Ann has stayed at her friends house too long and now must walk home in the dark.  Using her wild imagination, all the odd shapes are very hairy scary animals and monsters.  The text rhymes and repeats so it’s easy for the boys to follow and to anticipate what’s next.   They loved to turn the page to see what was the very hairy scary thing on the next page.  I even heard my little four year old talking to himself in the bathroom mirror repeating the lines from this book.

It was a pleasure to read this book out loud because of the rhyming and repeating text.  We got pretty loud when we yelled out BAT, SPIDER, LION, SKUNK!  I personally, did not like the style of the illustrations at all.  I think the book could have gone up another notch with better illustrations and would have me wanting to add this to my permanent collection.  But as is, my boys enjoyed this one so much that we will continue to read it from the library until Halloween (although I wouldn’t consider this one strictly a Halloween book).

And as a side note, Rick Walton is prolific local Utah picture book writer.  We have his book Bullfrog Pops which is just adorable.

Links of interest:  Rick Walton’s website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction picture book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile. August 19, 2004.
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0399238581
A Very Hairy Scary Story is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

A family tragedy which is slowly revealed in the story has torn her family apart.  Her father is out on an inopportune extended business trip and calls all the time but when he does Mazzy just hangs up on him.  He has no idea how bad things have gotten at home.  Her mother is severely depressed and lies in bed comatose every day.  This leaves Mazzy very much on her own with neighbors who do try to look out after her.  Social services is also suspicious and Mazzy has to deal with the stress of trying to keep her family together – at least what’s left with it.

Everything is Fine is told in a very sparse prose.  A style which I found refreshing but many might find disconcerting.  It’s also told through the random stream of conscience of Mazzy.

He calls back and I let it ring.
He calls back again and I let it ring.
He calls back again and I finally answer.
He says:  Mazzy, I am going to say one more thing and then you can hang up.nes
I pick my toenail and lie on the couch.
He says: Your mom and I love you very -
But then I hang up again.
A rerun of Judge Judy is on.

Dad and Mom used to dance.
Late at night when we were supposed to be asleep.
Mom would throw back her head and laugh and Dad would pick her up.
“Stop it, Dave,” she’d say.
“What?” And he twirled her around and around.
“You’re going to to hurt your back.”"Well, I guess I should stop, then,” he’d say, and keep twirling and twirling and twirling.
I used to lay on the floor and watch them from the hallway.
Watch them laugh.
I’d lay there until maybe Dad saw me and he’d say, “Well, looks like someone is in big old trouble,” and I’d scream “No!” and he’d put Mom on the couch, and her face.  I can see her face.
All giggly.
I’d start down the hall but he’d catch me.  He always catught me and then it was me laughing and twirling and everything was how it was supposed to be.
My mom  used to love my dad and my dad used to love my mom.
And they both used to love me.
He went for a one-week audition for ESPN 360.  One week became forever.

This book was so odd and so touching.  The whole time, I was reading it I kept thinking, this book is so weird!  But I loved it!  Ellis is an author to look out for.  She’s different.  And I love that.

Back when the book was released (March), I went to hear Ann Dee Ellis (another of our wonderful Utah authors) give a reading at The Kings English Bookshop.

I’m smiling funny but dang, she’s so cute! Can’t wait to see what she has coming up next.

Links of interest: Ann Dee Ellis website, more book blogger reviews, and Maw Books review of  This is What I Did by Ann Dee Ellis.
Genre: Young Adult
Published:  Little Brown Young Readers; March 1, 2009
Hardcover, 160 pages.  ISBN 978-0316013642
Everything is Fine is available from your independent bookstore, Powell’s, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

“It’s not what I expected.”

That’s the first response I keep hearing from readers of the actor and the housewife. I wondered if the title or jacket was misleading, or the jacket text. Or all. They may be. But as I’ve listened to these readers, I’ve come to realize that, at least in part, it’s something more ephemeral than all that: this book doesn’t have a genre.

This is what Shannon Hale says about her newest book The Actor and the Housewife and this is exactly the response I had when reading it.

Not. What. I. Expected.

I am not sure what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn’t expecting myself to have a bawl fest over this book.  And I never cry! Just look at that cover.   Would you cry over that?

Shannon goes on to say in her blog post:

Some reviews have called it “chick lit,” because there are elements of that, I suppose, and austenland could fit that description. But I think readers who expect chick lit will be surprised, and some might be disappointed.

