Interview with ‘Herobear’ comic author Mike Kunkel

Mike Kunkel has been a cartoonist for as long as he can remember.  He spends his time writing and drawing stories for animation, comics, and children’s books.  He has won the Annie Award for Best Character Design in an Animated Series.   And he is the 2-time Eisner Award winning creator of the comic series “Herobear and the Kid”. While working daily in the animation industry, he is creating new books for release through his company The Astonish Factory.

Despite all the preparations required for San Diego Comic-Con, Mike has (heroically) made time to answer some questions.

For what age audience do you write?

To be honest, I truly try to write for all ages. I want to create stories that are enjoyed from little kids to grandparents. It means a lot to offer stories that all ages can enjoy.

Henry: Indeed, we all have a kid inside us, struggling each day to remind us to not be too serious.

Tell us about your latest projects.

I have two brand new projects… The first is a brand new “Herobear and the Kid” adventure. It’s called “Picture Day”, and it is a fun one-shot story about Herobear and Tyler (the kid) saving the bridge in their town of Simpleton from an attack by the villain Von Klon and his “Sub-of-Doom.” “Herobear and the Kid” is a very nostalgic series with superhero origins.  It’s written with the feeling and tones of Wonder Years and A Christmas Story.  So with this story, I had fun writing about the memory of our school picture days and added in the adventure of fighting maniacal metal piranhas.

The other book I have coming out is a new children’s picture book entitled “Timmy and the Moon Piece.” It is the story of a little boy, named Timmy, and his fat little guinea pig, named Ton, that find a piece of the moon in the front yard one night. They decide to build a little rocket with their red wagon and fly the piece back up to glue it back to the moon.

Henry: I’m struggling to integrate “tone of Wonder Years” with “maniacal metal piranhas”. Well played, sir.

What do you hope readers will get from reading it?

My hope would be that with both these books, the readers enjoy the time they spend with my characters on the adventures.  I hope at the end, they have a smile on their face.

What aspect of writing or illustrating do you find most challenging?

Sometimes it’s the scheduling and balancing of regular life that is the hardest to juggle with the writing/illustrating responsibilities.

What is a powerful lesson you’ve learned from your career?

Make sure you love what you’re creating. Don’t do it to please others, because you can’t please everyone. So make sure you love your creations first. That will then come through to the readers…your “tribe.” Enjoy the process and value your results. Don’t rush through your projects and not enjoy the the creating of them.  And always celebrate the end result.

Henry: That is very sage advice.

What has been a memorable experience that you never would have had if you had not been a writer/illustrator?

The opportunity to have traveled to Angouleme, France with my family. An overwhelming experience that was made even more amazing because I could share it with my wife and kids.

Henry: Travel is great. We just got back from Europe. One of our stops was the Belgian Comic Strip Center. You gotta’ love the Belgians. They put a comic museum inside an Art Nouveau building designed by Horta! We’ll be posting about our visit tomorrow.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors or illustrators?

The simple advice is “don’t give up.” But really that covers so much. Stick to your dreams…go after them daily…even if you make teeny, tiny progress, keep at it. And the foundation for all of this is when you have a dream, make sure you also have plan toward that dream. And the plan may change or adjust, but make sure you have one to follow and don’t give up.

Henry: Many people mention persistence. But you bring up other important aspects: plan and adapt. “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” — Field Marshal von Moltke

Do you have any favorite quotes?

A couple that I really like are by Ray Bradbury… “Do what you love, and love what you do.” “Build your wings on the way down.”

Henry: The latter seems a tad risky to me.

Do you have any strange rituals that you observe when you write or illustrate?

Hmmm, not that I know of… Though my kids say that my eyes “bug out” a little bit when I get really into a drawing.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Definitely flying. I would love to be able lift up off the ground and fly through the clouds.

If you could have three authors over for dinner, who would it be?

