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}.

....................................

{Now Enter to Win}

Please read the following to enter to win 1 of 3 copies of THE NIGHTMARYS by Dan Poblocki:

• You must be a follower/subscriber of Books and Literature for Teens
• Giveaway open to US residents only
• Winners (3) will be chosen at random from random.org generator
• Books will be shipped from Random House; please allow at least 2 weeks for arrival in your mailbox
• All information entered in the following form will not be shared by a third party in any way! 

➜Fill out Entry Form
Ends Sept. 30th, midnight EST
(Closed)

Sunday Spotlight | Lisa Klein

After I read Lisa's newest book, Lady Macbeth's Daughter, I was ecstatic when she agreed to tell us a little more about her inspiration for her Shakespearian novels and what kinda of adventures historical fiction has in store. Here is what Lisa had to say:

One of the most common questions readers ask is “Where do you get the ideas for your books?”  Short answer: from Shakespeare, from the past.  From anyplace I want to go in my mind; better yet if I can get there in body.

When  I thought about retelling a famous Shakespeare play from the perspective of a female character, Hamlet was a natural choice. Hence Ophelia, my first book. But Shakespeare’s Macbeth? Lady Macbeth, who helps her husband commit murder and, like Ophelia, goes mad and dies, did not seem a promising protagonist for a YA novel. So I started work on another book idea, when one day it hit me: I could invent a character who was not in Shakespeare’s play, but whose existence would make sense of the evil chosen by Macbeth and his lady. And thus Albia was born—the unwanted daughter of Scotland’s murderous king and queen. Lover of Fleance. Gifted with second sight. Revenger of her parents’ wrong. Yes!

I get really wrapped up in the books I write. I’m a stickler for accurate details. When I was writing Two Girls of Gettysburg I went and walked the battlefield and the town streets, and mingled among thousands of costumed visitors during a reenactment weekend, read histories of the Civil War and letters and diaries from the time. 

With Lady Macbeth’s Daughter, I realized I had a great story, but it just didn’t feel alive and real to me. I had no sense of place. How does one write about Scotland a thousand years ago? There are no written records from that time.

But there are amazing ruins! Henges of stone and burial cairns everywhere on remote islands, and in pastures where cows graze, oblivious. Most of these sites are over a thousand years old.  I saw the pictures in books. But that’s not the same as seeing them with your own eyes. So I went to Scotland, dragging my good-natured son along—who only asked to play some golf in exchange for trekking with me to the far reaches of Scotland.

And what I saw there stirred my imagination! In particular, the standing stones of Callanish inspired Stravenock Henge, where Albia and the sisters meet and perform their mysterious rites. After my trip, I finally had a sense of place and a mood that I could bring to the events of my story. And my character Albia came alive, because now she had a stage, a setting where she could move and interact and fulfill her (and Scotland’s) destiny.

Wow, I want to go to Scotland someday. Doesn't that Stonehenge look neat up against the green grass? Thanks so much for sharing with us Lisa! We can't wait to see where you'll take us next with your stunning historical fiction.....

Sunday Spotlight: Margaret Willey

with Margaret Willey

Since my childhood, I’ve always been a person who was deeply, obsessively affected by books.  I could go back to earliest childhood days—the fairy tale and poetry collections that were my mother’s with elaborate etched illustrations—how they thrilled me and owned me.  My favorite books are as much a part of my memories as vacations, birthday parties and special friends.  I remember reading A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST as a young teenager, a novel about a brave girl who raises money for her own schooling by finding and selling moth pupae.  Her name was Elnora and passages about her searching for moths through the Indiana swamps at dusk were amazing.  As I read, I could see the moonlit swamps, see moths in flight.  This 100-year old classic novel was one of the books that led me to a writing life.  So of course I had to eventually write about moths and swamps and old family secrets revealed in moonlight.  It took me many years to complete SILK MOTHS.  Along the way, I added a modern girl and a modern romance.

