perl: Extremely happy.  I love Henry Cole and was thrilled with his illustrations.

Maw Books:  What is it with you and chickens anyways?!

Erica Perl: I’m not sure.  This is my second chicken book.  I guess I can’t run that fast… the chickens always catch me!

Maw Books:  Ha, ha!  One of my regular features in my author interviews is to ask for a recipe, either one featured in their book or a family favorite.  Later I make that recipe and blog about it.  I didn’t think Chicken Butt, gave me much to work with as far as recipes but then I saw your adorable Chicken Butt! cookies that you made on your blog. They are so cute!  Can you share the recipe with us?

Erica Perl: They are gingerbread cookies and I made a royal icing for them (egg whites, powdered sugar, lemon juice and a drop of glycerin, which you can buy in specialty stores, for shine).  They were yummy!

Maw Books:  What are some of the challenges and rewards of being a children’s picture book writer?

Erica Perl: I love writing my books and sharing them with kids!  The hard part is how long it takes for a book to come out… I’m impatient and it is hard to wait.  But worth it!

Maw Books:  What’s your earliest reading memory?  And a few picture books that you think nobody should miss?

Erica Perl: I have always loved books and my childhood favorites included SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE and BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES.  I am currently doing a bunch of book events with Ayun Halliday, whose new book, ALWAYS LOTS OF HEINIES AT THE ZOO is terrific, so definitely check it out!

Maw Books:  I saw Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo on display at a bookstore with your book!  Great idea to market them together!  If you could choose any illustrator, dead or alive, to illustrate your next book who would you choose and why?

Erica Perl: Perhaps James Marshall, who I love.  Or Simon James, or Emily Gravett (I’m partial to British illustrators, for some reason).  I also love Matt Phelan’s work.   And I’m very excited about JULIA DENOS, who is illustrating my next book, DOTTY!

Maw Books:  I love Matt Phelan!  What’s the last book you read, the book you’re reading now and a book that you are looking forward to reading?

Erica Perl: I just read KARATE PIG, which is an adorable board book, and THE GREAT PAPER CAPER, by Oliver Jeffers – fabulous.  I’m also reading THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, which is NOT for children but is highly enjoyable if you are a grown up.

Maw Books:  Share with us what it was like to serve on the Cybils judging panel for picture books.

Erica Perl: It was so much fun and I was thrilled that Bob Graham’s HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING was our winner – what an amazing book!

Maw Books:  Going off of the Cybils question, what role/influence do you think book bloggers are playing in the book industry?

Erica Perl: Kidlit bloggers rule!  I always tell parents that this is THE place to discover great new (and old) books for kids!

Maw Books:  They do rule!  What do you enjoy to do outside the world of books?

Erica Perl: Cooking, running, going to the zoo and embarrassing my children.

Maw Books:  So what’s next?  What are working on right now?

Erica Perl: My first YA novel, VINTAGE VERONICA, comes out next spring from KNOPF!  Until then, I’m writing more picture books and shaking my CHICKEN BUTT! wherever they’ll have me.

Maw Books:  A YA novel!  How awesome.  I look forward to it.  Anything else that you’d like to add?

Erica Perl: You know what?…  Just kidding!

Maw Books:  Thanks Erica!

Erica Perl: Thank YOU!!!

Erica will be on tour the rest of the week at  Tales from the Rushmore Kid,  Motherreader, A Pen and a Nest, Hen Blog,  Fuse # 8,  Write for a Reader,  Chicken Spaghetti, and Three Silly Chicks.  Erica is celebrating with a  prize drawing of Chicken Butt! and other fun prizes.  To register for the prize drawings, all you have to do is visit any of the participating tour blogs during the week (including this one!) and then leave a comment on Erica’s blog.

Erica S. Perl’s website & blog.
Genre: Picture book, ages 2-8
Published: Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 2009
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN: 978-0810983250
Chicken Butt! is available from your independent bookstore, Powells and Amazon.

Maw Books:  If you could only use one word to describe your new novel Longhorns and Outlaws what would it be?

Linda Aksomitis: Western

Maw Books:  I’m always interested in knowing how authors come up with their ideas.  Where did you come up for the premise of Longhorns and Outlaws?

Linda Aksomitis: Natasha, I’d have to say Longhorns and Outlaws is a mesh of ideas. I always wanted to write something full of old west adventure and excitement, so when I was researching a book I wrote about Southern Saskatchewan (Backroad Mapbooks Southern Saskatchewan) and explored Outlaw Station #1 on the Outlaw trail, everything started to come together.

Maw Books:  Tell us about your background in ranching and horses and how that influenced you in writing Longhorns and Outlaws.