Dr. Seuss, C.S. Lewis, Stephen King, L. Frank Baum, Stan Lee, Ray Bradbury. . . Each one of these has inspired me tremendously in different ways. I’d love to get the chance to talk personally with them and see them all interact.

Henry: I said “three.” Clearly, two of them have crashed the dinner. My first Lewis read was, of course, Narnia, but his “Mere Christianity” knocked my socks off making cogent logical arguments for religious beliefs.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Traveling with my family, waiting impatiently for football season to start…and considering I’m always writing and drawing, I do like to sleep every once in a while.

Henry: “A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave.” – Benjamin Franklin

Where can readers find your work?

“Herobear and the Kid” can be found all this week at SDCC at the Boom Studios Booth. And both “Herobear” and “Timmy and the Moon Piece” can be found online at http://www.theastonishfactory.com.

This article is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner.

Interview with Ned Vizzini, NY Times Bestselling author of ‘House of Secrets’

Ned Vizzini is the New York Times bestselling author of young-adult books ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’, ‘The Other Normals’, ‘Be More Chill’, and ‘Teen Angst? Naaah..’.. In television, he has written for MTV’s Teen Wolf and currently writes for NBC’s Believe, forthcoming in March 2014 from J.J. Abrams and Alfonso Cuarón. His essays and criticism have appeared in the New York Times, the Daily Beast, and the New Yorker. He is the coauthor with Chris Columbus of the fantasy-adventure series ‘House of Secrets’. His work has been translated into 25 languages. He lives in Los Angeles.

Henry: And yes, that would be the Chris Columbus who directed such movies as Mrs. Doubtfire, two Harry Potter movies, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, and Home Alone.

For what age audience do you write?

I write for everyone! That’s an easy answer because you hope everyone — or anyone — will read your work. In terms of marketing terms, my books are young-adult books, which means they are for readers 13 and up. My recent project ‘House of Secrets’ is for younger readers, from ages seven to twelve, although I have photographic evidence that at least one six-year-old has read it. My work on Last Resort, the TV show, was adult-oriented, and Believe, the show I’m on now, is also for adults. (It will air on Sundays at 9pm.)

Tell us about your latest book.

‘House of Secrets’ is a fantasy adventure book in the tradition of ‘Redwall’ or the R. A. Salvatore books I loved as a kid. It’s about a trio of siblings — the Walkers — who move into a creepy house in San Francisco and learn that it used to be owned by an even creepier writer, Denver Kristoff. Kristoff is like an H. P. Lovecraft or Robert E. Howard; he wrote all these cult novels in the early 20th century that have been lost to time. When the Walkers anger the wrong person, they — and the house — get sent into a mixed-up world where all of Kristoff’s books come to life. So they have to fight to find their way home. Oh, and there’s a colossus who eats giant dragonflies.

What do you hope readers will get from reading that book?

I hope that readers will have a good time reading ‘House of Secrets’.

Henry: I have a copy in my to-be-read pile.

What aspect of writing do you find most challenging?

The most challenging aspect of writing is finding the time to do it. This is difficult because the world is a treacherous and horrible place.

Henry: Particularly when there’s a colossus who eats giant dragonflies nearby.

What is a powerful lesson you’ve learned from being a writer?

I’ve learned that you can’t let anyone do your selling for you. Even though there’s a big apparatus at HarperCollins supporting ‘House of Secrets’ and they have done a fantastic job, a lot of the press that I’ve received for it has simply come from me asking for help.

Henry: You’re welcome. 🙂

What has been a memorable experience that you never would have had if you had not been a writer?

I got a chance to speak at Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada for my book ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’. Fort McMurray is very far north — like Arctic Circle-north — and the only way to get there is through the desolate airport.

But then once you arrive, the town is part of the shale oil boom and everything is super expensive! They have a Keyano College, and bars, and hotels… it’s like the tiny alternate-universe Canadian version of Dubai.

Henry: Hmmm. That gives me an idea for a sci-fi book plot…

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Start small. Don’t try to write a novel off the bat. Write a short story so you can feel accomplished before you tackle bigger things.

