YA author interviews

I don't have any new interviews this week, so take the time to go back and read some of these favorites.

Diana Sharples

Cynthia Toney

Bryan Davis

AJ Cattapan

Author Interview: Burton W. Cole

Today we’re talking with Burton W. Cole, author of several books including the newest, Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows, an Inspirational humor/adventure book for middle grade readers.

How did you choose the title?

I want titles that grab attention. There’s not much that grabs my attention faster than the word “chocolate.” So far, I have published three misadventures of Bash and Beamer novels. Raymond “Beamer” Boxby narrates the tales about the crazy things that happen when he spends time with his third cousin twice removed Sebastian “Bash” Hinglehobb. In the third book, Bash concocts a way to make it appear that the cows gave chocolate milk on April Fool’s Day. Hence, “Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows.”

Did you design the cover?

I am halfway decent at drawing, so with my first book, I pitched the idea that I do my own illustrations to my publisher at B&H Kids. I sent in sketches. He said they were nice, but that he had a former Disney animator and Big Idea illustrator Tom Bancroft in mind for the covers and the 12 interior line drawings. He sent me Tom ideas for the book. It was absolutely no contest. “Yeah, let’s go with Tom,” I said. It was awesome.

  

How would you describe the book to someone in a text message?

#faith, #fun and #farmpranks.

Okay, actually, that’s my Twitter hashtag description.

Since I text with the one finger hunt-and-peck method, I’d probably describe it with typos. I’ll try to eliminate those. It would go something like this:

Chickens dripping in strawberry-rhubarb pie run amok in a fire station. A goat gets painted in an explosion of circus colors. And the cows give chocolate milk on April Fool’s Day. Just the typical weirdness Beamer encounters when visiting cousin Bash on the farm. Meanwhile, somebody’s holding up stores and feed mills. Beamer finds himself face-to-face with the robber with only his crazy cousin, pesky neighbor Mary Jane, and Morton, the goat of many colors.

Who is your main character and what problem does he/she face?

While the titles of all three of my books—Bash and the Pirate Pig, Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper, and Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows—would lead you to believe that Bash is the main character, actually, he’s not. Ray “Beamer” Boxby narrates the stories and really is the kid who keeps getting shaken, stirred, bent, stapled, twisted, bruised and otherwise in a pickle.

Beamer is boring kind of guy. He’d prefer spending his days reading comic books and playing video games. His cousin Bash spends as much time as possible outdoors, building crazy inventions and trying daring stuff, like riding cows to the dairy drive-through, building a raft from an old shed door, and teaching his pet pig to ice skate. Beamer also has himself to deal with—his trying to learn how to live, really live, with joy and excitement. He’s a new Christian now, has a lot of questions, and doesn’t always think very highly of himself.

Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows takes place over April Fool’s Day. Bash brims with pranks, tricks and jokes—including a scheme to make it look like the cows gave chocolate milk on April 1, an elaborate plan that involves all the neighbor kids. Beamer just knows that Bash is going to get them grounded again.

Worse, there’s a robber working the farming community. He’s not a very good robber. Mostly, he gets away with chocolate and no cash.

Beamer is trying to puzzle out what in the world baptism is, is trying to learn how to run for fun, is trying to not get into trouble, even when he helps Bash stuff his mom’s car trunk full of pies and live chickens for a trip to the fire hall just down the road, and is about to come face-to-face with the robber and his gun with only his wild cousin Bash, pesky neighbor Mary Jane and a goat of many colors as the other options to save the day.

What did you bring to the book from your own life?

A lot of the crazy stunts in this series, I made up. And a lot of them, my siblings and cousins pulled on various of the farms we lived on. I tell people I don’t want to see which silly antics are made up and which we did because Mom hasn’t found out about all of them yet.

About You

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a magician, and I wanted to play forward in the NBA. I also aspired to be a syndicated cartoonist, an author of mystery novels, and a rock star trombone player.

Do you still want to be that? 

• There doesn’t seem to be much call for trombone players in rock bands. Also, I’m more the smooth jazz and contemporary Christian music kind of guy now, but my trombone skills never quite developed to that level.
• Sometimes I wish I’d continued working toward cartoonist.
• As for basketball, it turns out you have to actually be able to dribble the ball, and it helps if your shots go into the basket at least occasionally.
• The magician thing was ruined by the association with dark arts.
• As for mystery novels, I couldn’t plot enough clues.
• So I became a newspaper reporter and humor columnist. I’ve been a newspaper man for nearly 35 years now—I’m features editor at the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio—and a columnist the last 23 years.
• Oh, and I write books—with crazy characters, silly situations, a heaping of heart, a blast of the Bible, and even with a few mysteries mixed in.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I started writing bad poetry in third grade. By fourth grade, I wrote my first “novel,” four chapters over six pages, handwritten in pencil in cursive. And with my own illustrations. It was called “Vanish the Killer Whale.” That ol’ orca terrorizing on community let my imagination swim all over the place and set my course.