So if it’s not chick lit, then what? Fantasy? Sorta, but not really. There are no magical elements, no hero’s journey or perilous adventure, no mythical creatures. But if fantasy is a genre that says, “Here’s what’s possible in our world–now let’s add a little more…” then yeah, it is fantasy. Though not in the traditional sense. So again, readers expecting fantasy like my other books will be surprised, and perhaps disappointed.

So is it literary fiction? No. There are elements of that, but some of the plot and the fact that one of the characters is an A-list gorgeous British actor means that this book wouldn’t be allowed in the literary fiction club.

Romance? Sorta…but sorta not.

Wish fulfillment? Sorta…but sorta not.

Comedy? Sometimes.

Drama? Sometimes.

So, no genre. It’s just a novel. For some readers, that’s enough. But for others, that can be confusing and upsetting. This has made me look at genre, what that means, why we like it.

I absolutely love what Shannon has to say about genre being a contract between the author and the reader:

Genre is a kind of a handle to hold, a way to manage the story. Genre does tend to follow a certain formula, though I don’t think it’s fair to say that all genre fiction is formula fiction. But as a reader I can understand the desire to have an idea of what I’m reading before committing to the book. I’ve had a few experiences where I’m reading a book by a fantasy author that doesn’t turn out to be fantasy, and I’m like, Wait! We had a contract here–I read a book and you deliver some magical stuff!

Exactly!  I was expecting to laugh my way through The Actor and the Housewife.  And I did!  I totally did.  But, I was totally blindsided with the touching, sappy, cry like a baby moments.

Now, that I’ve reprinted most of Shannon’s blog post, what exactly is The Actor and the Housewife you ask?  Well, Becky is a Mormon housewife and is seven months pregnant with her fourth child.  Somewhere between keeping house and being a mom, she has managed to write a screenplay which will cause her to travel from her home in Utah down to Los Angeles.  While there, she chance meets the celebrity of her dreams:  Felix Callahan.  Felix is so out of her realm and is Becky’s complete opposite in every way, but they have instant chemistry.

Thinking nothing will come of their meeting, Becky goes back home to her family and loving husband Mike.  So it’s with complete surprise and confusion that Felix shows up on her turf and they fast become best friends.  Not crushing on each other friends.  But best friends.  Call each other all the time, playful banter, joke around best friends.

Felix has brought a whole new dimension to Becky’s life that she didn’t know she was missing.  While both of their spouses are supportive of the odd platonic relationship (because really a rich, good-looking atheist British actor and a frumpy, conservative Mormon housewife?), Becky’s extended family, friends and neighbors are not so sure.  Can Becky and Felix’s relationship really endure?

The Actor and the Housewife is a story of friendship, love, marriage, faith, family, happiness, and sorrow and ultimately a fairy tale of sorts that answers the question:  what happens when your celebrity heart throb crush walks into your life, settles down into the nearest couch?  And don’t we all need a bit of a fairy tale in our life?

I want to say that The Actor and the Housewife is really “cute” because it is, but cute is not a word that seems appropriate here.  I was touched with it’s tender moments.  I also thought it was brave of Shannon Hale to write a novel with a Mormon housewife as her main character.  I thought it was fun to see the type of community I grew up and currently live in portrayed in a mainstream novel.  Although I must admit that I don’t know a single Mormon housewife who bakes three pies a week!  (And let it be noted that there are all kinds of Mormon women just as there are all kinds of different women in different faiths.  Becky is very conservative and while she falls into the Mormon woman stereotype, one cannot judge an entire population from one member.)  Hale is in no way preachy though, Becky is simply living her life and makes no excuses for it.  The same could be said of Felix.

I believe that some people will find fault with the book – most likely along the lines of the “no way is a hot, famous British actor going to see anything in a Mormon housewife” story line, a few character quirks, and the ending not going quite like they hoped.  But really, how likely is it for a married famous actor to hook up as best friends to a married Mormon housewife?  Not likely.  But I certainly wasn’t putting this book down.  It’s not for everyone (which book is?), but it took me completely by surprise and I can’t wait to let all my neighbors borrow it.

I laughed.  I cried.  I loved it.

