Book Review: THE AMELIA SIX serves up girl power and history

 

First of all: I have always been obsessed with the mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance: did she survive the crash or smash into the ocean? 

Over the years, the mystery has been addressed in novels and nonfiction books.

But this might be my favourite story that includes Amelia:

I've been a huge fan of Kristin L. Gray since her debut novel, VILONIA BEEBE TAKES CHARGE.

    

She has a wonderful ability to put her readers in the shoes of their main character and have us root for them the whole way! (She is also the author of two wonderful picture books: KOALA IS NOT A BEAR and ROVER THROWS A PARTY)

The premise

Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford—Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is)—doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address.

Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her luck changes quickly when the goggles disappear, and Millie was the last to see them. Soon, fingers are pointing in all directions, and someone falls strangely ill. Suddenly, a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust. With a blizzard raging outside and a house full of suspects, the girls have no choice but to band together. It’s up to the Amelia Six to find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place. Or the next body to collapse could be one of theirs.

My Thoughts

First of all, I LOVED this book. Not only because of my own obsession with Amelia, but because this is SUCH a good story.

Who wouldn't love a book where the first line of chapter one reads:

Imagine the worse smell you can think of, multiply it by rotten fish, and I promise you a turkey truck stinks worse.

I mean seriously, this is a GOOD opener!

I love Millie's awkwardness, her grief over her mother's leaving, and her thrill at getting to stay overnight at Amelia Earhart's house (who also happens to be her mother's idol).

Most of all, I loved that that this book tells the story of a group of smart girls. Smart girls who can solve a mystery themselves AND work out their interpersonal issues AND support each other. 

I love that this book promotes teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and I LOVED the ending.

This book is a great whodunit with heart, and is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the history of women and early aviation and the life of Amelia Earhart. 

And there are great resources at the end for kids (and adults) who want to read more about Amelia.

This book is a winner - I highly recommend it!

Want to learn more about Kristin L. Gray? Visit her website: https://kristinlgray.com

Welcome to our new bloggers!

We are so excited to welcome three new bloggers to MG Minded! Meet them below. And be on the look out for their posts coming soon!

Stephanie Bearce

Stephanie Bearce is a history detective and a science nerd who loves turning her discoveries into books for kids. As the award-winning author of 24 children’s books, Stephanie is a frequent presenter at education conferences, kidlit festivals, schools, and libraries. When she's not writing books she likes to spend time exploring haunted castles, wandering in bone filled catacombs, and adding to her extensive fossil collection.
Stephanie lives in Missouri with her rocket-scientist husband, but she is always planning her next adventure. Her goal is to visit every continent and all 50 states. She's only five states and three continents away from that goal!
You can learn more about Stephanie and her books at www.stephaniebearce.com
Her nonfiction work is represented by Stacey Graham of Red Sofa Literary and her fiction work is represented by Heather Cashman of Storm Literary.

Amanda Hoving

Amanda is a teacher and a writer who thinks middle grade literature is the best of all! She enjoys reading and writing funny stuff that has heart (and maybe a little magic). When she’s not reading or writing, Amanda loves to laugh, watch baseball, play the guitar and laugh some more. She is not a good cook, and she wouldn’t mind being a hermit someday.

Originally from the plains of the Chicago suburbs, Amanda and her family now live in the hills of northeastern New Jersey, where they always keep their bear whistle handy. 
You can find Amanda’s miscellaneous tomfoolery at her blog and on Twitter.
 


Kelly K. Clarke

A former Big Four management consultant turned mom, Kelly decided that creative truths and magical worldbuilding were more fun to use in children’s books vs an office anyway. In line with her emotional maturity level and probably unhealthy obsessions with glitter, unicorns, and cryptids, Kelly writes Middle Grade fantasy with sci-fi elements and main characters who share her children’s Afro-Caribbean/white American heritage.