Henry: Note to self: write a board book. Maybe a horror board book – The Very Hungry Cthulhu.

Do you have any favorite quotes?

“The majority is always wrong; the minority is rarely right.” – Henrik Ibsen
“No matter how cynical you become, it’s never enough to keep up.” – Lily Tomlin
“I’m not well-read, but when I read, I read well.” – Kurt Cobain

Henry: I wonder if Dox Equis ad writers were inspired by Kurt Cobain…

Do you have any strange rituals that you observe when you write?

I don’t believe in writing rituals; I think they hold you back.

Henry: Note to self: stop wasting time on Cthulhu-worship rituals. BTW, my spellchecker recognizes Cthulhu as a word. Now THAT’S how you know you’ve arrived.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

The power to stop time! For obvious reasons. At least I hope they’re obvious. Anybody who doesn’t want to stop time must be bored.

Henry: Stopping time is the most popular answer I’ve received from authors.

If you could have three authors over for dinner, who would it be?

George Orwell, Michael Crichton, and Amy Sohn, because all of their writing made a big impression on me when I was a kid, and I’d like to see them bounce ideas off of each other.

Henry: Perhaps Crichton would develop a TV show about cloned farm animals…

What is your favorite creature that exists only in literature?

Can’t go wrong with dragons!

Henry: Ah, a traditionalist. But which flavor of dragon: LeGuin’s, McCaffrey’s, Tolkien’s, or Martin’s?

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Go to the post office.

Henry: To mail manuscripts or receive royalty checks. Well played, sir.

What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

“Loving husband and father.”

Henry: Nice. My sense of self-preservation would have me add grandfather and great grandfather.

Where can readers find your work?

You can find ‘It’s Kind of a Funny Story’ face-out at Barnes & Noble since it has “tipped” and become popular. My other work can be harder to find; you might have to ask for it. ‘House of Secrets’ is heavily discounted on Amazon. Your local independent bookstore should have my stuff in the young adult and children’s sections. The many articles I’ve written are here. Enjoy!

Henry: Usually when I’ve “tipped”, I’m face down. Ned will also be signing books at the Smart Pop Books booth (#4300) at the San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 20 at 11 am.

This article is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner.

Writing books with your kids

I’ve made writing children’s books into a collaborative project with my young sons. Like me, my boys are big fans of fantasy, science fiction, and the annual Comic-Con convention. They have an entrepreneurial bent too. They’ve started three web-based businesses selling LEGO party favors, custom cast bases for Warhammer, and painted concrete yard sculptures. Their efforts have been featured on Young Entrepreneur Magazine, Wired GeekDad, TheOneRing.net, and the Warner Brothers’ website for The Hobbit movie.

Our first book together, Nimpentoad, is a stunningly illustrated high fantasy early chapter book. It has earned over 85 Amazon 5-star ratings to date. The unlikely hero is the bright-eyed Nimpentoad, a furry little creature who’s been victimized by the bigger creatures of the ancient forest one too many times. Nimpentoad convinces his fellow Niblings to make a perilous journey to a castle where they hope to find refuge–if they can just evade and outwit the ravenous goblins, trolls, rhinotaurs, and other perils that stand in their way. With teamwork, perseverance, and Nimpentoad’s leadership, the Niblings overcome these menaces and learn important lessons. For more information, visit http://www.nimpentoad.com.

We just released our second book, Twignibble. Twignibble is a very smart and mechanically adept sloth, with animal friends all over the world. When he learns that his friends are in danger from pollution and poaching, he builds a helicopter to visit them. Twignibble helps each friend by making them a special gadget. Kids love the cute animals and funny inventions; parents appreciate a book that promotes friendship, empathy, and protecting the environment. For more information, visit http://www.twignibble.com.

With all the book signings and readings they’ve attended, I’ve been thrilled that my sons have learned so many lessons, beyond simply writing. They know how to present to a group, how to engage in conversation with new people, how to make change, and the business side of publishing a book.