Linda Aksomitis: I grew up on a horse ranch, doing all the usual things – riding gymkhana, barrel racing, horse shows, and trail rides. Then I married into a rodeo family, so I continued to collect all kinds of valuable experiences for writing about the old west, from getting chased by cantankerous cows to branding calves in the spring. Without this background I wouldn’t have considered starting a novel like Longhorns and Outlaws, because there are just too many experiences involved to rely on third person research, at least for me!

Maw Books:  Tell us about researching Longhorns and Outlaws.  Did you do all the research first?  Combine writing and research?  How do you decide when and where to set your book and which historical events to include?

Linda Aksomitis: As you’ve guessed, Natasha, there was lots of research involved in writing Longhorns and Outlaws. The first was, of course, years of experience with horses and cattle, and just as important, getting to know others in these Western communities, so I can help my readers relate to how it feels to be part of that segment of society. I first discovered the outlaws I included in the story in 2004, on a couple of research trips through Southern Saskatchewan and Montana, so spent a year finding out all I could about them before beginning the first draft of the novel in 2005. Before I started the second draft in 2006, I took a week long trip through Montana, following the Yellowstone River from Billings to Culbertson, taking pictures, visiting museums, and talking to people. Then I took another few days to come from Culbertson up to Saskatchewan’s Big Muddy, finding tons more information in addition to what I’d gathered the year before. My final draft in 2007 focused on archival print materials, which I drew from to create a lot of Lucas’s past and perfect the voice and writing style I wanted for the story.

Maw Books:  What about young fictional heroes appeals to you as a writer?

Linda Aksomitis: I like stories that are full of adventure, so I find books with young heroes both more fun to write and to read!

Maw Books:  Lucas likes to learn by the book while his brother Gil is more of a hands on learner.  Which type of learner are you?

Linda Aksomitis: Natasha, what an interesting question! I’m really a cross between Lucas and Gil, I guess, since I do learn many things from books, while others I have
to get completely immersed in and do. I think it depends on what I’m doing, which may be part of what Lucas learns as he gradually becomes proficient at riding Ebenezer and riding drag behind the cattle herd.

Maw Books:  What’s your favorite scene from the book?  Or perhaps one which has changed the least since your first came up with it?

Linda Aksomitis: Ah, you’re right and many scenes changed during the various edits of this book! The one that changed the least was how Lucas managed to free Ebenezer from the outlaw corral. I’d say the scene was inspired by the many old westerns with daring rescues and escapes that I watched with my dad as a child, so it came to life in full detail when I started writing.

Maw Books:  Was there any point while writing Longhorns and Outlaws that you struggled writing the book?  And vice-versa a point where the creative juices just flowed?

Linda Aksomitis: I always struggle with the beginning, Natasha. In fact, I workshop it with my writers’ group, then rewrite the first chapter at least 20 or 30 times before it comes to its published shape. It’s challenging to get enough backstory included to set up a scene, but still have the excitement I want to pull the reader into the story. The first chapter is also the place where I need to establish the writing style and voice, so it takes a lot of revision to get the exact feel I want.

Maw Books:  Would you describe you book as being a good match for reluctant readers?

Linda Aksomitis: I think there’s a book for every reader and the ideal reader for Longhorns and Outlaws is one who’s drawn to the old west by interest or experience. My author visits in areas where the children come from horse and rodeo backgrounds have been very positive, since there really aren’t that many westerns for them to read. I also hoped that Longhorns and Outlaws would appeal to readers who’ve had some first hand experience with surviving hurricanes, as many in the coastal areas have. Reluctant readers should be drawn along by Lucas’s many challenges and adventures!

Maw Books:  And what do you want children to come away with after reading one of your books?

Linda Aksomitis: I hope children feel they have had a great old west adventure!

Maw Books:  Tell us about Kidnapped by Outlaws, the sequel to Longhorns and Outlaws and when can we expect to see it available in stores?

Linda Aksomitis: In Kidnapped by Outlaws, Lucas end up in even more trouble with the border outlaws, some of whom appeared briefly in Longhorns and Outlaws. Much of the conflict of the story, however, deals with the need to belong and how gangs have fulfilled that need for many young boys and men over the past few centuries. In terms of when it will appear in stores, not for awhile yet, as I hope to get a draft ready for my publisher to see by this summer.

Maw Books:  How many books do you plan on writing for this series?  And what is it like to write a series?  Do you know where the story is going to go?  Do you preplan all the books?