I was thrilled to attend a reading/party for The Actor and the Housewife at The Kings English Bookshop in Salt Lake City and take some short videos.  In this first video, Shannon talks about where the idea for The Actor and the Housewife came from:

Shannon Hale on writing The Actor and the Housewife:

Shannon Hale reading from The Actor and the Housewife:

Shannon Hale and fan mail (seriously, LOVE this letter!):

There is a karaoke scene in the book, so now way were Shannon and her husband Dean going to pass up a chance to sing:

Oh yes, and the lovely Shannon Hale and I (Shannon had a cutest Apron contest earlier – thus her adorable apron):

Is it bragging to much to say, that when I walked in to the event, Shannon looked up and said, “Hi Natasha!”  Oh yes, that would be Shannon and I on a first name basis.  Sigh . . .  I love this blogging thing  And last, I’ll end this post, with another excerpt from Shannon’s blog post:

I hope that readers can set aside ideas of genre and expectations and go on this reading adventure with me. I really hope so. Because I am terrifically proud of this book. Genre would have sucked the life out of this particular story. Maybe my publisher should put on a label: WARNING: This is notwhat you’re expecting. Contains no genre. Read at your own risk. Maybe. And then again, sometimes, maybe surprise is a good thing.

So spill it.  If you could be best friends with any famous, heart throb of an actor/actress who would it be?  And if your married, would your significant other be okay with that relationship?

Links of interest:  Shannon Hale website.  Maw Books reviews of Book of a Thousand Days, Austenland, Rapunzel’s Revenge, Princess Academy.  Maw Books interview with Shannon.  Shannon’s zuchinni soup, Rapunzel’s Revenge launch party (where I acquire the zuchinni), and Children’s Book Festival .
Genre: Fiction
Publisher:  Bloomsbury. June 9, 2009
Hardcover, 352 pages.  ISBN:  159691288X
The Actor and the Housewife is available from your local independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

One.  It’s YA.  I love YA.  Need I say more?

Two.  It’s about polygamy.  Hello?  Me?  I seem to love to pick up all the books about polygamy.  For some odd strange reason, I love them all.

Three.  Carol Lynch Williams lives right here in Salt Lake City.  I love to read  my local authors.  Why am I SO lucky to live in the same valley as Shannon Hale, Sara Zarr, Brandon Mull, James Dashner, Brandon Sanderson, Ann Dee Ellis, Emily Wing Smith, A.E. Cannon, J. Scott Savage, Richard Paul Evans and – wait, I could go on forever, I’ve got to stop with the names somewhere.  I told you, I’m very lucky.

Four.  That cover.  Just look at that cover.

Five.  The buzz.  The hype.  Oh my goodness, it’s getting a lot of it. I’m one of those people that if the book sounds like its one I’d enjoy anyways then the hype really does get to me.  I want to read it more!

As soon as The Chosen One arrived I had the boys down for their naps within the hour and settled myself on the couch.  When my husband came from work and I squealed that I finally got the book, he asked when I would be reading it.  But by then I was already done!  I read it in just one sitting.  And I’m pleased to say that The Chosen One lived up to all of the hype.  I had high expectations for the book and I was not disappointed.

The Chosen One will make you sad, it will make you furious, if you are a crier you will cry, and if you are easily angered  it will also make you want to bash somebody’s head in.  Even with all of that, read this book!

It is simply beautiful and courageous.  And it is a book that you will not soon forget.  It stays with you long after you have closed the last page.

But let’s begin with the first page, shall we?  The first line,

“If I was going to kill the prophet,” I say, not even keeping my voice low, “I’d do it in Africa.”

What a fantastic first line.  That first line says so much about the book.  What prophet?  If there is a prophet, there must be some type of community, followers, or group.  And why does she want to kill him?  Who is he?  What has he done to her to warrant such an expression?  And Africa?  Well, that just sounds exotic.  Especially, looking back on it because we later discover that Kyra has never even really left her small, closed community.  Africa might as well be shooting for the moon.

Simply stated The Chosen One is about thirteen year old Kyra who has grown up in a isolated and closed polygamous community.  Her loving father whom she adores has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, not including the two that are on the way.

Kyra is relatively happy, believes in her faith but is not without her curiosities.  One of her biggest kept secrets is the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels that makes a stop especially for her just down the road.  Hidden up in a tree she escapes into the world of The Bridge of Terabithia and Harry Potter. The prophet made them burn all their books years earlier, stating that books like Dr. Suess’s Hop on Pop and Fox in Socks are the devils words and would get them sent straight to hell.

