Read, Write, Repeat.

If there’s a tween girl in your life, you might want to introduce her to the Goddess Girls books by Suzanne Williams and Joan Holub.

This six-book series — with more installments on the way — takes a lighthearted look at what the lives of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses might have been like when they were growing up.

The most recent book in the series is Aphrodite the Diva (Aladdin, 2011). Previous books have been about Athena, Persephone and Artemis.

Today, we’re joined by the series’ authors, who share some insight into these delightful books and how they came to be.

What inspired you to start writing these books? Did you have a strong knowledge of mythology before you started? What kind of research do you do for each book?

Suzanne (That’s her on the left.): First of all, thanks for having us at Read, Write, Repeat today, Pat! The Goddess Girls series began with a conversation over dinner. Joan asked if I might like to collaborate on something, and I said yes.

Goddess Girls was Joan’s idea — one of several ideas we came up with — and about the time Rick Riordan’s Lightning Thief debuted, we were putting the finishing touches on a proposal.

Joan: (Seconding Suzanne’s thanks, Pat!) It was my lucky day when Suzanne agreed to write with me. She is the best co-author ever. I really enjoy building the fictional Goddess Girls stories on the frameworks of existing mythology. I’m a history and mythology fanatic, and I’ve always been partial to Greco-Roman mythology.

It’s fun to update the stories, but for the most part, we try to stay true to the myths — or at least the spirit of the myths! I have a long list of book ideas and book titles. I often start a book or series with only a title, and think … What could that be about? What if this happened or that happened? That’s how Goddess Girls was born.

Suzanne: Because our goddess girls and our readers are tweens, we adapted the myths to make them age appropriate. It was fun to imagine the personalities and predicaments of our young goddess girls and god boys, based on their mythical adult counterparts.

I’ve heard some of your readers have started their own Goddess Girls clubs at schools where they pretend to be the characters. Who seems to be the favorite goddess? Did you expect the books to get such a positive response?

Joan (That’s her on the left.): I’m not sure if our fans have any clear favorite — maybe Athena, since our fans tend to be avid readers like her. But Aphrodite, Artemis, and Persephone have their cheering sections, too! We have the best fans in the world and have dedicated many of our books to them. Aphrodite the Diva just got an awesome video review from tween reviewer, Reagan, of Reading Tween.

Suzanne: I agree. Athena may have the edge, but some girls identify more with one or two of the other characters. We didn’t really know what kind of reaction to expect when the series pubbed. The positive response has been very gratifying. And we love that teachers have told us the books get girls excited about Greek mythology.

Joan: And excited about reading!

How many books are planned for the series?

Suzanne and Joan: Well, we have many of them planned in our heads, but we don’t really know for sure how many will be published. Goddess Girls started out as a four-book series. Now we’re up Book 6. And Books 7 and 8: Artemis the Loyal (December 2011) and Medusa the Mean (April 2012) are in the works. We know there will be 12 for sure — more about that below.

Joan, you started your career as an illustrator, then were an illustrator and writer and now — I think — only write. Tell us a little about how that evolution happened. What was your path to writing, Suzanne?

Joan: You’re right, Pat. Even before illustrating, I was a graphic designer in advertising, then in children’s publishing in New York City. I became a freelance children’s book illustrator next. When I realized I loved writing even more that illustrating, I gradually I segued into writing full time. I’ve written and/or illustrated over 130 books at this point. Everything from board/novelty books, early readers, picture books, and chapter/middle grade.

Suzanne: I was an elementary school librarian before I began writing for children. It was reading all those wonderful children’s books I purchased for the library that made me want to try my hand at writing too. I’ve published more than 30 books now — all fiction — mostly chapter book and middle-grade series, but also six picture books (including Library Lil, illustrated by Steven Kellogg).

You both write fiction and picture books and middle-grade novels, and Joan also writes nonfiction. What parts of your writing process are the same no matter what you’re working on, and what parts vary depending on genre?

Suzanne: Revision is the most important part of the writing process, and that’s universal! I brainstorm a fairly detailed chapter-by-chapter outline before beginning the first draft of a novel, but a sentence or two is the only planning I’ll do before drafting a picture book. Even fiction — especially Goddess Girls since it’s built on existing Greek myths requires some research. We use books like Edith Hamilton’s Mythology as source material, and also Internet resources like Wikipedia.

Joan: I learned to outline from Suzanne when we began Goddess Girls. When you’re writing with a co-author, outlines really helps to work out plots before you go too far down a road that’s not really a good direction. Suzanne and I talk over broad plot ideas, then outline on our own, and then we have long conversations about the outlines.

I don’t outline for any other books, but I do often make book dummies for picture books and easy readers, even though I’m not illustrating them. Dummies help me figure out the flow of the book and art. I don’t dummy nonfiction, but I usually break the manuscript into the number of pages the book will be. Artists and editors often change what I’ve suggested, which is fine with me. Every book is a team effort, and it’s all about making a book the best it can be.

On your website and your Twitter account, Joan, you ask, “Did you bring me a cookie?” What’s your favorite kind?

Joan: I love that you read that tagline, Pat. Are you perhaps a cookie monster as well? Chocolate chip!

Suzanne: Mine would be chocolate chip, too.

What projects do you have under way now?

Suzanne: Our publisher recently asked us for four more Goddess Girls books — our very first “Super Special,” and Books 9 – 11. We post updates about the series and answer questions from fans on all things Goddess Girls at our Goddess Girls Facebook page. (Editor’s note: You can also learn more about Suzanne’s projects at her website.)

Joan: Wagons Ho! is just out with co-author George Hallowell illustrated by Lynne Avril (Albert Whitman & Co, picture book). Two girls travel the Oregon Trail in comic-book style. One takes five months in 1846, and the other takes five days in 2011. Also coming up is a lift-the-flap magnetic-hand (ages 2-6, Scholastic, September) book titled A Kiss for You! And last but not least a picture book titled Zero the Hero (February 2012, Macmillan Christy Ottaviano Books, illustrated by the fab New York Times bestselling Tom Lichtenheld.) Visit my website for links and info.