Linda Aksomitis: Natasha, great question, but I really don’t know the answer. I wrote Longhorns and Outlaws planning a series, which was one reason I took so many
drafts before publication. The continuing thread through all the books will be encounters with outlaws, rather than the cattle, so each book lets me explore a new stage and setting. In the Outlaws sequel, Gil appears briefly in the opening scene and Cousin Henry in the last scene, but otherwise it’s new characters and adventures. Currently, I’m searching for a real outlaw story somewhere in the west that draws my interest for book #3, since I like to base my historical fiction on real events of the past.

Maw Books:  What are some of your favorite experiences so far from book signings, school visits, interviews, and other promotional activities for Longhorns and Outlaws?

Linda Aksomitis: I loved doing the virtual tour with the school in Texas! It was awesome to be able to share my slide show and story with children thousands of miles away, then answer their questions.

Maw Books:  This is a question that I ask every single author that I nterview and that’s to share a recipe with us, particularly if it was in the book and then I try to make it later.  Coming to my mind is pan fried bread and beans.  Is this something that you know how to cook or is there another “western-style” recipe that you could share with us?

Linda Aksomitis: Baked Beans & Ham

Ingredients:
1 pound dried navy beans
6 cups water
1 small ham bone with 1/4 pound ham (I usually use leftovers from a large baked ham, including the juice)
1 teaspoon salt (if you use ham juice no salt is required)
1/2 cup of molasses
1/2 cup ketchup

Preparation:  Cover beans and ham with water in a small roaster, casserole dish, or crockpot. Add all ingredients and stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 3-4 hours, until beans are soft. Check periodically to ensure beans are covered with fluid, adding water as required.  Serves 6 to 8.

Maw Books:  Mmmm.  I can’t wait to try this one!  I couldn’t help but notice that with the exception of one color we use a very similar color scheme on both of our websites!  And here I thought I was so original.    Great minds think alike!  How has having an online presence affected you personally and as a writer?

Linda Aksomitis: I’ve been online since 1995 and owe many of my current books to contacts I made via the Internet. Right now I teach a course called Introduction to
Internet Markets where I help other writers take that all important leap to getting established on the Internet.

Maw Books:  Tell us a little bit about the other books that you have published.

Linda Aksomitis: I have nineteen books out right now, but I’ll just focus on my children’s historical fiction here. Run (Pearson Education), which came out in 2007, was a finalist in the 2008 Saskatchewan Book Awards for YA fiction.  Adeline’s Dream (2005), from the same publisher (coteau Books) as Longhorns  and Outlaws, was part of the very popular From Many Peoples series. All three novels are set in the same decade: Longhorns in 1901, Adeline’s Dream in 1910, and Run in 1911. I love this era because it’s a time just before the changes in technology and society that followed World War I.

Maw Books:  Great!  You say you have held 45 jobs for pay and they are all fascinating!  Which of those jobs has been the most unusual, the most fun, the hardest, and the most rewarding?

Linda Aksomitis: I tell people I’m like a kid in a candy store, and I want to try every flavour. Most unusual job: racing snowmobiles (spent more money than I earned). Most fun: travel writing (travel writers can do pretty much anything in the name of “work”). Hardest: waitress (no kidding!). Most rewarding: teaching (I teach people about books and libraries, so what else could possibly be more rewarding?).

Maw Books:  I’d love to be a travel writer (well, maybe just the traveling part!).  I was flabbergasted with all that you have done.  Between all your amazing vacations, ranching, snowmobiling, writing, teaching, etc. it seems like you’ve just about done it all.  Two questions.  How do you manage your time to accomplish so much and what’s the one thing that you haven’t done that you still want to do?

Linda Aksomitis: I manage my time by prioritizing what I want to do, and then planning a year-ahead calendar to make the pieces fit together as well as possible. I also find that the more productivity I have out of each time investment, the more I can do. For example, by using a great deal of the research I did for the travel guide to Saskatchewan in Longhorns and Outlaws, I not only got to know my subject really well, I also maximized my effort in terms of returns on time invested.

Maw Books:  Describe yourself as a reader. What books influenced and inspired you as a child? As an adult?

Linda Aksomitis: I was a voracious reader as a child and read absolutely everything in sight. My favorite books were ones that stretched my experience and imagination, so I felt like I’d really been there. A Wrinkle in Time was my ultimate favorite as a young reader and now I can’t say enough for Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn series for young readers.

Maw Books:  I haven’t read the Airborn series, I’ll have to look into those.  What’s the last book you read, the book you’re reading now and a book that you’d like to read next?

Linda Aksomitis: The last book I read was Meggido’s Shadow (historical fiction from Arthur Slade, another Saskatchewan author); right now I’m reading Journey to a
Revolution (A personal memoir and history of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956) by Michael Korda; and next I’d like to read Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Maw Books:  I loved Elijah of Buxton!  If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only charge was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

Linda Aksomitis: Sit on an open balcony overlooking a beautiful beach seascape in the sun and read a good book.