The moths in SUMMER OF SILK MOTHS are part of an old obsession.  It was lovely to resurrect it and to become a kind of moth collector myself.  I created a cast of characters who allow the captured moths to connect them to their missing personal histories.  I felt so lucky to be able to do this and I truly believe that this sort of healing can and does happen in real life.  

Today my office overlooks a snow-covered ravine and beyond the ravine is the western side of a sand dune.  No curtains or blinds in my office—I need to see the dune, trees, clouds and sky while I’m working.  Right this moment, three deer are moving horizontally across the dune.  In the woods, silk moths are hidden inside their cocoons, hard chambers spun from their own bodies that protect them through the winter, no matter how cold it gets and it gets very cold here in Michigan.  That still astounds me, even though I’ve moved on to a new book. You don’t have to be obsessive to be a writer, but it helps.

Wow, I never knew moths could be so inspiring and Michigan sounds very neat! Thanks for sharing with us today--I can't wait to find out what happens in the sequel. Celebrate A Girl of the Limberlost's 100 year anniversary by picking up a copy of A Summer of Silk Moths. You can also read my review of Willey's enchanting novel here!

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.

...................

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

...................

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!

Sunday Spotlight: Catherine Murdock

Sunday Spotlight is a new feature on BLT that puts authors or books I've recently read in the spotlight. This week we have a short word from Catherine Gilbert Murdock. After reading her book, Dairy Queen (see here), I wondered why she choose to write about a dairy farm. This is what she had to say:

******

"I knew from the get-go that I needed to frame the story around two teenage enemies who become friends, then more than friends. The best way I could think of to accomplish this was by forcing them to work long days together until they learn to see each other beyond the labels. Farm work -- particularly dairy farming -- seemed an ideal mechanism for this. Also, I knew a bit about dairy farming given than my mother had grown up on a dairy farm. And I love cows. And I've hayed, which is SO HARD -- that description of haying's discomfort and itchiness came straight from my heart!"

Thanks Ms. Murdock for your time! Here are the rest of Murdock's books. Be sure to check them out your library today! For more fun (book covers, playlists, etc.) with Dairy Queen, visit catherinemurdock.com:

Premiere Saturday: Joy Preble

Debut author Joy Preble's Dreaming Anastasia was released around the first of September (09). Having read her book I wondered how Joy got the idea to intertwine Anastasia Romanov and the legend of Baba Yaga into the story. Here's what Joy had to say:

I’ve been asked a lot lately about my inclusion of the Russian folklore witch, Baba Yaga, in Dreaming Anastasia. You know initially, she had not been part of the novel. But when I began working with my then agent Michelle to get the novel ready for submission, it really began to feel apparent to both of us that there was a missing element. The basics were there – the Anne/Ethan story; the Anastasia story; the search for Anastasia and the quest for Anne to rescue her. It was a good story – good enough to have snagged me an agent obviously – but it wasn’t complete. And so I dug in deeper and realized that the fantasy needed grounding in something organically Russian/Slavic. Baba Yaga and the Vasilisa the Brave fairy tale came into the picture soon there after.

I love this crazy witch with her metal teeth! She is the perfect symbol, really, for so much in the novel. She is neither wholly good nor bad. You can’t quite define which side she’s on. Once characters enter her forest in the various fairy tales in which she plays a role they never emerge – if they live, that is – without having changed. She is in fact an instrument of change. She is also a reflection of society’s perception of women and beauty and age – there’s a lot of wisdom in this old crone, but her ugliness is definitely off-putting. For a story that has its literary feet firmly in the “girl power” arena, this is something of importance and my female characters all reflect it. Both Anne and Tess are often underestimated in the novel. There is most certainly a reverse fairy tale – princess saves the prince element that speaks to this as well. (that’s all I’m saying right now because to say more would be all spoilery unless everyone’s read) And Baba Yaga herself – well, let’s just say I hope to be able to write at least one sequel to Dreaming Anastasia, because I’m definitely not done with the old girl – there is more to her power and more to how it has affected Anne and possibly Tess.