Thanks again, Pat. This was fun!

Today is a very special day for middle-grade literature enthusiasts and tea lovers everywhere. Laura Schaefer has a new book out.

The Secret Ingredient (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2011) is a follow-up to Schaefer’s first novel, The Teashop Girls. It chronicles what happens to Annie and her friends, Genna and Zoe, the summer before they all start high school.

As in the first book, much of the action takes place in Annie’s grandmother’s tea shop, The Steeping Leaf. When Annie’s not serving tea, she’s blogging about food, baking scones in hopes of winning a contest and trying to decide if kissing a boy in the tea shop’s stockroom meant anything.

Read, Write, Repeat is honored to have author Laura Schaefer on hand to answer important questions about the book, her writing process and life in Madison, Wisconsin where she, I and the book’s characters all live.

This book is about blogging, tea and scones. Of the three, which is your favorite? Why?

Of the three, I have the most knowledge and experience with tea. I’ve tried lots of different varieties. I’m currently drinking a lot of Pu-erh, which is a type of earthy tea from China. When I started writing The Secret Ingredient, I was a scone newbie. (Although I had eaten lots of them, I’d never baked them.) That changed in a hurry. Many a Saturday I spent in my kitchen working on new recipes for the book. I’m proud of how they turned out, and I think my friends enjoyed all the samples.

How much of Annie is inspired by you?

Quite a bit. She’s more gregarious than I was at 14, but I think we have a lot of qualities in common. She’s very loyal to her friends and family, she’s got that entrepreneurial streak, and boys confuse her. I could say all the same things about myself.

Annie hopes to win a trip to London by coming up with a wonderful scone recipe. What’s your favorite scone recipe? Have you ever been to London?

My favorite recipe at the moment is the apple toffee scones I invented for the book. But other than that, I can’t get enough of the lemon cream scones from Lazy Jane’s cafe on Willy Street in Madison. I honestly don’t know what they put in them, but I’d like to find out. They are gooooooood.

Yes, I went to London about nine years ago, after I graduated from college. I loved it. The city has such a rich culture and history. I adore the fact that the museums there are free. I really want to go back.

Annie has ambivalent feelings about Zach, but she does kiss him. What was your first kiss like?

Haha, I’ll never tell!

What kind of research did you need to do while you wrote this book? What was the most interesting thing you learned?

The research happened very naturally, and was driven by my own interests in tea and food. I tried a lot of new and interesting teas after The Teashop Girls came out at the end of 2008, and I found it very easy to weave references to them into the new book. One example of this is matcha, a powdered green tea that I adore. Cha Cha Tea here in Madison introduced me to it.

I had some things to learn about the local food movement and people’s efforts to get healthy local foods into school lunches. I spoke to the organization REAP to get some perspective on the challenges involved in getting local produce into schools. They do amazing work, and I’m grateful to them for helping me out.

I also turned to my long-time best friend Aimee Tritt, who is currently at work on a master’s degree in dietetics. She is a foodie through and through and really knows her stuff. She helped me to make sure all the produce I referenced in the story is actually in season during the timeline of the book.

The book is set in Madison, Wisconsin where you (and I) live. What favorite Madison landmarks were you able to include in the book?

I love writing about Madison. The book opens with Annie at the Farmer’s Market on the Capitol Square. I also reference Lake Monona, State Street and Vilas Park. There’s no place like Madison in the summertime. Our city shines right now.

Much of the action in both your books is set in Annie’s grandmother’s tea shop. Have you ever thought about opening a tea shop of your own? Is the shop inspired by an actual tea shop?

I haven’t really considered opening a tea shop of my own, because I’m too busy with my writing. But I love, love, love hanging out in them (and in coffee shops). The shop in the story is a mish-mash of lots of places I like to hang out, from Barriques here in Madison, to this place in Florida called Sherlock’s (now closed … boo!), to the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn, New York.

My daughter is starting high school this fall. What advice would Annie, Genna and Zoe have for her?

Great question! All three girls would probably have different advice. Annie’s would be something funny or friendly like, “Don’t forget hair products,” (she always struggles with her frizzy red curls) and, “Stick close to your best friends.” Genna would say, “Try out for a play … drama club is FABULOUS.” Zoe, ever the practical one, would say, “Don’t get behind on your homework and ignore Genna when she insists on finding you a boyfriend.”

What would I say? “Have fun, try different extra-curricular activities to find out what you love, and don’t take anyone too seriously!”

Is the book the end of the series? Or do you have more adventures planned for the girls?

I think there will be a TSG3 eventually, but I don’t have any immediate plans.

Several of your author biographies mention that you like to dance the lindy hop. Tell us more about that.

The lindy hop is a vintage swing dance invented in the 1920s. It’s really fun and athletic. I started learning in 2005 and I still try to go out a few times per month now. Some of my friends are truly awesome at it … they travel and compete. I’m a bit more of a spectator these days, but I love it. If you’re interested, we dance on Wednesday nights after 9:30 p.m. at the Brink Lounge, and you can find out about lessons at www.uwswing.com.

What other projects are you working on?

I’m working on a stand-alone novel for older readers called Notes to Self. I’m also in the midst of launching a line of non-fiction travel guides for kids aged 8-12 called Planet Explorers. These guides will be published in ebook form only, for kids to read on Kindles, Nooks or smart phones before they go on family vacations. I’m really excited about it. My first two titles are Chicago and Walt Disney World. Thank you for asking!

Thanks for stopping by, Laura!

If you’d like to know more about Laura, visit her website.

If you’d like to know more about illustrator Sujean Rim, visit her website.