Pre-SDCC Interview with ‘Little Adventures in Oz’ graphic novelist Eric Shanower

Eric Shanower is the Eisner Award-winning cartoonist of the graphic novel series ‘Age of Bronze’ (Image Comics), a retelling of the Trojan War story. With cartoonist Skottie Young, he is adapting L. Frank Baum’s classic Oz books to award-winning, New York Times best selling graphic novels (Marvel Comics). Shanower’s past comics work includes his own Oz graphic novel series, currently published as ‘Little Adventures in Oz’ (IDW), as well as comics art for ‘An Accidental Death’ by Ed Brubaker, ‘The Elsewhere Prince’ by Moebius and R-JM Lofficier, and ‘Harlan Ellison’s Dream Corridor’. He has illustrated for television, magazines, and children’s books. He’s the author of ‘The Giant Garden of Oz’ and ‘The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories’. He lives in San Diego, California, with his partner, David Maxine, and a cat.

Although busy preparing for his appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, Eric has graciously agreed to answer some questions about writing and illustrating.

For what age audience do you write?

Most of the Oz projects that I do, including the series I currently write for Marvel Comics, are Middle Grade. Age of Bronze, my Trojan War comics series, is adult, although for a while it was appearing on Young Adult lists.

Tell us about your latest book.

I’m adapting the Oz books by L. Frank Baum to the comics medium. Skottie Young is the artist for these books and Jean-Francois Beaulieu is the colorist. We’re currently working on the sixth Oz book, ‘The Emerald City of Oz’. These adaptations are very close to the original material. The only changes I make to the stories is to incorporate, when appropriate and useful, other versions by Baum, such as stage scripts and introductions for excerpts. For the earlier books, we didn’t leave anything out, but the publisher has cut our page count, so, particularly for the latest book, we’re having to condense. I’ve been a professional cartoonist for nearly three decades and I’ve loved the Oz books since I was six years old, so I bring a deep knowledge of both the comics medium and Oz to these adaptations. In addition to Skottie Young’s vital new vision of Oz, which many readers seem to love overwhelmingly, I think this strength gives this series of books the power to last.

What do you hope readers will get from reading that book?

I hope readers of our comics adaptations of the Oz books get a thrilling and humorous experience that’s fresh and direct.

What aspect of writing or illustrating do you find most challenging?

One of the most challenging aspects of illustrating a comics script that I didn’t write and have little or no emotional connection to. The only way I can get through that situation is to find some aspect of the script that I can relate to, something that has some fundamental meaning in my life. Otherwise, drawing a story I don’t care about is just a mechanical slog to get through.

Henry: I’m tempted to ask to what aspects of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz you can personally relate 🙂

What is a powerful lesson you’ve learned from being a writer?

A powerful lesson I’ve learned is that anger can be a strong motivational tool to keep a project going.

Henry: Yes, anger. Anger and deadlines.

What has been a memorable experience that you never would have had if you had not been a writer/illustrator?

I might never have gone to the site of Troy if I weren’t producing a comics retelling of the Trojan War story. I spent twelve days there and in the surrounding area in the summer of 2006, doing onsite research for ‘Age of Bronze’. It was one of the most magnificent experiences I’ve had.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors or illustrators?

Keep writing and drawing. The only way you’ll get better is by practice.

Do you have any favorite quotes?

“There is a word sweeter than mother, home, or heaven. That word is Liberty.” –Matilda Joslyn Gage

Do you have any strange rituals that you observe when you write or illustrate?

Nothing comes to mind. Just getting the work done is the most important thing. Who has time for rituals?

Henry: You’d be surprised. Some writers cannot be productive without their rituals.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Flight, because it seems like it’d be really fun.

If you could have three authors over for dinner, who would it be?

I wouldn’t want any dead people over for dinner. Wouldn’t that be pretty disgusting? But if dead people could be resurrected and returned to a non-decayed state, I’d choose L. Frank Baum, Homer (as long as Homer could somehow magically speak English), and William Shakespeare.