Maw Books:  Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of the Maw Books Blog?

Linda Aksomitis: Nothing, Natasha, except to say that I’ve really enjoyed our visit and thank you so much for participating in the virtual tour for Longhorns and Outlaws.

Maw Books:  Thank you Linda!

Visit the Cowboy’s and Outlaw’s website and other stops on Linda’s tour to learn more about Longhorns and Outlaws.  My Longhorns and Outlaws book review.

Recent immigrants from the Netherlands, Lucas is just getting used to living in a new country, when his parents and little sister die in the 1900 Galveston Hurricane and he’s left orphaned.  His older brother Gil, aged 16, comes home and sells off all of their possessions and takes Lucas to Montana to work on a cattle drive.  The only problem is that Lucas doesn’t know anything about cattle or horses.  In fact, he’s never even ridden a horse.  The cattle drive will take them through the last known location of their cousin Henry, whom Lucas hopes will take him in so he can go back to school.

Gil and Lucas are in constant conflict with each other.  Lucas loves books while Gil can’t see the use.  In comparison, Gil loves everything about cattle drives and Lucas learns that he has a lot to teach him.  Fueled by the books he reads, Lucas wants to be a Pinkerton Agents when he grows up, the detectives who trail and capture outlaws.  Lucas studies all the outlaw wanted posters on the cattle drive and soon finds himself in real danger when he runs into the Sundance Kid and his gang.  The only problem is that nobody believes him, including Gil.  When Lucas’s outfit finds all their horses stolen, including Eb the horse that he has come to love, he will take matters into his own hands and find his Cousin Henry’s whereabouts at the same time.

Longhorns and Outlaws has a lot to think about including emigration, life after a natural disaster, the wild west frontier, life on a cattle drive, outlaws, courage, and what it takes to be a hero.  I found myself getting into it a bit slowly, but once I was able to get going I became really engrossed in the story.  I think this book would have a lot of appeal for younger readers, including reluctant readers and boys.

You can find more information about the Outlaw Book series including a detailed teachers guide to use Longhorns and Outlaws in the classroom on the Cowboy’s and Outlaw’s website.  Also check out the other stops on Linda’s tour.  You can learn more about Linda Aksomitis on her personal website as well.  Linda is simply amazing.  Much of Longhorns and Outlaws is based on Linda’s personal experience as she’s worked with horses and cattle a lot (among all of her other interests!)  Want more?  I’ve got more!  Coming up next an interview with Linda herself.  Lot’s of fun information, watch for it coming right up.

Maw Books:  Thank you for joining us today on your blog tour for Mermaids in the Basement! First, what were you like as a young reader and when did you know you wanted to be an author?

Michael Lee West: I grew up in a house where books were heaped everywhere. When I was very small, my mother read children’s books out loud, but I was quite demanding, and I wanted to hear the stories over and over. When her voice gave out, she bought stories on records, and I would play them relentlessly. I always had a pen in my hand and wrote stories on Big Chief tablets from my father’s dime store.

Maw Books:  What was the inspiration behind Mermaids in the Basement?

Michael Lee West: The idea for Mermaids in the Basement came in December 1989, when my parents spent the winter in Perdido Key, Florida. While I was visiting, the temperature plummeted and the bay froze. As I listened to the news, a character wandered into my mind, Shelby DeChavannes. She quickly introduced me to her heart surgeon husband, Louie, and their daughter, Renata. I drove down to Al’s dime store, bought several notebooks, then came back to the condo and started writing. I got sidetracked by another book, SHE FLEW THE COOP, my second novel, and didn’t make it back to Mermaids for years.

Maw Books:  And who could forget the scene in the book involving the frozen bay?  The novel begins and ends with a tabloid story.  Are you a fan of tabloids in general?

Michael Lee West: My husband is a huge fan, and he converted me without too much trouble.

Maw Books:  Do you see any of yourself in Renata, Honora, Gladys, Shelby or Isabella?

Michael Lee West:  Well, I’m like Renata because I’m not exactly a fashion plate and have been known to wear one navy shoe, one black. My mother has some of Honora’s qualities, and Gladys’, too. Thankfully, I don’t know anyone like Isabella.

Maw Books:  I loved Renata’s lack of fashion in a society where it matters the most.  And thank goodness you don’t know anyone like Isabella.  I certainly wouldn’t want to party with her.  What surprised you most about Mermaids in the Basement and/or characters as you were writing? Did anything turn out radically different than you’d originally thought it would?

Michael Lee West: The banter between the women. Whenever they got together, they started talking and wouldn’t hush.