And, finally, to read a teen review of Laura’s first novel, The Teashop Girls, check out this link.

School is ending across America, leaving teenagers wondering just how to spend their summer.

One good idea might be for them to read A&L Do Summer (Egmont USA, 2011), the newest novel by Iowa author Jan Blazanin. It follows Laurel and Aspen on a series of well-intentioned misadventures involving pigs, skunks, boys, firecrackers, mud, beer and more.

Today, Jan visits Read, Write, Repeat to talk about the book and her best summer adventures when she was a teen.

A&L Do Summer is about the adventures two Iowa girls get into during what they think will be a boring summer. What’s the most adventurous thing you ever did over a summer?

None of my adventures were nearly as wild as Aspen and Laurel’s. One summer, I took a biology class where we chased insects, collected plants and puddled in ponds and streams looking for microscopic creatures. I spent two summers working on a chicken farm, which unfortunately was a factory farm rather than free range like Eggstra Good. Whenever possible, I caught a ride into Adel to go swimming in the town pool. But living in the country with no transportation except my bike kept me from being too adventurous.

Were you more like Laurel or Aspen as a teen?

I was more like Aspen in appearance as well as personality. We were both conscientious students who obeyed our parents and teachers, earned good grades and turned our homework in on time. And I definitely had — and still have — her sarcastic sense of humor.

However, there was a Laurel side of my personality that occasionally broke through and convinced me to do something foolish. For example, in the middle of the night at a slumber party five other girls and I decided to take a walk through town. I’m not 100 percent sure it was my idea, but if it wasn’t, I jumped on board without a moment’s thought. The policemen on patrol saw us, and we ran like criminals, which led to a trip to the police station at 3 a.m. Definitely a Laurel moment.

You live in Iowa. How many of the Iowa references are true to life, and how many just seem like things people in Iowa might do? Are any based on things that happened to you or your friends?

While none of the incidents were “ripped from the headlines” in their entirety, quite a few are based on actual events. My friend Susie’s pet skunk inspired me to create Sammy Stripers. A grumpy woman who lived down the street from my grandparents was the model for Miss Simmons. My brother’s friend Alan threw M-80s into the toilets of the Adel City Park, and the police sentenced him to spend his summer painting buildings and fences in the park. Another of my brother’s friends vomited on a police officer’s shoes after the car he was riding in was pulled over.

My sophomore year in college I went to a kegger in the woods that the police discovered. A guy from school helped me escape, but I tore my shorts climbing fences and lost part of one shoe in a plowed field. I also missed curfew and was “campused” for a week. And the school sent a letter to my parents.

What’s the story behind this book? How did it evolve?

The idea for A&L Do Summer came from a friend who told me about an article she read in a local newspaper. Several high school kids were suspended for smuggling a pig into the principal’s office. That article triggered my memories of the kind of high school incidents we’d all rather forget. As the idea evolved I picked my brother’s brain for the funniest and most embarrassing moments he could remember. After I created Aspen — a small-town Iowa girl with an older brother — the rest of the story quickly fell into place.

There’s been a lot of focus in the media about bullying. Your story features some high school boys who bully Aspen and Laurel. What do you hope readers will take away from that story line?

Although I didn’t write the story with a bullying message in mind, the girls would have avoided most of their trouble if they’d told their parents or Officer Sierra that they were being bullied. I would advise teens to stand up to bullies if possible. But if that strategy doesn’t discourage them, tell a person in authority. If the first person you ask for help isn’t effective, ask someone else. Whatever you do, don’t suffer in silence.

What advice would you give teens looking to have an awesome summer?

Get out of the house and away from the computer and television. You can do that stuff anytime. Dive into volunteer activities, spend time with your friends, and enjoy the gorgeous summer weather. Sit in the shade and read a book, walk the dog, drink fresh lemonade. Summer disappears before you know it, so appreciate it before it’s gone.

And, finally, what other projects are you working on?

I just finished the first draft of a young adult paranormal novel about two teens — one from the present and the other from 3,000 years ago. They must work together to complete a mission or risk the destruction of both worlds.

Thanks, Jan! It was great having you visit.

Jan has written another young adult novel called Fairest of Them All (MTV, 2009). It tells the story of Oribella Bettencourt, an up-and-coming model, dancer and actress who suffers from alopecia and loses her hair, and possibly, her career.

If you’d like to learn more about Jan, visit her website.

You also can read an interview with Jan at Mike’s Blog and Notes and another review of A&L Do Summer at The Book Swarm.

Today, author and illustrator Janeen Mason joins Read, Write, Repeat.

And our converstion covers a wide range of topics from her recent books to the projects she’s working on now and how her youthful fascination with girdles helped her discover her talent as an artist.

Janeen has written and illustrated several books, including:

• Gift of the Magpie (Pelican Publishing, 2011)
• Ocean Commotion: Life on the Reef (Pelican Publishing, 2010)
• Ocean Commotion: Sea Turtles (Pelican Publishing, 2006)

She’s also illustrated books by other authors, including several with Jan Day.

Now, on to Janeen!

You’re a wonderful artist, who also writes. How did you make the transition from illustrating to writing and illustrating?
It has always been easier for me to tell a story with pictures. I COULD write, but it felt a lot like algebra … you know? Work … work … work … work … The stories I’d written and sent around didn’t sell – so it was just easier to concentrate on illustrating, my first love anyway.

 I’d finished the art for my seventh book when a group of philanthropic women formed in Stuart, my little town on the east coast of south Florida. Each decided to donate a certain amount of money annually to create a pool of funds they could use to support art in our community. So, I wrote for a grant from Women Supporting the Arts, and I was among the recipients in their first granting cycle.

