An Interview with Dan Poblocki and a GIVEAWAY

Interview with Dan Poblocki,

Author of Stone Child & The Nightmarys

Your first story “spark” for THE NIGHTMARYS was when you had a dream about two similarly dressed girls and later saw some Victorian photographs of white veiled girls from a friend. Where did your story ideas go from there?


Originally, I meant The Nightmarys to be a story from the perspective of Abigail, a girl who was haunted by a group of phantoms in white dresses.  Every time I started writing though, her story just stalled.  I didn't know why... It was impossible to continue.  Even so, I tried four different times (forty pages each time!) before I realized that I needed to approach The Nightmarys from the perspective a different character.  So I created Timothy. I felt Timothy was a better entrance into "The Haunting of Abigail Tremens," than Abigail herself.  As he learns about the strange new girl in the school, so does the reader.  At the beginning of the story, he is drawn to the mystery of her personality, and soon, Abigail becomes a fresh and surprising threat.  And of course Timothy has his own set of problems... The rest of the novel grew from the push and pull of these two haunted kids.  

Both of your books have a hint of ancient “dark magic” in them; why and how did you choose the “Goddess of Chaos” and the fear-controlled tooth?

I was partly inspired by the Gothic horror tales of H.P. Lovecraft.  What he is known for, besides using the theme of "ancient dark magic," is inventing a pantheon of evil gods, at the center of which is tentacled sleeping-demon called Cthulu who has the power to drive humans mad simply by looking upon them.  Or something like that... Lovecraft lived most of his life in Providence, Rhode Island, the city where I was born, and many of his stories were set there.  New England has always inspired me with its old houses, its history, its battle scars.  Obviously, some places in New England can be quite creepy.  In one Lovecraft story, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," which I quote at the beginning of The Nightmarys, a quiet seaside town holds a dark secret.  The townspeople use a mystical metal which they forge into jewelry to worship a group of monstrous creatures living in the ocean off-shore.  I referenced this concept of a mystical, almost-alien metal when I created the "ancient artifact" for The Nightmarys.  Taking a note from Lovecraft, I deliberately left the metal's history vague.  It's important for an author to know the history of our mythologies...  But when sharing with the reader, I think a purposeful vagueness regarding origins of chaos, or evil, or whatever goes bump in the night always makes a story scarier; at least it did for Mr. Lovecraft.  

Were there any particular things mentioned in THE NIGHTMARYS that are part of your own nightmares?–besides the nightmarys.

None of the other specific horror elements in the book were from my own dreams... though I did base Zilpha Kindred's laundry room on the one in my old apartment building.  I had a hard time doing laundry down there after writing that scene.  One aspect of the book came directly from my own fears, but it wasn't supernatural in origin.  I don't remember ever feeling more helpless than during the week before my government declared war on Iraq.  I used this memory when creating Timothy's family.  They confront their own belief system after Timothy's brother is injured during an attack overseas.  I tried to stay away from the politics of the issue and respond directly to its emotional effect on my characters' lives.  So to answer your question, I have to say war is one of my worst nightmares.  I can't think of anything more horrific.      

When your characters reach the lighthouse scene towards the end of the book, I couldn’t help but think of how all the clues came together.... very intricate. How in the world do you come up with all these "clues"? Any inspirations?

This one is hard to answer without giving the "clues" away.  I like to use images, objects, and words which might seem benign in one context, but when exposed to a different light, look just a bit tilted, fraught, and possibly dangerous.  I held onto some of them for a long time, waiting for an appropriate story in which I could put them to use. The Nightmarys was that story.  In the end, I tried to imagine how I might intertwine all the various "clues" thematically, and I modified them to fit.    

Does it take a while to put all your ideas together or do you have a planned story in your head? What’s your strategy?

It takes a good long while for me to put the ideas together.  Like I said, I started The Nightmarys several times.  Once I connect with a character, I try to outline as much of the plot as I can, while giving myself permission to be a little loose.  Sometimes straying off-path takes you into new, surprising territory.  Other times, though, you end up lost.  For me, it helps to know where the story needs to finish up.  That way, in the getting there, you can wander all over the place.  However, I do take comfort in knowing I can go back and revise.  