Henry: Well played, sir. Most people forget about language barriers.

What is your favorite creature that exists only in literature?

Gods. Across all cultures, they’re endlessly fascinating.

Henry: Plus, they have superpowers!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing/illustrating?

My hobbies are reading, taking dance classes, and researching my family genealogy.

Henry: For me, genealogy proved surprisingly illuminating and emotional. I found some delightful connections, including being related to children’s literature goddess Madeleine L’Engle.

What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

My name.

Henry: Ah, a purist.

Where can readers find your work?

Readers can find my books in the usual places—online booksellers, book stores, comic book shops. Also my website has a link to an online store where most of my current work is for sale and there are samples to read online. Many of my comics—Age of Bronze and Oz—are available in digital editions, too. I will be at San Diego Comic-Con, booth 2008.

This article is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner.

Young San Diego authors publish conservation-themed kid’s book

The Carmel Valley (San Diego) father-sons writing team has done it again. Henry, Josh (13) and Harrison Herz (11) just published their second book, Twignibble. Twignibble is a 1000-word easy reader for kids in 2nd-4th grade that’s Frog & Toad meets MacGuyver. It will appeal to animal-loving kids and to parents who support conservation (and who want to encourage their kids to be empathetic and resourceful).

Twignibble the sloth learns that his animal friends are facing threats to their habitats, and races to help them. The mechanically-inclined Twignibble, knowing he could never walk to his friends in time, builds a solar-powered helicopter, flies all over the world, and engineers devices he hopes will help each of his animal friends.

View the 30-second  Twignibble book trailer.

The wonderful independent bookstore Mysterious Galaxy Books will be hosting a book release party for Twignibble from 2-4 pm on Sunday, August 4. They are located at 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite #302, San Diego, CA 92111 ~ 858-268-4747. The Herz men will be there signing copies of Twignibble. Also in attendance will be James Morris, local teen author of Skybound and Water Tower.

Henry Herz is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, and writes for the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner. He and his young co-authors’ first book was the fantasy early chapter book Nimpentoad. It has earned 86 Amazon 5-star ratings so far. Nimpentoad has reached as high as #8 in Amazon Best Sellers large print sci-fi & fantasy, and #1 in Kindle Best Sellers large print sci-fi & fantasy. The father-sons team has been featured in Young Entrepreneur, Wired GeekDad, CNN iReport, Fictional Frontiers, the Warner Brothers’ website for The Hobbit movie, and TheOneRing.net. The trio is looking forward to attending this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

If you live in San Diego, we hope you’ll come out to meet the authors and enjoy the great selection of books offered by Mysterious Galaxy Books.

Comic-Con 2013 Badge Resale Drawing #SDCC

This just in from the folks at Comic-Con.

“Comic-Con International is pleased to announce that because of returned/cancelled badges we will once again be able to offer those badges for resale. This year we have also reduced the allotment of reserved badges for certain departments. Comic-Con has decided to add these badges to the resale for our attendees. We currently have several thousand single day badges available for resale, only 3,100 of which are Saturday badges. 4-Day badges are sold out.

Due to the very limited number of badges available and our vendor EPIC Registration being focused on coordinating onsite registration, the Comic-Con 2013 badge resale will be conducted utilizing a random drawing.

To enter the Comic-Con 2013 Resale Drawing, login to your Member ID account now and click the blue notice that says “Click Here to Enter a Drawing to be Eligible for the Comic-Con 2013 Badge Resale!”

The drawing entry period will remain open for 48 hours only, and will close June 12, 2013 at 10:59:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT). Late entries will not be accepted.

You must have a valid and confirmed Comic-Con Member ID to enter the drawing.
Anyone who has already registered for or purchased a 4-Day badge (with or without Preview Night) or a single day Saturday badge will not be eligible to enter the drawing.