 South Florida is one of two places in the world where loggerhead sea turtles nest, and the story of their migration is simply astonishing. I believe kids think nothing important ever happens in their own backyards. I wanted our kids to know how unique in the entire world our sea turtle nesting beaches are – how impossible the journey of the female loggerheads who crawl out of the ocean to dig their nests under the sand on the very beaches where we play every day.

But I had to write the story. And I needed the comfort of freedom from overhead to do so. It was an enormous honor to have Women Supporting the Arts believe in me enough to fund my living expenses while I wrote the book.

It’s powerful when someone believes in you. I met the scientists, I did the research, I wrote the book. My critique group helped me polish it up, and by that time in my career I had relationships with a couple publishers where the editors knew my name and were willing to consider my material. I sold it!

When it was time to make the art my paintbrushes practically rattled every morning when I walked into my studio. The illustrations were calling, “Paint me today! I need blue! Right here, right here! Dab a little yellow!”

Ocean Commotion: Sea Turtles!was hatched, and I was hooked. I’m willing to do the algebra, the work … work …work …work … work … to write the
manuscript, because I’ve discovered one of life’s greatest luxuries is to paint
the artwork for a book I’ve written. Ahhhh.

Many of your books have ocean themes. What are your favorite things to draw?
Well … I love color. Always have. When I looked underwater at a living coral reef for the first time I was about 13 years old. It changed the direction of my
life. To see such a dazzling display of brilliant color, and to swim over this
neighborhood populated by astonishing and unlikely creatures … each one
perfect and perfectly unaware of our human civilization just above, I was
fascinated.

I fell in love with the life in the sea and knew then that by studying it I could learn the use of color. I’ve never looked back. Saltwater flows in my veins.

Which picture books or illustrators have influenced you most?
This is such a good question because I’m helpless in the children’s department of the bookstore. I’ve developed a pretty substantial collection of picture books over the years, and I’d be hard pressed to name my favorite illustrators.

The list is ever changing. Here are some that I’m perpetually crazy about:

Henry Cole, Floyd Cooper, Betsy Lewin, Ted Lewin, David Shannon, Mark Teague, David Diaz, Maurice Sendak, Anik McGrory, James Dean, Mark Buehner, Carter Goodrich, Mini Grey, Jerry Pinkney, Judy Schachner, Erin Stead and Peter Brown, and I’m sure I’ve left off names of others I’ll feelbad about tomorrow.

When did you first realize you could draw and that you liked it?
Oh, I’ve always, always, always been attracted to a new box of crayons! Ahhh! The smell! The colors! The possibilities! Then when I went to kindergarten I got in serious trouble for drawing on the floor with a fat red crayon when we were supposed to be napping after lunch.

I was just trying to figure out what the teacher had going on under her dress – such an odd contraption, I could see when she passed by and I looked up. I’d never seen a girdle before. Fascinating.

Boy, did that sketch cause some commotion. Later, after I’d scrubbed the wax off the wood floor and the proverbial dust had settled, I handed in a drawing of my mom waiting at a bus stop (I don’t know why the bus stop … Mom had a car.) But my drawing was clearly my mom – everyone else drew their mothers with huge heads shaped like a piece of toast and little tiny bodies. I couldn’t see the sense in that.

Perhaps for that reason alone, a proportionate head, my career was launched at such a tender age.

What have you learned about illustrating books as your career has progressed? What advice would you give someone just starting out?
To someone just starting out I would say “pace yourself.” The nature of this business is fraught with disappointment. It is a tricky field. Know your client – the young reader who is going to stare at your work open mouthed in rapt attention.

Children’s picture books are a primary source of inspiration which have enormous consequence in our culture. They provide the introduction to a lifetime of creative imagination and appreciation for the arts. This is powerful juju in a landscape of ever-accelerating technology. It can be tough to navigate the world of laying your heart and your talent on the line for the
business people in publishing to march across on their way to the bottom line.

Do your best artwork, remember the children you may never meet but whom you may influence in ways that cannot be quantified, and be gentle with yourself when the accountants and attorneys and editors stare at you with one eyebrow raised. To prosper they need the creative visionaries, but it can be hard to be the one who has to have one foot in each world.

What are you working on now?
I’ve been on a really busy schedule lately. I just finished serving four years on the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. (You know how tough state budgets have been on the arts! If you’ve got money in your state budget for the arts, I guarantee someone has been actively advocating with your legislators, and that’s the job of members of State Arts Councils). Florida’s Secretary of State appointed me two weeks ago to serve now on a board of Citizens for Florida Arts.

It’s more work, but I can’t think of a cause more important to me. Sir Ken Robinson said it best, I think: “Creativity is as important as literacy, and must be nurtured.” Legislators tend to treat the arts like they are only for the elite. It takes time to teach them that, “NO! THE ARTS ARE FUNDAMENTAL.” I live my life in columns, its eems. That is one important column.

In my career column, which is also important, I’ve been promoting my newest books. Last fall, Ocean Commotion: Life on the Reef came out, then in January Gift of the Magpie was released. (Hooray, it got rave reviews from Kirkus!) In March I finished the artwork for a 48-page nonfiction picture book
written by the curator of fish at the National Museum of Scotland. It’s titled Fish Facts and is due for a fall 2011 release.

Then I took a short breath for another important column. (One daughter is getting married in the fall and our son and his wife just had their first child, a baby boy. I’m also involved in the lives of our other five grandchildren, whom I adore.)

And now back to column number two, I’ve just sent off a manuscript for my mentor, Joyce Sweeney, to read, before it goes to my editor – this is the third in my Ocean Commotion series, titled Ocean Commotion: Caught in the Currents!

While waiting for Caught in the Currents to come back, I’m finishing up a spectacular room divider for a patron of mine. It measures 6 feet, 8 inches tall and 7 feet wide. I’m using Japanese paints and gold leaf on wood laminate. My husband is a master cabinetmaker, and he created the most magnificent, manly frame for it. The paint has dried, and I’ve got to get back to work on it right now, actually!