Maw Books:  How easy or difficult was it to come up with the title Mermaids in the Basement?

Michael Lee West: I love finding titles. This one came from a line in an Emily Dickinson poem.

Maw Books:  One of the recurring features on my blog is to share an author recipe in my interviews and then attempt to make them later.  Do you have a great southern recipe that you’d like to share?

Michael Lee West:

GRAND MARNIER INFUSED CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

Serves 4-6, or 1 Extremely Hungry Chocolate Lover

1 box of giant strawberries
1 container of chocolate dipping
1 syringe with 20 gauge needle
¼ c Grand Marnier

Wash the berries and set on a paper towel to dry.  Meanwhile, fill a syringe with Grand Marnier and inject about 1 cc into each berry. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl, according to directions, and do not guess, as I did last New Year’s, setting off the fire alarm just as my guests were arriving.  After dipping each berry, set it on a wax-paper lined baking sheet.  Chill about an hour.

Maw Books:  I was salivating when Renata began to eat these at on of the parties.  Thank goodness you didn’t include Valium!  Thank you!  With more than five books under your belt, if you could go back and talk to yourself when you were beginning writer, what advice would you offer?

Michael Lee West: When I was struggling to get published, someone told me to be persistent, “a bit like a weed.” It was wonderful advice–wish I’d followed it sooner.

Maw Books:  What book is currently on your nightstand and what book or author do you think nobody should miss?

Michael Lee West: Paul Brians’ Common Errors in English Usage. I love words, love to squeeze them like grapes. Anyone who wants to write should read Stephen King’s ON WRITING.

Maw Books: What do you do outside the world of books?

Michael Lee West: I live on a small farm. I’ve learned how to care for chickens, donkeys, sheep, and African Pygmy goats. I’ve also learned how to bottle feed lambs and kids, to repair fences, and how to extract goats (rather, how to extract horns) from wire fences. Also, I belong to an online cooking community, WFD&More (What’s For Dinner & More). We are “The Darling Bakers” and post pictures and commentary about everything from what we cooked for supper to the china plates that we found at Goodwill. We talk about coffee pots, knives, pastry wheels. Our last bake off was Saturday. We made cupcakes. Now we’re getting ready to make appetizers for the Super Bowl.

Maw Books:  How cool is that!  Well, I’m glad I asked you for a recipe, you must have tons of yummy stuff!  And I’m thinking I need to read Consuming Passions, as well.  What are you working on now, and what new release(s) can we expect to see from you down the road?

Michael Lee West: I’m working on the first book in a trilogy about a Charleston chef. I’m guessing that it will be published in 2011.

Maw Books:  Sounds like a book that would make me very, very hungry!  Thank you so much Michael for joining us today.  I wish you congratulations on your continued success!

Michael Lee West is also the author of American Pie, She Flew the Coop, Mad Girls in Love, Crazy Ladies, and Consuming Passions.

Maw Books:  Thanks so much for taking time out for an author interview!  Here’s something that I want to say right off:  Thank you for a clean read!  I have to admit that I was really nervous about reading a YA “chick lit” book because it seems like everything I’ve been reading lately has so much language and sex.  So I was really bracing myself.  And then guess what?  It wasn’t there!  Was this a conscience decision on your part?

Susan McBride:  Aw, thanks!  You’ve just made my day.  You’re right that YA “chick lit” is packaged a certain way, something that authors don’t have much (if any) control over.  So I’m very pleased you read THE DEBS and found it different (in a good way!).  My editor definitely impressed upon me that she wanted THE DEBS to be like a Southern GOSSIP GIRL, with a little edge but not too edgy.  Originally, it was a bit racier, I guess, and Claudia asked me to tone it down.  Although funnily enough, after I turned in the second book, LOVE, LIES, AND TEXAS DIPS, she said, “Wait!  Where’s the sex?”  So I had to amp that one up a notch!  Honestly, when I sit down to write, I just think of the characters and the story I want to tell. I don’t worry about much else. I’m very happy with how THE DEBS turned out, and I love writing about Mac, Ginger, Laura, and Jo Lynn.

Maw Books:  So maybe I’m ignorant on how high society live, but does all of this debutante stuff really exist?

Susan McBride:  Oh, yeah, all of this debutante stuff does really exist.  I think it’s much bigger in the South and in Texas than anywhere else, although there is an International Deb Ball in New York City.  I think now it’s much less about introducing girls to society so they can meet their future husbands, and it’s more about tradition, getting to wear gorgeous gowns, and having a huge honkin’ party.