Kelly is a Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient (humor her and say it was all about merit), longtime SCBWI member, and contributor to the Kidlit Exchange review network.

Kelly lives between the feral strip malls of suburban Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband, flatulent superhero son, and diva daughter. When she isn’t nagging her children about homework or sneaking writing in around her job as a marketing technology project manager, Kelly is in the PTA office swilling energy drinks.

Follow Kelly on Twitter @KidlitUndrGrnd and check out her Blog at KidlitUnderground.com.

Join the MG Minded Team

Middle Grade Minded is coming up on our 6th year of blogging and we've had a blast. We've had many folks join the team over the years and we are once again opening up our doors looking for new voices to share on the blog.

So ask yourself...

Do you write Middle Grade literature?

Do you like to share writing knowledge and experiences?

Do you like interviewing others?

Do you like reviewing Middle Grade books?

Do you like blogging?

Would you be willing to write one blog post a month?

If you answered yes to most if not all of those questions then you might be the perfect addition to the Middle Grade Minded team!

We are currently looking for additional bloggers to write posts on writing craft and experiences, review middle grade literature, and/or perform interviews with agents, authors, editors, teachers, and even middle grade readers. If you are interested in joining the team please answer the questions below and send them to mgminded@gmail.com with the subject line "I want to blog for Middle Grade Minded"

Name:

1.) Tell us about you! What do you write? How long have you been writing? Have you had anything published? What do you like about MG literature? etc. Just a short bio of relevant information.

2.) Why do you want to blog for Middle Grade Minded? 

3.) What kinds of things would you most like to blog about?

4.) Do you currently have a personal blog? If so, please link us to it.

5.) What social media platforms are you on? Please include handles or links.

6.) Do you have any interest in taking on additional tasks for the blog? (Examples: scheduling, social media etc.) If so, let us know what you would be interested in helping with. (Note: the answer to this question will not affect whether or not you are chosen, it is merely for informational purposes)

Please submit your application by Friday, August 23, 2019 to be considered
We look forward to hearing from you!

Book Review & Giveaway: The Echo Park Castaways

I am easily sentimental, but not easily impressed.

But boy, was I impressed by this wonderful book by M.G. Hennessey!

Background:

Nevaeh, Vic, and Mara are veterans of the Los Angeles foster care system. For over a year they’ve been staying with Mrs. K in Echo Park. Vic spends most of his time living in a dream world, Mara barely speaks, and Nevaeh is forced to act as a back-up parent. Though their situation isn’t ideal, it’s still their best home yet. 

Then Child Protective Services places Quentin in the house, and everything is turned upside down. Nevaeh really can’t handle watching over anyone else, especially a boy on the autism spectrum. Meanwhile, Quentin is having trouble adjusting and attempts to run away. 

So when Vic realizes Quentin just wants to see his mom again, he plans an “epic quest” to reunite them. It could result in the foster siblings getting sent to different group homes. But isn’t family always worth the risk?

The Review:

Told from the perspective of three of the four children (a brilliant choice by Hennessey), this story sucks you in from the very first page, placing you squarely in the shoes of children who find (or have found) themselves separated from their families and placed in foster care without any say over the matter. 

In the case of the story, Quentin's arrival is the unlikely catalyst for change for the four children. While their current foster home isn't terrible, it also isn't ideal, and each child dreams of a better future for themselves, whether it's being reunited with an absent parent, or making a future for yourself in which you can take control of your life.

The children's voices are spot-on, and their yearning and regrets fill the page. Hennessey does an excellent job of making us care about all of these children, and the quest they undertake is the perfect vehicle to propel the story forward. It helps that Hennessey volunteers as a court-appointed advocate to help kids navigate the Los Angeles foster care system - the story feels true and honest, and while it is a kid's book, few punches are pulled.

This book, and the stories of children in foster care, deserve to be told. In the end, all of us want to be part of a family. The Echo Park Castaways shares another vision for what that means.

5 stars!