Thanks, Pat, for asking me out to play with you on your blog. It’s been a pleasure.

To learn more about Janeen’s artwork and stories, visit her website.

You also can read this interview that Elizabeth O. Dulemba conducted with Janeen on her blog.

I have to be honest.

Before I saw the brightly colored picture book Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix at my local library, I knew very little about Jimi Hendrix.

If pressed, I might have said that he had lots of hair, wore bright colors and performed during the 1970s.

But now, thanks to author Gary Golio and illustrator Javaka Steptoe, I know a lot more. And learning it was a delightful experience.

The book, published by Clarion in 2010, focuses on Jimi’s love for sounds at an early age and how he heard music that others missed. Whether he was listening to rain falling on a roof or a truck backfiring, Jimi heard a song. And after he got his first $5 guitar, he spent all his free time playing those songs so others could hear them too. (And, of course, I recognized several of his songs once I saw the titles.)

What originally made me pick up the book were the beautiful illustrations. Javaka Steptoe made them by swirling vivid paints on recycled plywood from Seattle, Jimi’s hometown. The artwork is bold, captivating and — I have to say it — psychedelic.

Once I started reading, I was equally caught up in the beautiful language. The story itself was lovely and lyrical, and the thorough backmatter fills in the rest of Jimi’s life, including a discography and details of his drug-related death at age 27.

And now, I’m even smarter because Gary Golio has stopped by Read, Write, Repeat to talk about this beautiful book.

How did you get the idea to write a picture book about Jimi Hendrix?

I started reading about Hendrix back in 2002 (I love to play electric blues on the guitar), and was struck by what were—to me, at least—the surprising details of his childhood. There was a lot of tenderness and beauty amidst the poverty and tough times, and Jimi’s devotion to his craft, very early on, was inspiring. So I thought I’d share that sense of surprise with readers, and hopefully create a meld of words and images that Jimi himself could be proud of. With Javaka’s help, I think we did a pretty good job.

What type of research did you do? What was the most surprising thing you learned?

I did a lot of reading—adult bios of Jimi, old articles and interviews from the 60’s, extensive web-tributes—and immersed myself in recordings (CDs, old vinyl, archived and bootleg cuts) as well as movies of Jimi and his performances (thanks, YouTube!). And it was much more a spiraling kind of process than a linear one, going back to things I’d missed, re-reading and re-listening, and searching out clues to the young Jimi wherever I could. Good research is an adventure story in itself!

Did you listen to Jimi Hendrix music while you wrote the book? What songs especially inspired you?

I especially love to listen to Hendrix songs that are unusual and atypical—things like 1983 – A Merman I Should Turn to Be, One Rainy Wish, alternative takes on classics like Hey Joe or The Wind Cries Mary, and studio outtakes that reveal Jimi’s creative process. The last album he made while alive—Electric Ladyland—in particular, is mind-expanding to me, and if that’s not a 60s-style compliment, I don’t know what is!

You have other music-related picture books coming out soon. Did you plan these as a series or did they evolve separately?

When Bob Met Woody (Little, Brown), a story of the young Bob Dylan and his early meeting with mentor Woody Guthrie, is coming out in May. And in Fall ’12, my middle-grade, 48-page picture book on John Coltrane, Spirit Seeker (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), is due out, as well. It just kind of worked out this way, with JIMI and BOB being my first two literary children. But in between those and the Coltrane book, I wrote others on Pablo Picasso and Henri Rousseau —books that reflect my other life as a visual artist—which I’m still trying to sell. So from a certain promotional point-of-view, the first three books being about musicians is probably good, though I’ve got many interests and lots of ideas for other subjects.

I’ve heard you play instruments when you speak at schools. What kind of a musician are you?

I’m in love with the electric guitar, and most enjoy playing blues or classic rock with a slight jazz tinge. For some of my booksignings and planned school visits, I use the Fender Stratocaster (Jimi’s signature guitar) to present a musical story of the young Jimi Hendrix, which complements the book with snippets of songs that influenced the young guitarmaster (B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley), and “sound effects” that mimic, à la Jimi, what he heard while living in Seattle (raindrops, train whistles, airplane engines up in the clouds, people talking out on the street, etc.). It’s a lot of fun for me, and beats just reading the book out loud. As for the Dylan book, I’ll switch over to acoustic guitar since it’s about his early folk period.

You’re also an artist. Was it hard turning the illustrations for the
book over to another artist? What was your first reaction when you saw the illustrations?

Interesting that you ask, because I’ve wanted to illustrate a book for several years. In fact, right now I’m doing just that, with a picture book text I’ve written about Charlie Chaplin. But as for Javaka’s amazing images—when I saw them the first time, I was speechless. (And that’s saying a lot for me, as my wife will attest!) Javaka did something visually which I never would have imagined, even while creating bold and multi-layered illustrations that go hand-in-hand with Jimi’s music. And I only see more things when I look over the spreads—there are subtle and somewhat hidden images in there, and for me it’s like a treasure hunt. It’s amazing what can be done with recycled plywood in the right hands.

What other projects do you have in the works?

There are some other fabulous subjects that I’m looking at right now. I’m forever interested in writing about the lives of artists, no matter what medium they work in.

Thanks, Gary!

This book has gotten a lot of buzz. Earlier today it was named to the Kirkus Best Children’s Books of the Year 2010 list. And there have been some wonderful reviews of it, including this one by author Mitali Perkins. It looks at Jimi’s multicultural approach to live and music.

If you’d like to learn more about Gary and his many interests, visit his website.

If you’d like to learn more about Javaka and other books he’s illustrated, visit his website.

And, finally, if you’d like to look at the biography of another rock legend for older readers, check out this interview with Ann Angel, author of Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing.

Wendy Delsol’s debut young-adult novel combines big-city glamor and small-town charm with with a twist of the fantastic.