Did anything unusual or funny happen on your journey to becoming an author?

I quit. I’d been trying so hard for so long. I was more than 50 years old, and I just couldn’t seem to get anything accepted. I’d let things go for years, but for about three years, I was working it hard, writing, rewriting, dreaming, pushing, trying to do everything I knew to do. And one night, I stood outside under the stars, crying, telling God, “I quit, I quit, I quit. I can’t do this.” It was when I quit trying to do it on my own, to do it my way, when I sobbed, “I can’t do this,” that I heard that quiet voice that said, “But I can.” I surrendered my writing, my dreams, my ideas, my will to God. And it what seemed like a whirlwind, I suddenly had an agent (because friends in the American Christian Fiction Writers group I was in worked on my behalf—I didn’t do it), and a publishing contract with B&H Kids/LifeWay, and a deadline for Book 2. It happened because I quit—quit trying my way and accepted God’s.

What books have influenced you most?

I read a lot. I grew up reading about every Hardy Boys book I could find at the library. When I ran out of Hardy Boys, I resorted to Nancy Drew. I loved mysteries. I’ve ready all 56 short stories and all four novels that Conan Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes. I couldn’t get enough of Sherlock Holmes.

I eventually discovered that I wasn’t all that great at writing mysteries but I did have a knack for silliness. My humor writing hero is Patrick F. McManus, particularly the short stories he writes about his childhood with his best friend Crazy Eddie Muldoun. 

I also still love stories with heart and strong Christian values—let’s not just make it a nice, moral book, let’s go ahead and talk about Jesus. He’s worth talking about. I enjoy Jan Karon’s Father Tim books and the action/drama/romance novels by Dee Henderson.

And yes, I do read the Bible. I’ve read it all the way through several times and am still reading it again and again, trying to soak in so much more of God’s words, wisdom and instruction.

Do you have life philosophy? Favorite verse?

It’s difficult to pick a favorite single verse in the Bible. One my favorites is Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for the good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” And the 31^st verse is, “If God be for us, then who can be against us?” Actually, I love Romans 8.

Psalm 139 is also huge for me. LOTS of great verses there. You should read the whole thing. A couple samples: Verses 9 and 10: “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall they hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me.” And verses 23 and 24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

What advice would you give a teen who wants to be a writer?

Write! Don’t worry about trying to make it pretty the first time through. Get the ideas down. Write freely. Let your imagination run wild. Write with gusto. Have fun. Once you have it all down the first time around, go through it again to play with words. Find stronger action verbs, brighter descriptions. Delete the unnecessary words and scenes—even if they’re favorites of yours, if they’re not needed, they’re dragging your story down. Have fun coming up with better, stronger and quicker ways to say things. The third time through, you can start getting fussy with your mechanics, like commas and semicolons. Get rid of all those exclamation marks and adverbs. If you have to use gobs of exclamations and bunches of words that end in “ly,” you probably need stronger verbs and more vivid words. And keep having fun playing with words. Then keep going through polishing and cutting and gussying it up. This is you, so sing!

Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper was named “Best Middle Grade Novel” by the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference  NASHVILLE, Tenn. –  (May 29, 2015) Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper by Burton Cole was awarded a 2015 Selah Award for “Best Middle Grade Novel”

Want to connect with Burton Cole? Check out his author page.

Interview with Bryan Davis

If you read Christian fantasy, then Bryan Davis is a familiar name to you. 

Since the first book in the Dragons in Our Midst series was released in 2004, Bryan has been a popular and prolific fantasy author in young adult fiction with more series following Dragons in Our Midst including Oracles of Fire, Children of the Bard, Dragons of Starlight and Echoes from the Edge.

Bryan's first series

Today Bryan answers questions about his latest book Beyond the Gateway (Book #2 in The Reapers Trilogy), his writing and his life.

Beyond the Gateway is a Dystopian/Supernatural novel

How did you choose the title Beyond the Gateway?