Those selected to participate in the Comic-Con 2013 badge resale may purchase their own badges, as well as badges for one additional guest. You may purchase for any guest who has a confirmed Member ID (as of June 7, 2013) and does not have a 4-Day badge (with or without Preview Night) or a single day Saturday badge. Your guest does not need to be selected from the drawing pool to be eligible to purchase.

Comic-Con will notify everyone who is selected to participate by email on or before June 17, 2013.”

Interview with ‘Wig in the Window’ author Kristen Kittscher

Kristen Kittscher is the debut author of the ‘The Wig in the Window’, the first in a hilarious new mystery series for kids coming June 18 from Harper Children’s. A former middle school English teacher and graduate of Brown University, she works as a writing tutor in Pasadena.

Ms. Kittscher will be celebrating the launch of ‘The Wig in the Window’ at Warwick’s Bookstore in La Jolla at 7:30 pm on June 25th — everyone’s welcome to join! She has graciously agreed to answer questions about her book.

For what audience do you write?

I write mysteries for middle readers; I imagine my ideal readers as between 5^th and 8^th grade, but precocious younger kids could certainly enjoy ‘The Wig in the Window’, too.

Tell us about your latest book

My latest (and first!) book is ‘The Wig in the Window’, a funny mystery about two tween detectives who suspect their school counselor is a dangerous fugitive…and might be right! It’s a thrilling mystery, but it’s also a story about friendship and developing confidence.

Henry: I like kid’s stories that are entertaining, but also subtly convey positive values.

What will readers will get from the book?

I hope readers laugh out loud and are thrilled by its twists and turns, but is also relate to Young & Yang’s sometimes tumultuous friendship.

Henry: Young and Yang sound like perfectly complementary friends. 🙂

What aspect of writing do you find most challenging?

Writing the first draft of a manuscript is the most challenging for me, even though it’s the most fun and surprise-filled. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all there is to shape and invent, and lose heart. 

What is a powerful lesson you’ve learned from being a writer?

I’ve learned that expressing what’s most true to me is what also resonates most with others.

What’s been a memorable experience you’ve had as a writer?

There have been so many memorable experiences, including having the opportunity to develop friendships with authors I’d long admired—but the one that stands out is opening up a package of letters and cards from kids who’d been inspired by a classroom visit!

Henry: I was told by a parent that after reading Nimpentoad, her child now eats mushrooms. 🙂

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

I don’t feel seasoned enough to give advice, but I’ll say that I frittered away a decade or so doubting myself as a writer. If you love words and telling stories, follow that passion and enjoy! No sense worrying about whether anything will “come of it.”

Henry: So in addition to being a good writer, you are experienced at frittering. 🙂

Do you have any strange rituals that you observe when you write?

I don’t have strange rituals, but I do write with a little knight figurine by my desk that a friend gave me: her father was a writer, and he kept the knight on his desk as a symbol of charging forward with his work. He passed away in 2006, and when my sold my first book to Harper, my friend gave the knight to me for inspiration. I like to think it works!

Henry: That is a beautiful story.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

I’d like to be able to stop time whenever I wished, so I could get more done!

Henry: Ah, the old “stop time for everyone but me” ploy.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to get outside, whether hiking with my dog in the San Gabriel mountains up the road from where I live in Pasadena, or visiting the nearby Huntington Gardens.

What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

She cared.

Where can readers find your work?

‘The Wig in the Window’ is out June 18^th from Harper Children’s and is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, as well as at your local independent bookstore through IndieBound. Readers can find out more about it and Young & Yang’s next adventure, ‘The Tiara on the Terrace’ at kristenkittscher.com — and see some pictures of my pets while they’re at it!

This article is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner

Interview with Erin Soderberg, author of ‘The Quirks’

Erin Soderberg lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three quirky kids. Before becoming an author, she was a children’s book editor, a cookie inventor, and also worked for Nickelodeon. She has written many books for kids, but especially loves writing about silly and lovable families (like the Quirks!). Erin also writes YA and tween novels using the name Erin Downing.