STORK (Candlewick, 2010) finds Katla moving from fashion-conscious Los Angeles to her mother’s Minnesota hometown where it’s hard to even find a Starbucks.

As Katla adapts to her new surroundings, she learns some unexpected truths about her family, her abilities and her past that guarantee her future will be different than anything she’s previously envisioned.

Wendy joins Read, Write, Repeat to discuss the inspiration for her book.

I read this book was inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s THE SNOW QUEEN Tell us a little about how your story idea evolved over time.
Evolution is a great way to describe the writing process. The spark for the book began with an “Unsolved Mysteries” TV show from years ago. In the episode, a very young boy claimed to have memories of flying around pre-birth and choosing his mother. The story haunted me.

When spinning ideas for a YA novel, I combined that image with the symbolism of storks and childbirth and created my Stork Society, a clandestine organization of women who have the supernatural gift of pairing the undecided of hovering souls with the right mother.

At the time, I was a recent transplant from Los Angeles to Iowa, so I was in the right frame of mind for a new-kid-in-town perspective. I chose Northern Minnesota as the book’s setting because I wanted my protagonist Katla to be thrown into a climate that was as close to a polar-opposite of L.A. as possible.

Knowing that Minnesota has pockets of Scandinavian communities, I invented an Icelandic heritage (and fictional town) for Katla. When conjuring Iceland in my head, idyllic images from an old TV special of Hans Christian Andersen’s THE SNOW QUEEN kept coming to mind. Somewhere along the way, Norse mythology tumbled into the mix and I knew I had more than one book in my hands — head, rather.

What research did you do into the folklore that is at the heart of the book? What were some of the interesting things you learned along the way.
I read Andersen’s THE SNOW QUEEN, of course. I’ve also researched the nine-world cosmology of Norse mythology and even read some of the Icelandic sagas. Long before writing this book, I had a strange fascination with Iceland. It has an intriguing and enduring connection with its folklore and an individualist spirit.

One of the more interesting things I learned was of modern-day Iceland’s belief in the huldufolk, which translates to hidden people and are believed to be elves or fairies. Current-day building projects are sometimes delayed or altered to prevent damage to the huldufolk’s domain. And now you have a little insight into how I decided upon the name of Hulda for the very wise and mysterious leader of my Stork Society.

What excites you most about this book?
Clearly, I’m a sucker for stories about the unknown. The idea of angels and ghosts fascinates me. And deep down I am a believer in fate or destiny, a concept this book explores.

What’s the story behind the sale of this book and its sequel?
STORK was the fourth novel I wrote (two of which will never see print; the third I’ll discuss below). Once I’d completed a rough plotting of the book and had begun the actual day-to-day writing, I was fueled by the story. I began in October of 2008 and, despite an injury to my right arm that had me hunting and pecking with my left, had a first draft in February. I sent an e-query to my agent, Jamie Brenner of Artists and Artisans, on a Tuesday. She asked for a full the same day. Over the next two days, she requested an exclusive read and e-mailed me twice with very positive comments. She signed me that Friday. After years of the slow-mo process of agent hunting, it was positively thrilling.

Jamie helped me shape and polish the manuscript, and Candlewick bought it in a pre-empt in May. FROST, STORK’s sequel, was written during the winters of 2009 and 2010 and purchased, again by Candlewick, in the spring of this year (2010).

You’ve also written for adults. Does your writing process and approach differ depending on your audience?
My third book written and second book sold is an adult novel entitled THE McCLOUD HOME FOR WAYWARD GIRLS. It will be published by Penguin in August of 2011. It is the story of three generations of women who run an inn out of a former home for pregnant teens. While not gratuitous, there are mature themes tackled in the book. As both an adult reader and writer, I am drawn to family sagas and multi-generational tales. There’s nothing like family and scandal and long-held secrets!

As to process, I tend to write third person from multiple points of view in my adult stories. For YA, I’ve found that a single first person voice best suits the genre.

Stork was listed under the “Debuts to Watch” section of the 2010 BEA. What was that like?
Of course, it was very exciting. You write what you think and hope will keep a reader turning the page, but you never really know. This mention affirmed that the concept was fresh and note-worthy.

As a debut YA author, what are your hopes for this book?
I hope that girls (and women) who enjoy lighter fare in the paranormal genre will connect with this book. Naturally, I appreciate all good reviews. Still, I have to say those that have come from the under-sixteen crowd have particularly pleased me. It was, after all, written with them in mind.

And, finally, you’ve lived in a lot of different places. What’s been your favorite spot to write?
It probably says a lot about me in general, but I’m a home-body writer. I don’t do well in coffee shops or libraries or any public place. Too many distractions. Along those lines, I prefer a quiet environment. No music, no radio, no background TV. So as long as I’m at home, wherever home may be, I can write. I don’t need views or vistas or ocean breezes, just a comfy spot and a computer or pen and paper. Well, that and a good angel story or ghost sighting or family scandal to get the what-ifs spinning.

Thanks, Wendy!

Want to learn more about Wendy and her writing?

You can check out this interview by Sarah Mullen Gilbert.

Or, you can read these reviews of STORK:

• Abby the Librarian.
• Pure Imagination.
• Dreaming in Books.

And last but not least, remember to visit Wendy’s website.

Stuart Stotts is a man of many talents. He sings and writes his own music. He advocates for early childhood education and literacy. He’s also a sought-after speaker.

And, in his spare time, he writes books. His latest is We Shall Overcome: The Song That Changed the World (Clarion Books, 2010).

This beautiful nonfiction work explains the origins of the famous civil rights protest song and explores the influence it had on other important battles — like the labor and antiwar movements — as well. It’s full of great stories and wonderful photographs. It even includes a CD of the song as performed by Pete Seeger.