In Reapers (book #1 in the trilogy), the Reapers have always thought the Gateway was a safe passage for the souls they carry there. Yet, they learn that it is fraught with danger. Perhaps the souls are going to a place of torture that empowers the tyrant who rules the world. Therefore, the Reapers have to go Beyond the Gateway to learn the truth. The major drawback? Someone has to die to go there.

How would you describe the book to someone in a text message? 

Reapers guide souls to the afterlife ... they think.

Who is your main character and what problem does he face? Phoenix is a Reaper who guides souls to the afterlife, but he learns that the Gateway—the passage to the afterlife—is not the safe avenue he thought it was. He teams up with Shanghai and Singapore (two female Reapers) to learn the truth, a journey that takes them to places more dangerous than they ever thought possible.

What might draw someone to your character? 

While most Reapers just want to do their job, that is, “Go ahead and die so I can reap your soul and go home,” Phoenix cares about the people in his city district. Even though medical help for the dying is forbidden, he smuggles medicine to families at the risk of his own life.

What prompted you to write this book? 

In the movie “Empire of the Sun,” Jamie is a boy who risks his life and health time and time again to help others survive in a prison camp. I wanted to write a character like that in a dystopian setting that has supernatural hooks.

What makes your book stand out from other books like it? Although dystopian is a popular genre, few have a bright light of hope in the story. What hope can be more uplifting than paradise?

What is one thing you learned from writing this book? 

I learned that I enjoy writing in first person point-of-view.

About Bryan

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

I wanted to be a professional athlete. If not that, then Batman.

Do you still want to be that? 

If Batman can be 57 years old, then I’m still okay with being Batman.

When did you know you wanted to be an author? 

As a way to get my kids excited about writing, I wrote a story with them, that is, they gave me creative input. That process led to a full-length novel, and it ignited a passion in me to write.

Did anything unusual or funny happen on your journey to becoming an author? 

Yes. Many times. Here is one story - http://www.daviscrossing.com/DimeTwoPennies.pdf

What books have influenced you most? 

To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Joan of Arc (Mark Twain), Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis)

What’s the most times you’ve read a book and why? 

I have read To Kill a Mockingbird about ten times. It is rare to see such a heroic father figure (Atticus Finch), and I enjoyed the author’s ability to reveal deep truths through the eyes of a little girl.

What are three unusual things about you your readers might not know? 

• I have never tasted coffee. 
• My books were rejected by publishers and agents more than 200 times. 
• My favorite food for breakfast is broccoli.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? 

I participated in a pro-life protest, and, even though we were all peaceful, I was arrested and spent three days in jail.

Here are some pictures of more of Bryan's adventurous moments.

Bryan has visited 49 of the 50 states on book-promotion tours (every state but Hawaii). This year he drove all the way to Alaska. He normally drives between 20,000 and 25,000 each year so he might be coming to your state in the future.

Do you have life philosophy? Favorite verse?

• Faith leads to confidence. Confidence plus talent plus hard work leads to success. 
• “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

What advice would you give a teen who wants to be a writer? Exercise patience with story development. Don’t rush it. Let your characters lead readers through the story world without dumping information. Go to writers conferences, and read my writing blog – http://www.theauthorschair.com

Do you have questions for Bryan? Leave them in the comments section below.

Interview with Author Cynthia T. Toney

Author Cynthia T. Toney shares about her two young adult novels, the important issues included in them, her passion to rescue shelter dogs and more in her Q & A interview below. 

 Anonymous sticky-notes, a scheming bully, and a ruined summer send fourteen-year-old Wendy down a trail of secrets and self-discovery.

Wendy Robichaud doesn't care one bit about being popular like good-looking classmates Tookie and the Sticks—until Brainiac bully John-Monster schemes against her, and someone leaves anonymous sticky-note messages all over school. Even the best friend she always counted on, Jennifer, is hiding something and pulling away. But the Spring Program, abandoned puppies, and high school track team tryouts don’t leave much time to play detective. And the more Wendy discovers about the people around her, the more there is to learn. When secrets and failed dreams kick off the summer after eighth grade, who will be around to support her as high school starts in the fall?

 A Cajun family secret, two very different boys, and a fight to keep a grandmother’s love—who would’ve guessed that looking through old photo albums could get Wendy into so much trouble?

Wendy Robichaud is on schedule to have everything she wants at the start of high school: two loyal best friends, a complete and happy family, and a hunky boyfriend she’s had a crush on since eighth grade—until she and Mrs. Villaturo look at old photo albums together. That’s when Mrs. V sees her dead husband and hints at a scandal down in Cajun country. Faster than you can say “crawdad,” Wendy digs into the scandal and into trouble. She risks losing boyfriend David by befriending Mrs. V’s deaf grandson, alienates stepsister Alice by having a boyfriend in the first place, and upsets her friend Gayle without knowing why. Will Wendy be able to prevent Mrs. V from being taken thousands of miles away? And will she lose all the friends she’s fought so hard to gain?

Genre:

Teen/Young Adult (YA), although many parents also recommend it for middle-schoolers as young as 11 years old.  10 Steps to Girlfriend Status can certainly be read without first reading book one, 8 Notes to a Nobody, but I’d recommend the younger crowd read them in order. Teens will connect with 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status more quickly because it deals with dating, among other issues.

How did you choose the title for 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status, and did you design the cover?

The cover design was a collaborative effort with my publisher. Although the series handles some serious issues, my new publisher and I agreed that the covers should be cheerful. The stories are full of hope and contain some humor. I also wanted the covers to tie together yet retain individual looks. When my publisher asked for new titles because she wanted to use “Bird Face” as the name of the series, I thought about the elements of the stories that were numbered. Wendy receives eight notes in book one, 8 Notes to a Nobody, and tracks ten steps in her relationship with David in book two, 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status. It must’ve been divine inspiration that caused me to create titles containing numbers that also employ alliteration and have a sort of rhythm to them. I’m happy to report that I’ve received positive and unsolicited feedback regarding the titles and covers.

How would you describe the book to someone in a text message? 

A Cajun family secret, two very different boys, and a fight to keep a grandmother’s love—who would’ve guessed that looking through old photo albums could get Wendy into so much trouble?

Who is your main character and what problem does he/she face?

 Wendy Robichaud is on schedule to have everything she wants at the start of high school: two loyal best friends, a complete and happy family, and a hunky boyfriend she’s had a crush on since eighth grade—until she and Mrs. Villaturo look at old photo albums together. That’s when Mrs. V sees her dead husband and hints at a scandal down in Cajun country. Faster than you can say “crawdad,” Wendy digs into the scandal and into trouble. She risks losing boyfriend David by befriending Mrs. V’s deaf grandson, alienates stepsister Alice by having a boyfriend in the first place, and upsets her friend Gayle without knowing why.

Wendy’s problems in a nutshell: She must fight to try to prevent Mrs. V from being taken thousands of miles away, and she risks all the friends she’s fought hard to gain since we met her in book one.

What makes your book stand out from other books like it?

 This story uses humor and hope to address issues of adapting to a blended family, having a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, and struggling through that first innocent romantic relationship. It also has a deaf teen character. I haven’t seen that combination anywhere else!

 When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

It changed from artist to schoolteacher to veterinarian to commercial artist/designer, I think. I still think about how great it would be to practice as a veterinarian. I could still write in my spare time.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

In my forties while working as a marketing/advertising designer and copywriter.

What books have influenced you most?

Betsy Byars’ Bingo Brown series made me want to write books containing humor and young teen characters. Judy Blume’s middle-grade and teen novels made me want to help young people handle some of the issues and challenges they face.

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?

I rode in a twin-engine plane over a body of water.

Do you have life philosophy?

When I choose someone to add to my life, I choose someone who is kind to animals. That person will likely treat me well.

 Ever think about becoming an author yourself? Here's Cynthia's advice to you:

Start now! The more you write, the better you become. Read modern bestsellers and classics in the genre you want to write. You’ll develop your own style. If you don’t feel ready to write a novel, write a short story. Read books about self-editing, plot structure, setting, and character development.  

Who is Cynthia T. Toney? Read on to find out:

Cynthia is a former advertising designer, marketing director, and interior decorator who holds a BA in art education with a minor in history. While employed by a large daily newspaper, she rewrote some ad copy without permission and got into trouble for it. At that point, she knew she was destined to become an author.

When she’s not cooking Cajun or Italian food, Cynthia writes historical and contemporary teen fiction containing elements of mystery and romance. The first edition of her debut novel, Bird Face, won a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, Bronze, in the Pre-teen Mature Issues category.

With a new publisher for an entire Bird Face series, the original story is now Book One and titled 8 Notes to a Nobody. Book Two is 10 Steps to Girlfriend Status. Look for more books in the series in the near future from Write Integrity Press.

Cynthia loves rescued animal-shelter dogs and the friendly South from Georgia to Texas, where she resides with her husband and several canines. 

Rescue dog, Angela, who is blind in one eye, resting.

Have questions or comments for Cynthia? You can leave them in the comments section. She enjoys connecting with readers online and looks forward to hearing from you.

Links:

Website:  http://www.cynthiattoney.com 

Blog:  http://birdfacewendy.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page:  https://www.facebook.com/birdfacewendy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7872181.Cynthia_T_Toney

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=79780768&trk=spm_pic

Twitter:  @CynthiaTToney

Interview with Diana Sharples

Today Diana Sharples, author of Running Lean joins us on the blog and talks about her book, her motorcycle, her faith and her challenges.

Running Lean is my debut novel, published by Zondervan/Blink Books, and I wrote the book for high school-aged readers. The title is an automotive term, relating to the deficiency of fuel to air in a carburetor, but I gave it three definitions for the book, two being metaphors for a deficiency of calories in a person suffering with an eating disorder, and a deficiency of reliance on God during challenging times. 

The story focuses on a North Carolina farm boy, a kind of do-it-yourself guy, who tries to “fix” his girlfriend’s eating disorder. That … doesn’t work out so well for him. I did extensive research into eating disorders for the book so I could understand and convey both the struggles of the person who is suffering and the desperation of the people who love her. At it’s heart, however, Running Lean is a love story, and my boy Calvin is a down-to-earth hero my readers have told me they adore.

The story was originally part of another novel with an ensemble cast--a group of friends from one particular rural North Carolina high school. It became clear to me, though, that Stacey’s story demanded its own space and couldn't be contained within that broader context. It was too important. I’ve read other teen novels about anorexia and bulimia that I felt didn't convey the full scope of eating disorders, and really didn’t focus on how the characters’ loved ones dealt with it. For all the more than ten million men, women, and children who suffer with some kind of eating disorder in the United States alone, there are circles of family and friends who are desperate for answers. In my research, however, I found precious little information that helped those other people know how to react, how to help, how to cope. Thus, I decided that Running Lean would be Calvin’s story, and through it I might leave my readers on both sides with some hope.

I’ve always loved the cover, which was put together by the art department at Zondervan. We didn't know who the young model was, but her expression captures Stacey so well, and she looks very much like a drawing I did of Stacey two years before the book was published. 

It was a thrill for me after the book came out when the model’s mother found me on Facebook, so excited that we’d featured her daughter on the cover--and when could I come do a book signing in her city? Although we live in opposite corners of the country, I still hope that I can do that someday, and have that beautiful girl by my side signing the books as well.

About Diana

Growing up, I alternated between wanting to be a writer and an artist … and a drummer! I ended up pursuing all three. I played drums in several rock bands, and actually met my husband in one of those.

 For a while I focused my career ambitions on science fiction and fantasy illustration, and managed to win a few awards and have a few pieces published along the way. 

I earned a BFA with a focus on illustration and graphics. Yet even with my illustration, story-telling was my passion, and I loved putting story questions into my paintings. I ultimately came back to my first love with stories, writing for teens. Even when I was writing speculative fiction, my characters were always teens (or the elven equivalent of teens). 

When my daughter was eleven years old, I had an epiphany of sorts--a divine inspiration--and I started writing contemporary young adult fiction, so I might produce God-honoring stories about real-life teens. I’m not a theologian by any means, but the underlying themes of my stories explore how teens can live out their faith in a world that often tries to stifle it, or when taking other paths might seem like easier options. 

My stories aren't preachy, but look at real-life situations and how the characters might spiritually struggle with them. I'm currently working on a sequel to Running Lean, featuring Calvin’s two best friends and dirt bike riding buddies from the first book. (And yes, I should insert right here that I am an avid motorcycle rider! I actually own the same vintage motorcycle that Calvin rides in Running Lean, although I’d probably break a few bones if I tried to take that little bike off road. I love my Harley for getting some wind in my face.) 

In the new book, Flannery loves Tyler, but Tyler just wants to be friends, and every aspect of their relationship is challenged when Flannery's mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. Although the story focuses on how the diagnosis spills over into Flannery's life, her mother's “journey" is a very personal one for me, as I'm going through treatment right now. Like Running Lean, the story will end with hope, and it is my prayer that readers will not only enjoy the romantic tension between Flannery and Tyler, but come away encouraged and enlightened. Stay tuned!

You can find Diana's book at your local Christian bookstore or order it Online.

Have any questions for Diana? Post them in the comment section below.