Her other secret is Joshua, also in the community, whom she secretly meets during the night.  They aren’t supposed to be friends.  They have no right to choose each other.  Never are they to have relationships before marriage and when that time comes only the prophet himself can choose whom they will marry.  But being with him makes her feel so good.  How can it be so bad?

Kyra is holding these secrets when the Prophet announces that she has been chosen to marry.  At the age of thirteen she is expected to marry her SIXTY-THREE year old UNCLE!  Her parents don’t like it either but have no power to change it and go forth with making the wedding plans.  As the wedding day looms closer and Joshua runs away, Kyra is stuck.  Does she abandon the family that she loves and the only way of life that she knows or does she submit to her families and the prophets will and live a life of ugliness, violence, and greed?

I’ve read a fair amount of books about polygamy and it never ceases to amaze me what goes on in these closed communities.  On the surface, it appears to be about the true happiness of families and their unwavering faith in their God.  But underneath it’s dark and ugly.  The violence against women and their expectations to “keep sweet” is infuriating.

The Chosen One is simply riveting.  The more I think about it, the more I like it.  You won’t be able to put it down.

I was able to meet Carol Lynch Williams and hear her do a reading at the Provo Children’s Book Festival a couple of weeks ago (my post about LAST years festival)  The following video is one of the most gut wrenching passages in the book and it was a pleasure to hear Carol read it.  I apologize for some of the cuts, my camera only videos for three minutes at a time which didn’t make it fun when it cut at the important parts.

Carol was very gracious and I was excited to be able to meet her.  Even my little boy got into the action.

Don’t we look so nice and snuggly?!

Giveaway!  Carol signed an ARC just for you!  Surely, after my review your dying to get your hands on the book aren’t you?  And a signed one at that?!

If you’d like to enter to win a signed copy of The Chosen One you will receive one entry by answering this question (no answer, no entry):  do you think that polygamy should be legal?  Why or why not?  If you think hard about it, it’s not as easy as an answer as you might think.

An additional entry each if you subscribe either by RSS or email to this blog, tweet this giveaway post, post about the giveaway on your blog, or stumble this post.  Five additional entries if you are already subscribed to my blog.  My way of saying thank you.  Open worldwide and I’ll close the giveaway on Monday, June 1st.

Links of interest: Cynsations interview with Carol and Becky’s interview with Carol.
Genre:  Young Adult, polygamy.
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin.  May 12, 2009.
Hardcover, 224 pages. ISBN 0312555113
The Chosen One is available from your local independent bookstore, Powell’s, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

At our party, James talked about how personally knowing an author changes your opinion of the book they wrote.  And this can be a good thing or a bad thing.  Good if the book lives up to your opinion of the person behind the written pages.  Bad if the book ends up being plain awful.  What do you say then?  This is especially true of writers reading other writers books.  Thank goodness, I’m not going to say The Hunt for Dark Infinity is awful!  But I will admit that I can see so much of James’s wacky humor and personality coming through on the pages and he’s just one heck of a nice guy that I just can’t help but like it.   (And yes, James, I still have your jacket hanging in my front closet.  By the time I fork it over, the weather will be warm again.)  See how great of friends we are?  He, he.  That second picture is in my living room.  My living room.  Sorry, I’ve got to act like I’m “famous” wherever I can get it.

The Hunt for the Dark Infinity is even better than its predecessor.  After being inducted into a group known as the Realitants – an organization sworn to discover and chart all the known Realities (a separate and complete version of the world – of which twelve major branches have already been discovered) – Tick, Paul and Sofia have had a very quiet summer.  Too quiet in fact.  They are anxiously awaiting for Master George, the Realitant leader to whisk them away on another adventure.

But when that day finally comes, everything goes wrong.  Instead of being whisked away to Master George’s presence they are instead kidnapped by the evil Reginald Chu who has infiltrated the minds of people on different realities, controlling their thoughts, movements, and speech.  Tick, Paul, and Sofia are the only ones who can get close enough to destroy his new weapon.  But first they must solve Chu’s riddles and tests, all of which put their lives in extreme danger.  And if that’s not enough, Mistress Jane, a power hungry ex-Realitant wants her hands on the weapon as well.  It’s a race to see who can get their first and ends with a duel with Tick and Mistriss Jane.