Maw Books:  I love how reading makes me learn so much about the world around me.  I certainly got an education into the debutante life.  I loved the two quotes that you included before each chapter.  I eagerly read each one (and sometimes peaked ahead).  Are you always that snarky or does it come naturally?

Susan McBride:  I love those quotes, too!  So I’m glad you noticed them.  One of my best friends gave me a really fun book called WOMEN’S WICKED WIT, and a lot of the quotes come from there.  It’s a hoot to find one that fits what a chapter’s about and then make up a quote by whichever character is narrating that chapter.  Me, snarky?  I mentioned this question to my husband, asked him, “Am I snarky?”  And he took the Fifth.  Sigh.  I feel like I should stand up and say, “I’m Susan McBride, and I’m a snark.”  It must be in my genes.

Maw Books:  He, he.  I honestly was really expecting each character to be shallow, meaning they only cared for their looks, money, boys, and how much fun they could have.  I loved that you proved me wrong.  How did you come up with these characters and have they taken on a life of their own?

Susan McBride:  Thanks again (blushing)!  Where did my debs come from?  When I was writing the proposal for Random House, I wanted to make sure I had a diverse group of girls.  I thought a lot about my friends when I was in high school, and that was kind of how each was born.  Mac is the brainy one who acts tough and sarcastic, but has a very soft heart.  She’s lost her mother, and her dad has remarried a much-younger woman.  She tries to see the world very logically, but her emotions tend to rule her own actions.

Ginger is like a work-in-progress.  She’s trying to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life, so she does a lot of experimenting.  As THE DEBS starts, she’s very much into environmental causes.  She realizes she’s very fortunate so she wants to do good for others, not just pray to the god of material things.

Laura is the pretty girl who gained weight through the years and now is a size 14.  In a world where size twos (or zeros) seem so prized, she’s kind of the fish out of water.  But she likes herself just as she is, and she’s in love with a very hot guy who doesn’t seem at all turned off that she isn’t a lollipop.  I like that she’s gutsy and goes for what she wants without worrying too much about what others think.

Jo Lynn Bidwell is Laura’s arch-enemy, and she’s definitely all about looking perfect.  She was raised in the world of beauty pageants, which are big in Texas, and she’s been trained to win at all costs.  She’s very easy to hate, but I knew a lot of pageant girls and saw where they were coming from.  Jo Lynn has been programmed to compete, and that’s what she does best.

Maw Books:  Do you have a favorite character?  Who and why?  Is there a character that you most relate to or one that you don’t?

Susan McBride:  I really thought, going in, that Mac would be the main narrator of the books, but that didn’t happen.  All the girls get an even shot, but it’s really Laura and Jo Lynn who took over.  Their rivalry is so drama-filled that most of the rest of the action revolves around them.  I’m probably most like a combination of Mac and Ginger, but my favorite character has to be Laura.  Laura is fighting to be herself despite her mother trying to mold her into Debutante Barbie.  I admire her strength and her determination.

Maw Books:  The Debs has been picked up for at least a four book series.  I know that you are currently working on revisions for the second book, Love Lies and Texas Dips. What is it like to write a series?  Do you know how it’s going to end or does it evolve as you go along?

Susan McBride:  LOVE, LIES, AND TEXAS DIPS will be in galley form next time I see it.  It’s already been through copy-editing so it’s moving quickly through the production schedule and will be out next June.  I’m currently finishing up the outline for Book Three, and the book itself is due by early next year.  Writing a YA series is crazy, and so much different than writing series mysteries (I wrote five books in my Debutante Dropout Mystery series for Avon).  Mysteries get wrapped up by the end of each book, while YA books have so many dangling story-lines that continue through the next book…and the next after that.  I definitely don’t know where all the story-lines are headed, not in the long-run.  But since I’m obligated to write outlines before I start a book, I have to figure enough out so that I know what’s going to happen within the confines of one novel.  The fun thing about writing is that, even if you have a good idea of where you’re going, sometimes your imagination takes a fork in the road and you arrive somewhere unexpected.  Love that!

Maw Books:  After writing for the adult market, why did you choose to write a series for Young Adults?

Susan McBride:  It was a stroke of luck, honestly.  One of my agents was having lunch with a Random House editor a few years ago, and the editor asked, “Do you have any authors who might write about debutantes in the South?”  Since I was doing my Debutante Dropout series at the time, my agent said, “I do, indeed.”  She called me that day, wanted to know if I was interested and if I might write a proposal.  I love trying new things and stretching my literary muscles, so I said, “Sure!”  Since I spent 20 years in Texas, I knew a lot about debbing and had friends in high school and college who were debutantes.  So it all seemed a good fit.  Thank goodness, Random House liked the proposal, and everything moved very quickly from there.  I think the YA market is one of the most exciting places to be right now.  There are so many fantastic authors and fewer boundaries, it seems, than in adult fiction.  So you can take more chances, more risks, which is what growing as a writer is all about.

Maw Books:  The Debs is a book that references a lot of music, movies, celebrities, etc.  I kept thinking that give the book five years and teenagers wouldn’t understand the references anymore.  Are you worried?

Susan McBride:  I had a lot of people say the same thing about my mysteries.  They include plenty of contemporary references (i.e., fashion, pop culture, brands, whatever).  And my answer is the same about my YA books:  I’m writing about a particular period of time.  When I describe the setting or what’s going on in pop culture, it’s whatever’s happening now.  If I wrote an historical novel, I’d have to use references from that period.  To me, it’s the same.  What’s timeless are the experiences and emotions of my characters. If a reader can pick up a book from THE DEBS series ten years from now and relate to something Laura or Mac is going through, then I’ve done my job.

Maw Books:  That makes perfect sense.  What’s on your nightstand right now?  Any books that you’ve read this year that you could recommend?

Susan McBride:  I just finished reading BAREFOOT by Elin Hilderbrand, and now I’ve got BREAKING DAWN on top of my TBR pile.  I read a mix of adult fiction and YA fiction, though I’ve read a lot more YA lately.  I love the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, and I’m hooked on the PRIVATE series by Kate Brian.  I’m also a Harry Potter addict and adored those books.  Two of my favorite literary novels that I constantly recommend are LYING AWAKE by Mark Salzman and EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE by Margo Livesey.  I’ve read both multiple times and can’t help but sigh and jealously drool over the prose everytime.

Maw Books:  You should read my review of Breaking Dawn after you finish it.  I’m always curious to what people thought of it.  And of course, I love Harry Potter.  I haven’t read the others.  I shall have to check them out.  One of my new favorite features on my blog is to ask authors to share one of their favorite recipes.  Would you like to share a favorite?  Or any that appeared in your book?

Susan McBride:  Recipes, huh?  Since I’m a master of the microwave, I don’t do much cooking (it’s amazing my husband hasn’t starved–thank goodness for take-out and the Whole Foods deli).  My favorite sandwich is a take-off of the Whole Foods tomato-mozarella pesto sandwich, which I make at home.  Use whole grain bread and cover one side with tomato slices and slabs of fresh mozarella.  Then spread the other piece of bread with thin layers of soy mayo and pesto.  Smoosh it all together, slice and eat.  It’s yummy!

Maw Books:  I don’t do much cooking either!  And since I started blogging, it’s gotten worse.  That sandwich sounds to die for! 

Thanks for joining us today and I wish you the very best!

Susan McBride:  Thank you, Natasha!  It’s been my pleasure. 

Read my book review and visit Susan McBride’s website.  Author photo credit: Suzy Gorman.  You can purchase all of Susan’s books through my Amazon store.

Don’t forget that Susan has generously given our readers two signed copies of The Debs.  Click here and then here for details on how to enter!

Maw Books:  Welcome Scott!  Okay, so I’ve been looking at all of your interviews and I’m afraid that I’m just not that funny.  I’m hoping that you’ll be able to pull all the weight here!

J. Scott Savage:  Funny is overrated anyway. Does the world really need more stand up comedians?

Maw Books:  Phew, now that I have that off of my shoulders, let’s continue.  Since we’ve already had a long drawn out conversation about  illustrations, what do you think about the illustrations for Far World, Water Keep?

J. Scott Savage:  I love the artwork. Brandon is an incredible artist. I have to admit that as an author they were not exactly what I was expecting. When they originally asked for ideas on what scenes I’d like to see illustrated, I focused on big actions scenes. The kinds of things I’d like to see in movies. But once they decided to use the two page illustrations as the introductions to each part, we realized that they were really more to set the tone of the next part.  For example, a wheelchair lying in the shadows of an old school is not the most exciting picture. But it’s sets the tone of “escape” perfectly. I really liked the map too.

Maw Books:  I look forward to seeing them in the finished product.  I have to tell you a secret.  It’s kinda embarrassing and I’m not sure for who.  But here goes. After I finished the book, I looked at the front cover and I wasn’t sure who everybody was.  Would you mind clarifying for my very dense head, who is who?

J. Scott Savage:  I think that’s probably because you are expecting the main characters to be on the cover. So you assume one of them must be Kyja or Marcus. But we decided early in the series that the first four covers would all feature the elementals from that book. So once you have a couple of books out in the series they’ll make more sense. So the cover features Dew (note the green hair and the small gold bead in her hand), Tide (the one with the crown and the fish circling his head), Mist (the sparkly one), and Cascade. I’ve had some people ask what the amulet is around his neck. That’s just something the artist added to give the picture a feeling of action. It helps show that Cascade is arising from the water. The thing about illustrations is that in the same way the author needs freedom to create, the artist needs freedom to interpret. It’s not about what I think something mike look like (although I love the characters in the cover); it’s what the artist saw when he read the book.