Stuart Stotts joins Read, Write, Repeat today to share his inspiration for this book.

What inspired you to write a book about the song “We Shall Overcome?”
Because I’m a musician, I’ve sung the song for years. I realized I couldn’t think of another song that had had such an impact on changing the world. And at the same time, I realized that a lot of kids didn’t know the song at all.

I thought that they could learn about the song, and more about the civil rights movement in general, because singing was such an important part of that movement. 

When did you first hear the song?
I first heard the song when I was very young. My father was involved in the civil rights movement, and I remember hearing it at rallies. I didn’t understand what it meant at the time. I have learned little pieces about the song’s history since then, but I really began to focus on it about four years ago, when I began to work on the book.

I originally thought I’d write a book about people’s experiences with the song during the civil rights movement, but one thing I learned is how far around the world the song has spread.

You share a story in the book about your father’s experience with the song when he was a civil rights champion. What other experiences did he encounter?
He marched in the famous Selma march with Dr. King. He also lost his job as a chaplain at the University of Tulsa because he invited a black man to come and speak with students.

He did lots of smaller things, too. The civil rights movement wasn’t just about large events; many many people did things close to home that never got much recognition but which were still important.

What was this book’s path to publication?
I was very lucky. The first publisher I sent it to, Clarion, was interested and took it. We spent nearly two years editing it, and getting all the images right for it. The editing was slow, but in the end I know it made the book better.

What’s the one message you hope readers will take away from this book?
I hope that readers will think about how music is not just about fun and feeling good, but how it can also help people feel stronger when they face trouble or opposition. 

I’d also love it if readers of this book asked people in their lives, like their grandparents, what they remember about the civil rights movement. There are still lots of people who have memories of that time, even if they weren’t directly involved.

You’re a singer and a writer and you describe yourself as an educational troubadour. What does that mean?
I sing and tell stories in schools a lot, and I do a lot of training for teachers about literacy, writing and music. Even if the topics sound serious, it’s important to me to keep music in my work, because it helps people feel good and have fun while they are learning.

What are you working on now?
One of my next books is a Wisconsin Historical Society Badger Biography about Father Groppi, who was a civil rights leader in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the late 1960s. My interest in that time continues.

If you’d like to learn more about Stuart, his books and CDs or his performances, visit his website.

For more information on this book, check out these online reviews:

• The Washington Post.
• Kiss The Book.
• One Librarian’s Reviews.

Rock-and-roller Janis Joplin died at age 27. But her legacy lives on in song.

Now, Janis’s music and life will be shared with future generations of music lovers thanks to Wisconsin writer Ann Angel’s new release, Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing (Amulet, 2010)

The book was listed as a big book of the show at Book Expo America by Publishers Weekly. It’s also being considered by judges for nomination for the Los Angeles Book Prize in the young adult category and the YALSA young adult nonfiction award.

Ann joins Read, Write, Repeat today to tell us how her book came to be.

What inspired you to write a book about Janis Joplin?
When I was a teen, I was amazed by the power of Janis’s voice and would listen to her for hours and hours. She seemed a lone woman in a successful field of men. Because of her influence, I’ve tried to live a life without compromise. I’ve avoided being a follower and I became a writer because I chose to follow my passion just as she did. In the same way, Janis’s death was my cautionary tale. So I avoided the drug scene because of her.

What research process did you follow as you worked on the book. What was the hardest information to find?
I read everything I could find on Janis. Then I contacted people she knew. At first I think most thought I was a bit of a flake trying to write a book about a celebrity. But I kept contacting them until they responded.

I talked to Janis’s sister and to bandmates and then I talked to her publicist and good friend Myra Friedman who has become my own friend. She told me stories of what it was like to be a woman in a male-dominated field, and she told me what it was like to witness Janis’s greatest moments as well as her moments of despair.

The hardest information to find may have been finding new photos that would appeal to readers. But I think the hardest thing in writing this was to work with people who felt a bit distrustful of me as an outsider.

What was the most surprising thing you learned about Janis?
Janis was a smart and strong businesswoman who created her own company, Fantality.

What’s your favorite Janis Joplin song?
I have a few favorites for different moods. I love “Cry Baby” when I’m feeling just a bit bratty. I cry to “Little Girl Blue” and I get a kick out of “Mercedes Benz”. While I listen to “Me and Bobby McGee” a lot, I think “Summertime” is the one song that captures her amazing voice and all the passion of her world.

I hear you have an event celebrating the launch of your book and the 40th anniversary of Janis Joplin’s life and legacy.
The book will be officially released Oct. 4, but everyone is invited to a book launch and night of karaoke Sept. 29. The event starts at 7 p.m. at The Little Read Book, 7603 W. State St., Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. At 8 p.m., the festivities move down the street to the Del Monte Bar, which is in The Chancery.  

If you’re attending the event and would like to pre-order the book, call The Little Read Book at (414) 774-2665.

Ann teaches writing at Mount Mary College in Miwaukee, Wisconsin. She’s also written several other books including:

• Such a Pretty Face, Short Stories about Beauty (Abrams/Amulet 2007)
• Robert Cormier, Writer of The Chocolate War (Enslow 2008)
• Amy Tan, Weaver of Asian-American Tales (Enslow 2009)

If you’d like to learn more, visit Ann’s website.

I’ve never met Boni Ashburn, but she seems like a lot of fun.

Her first two picture books are wry take-offs on popular songs.

One has a mama dragon offering princesses and other humans to her hungry but finicky baby, while the other has the dragons spying on the castle while they wait for their part in a grand celebration. 

Today, she joins Read, Write, Repeat to talk about her career as a children’s book author.

What initially got you interested in writing for children?
Like a lot of children’s authors, I found inspiration in reading to my kids. I read some picture books that were good, some that were not-so-good, and some that made me think, “I wish I’d written that!” So I sat down to try writing one. After the first one (a bad one, mind you), I was hooked.