The Hunt for the Dark Infinity is fast-paced.  A whirlwind of adventure.  I can’t help thinking how this would be a perfect book to read out loud with younger boys and make for a great selection for an all boys book club.  The dialogue is funny, the names are even funnier (Mothball, Muffintops, Sally – for a lumberjack or how about Hans Schitiggenschlubberheimer anyone?) and the story is just complex enough and has you guessing the direction it’s going to go to have you turning the pages for more.  The whole thing ends on a twist that makes me want to read book three right now!  I can’t wait to see where this story is going to go.

A great series for young readers who are looking for some fantastical adventure and entertaining for the stay at home mom like me too.

James Dashner website and blog.  James also has a new series coming out this fall called The Maze Runner for young adults.  I’ve enjoyed following his blog and watching this new series unfold.  I can’t wait to read it!

So what you do you think about what James said?  Do you know any authors personally?  Does that change the way you “read” their books and your opinion of them?

Set in a small town in Utah, The Way He Lived is the exploration of how the death of sixteen-year-old Joel Espen affects six of his friends and family.  Joel died for lack of water while trying to save his friends and leaders while on a church-sponsored  scouting hike.  The book opens after his death and Emily Wing Smith did a fantastic job exploring a character who isn’t even alive in the book.

Told in six loosely connecting stories, each voice deals with the aftermath of Joel’s absence and what his life meant to them.  From both his older and younger sister who each felt as though Joel were their best friend, to his debate partner in school, his almost girlfriend, his unlikely best friend, and his best friends girlfriend.  As a group, all our understandably upset but each deals with their grief in very different ways.  This is the type of book that isn’t shy to deal with adult issues yet aimed at teens.  It’s subtle yet strong.

The Way He Lived book trailer:

Emily Wing Smith is a debut author to watch for.  She’s off to a great start.  Emily Wing Smith website.

Shannon’s recipe was simple.  In total, this is what she said: Saute onions and zucchini, simmer in chicken broth, puree, then add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne powder, and cream. So I had to gage all of the ingredients.  I think I used 2 cans of chicken broth when I think I probably should have used just one because it was a little thin.  And I forgot to saute the onions and zucchini first, I think I boiled them in the chicken broth instead and realized my mistake later.  Still yummy though.  Even now I don’t remember how much of what I used.

Simmering:

After pureeing:

After spices and cream has been added:

I think it turned out delicous.  My husband enjoyed it and said it was worth making again.  Thanks Shannon for making our dinner turn out.  Best part, it was easy!

Make sure to tell me if you end up making this soup!

Shannon Hale is the Newbery Honor author of Princess Academy, as well as Book of a Thousand Days, Goose Girl, Enna Burning,  River Secrets, a novel for adults Austenland, and the graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge.  Visit Shannon at her website.

Check out all of the author submitted recipes featured here.

Edited to add: My wonderful IRL friend Jessica from The Common Mommy Denominator is one of the best cooks that I know.  She saw this posted recipe and immediately made it for dinner.  She measured out the ingredients so I thought I would pass it on to those of us who need a little help.

Slice thinly 3 small-medium zucchini (unpeeled) and 1/2 of a small onion; saute in 1 T. olive oil over med-high heat w/ 1 t. chopped garlic until lightly browned. Add 2 C chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes until zucchini and onion are soft. Pour all into a blender and puree until smooth (be sure to let some steam escape as you puree, or the hot liquid will blow the top off!!!), then return to the same pot. Over medium heat, stir in 1/4 C heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2, or whole milk…but cream is better!), a pinch each of cayenne pepper and nutmeg, a squeeze of lemon juice if you have it (it brightens the flavor but isn’t a must), and season to taste with salt and pepper.

She says, “It’s yummy, it’s beautiful – an enchanting green with faint pale swirls of cream and earthy dark green flecks of zucchini skin complemented by the tiniest bright red flecks of cayenne – and because it’s pureed and bisque-like, uber-velvety.”

Thanks Jessica!

The Light of Christmas is a picture book that is just oozing with his trademark messages of charity, hope, kindness, and the true meaning of Christmas.  High in the mountains lies the Christmas town of Noel.  Each year the Keeper of the Flame lights the village Christmas tree.  But this year is different because he will choose somebody new to light the flame; that person must present to him the truest gift of Christmas.  Alexander is excited and hopes that he will be chosen although he has nothing to offer; the other gifts of song, stories, and ornaments surely are better than anything he can come up with.  On his way to the town to discover who will light the flame, Alexander finds a poor, old man lying in the snow.  Although he risks missing the lighting, he offers the old man help.  It is this simple act of charity that makes all the difference as he learns it’s not the material gifts that matter, rather it’s giving of yourself.

Although, the story was very predictable (you know exactly where the story is going just a few pages in), it’s a story that illustrates the true meaning of Christmas and will have you feeling all warm and fuzzy.  A excellent Christmas book to remind ourselves to step back and remember others in their times of need.

I enjoyed the illustrations by Daniel Craig, which hails from a Flemish influence.  They are solid, detailed, and infused with a beautiful light.  I particularly liked the illustration that shows Alexander bending down over the old man in the snow offering his assistance.  He has a look of genuine compassion.

All of Richard Paul Evans’s proceeds from The Light of Christmas (as is all of his children’s books) are donated to the Christmas Box House, an organization devoted to helping abused and neglected children by providing shelters, services, and advocacy.

Richard Paul Evans website and The Christmas Box House website.

Shannon wasn’t just gracious enough to stop by for a visit but she answered the questions you submitted!

Maw Books:  Welcome Shannon!  It’s my pleasure to host you today on the Maw Books Blog!  First, congratulations on the success of Rapunzel’s Revenge which you co-wrote with your husband Dean.  Can you briefly describe the process of writing with your husband.  Was it easy? Did you have differences of opinion?

Shannon Hale:  No, we are always in absolute agreement and have never had a disagreement in 8 years of marriage. Ha! No, it really was a good experience. We talked plot together, then I wrote the first draft, leaving holes for him to fill, and then he’d go through and rewrite, filling holes, then I’d go through and rewrite, and now we can’t remember who wrote what.

Maw Books:  What’s on your nightstand right now?  And what are some of your favorite authors that you always recommend.

Shannon Hale:  Right now I’m reading Ed Brubaker’s Captain America omnibus and an ARC from Janette Rallison–My Fair Godmother (terrific!). I hate to ever mention authors because I’ll leave people out, and so many are friends of mine. But people can check out my Squeetus Exclusive interviews for some great recommendations: http://oinks.squeetus.com/squeetus_exclusives/index.html

Maw Books:  One of my favorite features on my blog is to ask authors to share a favorite recipe.  Would you care to share a yummy favorite?  Something for that zucchini?

Shannon Hale:  I’ve been making zucchini soup, which is sauteed onions and zucchini, simmer in chicken broth, puree, then add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne powder, and cream.

Maw Books:  Sounds like just the thing I need.  In fact, I have leftover chicken on the bone and zuchinni, I just might make this tonight!

Amy BTW M from Amy’s Haiku Haven asks:  I was wondering if you are going to write any more adult novels along the lines of Austenland (you know like a romance)? What future projects do you have in mind that we should be on the look-out for?

Shannon Hale:  Amy, you are a dear to ask. The Actor and the Housewife will be out in May ’09. It has a similar feel to Austenland, though it’s bigger, meatier, and right now I’m so in love with it. I hope you will be too.

Carrie K:  I would love to hear if there was ever a response from Colin Firth after Austenland came out.

Shannon Hale:  So would I, Carrie! Nothing. But how long can he ignore me? I ask you?

Stephanie from The Written Word:  I wrote a review of Austenland (which I loved – you can see it here and compared it to the PBS series of reality TV (mostly Frontier House and Texas Ranch House) where modern day people get to experience life for five months in a completely different time period. Austenland reminded me quite a lot of this series. Have you ever watched any of them? If not, where did you get your inspiration?

Shannon Hale:  I saw the Regency House Party, and I was terrified! I’d already been writing the novel for years when it came out and I was so scared it was going to be too much like my book and would kill it. But it wasn’t. Whew. I really enjoyed the series though. But no, the PBS shows didn’t influence the book. After falling in love with the BBC movie, I just thought, wouldn’t it be fun to go somewhere and have an immersive Austen experience? That was in 1999. It took a long time to write.

Bea:  Would you share a little bit about your writing process. I’d especially like to know if you are a meticulous planner (e.g., outlines; character sketches).

Shannon Hale:  Bea, nothing about me is meticulous. Nothing. I do outline for about a year before writing, though it’s loose and subject to change. I’ll character sketch if I’m in a tight spot. I wing it all pretty much.