What’s your all-time favorite horror/thriller writer?

John Bellairs wrote my favorite kind of horror novel.  Gothic.  Set in the nineteen-fifties.  Almost parodying popular genre ficiton of the time-period.  The House With a Clock in its Walls.  The Dark Secret of Weatherend.  The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull.  So much fun!  In the end, after the evil-of-the-week was defeated (and it was always defeated), the characters usually drank hot chocolate, kicked up their feet, and got right back to normal life.  For a kid, so much of life at that age can be scary.  John Bellairs's books let me know I can be scared for awhile and then move the heck on.  For real chills though, no one can top Stephen King.  I've read The Shining five times.  

Can you recommend a good classic "scary" book to young adults and/or middle graders?

Other than the John Bellairs books I already mentioned, I recommend Wait 'Til Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, a very creepy story about a ghostly little girl.  And if you can get through the sometimes overly poetic language, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft gives me goosebumps just thinking about what the main character finds in the basement of that old Providence house...  

Will we be seeing another book from you soon? Give us a peek... please?

Yes!   Very soon, in fact.  I have new series called The Mysterious Four coming out in spring of 2011.  The first book is called Hauntings and Heists.  It's about a group of kids who form a mystery club in their small town... They end up stirring up old ghosts and other troubles.  I don't think I'm allowed to share any of it just yet... but I'm really excited about it!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us! Can't wait to read your upcoming books...

You can visit Dan's website {here}.

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Exploring Ecuador & The Indigo Notebook with Laura Resau

I have to admit I kinda of envied Zeeta because she got to travel, but this book made me think about how hard it would be to uproot yourself and move on. So to cure our travel fever, Laura Resau has some stories about her own trips to South America to share with us.

See my review of The Indigo Notebook.

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Hello! Morgan asked me to write about my travels in Ecuador, which sounded like fun. Here it goes:

The excuse for my first trip to Ecuador was research for a book called The Queen of Water, which I was co-writing with my friend Maria Virginia Farinango, a Quichua woman who had a fascinating girlhood in the Andes. (She liv

es in Otavalo, Ecuador now, but comes to Colorado for a few months every year.) While I was spending time there, I felt inspired to writea second book set in this stunning landscape and interesting culture. Over a year later, I returned for another research trip, this one geared toward The Indigo Notebook.

From the yummy dishes Maria cooked here in Colorado, I already knew I loved Ecuadorian food (well, I never tried roasted guinea pig…). Potatoes originated in the Andes—not surprisingly, I ate potatoes with nearly every meal.

Corn is another important food in the Ecuadorian Andes. In a cornfield in her relatives' community, Maria and I broke open stalks of corn and chewed on the sugary, juicy fibers inside. I ate popcorn or tostado (big, yummy, salty, greasy, crunchy toasted corn kernels) with nearly every meal—a perfect side dish, which I would make at home if I didn't seem to burn itall the time.Maria shared with me her magical memories of eating freshly made warm bread as a child (which inspired some of the scenes with the character Mamita Luz baking bread for children.) Here's the outside of a bread oven in someone's house in a Quichua community.

I hiked around some Quichua communities with some of Maria's relatives, whose great energy and smiles inspired the characters of the girls who show Wendell and Zeeta around Agua Santa. (Although these girls had nice, loving parents!) I also had fun spending time with Maria's older relatives. These women are stripping corn kernels off of cobs, which Zeeta and Wendell do in The Indigo Notebook.

I loved hearing local folklore about tunnels under mountains, devils in caves, a waterlogged hacienda at the bottom of a lake (all of which I included in The Indigo Notebook)…

I'm always fascinated by spiritual beliefs and rituals in different cultures. Maria's relatives told me about Quichua beliefs (with origins in ancient Incan beliefs), which emphasize the sacredness of the natural landscape. Each important mountain in the area is a different god or goddess, associated with its own mystical stories. And then, there's the Mother Earth goddess, Pachamamma, and the Su

n god, and others. And sacred waters abound! Maria took me and our friend to have her bathe with rose petals in the sacred waters of the Peguche waterfall (which Layla does in the book.)