She’ll be at Yellow Book Road in San Diego at 4:30 on June 6. She has graciously agreed to tell us about her books.

For what age audience do you write?

‘The Quirks’ is my first middle-grade series, but I also write books for teens and tweens using the name Erin Downing.

Tell us about your latest book.

‘The Quirks’ is about a lovable, zany family of magical misfits who have just moved to a town called Normal with the hope that they might finally find a place to settle down, fit in, and call home. ‘The Quirks’ have had to move around for years, because everyone in the family has a secret, magical power–except nine-year-old twin Molly, who is totally, utterly normal. More than anyone, Molly wishes the rest of her family was a little bit more normal, too. But the trouble is, the Quirks don’t really do normal. It’s a fun, silly story with a lot of heart…and an adorable, scaredy-cat monster.

What do you hope readers will get from reading that book?

I hope kids will laugh a lot while reading ‘The Quirks’, but I also hope that they’ll come away realizing that there’s not really any such thing as “normal,” and it’s the things that make us unique and different from the people around us that make us truly special.

What aspect of writing do you find most challenging?

I have a very hard time finishing my books! I can always get started, but once I hit the halfway point, it’s tough to keep going.

What is a powerful lesson you’ve learned from being a writer?

I’m a very social person, and writing can be a lonely job. So I love visiting schools and bookstores to talk to people about books!

What has been a memorable experience you’ve had?

I would never have gotten to visit so many schools to talk with kids about books and writing. In the past three weeks alone, I’ve spoken with more than 1,000 kids in grades K-5!

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Keep writing. We all write a lot of bad stuff, and we all write a lot of good stuff. So keep practicing to make sure the good stuff outweighs the bad!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

If I could have a “Quirk”, I’d probably like to fly. I don’t love airplanes, but I love to travel – so it would be great to get places on my own flap power.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love walking around, watching and listening to the world around me. I also love going out to restaurants with my friends, playing with my kids, and swimming in Minnesota’s lakes (when it’s not snowing, of course!)

Where can readers find your work?

There are signed copies of ‘The Quirks’ all over the San Diego area. The book is available online at Indie Bound. Here’s my website. Book fans can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

This interview is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner.

Interview with ‘Blood of the Fey’ author Alessa Ellefson

Like knights errant of old, author Alessa Ellefson found herself all over the globe in search of adventures. But far from constraining herself to this world, she’s also explored countless imaginary ones through stories. It is therefore no surprise that she’s nurtured a passion for reading and writing that’s translated into her first published novel: ‘Blood of the Fey’.

Ms. Ellefson will be signing her book at 6:00pm on June 5 at Mosaic Wine Bar, 3422 30th St., San Diego, (619) 906-4747.

For what age audience do you write?

I really like the young adult (YA) genre—it’s quite diverse, and allows me to be as whimsical as I want to be, which is why I also love the fantasy genre. However, I don’t want to be boxed into any category for I like to venture into any genre/style that sparks my imagination.

Tell us about your latest book

‘Blood of the Fey’ is the first in the Morgana Trilogy. It’s inspired by the Arthurian legends and Celtic folklore, but set in modern times. The main character is Morgan, Arthur’s half-sister. She’s usually portrayed as someone with a rather Machiavellian nature who aims to destroy the Knights of the Round Table, which for some odd reason always riled me up. So I decided to take matters into my own hands.

What will readers will get from your book?

I really hope readers will get to plunge into this world and forget about their daily nuisances, and come back out of it feeling more refreshed and ready to face the world and the personal quests it sets us on.

What aspect of writing do you find most challenging?

Actually sitting down to write. It’s like waiting in line for a roller coaster—all nerves and fear, but one you finally get on, the ride is so much fun!

What’s a powerful lesson you’ve learned from being a writer?

Don’t give up. Ever. If this is something you truly want to do, no matter what others say, keep chugging at it, working on it until you get good enough. And even then, you don’t stop, always pushing yourself harder. Some of my harshest critics have been people close to me *cough* family *cough*, and though their comments certainly stung, they also spurred me to push myself harder. In a way, if it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have had this book published!