Serena from Savvy Verse & Whit: What impact did achieving an MFA degree do for your career as an author and why?

Shannon Hale:  Serena, I don’t think the MFA directly impacted my career, at least it had nothing to do with whether or not anyone would publish me. But the two years giving myself permission to be a writer were helpful to me, gave me courage and time to figure out my writing process and voice.

Abbi:  What was the publishing experience for you, and what advice would you give to others on getting published?

Shannon:  Abbi, I get into some detail about that in one section on my site: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/mince_writing.html

Abbi:  How did you find the genre you were most comfortable with writing?

Shannon Hale:  The easiest answer is, whichever genre you’re most comfortable reading. I like lots of books. My books for adults are quite different than my YA fantasy, and the graphic novels have been fun too. As my reading choices change, I imagine my writing will too.

Traci from Traci’s Book Bag: I have read and loved Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets, and the covers were almost as lovely as the stories within. Did you have a lot of input when it came to creating the cover art?

Shannon Hale:  Nope. The publisher decides all that. They do consult with me, but at later stages when the cover is about finished. They just repackaged the Bayern books with quite different covers.

Amber from Amber Stults:  Do you think being a Newbery Award winner creates extra pressure when you write a new book? Or is it one of those things that you try not to think about?

Shannon Hale:  Amber, I was super lucky in that River Secrets was done and at press when I got the Newbery news, so I didn’t have to worry about measuring up. And my current project at the time was Rapunzel’s Revenge, a graphic novel and so different from Princess Academy that I didn’t feel pressure to make it match. Then I did Book of a Thousand Days, which I think might be my best work. And it didn’t get any Newbery nods. So that showed me how I have no control over that stuff. So I think I dodged a bullet all around. But I do know authors who felt that pressure in a huge way.

Jenn M. from Knowledge Tree:  How do you get a zucchini that big. I want one! I can’t grow a decent zucchini in my garden. They get about 5 inches max.

Shannon Hale:  Jenn, I’m ashamed of how big my zucchinis get. It means I don’t get out there often enough to notice and pick them until they’re taking over. I have three zucchini plants and spent hours picking out beetles by hand and squashing their innocent babies inside those shiny little eggs. I committed mass murder for those vegetables, and I deserve big ones.

Megan & Denisha, two of your younger readers: We really enjoyed your book Princess Academy. We really enjoyed how you made it exciting and let your readers want to keep on reading until they finished. It was very dramatic when her sister got hurt, we thought she was going to die! What gave you the inspiration to write the book? How long did it take you to write the book? How did you make it so exciting?

Shannon Hale:  Thanks, Megan and Denisha! I have lots of stuff about that book on my site: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_academy.html. It’s hard to explain how ideas come. I think it helped that I’ve read lots of books in my life and worked hard on my writing for 20 years before I wrote that book. It was the fastest novel I’ve written, taking me about a year. And it’s so worth it knowing that you liked it.

Maw Books:  Thank you so much Shannon for joining us today!  It was a blast!

Check out the Maw Books reviews of Rapunzel’s Revenge, Princess Academy, Austenland, Book of a Thousand Days, and my thought on meeting Shannon at children’s book festival, and lastly, the Rapunzel’s Revenge release party.  Shop all of Shannon Hale’s book in the Maw Books Amazon store.

Rapunzel’s Revenge is a great addition to children’s literature and the world of graphic novels (although I fully admit that I’m not familiar with the graphic novel world, but how can it not?!).  It was fun to read, had a lot of great one-liners, and had a great story.  Rapunzel isn’t just a poor, woe is me girl locked in a tower.  She’s sassy, witty, and can handle those lasso braids like no one you’ve seen.  I know Nathan Hale spent forever on those illustrations!!  I thought they were really nice but there were some panels that I thought could have been better.  I thought the faces got funny sometimes.  But it’s not enough to really bother me.  Overall, a fun book I’d totally recommend.

I went to the Rapunzel’s Round-Up, a fun book release party for Rapunzel’s Revenge.  See my commentary on that fun day here.  If you haven’t heard the story of how I ended up with Shannon’s garden zucchini, then you should check it out!

Shannon and Dean Hale were just on the today show.  Check out their fun segment:

Visit Shannon Hale’s website and Nathan Hale’s blog.

Coming right up (or at least today, we’ll see what I can do with the kiddo’s around) is a great Shannon Hale interview.  You won’t want to miss this one.  She answers your questions!