I also love learning about healing practices and participating in them when possible. Here are two Quichua healers (father and son) in their healing room near the altar. The son gave me a limpieza (spiritual cleaning) much like the one Layla gets at the end of The Indigo Notebook.

I hope this gives you a taste of the Ecuadorian Andes… and a taste of The Indigo Notebook.

Thanks for reading! You can read more about The Indigo Notebook at http://www.lauraresau.com . It's been a joy being your guest, Morgan!

Laura

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Wow, that was really que pleno [cool] to see how Laura's trip to Ecuador intertwined with Zetta and The Indigo Notebook. Thanks for sharing with us, Laura!

GW Author Interview: Janette Rallison

Here's an interview with Janette Rallison after I did a review on her 

teen novel My Fair Godmother.

First of all (we’re dying to know) how did you get the inspiration for such a wacky/fun story?

 

I got the idea when I wrote a half-hour skit for my daughter's church youth group.  A bunch of kids from different churches were all putting on skits and the theme had to be: Fractured Fairy Tales.  The skit I wrote had the same premise as My Fair Godmother and a heroine who found out that being sent to fairy tales involved a lot of cleaning.  My daughter was the original Fair godmother.  She did a great job being a ditzy teen fairy.

How did you come to be an author? Did you always want to be a writer or when did you realize you had a knack for writing?

 

I always wanted to be a writer.  My teachers usually said the same thing on my report cards:  Janette is a wonderful writer but a lousy speller.  The same is true today. Thank heavens for spell check!

What or who inspired you to write?

 

My mother wanted to be a writer.  Some of my earliest (and only--she died when I was six years old) memories were of her sitting in front of  a typewriter typing. So I grew up thinking writing was a normal job as opposed to a really time consuming way to torment yourself.  (Very often it is the latter.)

What is your favorite book and author?

 

You mean besides me and mine?  Um, I love Pride and Prejudice, the Princess Bride, and the Phantom Tollboth.  (I obviously have a thing for P titles.)

Neat. I'm defiantly going to try Pride and Prejudice this summer. I’m sure an author favors all her characters, but what character did you have the most fun creating in My Fair Godmother?

 

Well, because I'm a romantic at heart I loved writing the romance scenes, but I also really loved writing about the dwarfs and the Cyclops.  The offbeat characters can be really fun to write.

Tell us a little about your latest book or an upcoming novel to help convince us to read it.

 

My novel, Just One Wish came out the beginning of this month.  In it, Annika goes to Hollywood to find and convince hearthrob actor Steve Ralaigh to come visit her ill brother before his surgery.  It's a great book too.

I've almost bought Just One Wish twice! (The glittery cover is so enchanting.) I'm having my library order it for their new YA section so everyone will be able to read it. Now for some quirky non-bookish questions. What is your obsession/hobby?

 

I didn't mean to, but my neigbors would tell you I collect stray cats.  We have five and have given away six.  For some reason my backyard has become the stray cat magnet in the neighborhood.

Tell us one word that describes you.

 

Happy

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I love Hawaii.

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate.  Hands down.

Before we say goodbye, could you give us a little advice for all the future writers out there.

Go to college and get a degree in something you can support yourself in.  That way you won't starve while you write and sell your first books.

Gosh, you're absolutely right! Authors are like starving artists. Thanks for the advice and the review, Janette! Hope to see another one of your fun uplifting stories soon....

Janette Rallison is the author of ten books for young adults including It's A Mall World After All, All's Fair in Love, War, and High School, and How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend.

This interview as been brought to you buy Guess Who?, a creation of BLT.

Fellow blog readers I need your help! It seems that thinking up interview questions requires more creativeness than I thought. So here's the deal, come up with one question you'd like to see in my next Guess Who? Interview plus your name/blog will appear next to that question. Ask the author, make the question yours!!