What’s a memorable experience you’ve had?

The one that really strikes me was when a friend of mine, who’d read several versions of the book already, texted me after reading my latest version to let me know she’d been so engrossed in the story that she’d forgotten her pain (she was very sick at the time).

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Read and write as much as possible, be open to constructive criticism, and don’t give up. It might not happen right away, but if you stop everything now, nothing ever will. Believe in yourself

Do you have any favorite quotes?

Just like how I don’t have a favorite color, I also don’t have a favorite quote. It all depends on my mood at the time.

Do you have any strange rituals that you observe when you write?

I don’t have any voodoo ritual or magic spell I chant before any writing session, but I do have a very rigorous system about putting a book together, from the initial idea to the final product, which is detailed in my Q&A on my website.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Control energy (dark and otherwise) any way I want to—then I could truly do anything I want. But it’s a good thing I can’t do it, for I can get really angry with bad drivers and… well, let’s just say the resulting picture would not be pretty.

If you could have three authors (alive or dead) over for dinner, who would it be?

Jo Rowling – she’s a tremendous source of inspiration, and appears from her writing to have a tremendously wry sense of humor.

Charles Dickens – I’ve always loved his way of expressing himself, as well as his stories which show he was rather open-minded for his times.

Alexandre Dumas – the man behind great adventures such as ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, and ‘The Three Musketeers’ amongst many others. Need I say more?

What is your favorite creature that exists only in literature?

Dragons. Preferably a pocket-sized one with the temperament of a dog. Though if s/he could be like Toothless in ‘How To Train Your Dragon’, that’d be cool too!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I have a full-time job when not writing, so it does somewhat limit the range of my outside activities (for now), but I like to read (anything, really, I love to learn new things), draw, spend time with friends, sports, traveling, board games… The more varied the activities, the better!

What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

I don’t want a tombstone. I’d like to be mummified and preserved in a family vault.

Where can readers find your work?

My book is available on Amazon, and will become available on other sales platforms as well (such as the Barnes and Noble website) soon (my book just came out).

This article is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner

Children’s book events for June in San Diego

 

What: Erin Soderberg signs her new book, ‘The Quirks: Welcome to Normal’
When: June 6, 4:30 pm
Where: The Yellow Book Road, 2750 Historic Decatur Road No. 101, San Diego
Click for more info or call (619) 955-5188.

What: Richelle Mead signs her new book, Gameboard of the Gods
When: June 6, 7:00 pm
Where: Mysterious Galax Booky, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite 302, San Diego
Click for more info or call (858) 268-4747.

What: Virginia Loh signs her book, ‘Paper Son’
When: June 7, 7:00 pm
Where: The Yellow Book Road, 2750 Historic Decatur Road No. 101, San Diego
Click for more info or call (619) 955-5188.

What: 31st Tijuana Book Fair
When: June 7-16, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Where: Tijuana Cultural Center in the Zona Rio
Click for more info or call (664) 685-5479.

What: Annual Used Book Sale
When: June 12-16, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Where: Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla
For for more info, contact Susan Hagler at susanh@lfjcc.com or call (858) 362-1150.

What: Summer Reading Kickoff Party with Shelley Moore Thomas, author of the ‘Good Knight’ series
When:
Where: Barnes & Noble, 2615 Vista Way, Oceanside
For more info, contact Lisa Kovach at crm2153@bn.com or (760) 529-0270.

What: Kristen Kittscher signs her book ‘The Wig in the Window’
When: June 25, 7:30 pm
Where: Warwick’s Book,| 7812 Girard Avenue, La Jolla
Click for more info or call (858) 454-0347.

What: Henry Herz signs his book ‘Nimpentoad’
When: June 27, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Where: Tierrasanta Elementary School Book Fair, 5450 La Cuenta Dr., San Diego
Click for more info

This article is also posted to the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner