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Squeetus exclusive: Sara Zarr

Today I'm proud to host fellow Utah writer Sara Zarr! Sara's writing career got off with a bang when her first novel, Story of a Girl, was a finalist for the National Book Award. She followed that with the award-winning Sweethearts. Her latest is Once Was Lost. Sara and I will be "interviewing each other" (yeah, we're a little unsure how that works too) this Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4:30-5:30 at the main branch of the Salt Lake City library. It's part of the Utah Humanities Book Festival. As she's busy with the new book, I'm keeping her interview short and sweet.

SH: Sam's story parallels the abduction of a girl from her congregation. Without revealing any spoilers (of course) I'm curious about the ending. Had you always intended that ending?

SZ: I went back and forth on the ending for awhile. I had to think a lot about what this character needed, and also think a lot about my idea of "realistic" since I always write realistic fiction. Some stuff happened in real life that helped me know for sure how I would end the book.

SH: There is very little religion in novels, especially YA novels it seems, unless the religious leaders are evil. I love your straight approach. As a Christian and the daughter of a pastor, religion is a central part of Sam's life and you deal with her fears and hopes and doubts honestly. Do you find in general that people are uncomfortable with this topic or have been welcoming?

SZ: Since I almost completely avoid reading reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, Shelfari, and most blogs, I really have no idea what kind of conversation may be going on about that. I like to stay out of it unless asked. I'm sure it makes some people uncomfortable, and I get that. There are plenty of other books (most of them) that never make the merest mention, so the uncomfortable people will still have stories to read. I wanted to write a book for everyone else---something that hadn't yet been done (as far as I knew/know) about a character with a sincere faith, that was not a religious/Christian marketplace book and also not a total loss of faith/cult book. I didn't want to write a testimony or anything with answers---just one teen character's first dark night of the soul. As a reader, I enjoy reading about people like me and I also enjoy reading about people different than me. I hope this book finds an audience on both sides of that equation.

SH: If you were to, say, have me over for dinner, what would you cook for me? What sort of entertainment would you provide? And are you free next weekend?

SZ: I would make you a casserole, Shannon, because when I think of you I think of home and hearth and pie. I'd get my husband to play piano for you while I flambed the Baked Alaska. Sadly, I'm not free for...a while.

OH! Taunted me with casserole and Baked Alaska and live music, but in the end--DENIED. It's official, Sara Zarr is ruthless! Fortunately, she's also an extremely fine writer. We're gonna rock the festival on Saturday.

Squeetus exclusive: Carol Lynch Williams

Today I get to expose Carol Lynch Williams to my blog readers. She's not shy--she'll bare it all! But we'll try to keep this nice for polite society. Carol is a fellow Utah writer (we breed writers out here on ranches). Her latest book completely took my breath away. I couldn't put it down, and I wasn't the only one. Not only is it gripping, it deals with an issue that has been in the news a lot the past couple of years. The Chosen One is about Kyra, a thirteen-year-old girl who was born into a religious community called the Chosen. Her father has three mothers, her family is large and loving. But the community's Prophet has chosen a husband for Kyra--she is to marry her 60-year-old uncle, who already has multiple wives. That's how the story begins.

Carol and I conversed via email.

SH: Hi Carol! You are looking gorgeous as usual. And you smelly so pretty. You must be one of those authors who actually shower. I hope that doesn't make you think you're better than the rest of us. But whether or not you think it, you probably are. I mean, The Chosen One. Wow. Knock my socks off. I could not put it down, and a full half hour after I finished, I suddenly started sobbing again. What was the experience of writing this story like for you?

CLW: I spent a lot of time wanting to cry while writing the book, Shannon. And the story starts out long before I sat down to write. You know how that goes. You get an idea--it's sloshes around in your brain for a number of years. Then one day (when you start your MFA at Vermont College in Writing for Children and Young Adults, you realize that you have to have a creative thesis done) you start writing.
 
Part of the sadness was all the research. That was hard. Lots of sad things happen in our world (well, not in your world, Shannon. Because you got the Newbery Honor. But in plain people's worlds--like mine-- icky things happen.). So I did this research and I just felt sick for a couple of years (much longer than a 9-month puking pregnancy).
 
But here's the serious part, Shannon. As I was writing, I realized abuse happens EVERYWHERE to kids. All over. And it made me sadder than ever.
 
As far as the smell, that's Shalimar--a great 'I-haven't-showered-in-four-days' cover up.

SH: It's weird, how after getting a Newbery Honor, there's this magical force field around you that protects you from anything bad ever again. The magical force field, more than the framed certificate even, is the real bonus.

You mentioned research. What kind did you do? Would you recommend any other books on either abuse or fundamentalism?

CLW: I researched a lot online, read newspaper articles and watching what was on TV, too. Not Big Love. I still haven't seen that. But it seemed every channel had something about polygamy. And I think about this time (or right before) Warren Jeffs became one of the Ten Most Wanted or something, so he was in the news quite a bit. I read accounts of people who had escaped the lifestyle. I talked to practicing polygamists and people who had left families when they decided to not follow their leaders. I spoke to families where a child left the religion taught at home and followed someone into polygamy.
 
One of the misconceptions I encountered (and am still encountering) is that some people think members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are polygamists--or that polygamists are somehow Latter-day Saints--like a branch or something. But what I found is that there are all kinds of people who have broken off from their churches and become polygamists.
 
I didn't read any non-fiction books (like Jessop's Escape or Jeff's Lost Boy, which has been recently released, or Stolen Innocence by Wall). I wanted to get my facts from reports and documentaries. So these may be books I'll read later--and they may be good but haunting books to recommend. Some of these cultures are not for the faint of heart.

SH: I'd say the same of your book--not for the faint of heart. Unflinching, brutal, but beautiful and loving. I've noticed that though the Chosen in your book have nothing to do with the Latter-day Saints (i.e. Mormons), in reviews and articles, people will still mention that you are a Mormon. The New York Times did that. How do you feel about this? Being myself a practicing Latter-day Saint, I'm sure we get a lot of the same questions and confused opinions. The questions are great--but the assumptions can be hard. Not that I'm helping dispel myths very well. I wrote a book with my husband, Dean Hale. The illustrator, Nathan Hale, is not a relative, but at book appearances out of Utah, I've started to claim him as my second husband. 'Cause, you know, I'm a Mormon and all. And apparently I'm that kind of a woman--the kind of a woman with many needs.

CLW: You are a woman with many needs, Shannon. That's part of why you are so hysterically funny.
 
I don't mind that people know I'm a Latter-day Saint, Shannon. Religion is a part of who we are, don't you think?
 
At one point--when I knew I would write about polygamists but I didn't know it would be this book--I thought that having a middle grade novel where two little girls met (one LDS, one the daughter of a polygamist) would be a good way for people to see that Mormons do not practice polygamy because I would show the difference between the two groups. That turned out to be a book that I could not write. At all.
 
What is interesting is that I still keep getting the reviews for The Chosen One that say things like "This is a book about Mormons." Or " This book takes place in a Mormon-like setting . . ." I had one woman ask me, "What will the Mormons do when they read this book?" And I was like, "Ummm, I'm not so sure. I hope they like it."
 
Being a Latter-day Saint is a huge part of who I am. So is being a mom. And being a good friend. And a woman. And paranoid. And an over-eater. And a Miss Bossy-face. And a would-have-been Country and Western singer. And a reader. And on and on till your sick of my list. It all influences me as a writer.

SH: Well said. Now, you know, you are the hysterically funny one. Not only in person, but you've written some very funny books. A Mother to Embarrass me had me laughing out loud. And yet you can go to some very dark places. There's a scene in The Chosen One that I never could have written. I just couldn't live in that moment (maybe I could've when I was younger, but not since becoming a mother). What's that writing experience like for you?

CLW: If you're mad enough, Shannon, I bet you could write anything, don't you think? The more research I did on some of these communities (remember--many are NOT like this), the more sad and angry I became.
 
So--this leads me to another story. Once upon a time (this is NOT a fairy tale) I wrote a book called The True Colors of Caitlynne Jackson which is about child abuse. This was a long time ago. The whole time I wrote that book, I wore my emotions not just on my sleeve, but all over my body. Some days my girls would come in, "Mommy?" and I'd burst into tears. Other days I would turn to them like Regan from The Exorcist--"Whaaat?"
 
What I'm trying to say is that it is hard to write icky, yucky stuff. Writing is so much who we are that we feel  what we are writing--experience, sometimes, what our characters are feeling. Maybe I'm making too much of it, but that's why, I think, it's hard to put something tough down on paper.
 
Some people want a sequel to The Chosen One. Honestly, at this point in my life, I don't know that I could write one.  [SH note: Spoilers in white follow--highlight to read, but only if you've read the book!] It was hard to see Kyra leave her family--and I'm not so sure she'd ever get back there. As an aside, one of the things people want to see is what happens with Josh and Kyra after they are out of the compound. The fact (or fiction) is Kyra is only 13!

SH: Thanks Carol! Is there anything else you'd want to add?

CLW: Just where they should send the money. 50/50 split, right?

Love that Carol. A fine lady and a fine writer, even if she is a Miss Bossy-face. And check her out putting spoilers for her own book! I just couldn't let it ride. I'm a spoiler freak, had to hide them. Go read the book. And keep some tissues handy

Squeetus exclusive: Brandon Mull

This week Brandon Mull and his adorable chin dimple have graciously offered to stop by. Brandon is currently on tour for the fourth book in his best selling Fablehaven series, out there being his crazy self, shaking his rock n' roll booty, tearing up the book world. Fablehaven is about a wildlife refuge for magical creatures and the brother and sister who are brought into the secret. It's full of magic, adventure, humor and fun, a big hit for ages ten and up. But let's get a peek at the man behind these runaway hits. (By the way, his initial are BM. Get it? BM. As in...oh, never mind...)

SH: Over just a few short years, your books have achieved the New York Times best seller lists on multiple occasions and earned hordes of fervent fans. You combine energetic fantasy adventure with humor and white-knuckle thrills. But let's not wander off topic...what's your favorite thing about me?

BM: Your sense of humor.  And your graceful prose.  And your husband.  Judging from the question, I’m going to assume you’re cool with me listing more than one favorite.

The Fablehaven books have some quite frightening creatures. Which of your creatures scares you the most? What would you do if you found it in your bedroom? What would your wife do? What would your three-year-old son do?

I’d be pretty scared of the revenant in the second Fablehaven book.  It is a slow, undead creature that radiates paralyzing fear.  So its victims must watch in frozen horror as it gradually approaches to claim them.  If it showed up in my bedroom, I would try to charm it with witty banter.  My wife would totally fold and start screaming.  My three-year-old would punch it.

I attended the release party for Fablehaven 3--you filled an auditorium with people (over 1000 I'd assume). They were screaming for you like a rock star, then waited patiently in line for four hours to get you to sign their book. It's was wild, high energy, fun and completely different. So my question is, where did you find all those fans and how much did you pay them to come?

I didn’t pay them.  Those fans were in attendance thanks to hypnosis and mirrors.  If you looked closely, you would have observed the same stupefied individuals repeated throughout the audience.  And that nearly-full auditorium sat close to 3,000!  I know what you’re thinking…where did I rent so many mirrors?  Sorry, trade secret.  Incidentally, and absolutely unrelated, there will be a similar free super cool launch party with live comedy and fabulous costumes for Fablehaven book 4 on March 24 in the Salt Lake City area.  Fablehaven.com lists the details.

Fablehaven 5 (out in 2010) will complete this series. Come on, give us a peak. Just a tiny peek. Itty bitty...

Book Five will probably be called Keys of the Demon Prison.  Not many people know that yet.  I've started working on it.  I'm excited about the plan I have!

You've published 5 books in three years, travel for weeks every year all over the country, and support a family of five. You're obviously swimming in free time and that breaks my heart, so we here at squeetus want to put you to work. Give us a short story based on one of the following ideas:
Humpty Dumpty as film noir
Little Boy Blue as a disaster film
Little Miss Muffet as a buddy flick
The Ugly Duckling as science fiction

Okay, careful what you ask for, because you might get it.  Here is Humpty Dumpty as film noir:

High atop the wall, a curved lamppost shed a cone of light, the radiance almost tangible in the mist.  Mouth dry, Humpty glanced over his shoulder.  It was a long way down.

Raising his hands slowly, he tried to keep his fingers from quivering.  Muffy held the gun steady, her gaze cold and bemused.  How had it come to this?  Humpty knew what it felt like to have his back to the wall.  But tonight was worse.  Tonight his back was to the void.

A breeze sent eddies of vapor swirling.  Humpty had to keep his cool.  If he made a sudden move, or spoke the wrong words, the king’s men would be scraping yolk off the pavement for weeks.

“Muffy,” he tried.

“It’s Miss Muffet,” she insisted, eyes gleaming.  “Muffy is gone, Mr. Dumpty.”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile as a tear slid down her cheek.  “Didn’t mean to?  Wasn’t it enough to break my heart?  Now you’re going to claim there was no meaning behind your betrayal?  What are you, a tornado?  A hurricane?  Can’t you see how much worse that makes it?  Take some responsibility for your behavior!  Have you no spine?”

Attempting a chuckle, Humpty gave a weak shrug.  “I’m an egg.”

“You’re a monster.  Your two-timing days are over, Mr. Dumpty.”

Humpty held out a hand and wiggled his fingers.  “Give me the gun.”

She shook her head.  Another tear fell.  “You’re not going to talk your way out of this one.  Sit down.  Sit down!”

Stealing a glance at the drop behind him, Humpty sat.  He tried to make his voice reasonable, fatherly.  “It doesn’t have to be like this.  Take a deep breath.  Think about what you’re doing.  The king won’t stand for this, Miss Muffet.”

“Here we go!  There’s the Humpty I know!  Hiding behind the king, as usual.  I don’t see any soldiers here tonight, Mr. Dumpty.  It’s just you and me.  And it’s a long way down.”

“Don’t talk crazy.”

She made a sound, half laugh, half sob.  “Bullets don’t care about charm, or connections.  They don’t listen to lies.  When I’m finished here, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men will not be enough to save you.”

She was not bluffing.  He knew her well enough to see that.  This was going to happen.  Humpty broke.  “Muffy, please!”

Finally her smile became genuine.  “That’s right, beg.  That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.  Listen close, Humpty.  That was the sound my heart made when I found you eating curds and whey with her.”

He felt a glimmer of hope.  “So in a way, we’re even.”

“Except for one thing.  I’m in the mood for an omelet.”

A gunshot rang out.  Humpty inhaled the smoky scent of spent gunpowder.  Or was his vest on fire?  Two fingers went to his chest and came away coated with clear fluid.

She fired again and again.  Yolk leaked from half a dozen holes as he tumbled backward off the wall, and plummeted into the mist.

Ha-ha! I knew you'd come through for us! Thanks, Brandon. By the way, you have a darling house and adorable family. I don't know if you knew I stopped by recently...
 

Squeetus exclusive: Janette Rallison

 Janette Rallison is about a cool a lady as you can hope to meet, deliciously fun and kind to boot. She writes funny, clean, delightful teen chick lit. Her latest crosses over into the fantasy realm (come to the dark side, Janette! You cannot resist!). I gobbled up My Fair Godmother in three days (supa-fast for slow poke me) because I just kept wanting to turn those pages. So I hollered down to Arizona, "Hey Janette, will you do a blog interview?" and she said, "I'd love to. Just let me know when so, you know, I can wear my skinny jeans." So here she is, in skinny jeans, the fabulous Janette Rallison.

SH: How much discovery do you do as you write? Did you know the plot for My Fair Godmother from the beginning, or do you discover things along the way and make big changes?

JR: I always think I know the basic plot of my novels before I start them, but then while I’m writing I realize I knew less than I thought.
 
This is the same experience I’ve had with men, parenting, many things really—so it’s not a surprise any more.  Life is learn-as-you-go.
 
When I started My Fair Godmother, I knew what was going to happen for each of Savannah’s wishes.  But when she went back to the Middle Ages to help Tristan, and met the mysterious yet sexy Black Knight, well, all sorts of things changed.  That’s why it’s dangerous to introduce mysterious and sexy Black Knights into your stories and why most authors avoid them.

If you had three wishes with the usual stipulations, and Chrissy was your fairy godmother, what would be your first wish?

  I’d probably wish for a better fairy godmother.  I mean, really, what kind of wish is Chrissy going to get right?  That said, it would be very tempting to wish for a self cleaning house.  Fame and fortune might backfire on you, but what’s the downside of dishes that jump into the dishwasher of their own accord?  I get choked up just thinking about it.

What makes you laugh?

My children.  Teenagers are especially funny.  Luckily I have a large supply of children so I’ll have story ideas for years to come.  I don’t know what I’ll do when they finally all grow up and leave home though.  I’ll probably have to go to the mall and stalk random teenagers, just for book ideas.

I have this wonderful vision of your home, full of shenanigans and giggles and baking cookies. Don't you dare spoil that dream, I don't want to hear about any mundane existential household, but what is the Rallison home like?

I had to think about this question for awhile.  Actually, I do think my children are more apt to joke around and look on the lighter side of things because I do it so frequently.  I was feeling good about this until I asked my twelve year old daughter if she thought our house was different than her friends’ houses.
 
“Definitely,” she told me.  “I do way more jobs than my friends.  And you take me shopping less.  Oh, and my friends have better things to eat at their houses.”
 
Doesn’t that just sound like every other twelve year old in the nation?  So yeah, I guess our house isn’t really all that different.

Probably every book event I do where there are adults present, I'm asked, "How do you write with kids?" The obvious answer, "I don't write with kids--they're too unwieldy. I use a computer." But besides that, how do you do it?

I have a fourteen year span between my oldest and youngest child which means my entire writing career has happened in-between taking care of little kids.  I was actually pregnant with twins when I got my first book contract.
 
You can’t wait for a chunk of time to write a novel, because those chunks of time don’t exist when you have five children.  Before my youngest started kindergarten, my goal was to write two pages before I took a shower and got ready for the day.  Which is why on any given day you could find me in my pajamas at two o’clock in the afternoon.
 
Sometimes it took a long time to write two pages.  And sometimes it didn’t happen at all.  But even if you can only write a few paragraphs a day—and I got good at scribbling things down while waiting at dance classes and soccer games—after enough time you’ve got a whole book written.

Also, don’t ask me how frequently I cleaned my fridge out.  It’s best not to know those things.

Which character did you have the most fun writing about?

 There were so many fun characters in this book, it’s hard to pick just one.  I loved the longsuffering dwarfs who have to put up with an air-head Snow White. I also loved Chrissy, the valley girl fairy godmother with her sometimes brutally true observations about our society.  And of course the Cyclops was fun because he had such a hard time deciding whether to eat the heroine or not.  I think most of us could relate to that predicament.

I have a bookshelf in our family room where I put books I've read that I want to share. My babysitters know where to go for the good stuff. Recently when I came home, our awesome sitter Kayla had found My Fair Godmother and was 50 pages in. She begged to borrow it and brought it back later with rave reviews. "I loved how Janette Ralison brought a teen story to life! For example; the swimming pool scene where her bathing suit top came off, and then she ran into the boys dressing room because she couldn't see! That cracked me up! I could really see someone do that! Plus it brought back a memory where I accidentally walked into the boys bathroom at the movie theaters!
Also my favorite character in the book is Tristan, because he's so cute and full of muscle! He's my hero! My Fair Godmother is amazing!" She had some questions for you.

KAYLA: Did you have to study about the Middle Ages before you wrote My Fair Godmother?

For years I’ve planned to write a historical romance, so I’ve read tons of books on the Middle Ages.  I’m not sure when I’ll ever get that romance done, but luckily I didn’t have to do much new research for My Fair Godmother.  (This is just another example of how procrastination works for me.)

KAYLA: Are you going to write a sequel to the book?

I don’t have one planned at this point, but it is in the back of my mind.  One just has to wonder what Chrissy will do for her next extra-credit fairy godmother assignment.  Someday I might have to set her on some other unsuspecting teenage girl.

Thanks, lady! You are, as always, the life of the party. By the way, I still owe you $2 for tipping that guy who made a balloon Spider-man for Max. I won't forget!

Squeetus exclusive: M.T. Anderson

 Today I have the honor of hosting M.T. Anderson, fresh off from his latest Printz Honor. Tobin is one of my favorite authors, besides being one of my favorite people. Last summer, we were locked up in a room together for two days to rehearse for a readers theater, along with Linda Sue Park and Eric Rohmann, and if you ever have the opportunity to be locked up with three people, I highly recommend those three. Just make certain you supply Tobin with Coke, not Pepsi (or was it the other way around?). My interiew with Tobin might be lacking in some of the depth and dignity due a National Book Award winner. For a truly fascinating interview with M.T. Anderson, check out Seven Impossible Things.

SH: You've written picture book biographies (Strange Mr. Satie), perhaps the best dystopian novel of all time (Feed), a complex and brilliant historical novel (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Parts 1 and 2), rollicking fun middle reader pulp novels (the Whales on Stilts! books), and some other books I haven't read yet so they don't really count but I have on good authority they are equally amazing, though I can't confirm or deny that at present. You jump from genre to genre like a flea at a dog show (you can borrow that simile sometime if you want, no charge, just make sure you mention me in the acknowledgements) and yet you do each one brilliantly, convincingly, perfect. So, what's the deal, Tobin? You got something to prove? Were you bullied as a kid by some smart-mouthed pre-teen genius who threw a ball at your head and said, "I bet you can't go down that slide head-first and survive OR write a dozen different books in different genres and be brilliant at all of them, so there, poo-poo head!" and you've been trying to prove that kid wrong ever since, especially since after you went down the slide head first you did survive but suffered a severe concussion and to this day still see shiny lights in your periphery and occasionally hear Bob Barker whisper in your ear, "Spin the wheel, Tobin. Spin it!" Is that it?

MTA: Can we just forget the slide? Who told you about the slide? I bet it was that jerk, Milt Barrega.

*drops to his knees and cries to the gathering clouds*

MILT BARREGA! CURSE YOU! ... HOW MANY SWISHIES, SWIRLIES, MONKEY BITES, AND CHARLIE HORSES DID I ENDURE AT YOUR HANDS? HOW MANY WEDGIES, SKUNKERS, KNUCKLE SCRUMS, AND MAR-BELLIES? HOW MANY WALLS OF MY HOUSE DID YOU KNOCK DOWN WITH YOUR CATAPULT, YOUR TREBUCHET?

I thought I had moved on. After all, that was some thirty years ago. He was just a snot-nosed kid. And wiped it on me. I thought I could let bygones be bygones. And then I discover that he tells stories like this to you; that is my bank manager, that he eats at my favorite restaurant, that he sends weird cakes to my wife.

MILT BARREGA! I SHALL SEEK YOU OUT TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH... AND WHEN I CATCH UP TO YOU, AND I SEND YOU HEAD-FIRST SLITHERING DOWN A SLIDE, YOU'LL FIND THE LANDING AIN'T SO SOFT WHERE YOU'RE GOING ... AND THAT IT'S REALLY HOT THERE! At the bottom of the slide! Which I'm sending you down!

And there are devils there. And brimstone and criminals.

I mean, what I'm trying to say is the slide goes down to the Bad Place. Like, that's the joke.

Sorry. Sorry, Milt. I didn't mean it.

Whales on Stilts! is a middle reader book, a parody of (or homage to) the old pulp novels, a great pick for reluctant readers, and uproariously funny. It moves fast and easy, but doesn't skimp on the quality writing. Just listen to this passage: "She, Lily, and Jasper pulled away from all the people who wanted to hear their story, and they stepped over to the railing to watch the sun set over the sea. Around them the potted ferns waved and the seagulls cried. The clouds turned a rich, rumbling kind of red as the sun disappeared. The sky stretched peach above their heads. The wind blew at them." Simple, elegant, evocative. Any writer would gladly offer up various body parts to write like that. So my question is, if I had a potluck BBQ, what dish would you bring?

2. I only know one recipe. Cereal.

Normally, the recipe for cereal is:

INGREDIENTS

cereal

milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour cereal into bowl

2. Pour milk over cereal (to taste)

But I'm lactose intolerant. So my recipe for cereal is a special one for lactose intolerant people.

INGREDIENTS

Cereal

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Eat cereal.

I'm the life of the party!

Follow up question: Are you free on Saturday?

For you, Shannon, I'm free any time. Wouldn't that be fun, if we could all get together for a BBQ?

PS. Do you prefer Quisp or Count Chocula?

Which Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, invention would you most like to own and use at will?

Definitely the flying restaurant. I love it there. I would get them to put waffle fries on the menu, and fried zucchini with Russian dressing, and boneless Buffalo fingers. And then they could have a robotic cheesecake dessert cart, with specialty cheese cakes.

 But WAIT A SECOND, I'm lactose intolerant. So I'd be reduced to just staring at the robotic dessert cart longingly.

Even in my own daydreams, I'm frustrated.

You were recently photographed about town:

Clearly this is an original picture and your head was not cut out and put on someone else's body by my husband with mad PhotoShop skills. Ahem. Now besides the fact that you seemed to have gained fifty or sixty pounds since I saw in you June, I'm curious about the shirt. I guess it speaks for itself, but care to elaborate? (Also, is that a gold bracelet you're wearing?)

Wow, that's some photo. By "greatness," I apparently mean, "my great love of baked goods."

Because you're sweet, like them!

Awwwww....

Stop it, I'm blushing! So you see why I vote M.T. Anderson for our favorite literary guy. Don't you want to take him home with you to smile and say witty things and explain string theory and Ulysses? Easy, ladies, he's taken..

Squeetus exclusive: Nathan Hale

Our next guest author is the illustrious Nathan Hale (no relation). Nate, of course, is the fantabulous illustrator of rapunzel's revenge. You can read a little about that collaboration here. He is even as we speak working on the sequel, calamity jack, which will be out spring 2010. He supports a family of four as an illustrator, an amazing accomplishment, due not only to his incredible talent but his astounding hard work. (think 16 hour/days, 7 days/week) His solo work includes the picture books The Devil You Know (optioned for film by the director of Night at the Museum) and Yellowbelly and Plum, one of Max's (and ours) favorite books.

Me: What's your favorite scene in Rapunzel's Revenge?

NH: The tree tower. I love the solitude of Rapunzel in the tiny room. There is a little sequence of panels where we see winter, fall and spring go by (top of page 27) which I'd love to have elaborated on for three or four pages. The escape from the tower is fun too, and I love the boar chase. Honestly, I could have done a whole book based on the first half of Part 1--you know, Manga style, telling the story of Rapunzel's Revenge in a series 24 books long.

Who are your favorite minor characters in Rapunzel?

I love Goldy. That goose was so helpful. If I needed to focus attention on anything, I could just point Goldy's head at it. She was like a living "LOOK HERE" sign. And she was funny too. I think she steals the scene in the jail break sequence (she steals other stuff too, if you look closely.) I like Rapunzel's mom, especially in the scene at the well. I also got a kick out of some very minor characters, "Tina's Terrible Trio" on page 110, the trio only got that one panel. But I feel they need a story of their own someday. A Pixar style short feature.

What do you enjoy drawing more: dinosaurs, devils, or toothless outlaws?

The combination. Really, that's one of the best things about being a children's illustrator. You get to do it all. I try to cultivate variety in the projects I take on. Earlier this year I had FOUR dinosaur projects in a row. (including Chronicle's "The Dinosaur's Night Before Christmas"--available now at Amazon.com! For all of your dinosaur and Christmas needs! Act now! Free CD of dinosaur carols included! Your holiday season is not complete without "Hark, the Pterodactyls Sing!") By the end of that stretch I was REALLY tired of painting scales. So it was nice to switch to a project that was totally dinosaur free. I'm sure by the time I finish Calamity Jack, I'll be dying to paint some dinosaurs again--or maybe some tall ships, I've always wanted to do a naval battle/pirate ship project.

Which schoolmate of Yellowbelly's is your favorite?

The easy answer is the little blonde boy in the black shirt. That's my son Ulysses.

As far as the monsters and robots go, I really like the little gray owl girl. When the book was going through sketch revisions, there were two characters that were cut. They still made the book, you can see them on the big playground spread, a shark girl in a tutu, and a cactus boy. Those two were originally in Yellowbelly's class. They were replaced by the dinosaur boy (wearing a cactus shirt) and one of the human kids. I was a big fan of those two, hopefully Yellowbelly will get a sequel where we can see more of them.

Is there any song cooler than David Bowie's "Golden Years"? Oh yeah, what is it?

Sure, here's one. This song gives me chills every time. Every time.

Is there any cooler book title than Calamity Jack? And do you think you deserve some of our writing royalties because you thought of that name? What percent? Would you settle for an ice cream sandwich?

How about a Big Ed's Super Saucer? Do they still make those? The big cookie sandwich. Oh yeah. It's that little touch of salt that makes those so good.

I remember everyone was running through titles and nothing really seemed like it belonged on the same shelf with "Rapunzel's Revenge." Nothing sounded quite as pulpy and action-packed. "Calamity" is a nice $5 word you don't get to hear very much. I'm a big fan of Calamity Jane. One of my favorite books is Larry McMurtry's Buffalo Girls which is about Calamity Jane's trip to the London World's Fair with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show--fantastic.

Who has been your favorite character to return to as you illustrate Calamity Jack?

Jack is great to draw--he draws himself really, he's got so much character. Boring answer, but my favorite person to draw in Jack is Jack.

How much recovery time are you going to need after illustrating Calamity Jack before you'd be willing to do a third graphic novel with us?

Oh we have to do a trilogy--nobody does just a book and a sequel. Gotta wrap it up in a box-set three-pack! I'll even give you the fairy tale to base book 3 on. Let's sa-a-a-ay Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Only the "bears" are giant, city protecting monsters and "Goldilocks" is a Napoleon style conqueror with a huge army. So Goldilocks rolls into a city and conquers it, then she's like, "This city's too warm." Then the monster's like, "Raaaaaaawr!" Repeat three times, it writes itself. You guys can fit Jack and Rapunzel in there somewhere, right? I have faith in you. Go!

That said, I'll need a little gap between books 2 and 3. I think book 3 should come out in 2013. That sounds so far away, like a year from a science fiction movie. 2013. Weird. I'll start the countdown now. Rapunzel 3, 2013.

Now I gotta get back to inking or Calamity Jack will come out in 2013. You can see updates of Calamity Jack, Yellowbelly, dinosaurs and more at my website.

Thank you, Nathan Hale (no relation)! Dean and I will get going on Goldilocks Bonaparte and the Three City-Protecting Monsters (in bookstores fall 2013!)

Squeetus exclusive: A.E. Cannon

This week we get to pull up a chair and chat with the always lovely A.E. Cannon. Ann first charmed me with Charlotte's Rose, a perfect book about a pioneer girl crossing the Great Plains on her way to Utah. When a woman dies in childbirth and the grieving father can't take responsibility for the baby, young Charlotte volunteers, carrying and caring for Rose for the long journey. It's a beautiful, insightful, hopeful historical novel. Her newest book, The Loser's Guide to Love and Life, is a fast and funny romp based loosely on A Midsummer Night's Dream. I love all the characters in this book, I love how unique they are and yet real. I love how Ann can do comedy and yet never sacrifice depth of character and experience. And even more, I love Ann. Here is wisdom, young writers--you can be a fabulous writer (like Ann), you can start your career with a bang winning a major first-novel award (like Ann), but if you're not a genuinely kind, good-hearted person (like Ann), what does it all matter? To me, Ann Cannon represents what's best in this business--a skilled storyteller and a wise and loving person. Now to the interview. (And by the way, in the photo, Ann is the one on the left.)

Me: I loved the way you played with A Midsummer Night's Dream in this story. What is it about Shakespeare that inspired you? What was helpful as a writer in using his play as an inspiration?

AC: You know what I love about Shakespeare?  I love his energy--all that verbal magic!  And I love how he stirs things up with witches in the woods, ghosts in the castle, jealous husbands, love struck teenagers, cold-blooded queens. He embraces all of experience. I've always liked A Midsummer Night's Dream because it's funny and light-hearted.  I adore how everyone in that play is in love with the wrong person (or donkey) and yet by the end, everything is sorted out.  I aimed for that kind of happy confusion in my book.

Scout (cool name) has an obsession with reading Regency romances that she keeps secret. Do you have any similar secret obsessions? Obsessions? 

Well, yes.  Reading Regency romances, for instance.  I went through a long, long period where I was really addicted to them (just like Scout).  I have to say I still love the novels of Georgette Heyer. Listening to them on tape while I'm in the car running errands is a real pleasure. I also like trashy tabloid magazines and finding websites about plastic surgery gone wrong.  And my pajama drawer is still filled with leftover bags of malted milk Easter eggs.  I'm pretty much obsessed with those.

Why do you write?

Sometimes I wonder that myself--especially when the writing part isn't going well.   Like today, for instance! But generally speaking I write because writing makes me feel more alive, more connected to the world.  When I'm writing I pay more attention to what's happening around me--and when that happens I am struck over and over again I am by the awful beauty of life.

A Loser's Guide is told from the points-of-view of four different characters. Did you have a favorite one to write for?

I loved doing all the voices.  I had the most fun with Ed, though How has being a mother of five boys affected your writing? I find male voices easier to write than female voices.  That's probably a result of having lived with so many guys (I also don't have sisters--just brothers).  Teenage boys, when they're not getting arrested, are loads of fun to be around.

Thank you, Ann! My local bookshop, The King's English in Salt Lake City, is hosting a midsummer's night party for the book, July 2 at 7pm. I'll be there as Ann has promised to reveal the secret of cold fusion and/or talk about The Loser's Guide. This really is such a perfect summer book. Note that if your local library doesn't have it, you can always request the library purchase it. Most libraries' online catalogs allow you to do this right over the web. This is a great way to get to read a book you want if you don't have the money to buy it and also support those hard working authors out there.

Squeetus exclusive: Brian Selznick

Yes, you heard right--Brian Selznick! I had the opportunity to read The Invention of Hugo Cabret as an advance reading copy before it came out. I loved it at once. The story is new and fascinating, the illustrations gorgeous. The style is unlike anything ever done, and I remember thinking at the time, "Good for Brian Selznick for daring something so different, and good for Scholastic for supporting him. I hope this pays off."

Ha. Has there ever been such a decorated children's novel? Let me list some honors off the top of my head:

• Caldecott Medal
• National Book Award Finalist
• Quills Award
• Al Roker pick
• NYT Best seller (for months and months)
• Book Sense Book of the Year
• Film option to Martin Scorsese

And all much deserved. Not only is this a terrific book that draws in avid readers and reluctant readers alike, its author is a stand-up, darn fine, terrific fella. And cute too. (He fell hard for Maggie at age two months. For the last time, Brian, no, you can't take her home with you!) And here is our guest of honor, the man with the golden hand.

ME: Hugo Cabret is a completely novel novel. The early, silent movies were also very novel, and sometimes frightening to viewers who had never seen one before, as you explained in the story. I love that you told a story that in part is about a new art form and you tell it in a new medium using art. I'm going around and around.... What I mean to say is, how much did the subject matter influence the form of your book or did the silent movie-esque illustrations crop up organically?

BS: The form of the book and the content of the book kind of developed together.  I knew I wanted to make a story about Georges Melies, who in 1902 made the first science fiction film A Trip to the Moon, and the more I learned about him, and the more movies I watched, the more the story came together.  I realized I could make the book read like a movie and suddenly the idea of filling the book with "mini silent movies" made alot of sense.  I also like the idea that I'm using a new way to tell a story about an old way of telling stories that at the time was itself a new way.  I just saw Gypsy on Broadway, and in one sense it's about the death of Vaudeville, but when Gypsy was created it told this story in an incredible new way with songs that revealed the psychology of the characters.  I would hope that Hugo could be a little bit like that, using something new to talk about something old, so that it's all made modern and relevent to the audience.  Does that make sense??

[Yes! And how cool.]
If there were two rugby teams, one made up of Caldecott winners, the other of Newbery winners, which team would win and why? What if they were having a dance-off?

This is a very important question and I'm glad you asked.  We must remember that the Newbery award was first given in 1921 and the Caldecott was first given in 1938, so many of the players would be very very old.  In fact, some of the players would probably be dead, which in general slows people down quite a bit. This would make the Rugby game quite challenging, and I'd say the same goes for the dance-off. 

Or we can look at it another way.  I know that not all Caldecott winning books have words, and not all Newbery winning books have pictures, but the goal of a good picture book is usually to have the words and the pictures work perfectly together, each bringing something to the story that the other can not.  If we accept this as true, then perhaps what we'd have is a perfect tie on the Rugby field and a beautiful unending magically choreographed dance-off. 

Either that or the Caldecott winners would kick the Newbery winners butts.

[Unless the Newbery Honor winners got involved, 'cause we can jitterbug. A very important skill in rugby.]
I know illustrators who say they have boxes and boxes of their art and don't know what to do with it. What do you do with yours? Do you throw it away? Sell it? Put it on your walls? Give it to friends? Keep it in a storage unit?

I don't throw anything away.  I have all my art stored in flat files (long thin flat drawers) in my studio.  I am running out of room and am trying to figure out where I can put more flat files in my already crowded apartment.

[I could help store some for you...on my walls.]
Do you find your creative process is much different when writing than when drawing?

All my ideas start as stories.  The writing always comes first when I'm writing and drawing, and I find it much harder to put together a story than to work on the illustrations.  It's always nice to illustrate someone else's story because I don't have to think up the story myself.  But there's always the challenge of figuring out how exactly the pictures will enhance the story, so they don't just repeat all the information that's already in the text.

Is there a question you've never been asked that you've been waiting for?

In fact, I've been waiting for someone to ask me "Is there a question you've never been asked that you've been waiting for?" Now, at last, I won't have to wait anymore. Thank you for finally asking it.

Hooray! That's what we're here for at squeetus. Thank you, Brian. Can't wait to see what you come up with next. No pressure or anything...

Squeetus exclusive: Adam Rex

I'm so excited about our next guest--Adam Rex! Adam is a fantastic illustrator and, let's face it, spew-milk-through-your-nose funny. I recently read his novel, The True Meaning of Smekday, and I urge you and all your family to run out and read it now. Or stay in, if you already have it. Here are 10 reasons to read it. Technically it's science fiction, but if you're not a sci-fi fan, do not let the genre dissuade you--it's highly readable. And there were many times when I laughed out loud. There are also super cool illustrations. This will captivate those reluctant readers, too. The story is about a girl named Gratuity (and I promise--boys WILL read about this girl main character) after earth is invaded by an alien race named the Boov, and her adventures with one of the Boov who goes by the name J.Lo. Are you with me?

Me: What kind of student were you in elementary/middle grade? What did you want to be when you grew up? Did any teachers influence you for good or ill?

AR: I did well inside the classroom.  Outside the classroom, on the playground or in Phys. Ed., I was kind of a flaming wreck, but I always had the admiration of my classmates, such as it was, because I could draw.  My teachers were reasonably indulgent of my drawing early on–if I was done with my classwork, they really couldn't complain that I was sketching on the back of the worksheet–though I ran into some resistance in high school.  A couple of teachers made it known that they thought I was wasting my time.  One calculus teacher went so far as to say she was disappointed in me after learning that I was planning to major in art in college rather than, I suppose, math or something.  But hey, maybe she's dead now.

I don't think it's fair that you can write brilliantly and draw like a genius. So my question is...do you think it's fair that you're so freakin' talented?

If it makes you feel any better, I'm uncoordinated and deeply nearsighted and have allergies and asthma and migraines.  And I have unmanageable hair.  Also I smell.

Oh, and thank you.

In Smekday, do you have any favorite scenes or characters?

Well, I love J.Lo and Gratuity, of course.  When I was polishing up the finished text, I had really reached a level of comfort with those characters to the extent that I was able to practically improvise a conversation between them in real time, on any topic.  Even with J.Lo's language eccentricities.  I think I've lost some of that now, but I'm confident I could get it back if I were to ever come back to those characters in any substantial way.

An early scene in which Gratuity is trying to parse out all the changes J.Lo has made to her car has always been a favorite of mine.  It plays out cinematically as a perfect little piece of slapstick in my head, and I hope someone makes a movie out of it one day so everyone else can see what I've been seeing.

Do you have any favorite responses that you've had from fans?

I received a letter from a boy the other day who declared Smekday to be the best book he's ever read or ever will read.  I hope he's wrong, but that was pretty good.

What is different about being a published author/illustrator than you might have imagined when you were young?

Well, when I was young I guess I would have assumed I'd be very rich by now.  And I get a lot of "Are you rich?" or "Did you come here in a limousine?" questions when I do school visits, so I think this is a widely held view.  Widely held among kids, and even among adults who maybe don't know any authors personally.  The huge class of struggling, or merely comfortable, authors and musicians and actors and so forth in the world are largely invisible to the average person, I think.  Have you ever told someone at a party that you're an author, and they light up like they're just certain you're going to turn out to be Danielle Steele or someone?  They ask what you've written and when you tell them they get almost painfully embarrassed for you...they read books, they know titles and authors' names, so if they haven't heard of you then you must be really unsuccessful.  Then you spend the rest of the party trying to convince them that, really, you're doing fine, and you probably don't have the time to illustrate their sure-fire picture book idea.  But I'm rambling.

[Ha! Yes, I know that look. I've learned to go to great lengths to avoid telling people I write books.]
In the hierarchy of tragedy vs. comedy, tragedy always seems to win (in awards, in books studied in school, in perceived importance, etc.), but I would argue comedy is just as, if not even more important. If you wouldn't mind waxing philosophical for a moment, why do you think comedy is important for kids or adults? Or just any random thoughts you have on this or other related or unrelated topics.

That's true.  They're even sort of closely related, if you believe the old comedy = tragedy + time axiom.  And they're both very hard to do well, in their own ways.  I guess comedy is important to me because I find it improves every genre.  A little well-played comedy will make a tragedy seem more tragic.  It can make all kinds of ideas more palatable and easier to understand.  It can make even the most polarizing genres accessible...you ask someone like Joss Whedon how he got so many mainstream TV critics behind his series about a vampire-slaying cheerleader.  It was good writing all around, of course, and serious themes, but I think the comedy gave a lot of people permission to like what they otherwise might have dismissed as a show for awkward comic book fans with nowhere to go on a Friday night.

I guess certain problems arise when a story gets labeled as a comedy, rather than simply a story with humor, or a comedy/drama.  I've been somewhat pained by the number of (good) reviews that refer to Smekday as basically just a zany romp.  The comedy is there to entertain, but it's also there so that you'll hopefully fall for the characters a little.  And then you'll feel along with them in the quiet parts.  But that's just me whining, I think.  What a sensitive flower I am.

We are honored that you would whine to us! And if I can wax philosophical in response, I think it's a common reaction with any book that's entertaining to want to sum it up for what it is on the surface--a comedic romp, another fantasy, a comic book, a romance, etc. I think what a good writer can do is provide depth of story, so if you only want to read for the rippin' good tale, that's fine, but if you want to look closer, there's something there for you, too. Smekday certainly does that. It's a fantastic book. Thank you, Adam, for stopping by squeetus!

Squeetus exclusive: Jennifer L. Holm

I am so honored to host today two-time Newbery Honor medalist Jennifer L. Holm. She rocked the Newbery with her very first book, Our Only May Amelia, then drank again from the silver goblet for Penny from Heaven last year. She has a super fun graphic novel series for young readers (I'd say 6-11 year olds) called Babymouse, and if you're a lover of historical fiction, look no farther than her popular Boston Jane series. Her latest, Middle School Is Worse than Meatloaf is subtitled "A Year Told Through Stuff," and indeed there's no actual narrative. The book is about a year in the life of Ginny, a seventh grader, which we learn by reading her school essays, report cards, bills, scribbles on her notebook, post-it notes from mom, the occasional comic strip done by her older brother, etc. Unusual and completely captivating. After I read it, I showed it to my sister, who sat on the couch and ignored everything going on around her until she'd finished it, then she promptly showed it to her husband. Jennifer Holm is made of the very best stuff--an extremely fine writer, who writes with grace, truth, humor, adventure, and fun, and doesn't sacrifice story for quality. Here's our conversation:

SH: I don't know that I've ever read a book in the same format as Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf, and yet the storytelling flowed so easily. I felt like I was Ginny sometimes, and other times like I was a PI piecing together her life from the clues. So fun. What were the challenges in writing this book? Or what is an interesting question you keep wishing someone would ask you about this book that no one has 
yet?

JH: It was such an odd book to write. So much of it came from this "box of stuff" my mom had kept from my childhood. She was a total packrat (you should see her basement.) She kept all this ephemera of mine--from the usual stuff like photos and report cards to plain weird stuff like notes I passed in class
(where did she find these?) and hall passes for when I was sent to the guidance office (apparently I needed a lot of guidance.)

I think the biggest challenge was to make the actual layout feel three-dimensional. I didn't want it to be a diary book. I worked with an awesome illustrator, Elicia Castaldi, and she told me that she lived in fear
of the packages I would mail her. I would literally send her junk from around my house (like plastic easter eggs, and fridge magnets, and Christmas lights!) But she was a terribly forgiving and incorporated much of what I sent her into the book.

I guess the question I wish someone would ask is: why does Ginny's older brother communicate to her in comic strips? Answer: because my brother Matt (illustrator of BABYMOUSE) did this when we were kids. I still have a bunch of comic strips he drew for me.

[AWESOME! I wish I'd thought to ask that.]

So, tell, what's it like to get a second Newbery Honor? Is the silver even shinier? Was it even more exciting than the first or different in an unexpected way?

<Happy sigh.> It's so much shinier. I think because every book I've written since OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA has been so much harder to write. This doesn't make sense, I know, but there it is. What made it really wonderful for me was that my dad was able to attend the Newbery banquet. He was ill during the banquet when I received an honor for OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA.

You've done the Babymouse series and now Meatloaf. I'm a huge fan of visual storytelling, both as a reader of graphic novels myself and as a proponent for those readers who struggle with purely textual books. Do you read graphic novels for fun? What do you find most satisfying about working with visual storytelling?

I'm a huge fan of comic books, from a young age. Matt and I like to say that our dad weaned us on PRINCE VALIANT and FLASH GORDON. I'm fortunate that reading comics is now, ahem, "research". Also, one of my first jobs when I was a recent college grad was working for a visual effects production
company, back in the day when animation was hand-drawn. And then I went on to become a broadcast producer and produced animation, so that experience has come in handy.

I'm really enjoying the new FANTASTIC FOUR lately (who knew, righ?) And I'm a big fan of Grant Morrison who wrote WE-3, the most mind-bending graphic novel evah. Read it with a box of tissues.

I think it's very satisfying to not be confined to just words. Since I work with my brother, I have a lot of involvement in the lay-out, style, etc. So, that's a lot of fun for me.

How is the reality of being a published author different than what you might have imagined when you were young?

I always assumed authors wore beautiful gowns and went to hoity-toity literary events and ate bon-bons. The harsh reality is that it is a pretty lonely career. You're sort of forced to isolate yourself in order to write. I've had to teach myself to be disciplined about writing. On the upside, though, I get to wear my pajamas to work!

How do people in your neighborhood and people you meet outside the business react to learning what your profession is?

Well, the kids in the neighborhood are on to me. They usually show up when my box of author copies shows up so they can get their free books (I need to start asking for more author copies!)

Generally, people are very nice when I tell them what I do for a living. Although, once, an adult author asked me when I was going to write a "real book"? Luckily, it was at a dinner, and my mouth was full, so I couldn't respond.

Let's look at the evidence, Jenni:
1. We both write novels for young adults
2. We've both co-written with our husbands
3. We've both written graphic novels for young readers
4. We've both received a Newbery Honor
5. We both have a toddler boy and a baby girl
6. We're both (objectively) super cute
So...are we the same person? And if not, why aren't we best friends at 
least? And what can I do to solidify that BFF status?

7. You forgot: we are both covered with spit-up.

Thank you, Jenni! You are a gem.

Squeetus exclusive: Linda Sue Park

This week we bring you the always fabulous Linda Sue Park. She most deservedly received a Newbery Medal for her book A Single Shard, the story of a young homeless boy in long ago Korean who watches the skilled potters at work and longs to make pots of his own. Just before interviewing Linda Sue, I read Project Mulberry--set in modern day, a girl and her best friend take on an ambitious school project--raising silk worms in the city. Since the interview, I had the chance to read an advance copy of Keeping Score, to be published this month, and loved it just as much, if not more, than the others, and decided to postpone posting her interview until Keeping Score was coming out. After reading it, I emailed her to say, "I love, love, love it! I love Maggie, and the wonderful exploration of prayer and superstition, sports and god and friendship, obsessions and choices. You write with such lovely simplicity that somehow is rich with complexities and thoughtfulness. I rarely read more than one book by any author because I'm a slow reader and there are so many books I want to read--but this is my third LSP. I'm a huge fan." Linda Sue's writing is flawless. Her storytelling style is so light, so melt-on-your-tongue, that you think you're getting a simple little tale, a quick-and-easy read that flows by in no time, until all of a sudden you realize she's given you a meal on the sly. Powerful, heartwrenching, insightful, funny, intelligent, life-changing stories that read as simply and swiftly as comic strips--no one does it like Linda Sue, and I am in constant awe. And now, here she is, the grand dame herself.

SH: I have to ask you about Project Mulberry. In between each chapter, the main character has a conversation with you, the author. This is so brilliant! I love how you somehow balanced this metafiction moment so that it doesn’t detract from or compromise the story, and yet is a fascinating insight into the writing process. As a writer, I loved it, and I imagine kids must really love it. So…(you can see what a genius I am at this whole asking questions thing…) can you tell us something about this section, how it came about?

LSP: Lots of writers say that their characters talk to them. This hardly ever happens to me. My characters do not talk to me. I used to get really jealous of writers whose characters talked to them. My characters only talked when I was making them talk in the story.

But Julia was different. I don’t know why, but she started talking to me. And once she started, she wouldn’t stop. She talked to me all the time. She talked to me when I was trying to go to sleep at night, and when I was out driving around, and when I was in the grocery store, and sometimes even when I was in the bathroom! She talked to me so much that she was driving me crazy, and I was very sorry that I’d ever wished for a character to talk to me.

Julia was almost never happy when she talked to me. She didn’t like the way the story was going. She didn’t like her little brother. She thought I was way too hard on her. She also asked a lot of questions—why did that chapter have to go like that? Why couldn’t she have a little sister instead of a little brother? The questions she asked were usually good ones, and they were on my mind a lot as I worked on the story.

Like all writers, I sometimes get stuck when I’m working on a story. ‘Sometimes’ for me means about every other day. I would get stuck and I would sit there and stare at the screen and my fingers weren’t typing anything and the page was staying blank. I needed to get my fingers going.

So I started typing out the questions Julia was asking me, and I started typing out answers to them as well. And more and more often, as I would be typing out these questions and answers, I would get ‘unstuck’—I’d figure out what I needed to do next, and I could continue working on the story.

This started happening regularly: I’d get stuck, I’d type out a conversation between me and Julia, I’d get unstuck, and I’d go on with the story. It happened so often that the typed conversations started to feel like part of the story too. So about a third of the way through the book, I decided to include them. And that’s why there are those sections in between the chapters of the book.

SH: Do the people in your neighborhood know your profession? What kind of reactions do you get from people outside this business on hearing that you’re a children’s writer?

LSP: Most of my neighbors know what I do because there are several families with children on the block, and I've visited their schools. Also there is a retired librarian a few doors down. But we've lived here for fourteen years now, which means that many of them knew me *before* I was published, and I don't think they think of it as a big deal. I think they mostly wonder why my yard always looks so terrible. (I do not have a green thumb. I have a black and shriveled thumb.)

Outside the biz, I usually introduce myself as a writer. Then of course people always ask if I'm published, and I say yes, and then they ask what kind of books I write and I say novels, and then I say that my novels are mostly for young people. I think this fools them momentarily. (I guess most folks don't want to be thought of as old people.)

I kind of enjoy tracking their responses, but when it comes right down to it, I don't really care what they think. I love what I do, and children's writers have the greatest fans in the whole world. As far as I'm concerned, the real question is, how come EVERYONE isn't writing for young people? But I'm glad they're not, because I think only the BEST writers should write for young people. (Like you!)

SH: If you could do something dangerous, impossible, crazy, with no ill consequences for anybody, what would it be?

LSP: Space-walk. Like an astronaut (as opposed to what I often do when I'm pondering a story, which is to walk spacily). But that will probably never happen, so second best would be sky-diving.

(Hmmm...seeing the earth from above, in both cases. I am a very short person. I think this means that I have a Napoleonic complex.)

SH: Is there anything about being a writer that would have surprised you before you were published?

LSP: The talking part. That so many people would invite me to give presentations and come to hear me speak. It makes me very nervous, and I spend hours and hours on my presentations in an effort not to disappoint them, but no matter how much I prepare, I still wonder why in the world anyone would want to hear what I have to say about anything.

SH: The hot rumor I heard at the secret writers deli is that there's a new Linda Sue coming out soon. Tell, tell!

LSP: Oh, I'm so glad you asked! I have a book coming out this spring (in March), called KEEPING SCORE. I've been a baseball fan my whole life, and I've always wanted to write a baseball story. KEEPING SCORE is about a girl named Maggie (YAY for girls named Maggie!), who lives in Brooklyn in the 1950s. She's a huge fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. A family friend named Jim teaches Maggie how to keep score of a baseball game--you use a system of letters, numbers, and symbols to record every play. (It's fascinating if you're interested, and completely mystifying if your'e not.) Then Jim gets drafted into the army and has to go fight in the Korean War. So it's a baseball story that morphs into a war story.

I am SO excited about this book. I have to say that at the moment, it's my favorite of all the books I've written. I can't wait to find out what readers think about it!

Thank you for your generosity in doing this little chat! Another thing you should know about Linda Sue is, she is a complete and total delight. I've had the opportunity to meet her a couple of times and I have a teeny crush on Ms. Park. She just so rocks. And even cooler--I'm going to the ALA annual conference this year and will be doing a Readers Theater with Linda Sue, Norton Juster, and Eric Rohmann. I don't know how I fooled everyone into thinking I belong in that all-star line-up, but don't tell on me! 'Cause I'm psyched.

Squeetus exclusive: Libba Bray

Our first author royal of the new year is of course the drop dead gorgeous Libba Bray! On the eve of our Book Babes Tour 2008, I took a moment out of my glamorous day signing autographs and posing for photos with Johnny Depp (okay, I've been cleaning up vomit and cuddling sick kids) to interview my better half. Libba is the author of the hugely popular, award winning, best selling Gemma Doyle trilogy: A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and the just released concluding volume, The Sweet Far Thing. Libba's writing is rich and evocative, her characters complex and fascinating, powerful dark fantasy set in Victorian England, where the mystical and the common mix in thrilling and frightening ways. These books are suggested for older teens. I love Libba's writing, I love falling into her world, and I love never knowing what will happen next. Her stories are anything but predictable (and please remember, no spoilers in your comments please!). And on to our illustrious guest.

Me: Can you describe, in ten words or less, how you felt after sending the final draft of The Sweet Far Thing to your editor?

Libba: Like I wanted to eat, cry, then sleep forever.

You create such a rich, evocative setting, one that I completely fall into and don't want to leave, even when things get creepy and dark. That is not easy to do! Basically, I'm just saying you're fantastic, so let me find a question...um, how do you create your setting?

I load up my cart at Settings R Us. Love it when they have a sale in the "Moody, Atmospheric" aisle. I keep meaning to take a trip down the "Happy-Go-Lucky-Life-Is-a-Shiny-Shiny-Pretty-Pretty" aisle, but my cart, she will not go.

Well, first of all, thanks for the compliment, Miz H. :-) I love setting. Maybe too much. I think it comes from having a theatre background--I want to be the set designer! Sometimes it's as simple as asking, "Hmmm, what would scare the pee-pee out of me?" and conjuring that image. And I use inspiration. For the realms, I thought about Maxfield Parrish and Hieronymous Bosch paintings and English Arcadian landscapes--gardens with hermitages--and elements of Indian folklore. For the Winterlands, I thought about Iceland, also the Black Forest. I'm a really visual person.

What were you like as a teenager?

A royal pain in the ass. Actually, there was no royalty attached.

I was goofy, a class clown who used humor as a shield and as a weapon. I was very into music and going to concerts and theatre and running and the arts in general. I liked to sit alone in my room and draw or sing into a hairbrush and jump around in my underwear and pretend I was Pete Townsend. I was convinced I wasn't pretty; I would examine my face in the mirror for signs of hope. I liked reading and writing but never considered being a writer. Sometimes I slacked off and came up with very charming excuses along the lines of "the dog ate my homework." I wanted to run away and join the circus and travel to exotic places and have far-flung adventures that involved Irish musicians writing songs about our love. I fought with my mom--a lot and with sarcasm and occasional cruelty, then I'd feel horribly guilty about it. I spent lots of time hanging out with my friends and we were somewhat feral. I was a big dreamer. Sometimes I was the good daughter; sometimes the rebellious wild child running for the cliff.

Some of those things haven't changed, though now I do put on pants when I pretend to be Pete Townsend.

What is different about being a published author than you might've imagined when you were younger?

I don't wear turtlenecks and stare off meaningfully into the distance.

You've often said, and I quote, "If I had to list the top five most important people in my life, Shannon Hale would be number three, right after Bono and right before my husband." I'm so flattered! Do you care to elaborate?

Oh, Shannon, does our love need elaboration? Or can it bedazzle all on its own? And actually, the list just came in--you've moved up to #2 since Bono got that restraining order. I'll bet you can best my husband just by loaning me your lip gloss on tour.