Maw Books:  Thanks for the clarification.  (I had the exact same thought when I finished Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer.  I didn’t have a clue what the cover meant.)  How long have you had the idea for Far World floating around in your head?  How did it emerge into a actual entity?

J. Scott Savage:  The pieces have been coming together for years. When my friend James Dashner was telling me about his contract with Shadow Mountain, the ideas suddenly gelled. The funny thing is that although I’d had the ideas for a long time, I really didn’t think I could write fantasy or YA. But the idea wouldn’t leave my head until I finally wrote it.

Maw Books:  I love James Dashner and I haven’t even read his book yet.    What was your favorite scene to write?

J. Scott Savage:  I get a kick out of creating new and different places. So I especially like the Weather Guardians and the cavern of the Unmakers.

Maw Books:  What’s on your nightstand right now?  How is it so far?  Well, that’s assuming that you have books on your nightstand.  We could get more personal here than necessary.

J. Scott Savage:  You mean you don’t want to know about the fuzzy bunny bank or the week old Del Taco cup? Let’s see, there is The Stand, Lord Fouls Bane, The Devils Labyrinth, and a nonfiction title called Out of the Dust.

Maw Books:  I haven’t read any of them.  Any special celebration in the works for when Far World will be released?  Am I invited?

J. Scott Savage:  Yes. And Yes! On the 13th of September from 12 to 3, I will be having a release party at the Spanish Fork library with free food, posters, drawings, and all that good stuff. You are definitely invited.

Maw Books:   I’ll put it on the calendar. It would be nice to finally meet you.  I’ve started to ask authors to share a favorite recipe with us.  I know you don’t want to feel left out!  Do you cook?  Do you have a family favorite?  Do share!

J. Scott Savage:  I love to cook. I’m not such a good cleaner-upper. But that’s another story.  One of my favorite recipes is for Strawberry Soup. I think I like it because it sounds so disgusting, but it is so good you are just kind of shocked when you try it. Think of a kind of thick, cold, strawberry smoothie. You can eat it with a spoon or drink it. We first discovered it at Disneyland at the Villain’s dinner. Also, it’s really easy to make.

SERVES 4 -6 (change servings and units)
Ingredients
2 lbs frozen strawberries
16 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces sour cream
3 ounces yogurt
1/2 lb fresh strawberries
Directions
Thaw the frozen berries in their juices.
Blend all of the ingredients (except the fresh berries) on low until smooth.  Chill, shake well before serving.
Add fresh strawberry halves as a garnish.

Maw Books:  Sound disgusting?  Sounds like you missed the recipe that Mary Ann Rodman shared for Tomato Aspic (think jello).  Actually, it sounds great!  Strawberries and cream?  How could that go wrong.  And since, I’m in the same area as you (Utah), do you have any hole-in-the-wall favorite restaurants that you really like?  I’m always on the lookout for yummy new places to eat. 

J. Scott Savage:  North of point of the mountain, I’m really fond of the Bohemian for great German food. South of the point, I like Osaka down on Center Street in Provo. It’s great Japanese food in a very nice quiet atmosphere? Now you have to tell me your favorite HITW restaurant.

Maw Books:  I’ve never been to a German restaurant.  I’ll have to try it out.  Osaka sounds really familiar.  We used  to live in Provo.  When we did, my absolutely favorite restaurant was Thai Ruby.  It’s right next to BYU, not only is the food fabulous, but the owners are fantastic.  They would always come out and talk to us.  We were very sad to leave Provo.  Of course, it’s not a HITW, but we love The Bombay House.  Also, every time we are in Provo we stop by this little Mexican place (I’ll edit in the name once I figure it out) for the best horchata ever made!  We used to do our laundry next door for years, and only discovered the horchata right before we moved.  Our biggest regret is that laundry would have been a lot more fun, if we had only known what we were missing.  If you haven’t tried it, go get it!

Where can we find out where you’ll be making appearances?  I’d love to be able to say hello.

J. Scott Savage:   I’ve got the release party on the 13th. Then I’ll be doing a ton of Utah  signings. I’m just getting those set up now.

Maw Books:  I’d love to hit one.  Thanks so much for being with us today!

Visit J. Scott Savage’s blog.

Don’t forget that Scott is giving away a signed ARC of Farworld for my readers.  Read my review for details on how to enter.