The book is published by Harper and releases July 2, 2019.

Want to know more about the author?

Visit her website!

And finally....

Want to win an ARC of the book?

Leave a comment below telling me your favourite beach!  MG Minded will choose a winner on Sunday, June 16th. Good luck!

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Why Everyone Seems to be Writing the Same Book You're Writing

It happens to every writer.

You're toiling away, writing the world's most amazing novel, when you discover that another author has

a) written about the same subject
b) even worse, written a bestseller about the same subject (!)
c) and/or already used your title

It's like when you're pregnant: Suddenly everyone in the world seems to be pregnant!

This didn't happen to me when I wrote It's a Mystery, Pig Face!, but it sure happened when I wrote The Frame-Up. I'd finished my novel, the central tenet of which is that all original artwork is alive but they don't want us to know they're alive.

Granted, paintings coming to life is NOT a new idea, so it can hardly be surprising that other writers would mine the same subject.

But when my book was published last spring, two other similarly-themed books came out at about the same time that, had I know they were being written, might have intimidated me into not writing my own. And oddly enough, they were also written by Canadian authors. Was there something in the arctic air back in 2016 or so that seeped into our bones and told us we needed to write about paintings?

  

Fortunately, I did not know they were being written, and it turns out there is more than enough room for different takes on an old story.

But it got me to thinking: Why is this a not infrequent occurrence?

Last year, I had the brilliant (to me) idea of writing a Miss Marple book for middle graders.

I got forty pages into the task when I abandoned the project. It just wasn't coming naturally to me. And no matter how much I tweaked the plot, I wasn't in love with the story. And I don't know about you, but I need to love the story if I'm going to work on it for months (and months and months...)

Fast forward to March 2019, and I am browsing in my local Indie bookstore.

A wonderful cover catches my eye:

Yup - the talented Lena Jones had not only beat me to the punch, she'd done a much better job of it than my poor effort.

I felt relief when I read it for two reasons:

1. It was good and I really did want to see an Agatha Christie Miss Marple-is series for kids come to life
2. I hadn't spent months pitching it only to discover this already existed. The world has plenty of room for multiple zombie/witches/abandoned orphans/paintings/fill-in-your-own-blank stories, but two Miss Marple series for kids is a little too close for comfort I think.

So what are we to do as authors? And why does this even happen anyway?

In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert writes about the concept of multiple discovery, "a term used in the scientific community whenever two or more scientists in different parts of the world come up with the same idea at the same time". 

I didn't steal my Agatha Christie idea from Lena; we just had the same wonderful thought at about the same time: wouldn't the world benefit from this kind of story (and the answer is yes, it would, and you should definitely read the Agatha Oddly series!).

If the idea truly compels you, you're going to write about it regardless. You're going to write it even though you know you there are already seven billion alien books out there.  Because you're compelled to write it.  I wasn't compelled to write my Agatha Christie book, but I couldn't NOT write The Frame-Up, just like I couldn't NOT write my next book, The CopyCat. 

Any maybe, just maybe, there's room for seven billion and one alien books because you've found the twist that no one thought about before and that we've all been waiting for.

It seems to me that coming up with ideas for what we're going to write about is the most mystical aspect of writing.

Becoming enthralled with a story idea is the jet fuel that launches months of hard work, sleepless nights, and great joy.

Even if our book is never published (I have a thick folder of projects that will never see the light of day), we know that this book wants us to write it. 

It's our twist on an old idea, our gift to the grand creativity of this world.

But what if I had written that Agatha Christie for kids series? 

Well, I like to think mine would be so different that there might have been room for two such books. I'll never know, thank goodness. 

But the reality is, we don't know what other people are working on at any given time. We can only write the best book we can write. And hope for the best.

Perhaps when you abandon a book (because you likely will at some point) you will soothe yourself with the idea that this story was NOT yours to tell.

The next time you feel like someone else has beat you to an idea or published a similarly-themed book, remember: You are not alone. 

Author Interview and Giveaway: Claire Fayers, Author of THE BOOK OF UNWYSE MAGIC

I'm thrilled to introduce you to the most delight middle grade fantasy!

The Description:

The town of Wyse, set precisely on the border of England and Wales, is remarkable for one thing: it is the only remaining human town where magic works. 

When twelve-year-old Ava and her brother return to their birthplace of Wyse, they discover that their once magical town has been losing its charms under the control of Lord Skinner. Uncovering a working magic mirror, Ava opens an unauthorized link to the twinned town of Unwyse, where she meets Howell, one of the unlucky Fair Folk who is being pursued by the terrifying Mr Bones. 

Discovering that they are the joint guardians of a grumpy old book that can tell the future, the new friends are unexpectedly launched headlong into an adventure to uncover the mysterious link between Mr Bones and Lord Skinner, and to find out what's happening to the waning magic that connects their two worlds.

The Interview:

First of all: I LOVED this book!  Can you share the inspiration?

  

Thank you so much! The first germ of an idea came when I was having a meeting with my agent and she said she’d love to see a Middle Grade Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. And I, without thinking, said ‘I can do that!’

Of course, then I had to deliver on my rash promise. I began with an image of a carriage stopping in a shabby street outside a set of magical souvenir shops. Who was in the carriage? What were they doing here? And where was this place?

That was the start of the town of Wyse. There’s a river called the Wye not far from where I live, and it’s on the border of England and Wales, so the name of the town and its location came very quickly. Everything else took a lot more work!

The title of the American version is different from the Canadian and UK versions – can you explain?

This is one of those publishing decisions that people generally don’t know about. It took a long while to decide on a title for the book, and the UK finally decided on Unwyse Magic while the US wanted The Book of Unwyse Magic (which I was very happy about.) But then the UK team discussed the title, and the cover, with booksellers, and they found it wasn’t as popular as they’d hoped. So they redesigned the UK cover, and changed the title to Mirror Magic.

I love both titles, and I’m very grateful to my UK publisher that they put in the time to do a complete redesign. It made me appreciate again that creating a book is a real team effort, with large numbers of people working behind the scenes.

One of my all-time favourite books is Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange, and your book felt like a middle grade version of that book, because the magic is so well thought-out and the world-building so strong. How did you go about doing the world-building? Any hints?

Aha! I’ve been rumbled! I love Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for its mix of historical realism and magic. I did quite a lot of the world-building in edits, because my lovely editors kept asking me awkward questions about how the world and magic worked. (You can short-cut this by asking yourself awkward questions, or getting a friend to do it.)

I started off with a few basic ideas. A human and a fairy town, joined by magic mirrors. Magic running out. Each town ruled by a sinister figure. I found it useful to have a ‘type’ of a place in mind. Wyse isn’t a real town, but it’s based on the small market towns that you get along the borders. There are also a lot of British seaside towns which were the height of fashion in Victorian times but are now often quite run-down. Everything is tied to that feeling of faded grandeur and I think that gives the world a sense of consistency.

So, invent a few details, keep asking yourself why the world is this particular way, decide on a unifying theme, and do lots of rewriting!

There are some excellent, and subtle, lessons in this book. For instance, Lord Skinner is not who he appears to be, and has enchanted his fellow citizens into thinking he is a fine gentleman. Any inspiration there?

Mentioning no names, yes! It’s inevitable, I think, that when you’re writing a book, you are influenced by what’s going on in the world. There are many people like Lord Skinner, who use money or power or charisma to convince everyone that they are good, decent people, when underneath they are far from it.

The mirror image of that is when people turn on other people who are a bit different. The humans in Wyse are afraid of the Fair Folk because they are magical, and they treat them badly, but it’s always better to be shaped by our kindness than our fears. Standing up to fear is a big theme in the book.

 I love Ava and Howell’s characters – they are so real to me, and their regrets and fears are important factors in their successes. What is your character-building process like?

It’s random and full of mistakes. It took me a long time to get Ava and Howell right, and they had to be just right because they’re such important characters. 

I usually start with the easy things – age, appearance, where they come from. Then I jump straight to the most difficult questions – what do they want and why do they want it? My characters must start out unhappy in some way, and they must change through the story.

A lot of this comes out as I’m writing. I’m quite bad at planning and I prefer to jump straight in and write a whole load of different scenes to see what will happen. I keep a separate document with character notes, which I fill out as I write, so when I do the second draft I can make sure that all the details are consistent. (You don’t want a character suddenly changing age or hair colour halfway through.)

And finally – THE BOOK! The book is one of the cheekiest characters I’ve read in a long time. How much fun was it to write from its perspective?

The Book is one of my favourite characters. I’d written chapter headers in my previous books (Voyage to Magical North and Journey to Dragon Island.) This time, I wanted to tie the headers more firmly into the story and the best way was to have them written by one of the characters. And so I came up with a magical book.

Because The Book had been around for a long time, it would be far too easy for my heroes to ask it what was going on, so I put in a couple of restrictions. The Book can only tell you about the future, it can’t tell you what happened in the past. And its magic is glitching so its predictions are accurate but not always useful. You probably don’t want to know when the safety pin will be invented, for example, when you’re trying to escape from terrifying skeletons.

The Book is also very grumpy, (it was dropped in the bath once and has never recovered). I love writing grumpy characters – I don’t know what that says about me! 

Any advice for would-be middle grade fantasy writers?

Read everything you can get your hands on, and read with your writer’s hat on. If you find a character you like, ask yourself why. If a plot twist catches you out, take note of how it’s done. Then write – there is really no substitute for sitting down and putting words on paper. 

Your world should feel like a real place to you. Draw maps and make loads of notes on every location. But when you’re writing your book, the world must be filtered through the eyes, ears and thoughts of your characters. Don’t expect to get it right on the first draft. With the first draft, you’re discovering the story for yourself. Once you have that rough draft you can go back and do it properly.

What’s next?

My fourth book is already out in the UK. It’s called Storm Hound and it follows the adventures of one of Odin’s ferocious hunting hounds who falls to earth and finds that he’s shrunk to the size of a very cute little puppy. He’s adopted by a local family and has to contend with cats, vets and obedience classes. But his fall has been noticed and dark magicians are closing in…

I’m still not quite decided on my next book. I’m torn between three different ideas and I’m working on them all. I’ll be sending proposals to my agent soon, so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Thanks so much for having me on MG Minded. It’s been great fun talking to you.

Want to learn more about Claire Fayers?

Visit her website: clairefayers.com

Or follow her on twitter: @ClaireFayers

Want a signed copy of The Book of Unwyse Magic? Leave a comment below before February 28th and you're entered for a chance to win!

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Taking a Middle Grade Road Trip

I don't know about you, but I love a road trip novel.

I recently read Dan Gemeinhart's wonderful The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, and that got me to thinking about how effective road trip stories are. 

I expect to see this book on a lot of 'best of 2019' lists later this year!

Not only do we get to go along on the main character's geographic journey, they are almost always a metaphor for the character's inner journey. 

They challenge us to question how brave we would be in similar circumstances.

And they often redefine what we think of as home.

The first road trip book I ever read was The Wizard of Oz.

Not only did Dorothy take a significant road trip to get to Oz, she had to walk a LONG way once she got there!

Other Road Trip Books I Adore

I'd love some recommendations for other great road trip middle grade novels!!! Please share below!

Bon Voyage!

Two fantastic Middle Grade Novels Launching Soon by Jake Burt and Heidi Lang!

It's soon going to be back-to-school time.

I know, don't mention it, right?

But what better time to buy some new books for your children, your classroom, or your library?