In short, Baba Yaga really was the missing link for Dreaming Anastasia. Women play such a key role in everything that happens in the story. Yes, it’s the men of the Brotherhood that have set a lot of things in motion. And it’s a man – Ethan – who’s been searching for Anne. But it’s a girl that’s got to save the day. And the choices of the women and girls in the novel figure so strongly – from Tsarina Alexandra to Anastasia to Anne to Tess to Baba Yaga herself.

I didn’t start out writing a story about this Russian witch. But that’s the thing about her, I guess. She doesn’t always follow the rules. And when she decided she needed to be part of the novel, I guess she just climbed in her mortar and flew on over to me.

Wow, that was neat! Thanks so much for guest posting here today; I'm anxious to read Dreaming Anastasia's sequel and I hope my readers are to! Be sure to look for more "Premiere Saturday" posts on debut authors.....

Premiere Saturday: Fran Cannon Slayton

When did you know you wanted to write? Was it always your plan to write about your family's history?

I knew I enjoyed writing as early as fourth grade, when I started writing poetry. But it wasn't until just before I entered law school at the University of Virginia in 1991 that I began writing a novel. Actually, I didn't know it was a novel when I started - it was just a story idea that gripped me by the collar and wouldn't let me go until I put pen to paper. I worked on that story on and off for thirteen years before beginning to write When the Whistle Blows, so no, I didn't always plan to write about my family history.

Did you plan for When the Whistle Blows to be children's book? If so, do you plan to write more novels for kids/teens? Will it be more historical fiction?

I always thought that When the Whistle Blows would be a young adult novel, although I didn't write it geared to a specific age group. I just wrote it the way it came out.I do plan to write more middle grade and young adult novels. I'm currently working on a fantasy/dystopian novel about a girl who wants to be a pirate.

What's your favorite book(s) and why? Did any of these inspire you to write?

I have a handful of favorites: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor, and Sounder by William Armstrong are my top three, and they all influenced me greatly both as a writer and as a person. For me, that's what good books do - they are not just well written, they also change the reader at a fundamental level. These three books presented ideas about time, love, and injustice that fundamentally changed the way I viewed the world. The inspired me not only in my writing, but also in my being.

Do you have a favorite author(s) or literature character(s)?

In addition to those I mentioned in the last question, I do love Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

If you could meet one person-either in figure history, a character in a book, or someone alive today-what are some questions you would ask them?

I'd like to have the opportunity to sit down and have a long talk with Thomas Merton, who was a very interesting and smart Trappist Monk who died all too early in a freak accident. I'd ask him questions about his contemplative life and his writings.

What are some things you use to do for fun as a child/teen growing up in Virginia?

I used to catch salamanders and then use them as bait for fishing, and for awhile I would do handstands all the time (which I'm sure drove my mother crazy!). I loved hanging upside down on the monkey bars and flipping off, landing on my feet. I played the trumpet, acted in school plays and went to school dances. I ate pizza with friends, played field hockey, softball, soccer and grass lot football. I had a lot of fun!

Now that some of the rutine questions are out of the way, can you answer some of these quirky questions? Would you rather be on tropical beach overlooking aqua blue waters; getting lost in a maze of endless artifacts in a museum; or exploring the seven wonders of the world?

You mean I have to pick just one? I think I'd rather explore the seven wonders of the world in the morning, walk through the museum after lunch, and hang out on the beach just before dinner.

Favorite kind food?

It varies. Mexican is a staple - I have it at least once a week. But I also love lobster, crab and a good filet mignon (medium rare). I also love chocolate cake batter ice cream, peanut butter and banana sandwiches and almost anything with chick peas in it. Oh, and I really like gazpacho, lentil stew and black bean soup.

Favorite season?

Fall. It's when I met my husband. I always think of it as when things begin.

Name one thing you always keep on your nightstand:

What else - books!

Thanks so for much for sharing with us here at BLT! Before we say goodbye, do you have anything to say to encourage young future writers?

Follow your heart; write what you love.

Fran Cannon Slayton's debut book, When the Whistle Blows, was released June 11th, 2009 and was published by Philomel. Don't forget to visit Fran's website www.francannonslayton.com

Read BLT's review here.

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!!