And I've got two great novels to share with you! And better still, I corralled the authors to answer a few questions for Middle Grade Minded Readers!

First Up:

The Right Hook of Devin Velma by Jake Burt

Publishes October 2nd, 2018

About the Book:

From the author of Greetings from Witness Protection! comes another unforgettable middle-grade novel about friendship and family.

Devin wants to hit it big on the internet by pulling a stunt at an NBA game―one the entire nation will be watching. Addison can’t turn Devin down, but he can barely manage talking to his teachers without freezing up. How’s he supposed to handle the possibility of being a viral sensation?

Addi’s not sure why Devin is bent on pulling off this almost-impossible feat. Maybe it has something to do with Devin’s dad’s hospital bills. Maybe it all goes back to the Double-Barreled Monkey Bar Backflip of Doom. Or maybe it’s something else entirely. No matter what, though, it’s risky for both of them, and when the big day finally comes, Devin’s plan threatens more than just their friendship.

With memorable protagonists and a wonderful supporting cast, The Right Hook of Devin Velma is a one-of-kind knockout in middle-grade fiction.

The Interview:

1. The Right Hook of Devin Velma is one of the best titles I’ve ever heard. Was it always the title?

I'm so glad it appeals! Titles can often be a battle - my first novel went through five of them before we settled on Greetings From Witness Protection! For this one, though, I didn't have to go through nearly as many iterations. We (my agent and I) submitted it to Macmillan as The Right Hook of Devin Velma, and my editor loved it, too. So no major title changes, which is good; I'm a fan of the dual meaning and the cadence of it.

2. What inspired this particular story?

I think a lot of it had to do with my own anxiousness around social media. I was never a big fan, but as you know, promoting your work and supporting other authors as they do likewise is an important part of being a kidlit writer these days. I navigated my way through a fairly steep learning curve on Facebook, Twitter, and in creating my own website (I'm still not on Instagram), though I had a lot of great help, and have since e-met many wonderful people. Still, getting started made me all kinds of nervous, and I think that informed Addison's attitude toward it, too.

I was also inspired by a particular recurring event at NBA games that features prominently in the novel. I don't want to give away too much, but let it suffice to say that it's one of the more awkward traditions in the American public sphere, and I've always thought it was ripe for literary dissection.

3. What’s a typical writing day like? I know you teach full-time, so how do you juggle both careers?

A typical writing day involves me dropping my kid off at camp, then coming home and jumping on my exercise desk for an extended spin-and-type. I write almost exclusively in the summer, when I can devote four to five hours a day to drafting. I do most of my revisions during the school year, because that tends to be a bit more piecemeal. Regardless, I work quickly, mostly because I'm uncomfortable with deadlines - I was always the kid in school who finished the project weeks in advance, just so it wouldn't hang over my head. I'm sure my editor wishes I'd slow down a bit!

4. What’s surprised you the most about becoming a middle grade author?

I'd have to say it's the respect that veteran authors afford debut writers. When my first novel came out, I was lucky enough to attend Book Expo, where I met such luminaries as Ann M. Martin, Katherine Applegate, Dan Santat, and Jack Gantos. To a one, they were welcoming, enthusiastic, patient, and supportive. I hadn't paid a single one of my metaphorical industry dues, but they still made me feel like I belonged at the table. The kidlit community is truly a phenomenal place to be.

5. What’s next?

I just finished revisions on book #3, and I'm about 40K into the first draft of book #4. This October, I'll be out on tour for The Right Hook of Devin Velma, too. Exciting times!

To learn more about author Jake Burt, visit his website!

Who wants to talk about dogs? I do!! 

Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang

Publishes August 14th, 2018

About the Book:

Twelve-year-old Jessie is in for a long summer at her aunt and uncle’s house. Her cousin Ann has a snotty new best friend, which leaves Jessie all alone. But Jessie is industrious, and—not content with being ignored all summer—she convinces Wes, a grouchy neighborhood dog walker, to take her on as his apprentice.
         Sure, dog walking turns out to be harder than she expected, but she has Wes’s dog-walking code, the Rules of the Ruff, to guide her, and soon she’s wrangling her very own pack. But when a charismatic rival dog walker moves to town, she quickly snatches up most of Wes’s business—and Jessie decides she isn’t going to take this defeat with her tail between her legs.

The Interview:

1. Your first two middle grade novels were fantasy - how was it writing a contemporary this time around? How was it writing alone as opposed to with a partner?

I’d say the biggest difference is that I had to find the magic in ordinary settings and circumstances, instead of having these fantastical backdrops. So instead of the elven mafia feuding with steampunk scientists, I had rival dog walkers. And instead of dragons, I had dogs. Which, I’d argue, are just as magical as any mystical beast. But whenever I write, the story is really about the characters, and people are people no matter which kind of world they’re populating.

I did miss having a writing partner, though. Kati is the one who outlines and keeps us on track, so this time I was forced to keep myself on track, and it made me appreciate what a difficult time I give my sister. Not that I’ll make it any easier on her in our next book, but at least I’ll have more sympathy for her. ;) 

2. What inspired this particular story?

I’m going to let you in on a secret: I never planned on writing contemporary. Growing up, I read almost all fantasy and sci fi, and I always thought of myself as a fantasy writer. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to appreciate how much potential for drama and humor is in real-life situations. My husband is probably to thank for that - we have a game we play where we’ll discuss an awkward situation and then brainstorm ways it could have been more awkward. 

It was actually on a dog hike with him that I came up with the idea for RULES OF THE RUFF. We had a combined pack of a dozen dogs out on the trail with us (we were both dog walkers), and we started joking about hiring someone whose only job would be to follow behind us, cleaning up after the dogs so we wouldn’t have to anymore. And then we began brainstorming different tasks this poor unfortunate would have to accomplish to work their way up the pack hierarchy, and from there the “rules” and Jessie’s character were born. Once I had that idea, I couldn’t let it go, and then one day I realized I had to write it. And it was so much fun! I love writing contemporary now as much as I love writing fantasy, and I’m so glad I decided to try it.

3. What’s a typical writing day like? 

I’m an early bird, so most days I’m up by 4 or 5am. I find I get lazier and lazier as the day goes on, so I usually try to take my dogs for a run or walk first, and then get immediately into writing before my brain comes up with any clever procrastination tactics. From there, it depends on how close to deadline I am. The closer I am, the longer my writing day. It’s amazing how panic and desperation can motivate a person! ;D I don’t have set time or word count goals - I’ve tried that in the past and it didn’t work for me, so mostly I just work until I reach that point where my brain feels like mush and my writing is going flat, and that’s when I’ll stop for the day.

4. What’s surprised you the most about becoming a middle grade author?

How much I love it! My debut, A DASH OF DRAGON (with Kati Bartkowski) was first written as young adult before we realized it would fit better as middle grade. Once we revised it and signed with our agent, we were firmly on the middle grade track and I’m so glad. I feel like you’re given more freedom to write over-the-top characterizations and exaggerated situations in middle grade, and it’s just so fun. I still plan to write YA and even adult in the future, but I think middle grade will always be first in my heart.

Another surprise? How good it feels to hear that a kid loved your book. I always feel like a kid compliment is worth a dozen adult compliments, because if they say something, they really mean it, and when they love something, they love it with their whole hearts. Maybe that’s the biggest reason I love writing middle grade, come to think of it. 

5. What’s next?

Kati and I are currently hard at work on book three in the Mystic Cooking Chronicles, and I just submitted a new middle grade contemporary to my editor earlier this month, which I can’t wait to talk more about! Soon… ;) 

Want to learn more about Heidi and find out where to order her book? 

Click here!

Thanks Jake and Heidi! I can't wait to read your books!