What was the inspiration for Hush Little Dragon, your first picture book? How about your second, Over at the Castle? 
I love song parodies and retold fairy tales, and I was toying with doing a version of “Hush, Little Baby” because it was my twins’ favorite lullaby.

I played around with different animals and wondered what their mothers would bring them. When I realized a mama dragon might bring a tasty princess for her baby to eat, and I laughed out loud, I knew I had my book!

For Over At The Castle, I wanted to do a version of the song “Over In The Meadow” that featured humans, since most versions at the time focused on animal habitats. A castle and all the people in it seemed like a great concept to explore — and a way to bring back the dragons!

How are your upcoming picture books different than your first two?
Well, no more dragons — at least for now.  

I have a construction-themed Mother Goose book (from Sterling) next year called Builder Goose: It’s Construction Rhyme Time! And then, I have a more girly book coming out with Abrams that is called I Had A Favorite Dress which, while inspired by “Joseph Had An Overcoat,” is a much looser retelling than my other books.

I’ve also recently sold two more, one to Beach Lane Books and another to Abrams, both hopefully to be published in 2012, that are still under wraps for now. One doesn’t even have a title yet!

You recently blogged that you were reading 1,000 chapter books to make sure you understood the genre before writing your own. How far along are you?
I read that advice on Linda Sue Park’s website, and it made good sense to me. I’ve probably only read a hundred so far, so I have a ways to go, but I’m learning how to structure a chapter book (I’m kind of a structure freak, really) and how to just write “more.”

It seems like a simple thing, writing more words, but to a picture-book writer whose main focus is always “make every word count,” it can be hard to do the opposite. Description is often unnecessary in a picture book. If done right, it should be taken care of by the illustrations, so it’s really a different kind of writing altogether.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were starting out?
Easy answer to this one — patience! No matter how much you think you’ll need for this business, it’s not nearly enough. You need more.

What does it take for a picture book to work for you?
I love a picture book with a great concept, and perfect structure, and a text that lets the illustrations tell “the rest of the story.” One that utilizes cause-and-effect throughout the whole story leading to the perfect payoff ending. The ending for me is really key — it can’t be a let-down. It can be a total surprise, but it has to make sense and be a direct result of the events of the story.

I’m partial to humor, strong narration, fun language and unique perspectives of everyday, common experiences. I love unexpected twists that I wish I’d thought of, and books that respect kids and don’t talk down to them. Books that do that are the ones we can read again and again and always come away with something new.

Thanks for joining us Boni!

If you’d like to learn more about Boni, you can do any or all of these things:

Visit her online. Her website has a ton of great information about getting started as a childen’s writer.

Check out her blog. Life on the Bookshelf has wonderful book recommendations.

Read some other interviews. I especially recommend Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast and Jumping the Candlestick.

Picture book writer extraordinaire Tammi Sauer has a new offering.

It’s Mostly Monsterly (Paula Wiseman Books, 2010) and it introduces Bernadette, a monster who’s just a little too sweet to comfortably fit in at school.

The book is — at turns —  funny, sad, sweet and gross.  And it has charming illustrations from Scott Magoon.

Tammi joins Read, Write Repeat today to tell us more about the book.

What inspired you to write this story? Or, what’s the story behind this story?
In 2006, I attended an SCBWI Conference in Florida. I was paired with an editor from Simon & Schuster for my manuscript consultation. The editor loved my picture book (which, by the way, was Chicken Dance), but she had to eventually pass because a different S&S imprint was publishing a picture book with a similar setting that fall.

The editor told me she still wanted to work with me, liked my writing, liked my humor … and one day she approached me about a topic she was after. She wanted a funny, young Valentine’s Day story about friendship. So I thought and thought and brainstormed and brainstormed. I went to the library and read tons of Valentine’s Day books.

I knew that if I wrote a Valentine’s Day book, it wasn’t going to be a cutesy one about kittens or puppies or mice. I wanted my story to be different, so I thought as un-cutesy as possible. And came up with Bernadette. Bernadette is an ordinary monster on the outside, but, underneath her fangs and fur, she has a deep, dark secret. She has a sweet side.

Shortly after I got the offer, the editor decided it would be nice if we could sell the book year round. Ha! So I tweaked out the Valentine’s Day references and the book that was called Yucky Valentines got itself a new title: Mostly Monsterly.

Bernadette wins a gold star for causing mayhem. What’s the worst mayhem you’ve ever caused?
Me? Cause mayhem?

Well, I did give librarians everywhere their own line dance. I call it “The Librarian.”

You can watch it here.

When you’re not eating monster snacks like bug parts, fried snail goo or fish heads dipped in hot sauce, what’s your favorite treat?
I am gah-gah over fries topped with bacon, cheese, and green onions, served with a side of ranch and an icy cold Dr. Pepper. Bliss!

Are you worried you might receive fan mail from your young readers that’s similar to the cards Bernadette gives her classmates?
I think I would LOVE to get a Bernadette-esque card. Unless there was a scab in it. I draw the line at scabs.

Describe your reaction to Scott Magoon’s illustrations in six words or less.
The. Perfect. Match.

My daughter, Sonia, would like to know where Bernadette’s parents are and what they think of her anti-monster tendencies.
Bernadette’s parents are usually causing advanced monster mayhem in undisclosed locations. If your bedroom is a total mess and you can’t figure out how that happened, you can probably blame them!

At first, Bernadette’s parents were pretty grossed out about their daughter’s sweet side, but they realized that no one is perfect. They love getting cards from Bernadette—especially if they are filled with slobber and the occasional blob of earwax.

Finally, what else are you working on?
I am working on a Top Secret Project.

Thanks so much for having me, Pat!

So lurch out to your favorite bookstore and pick up a copy of Mostly Monsterly today. But try not to cause any mayhem on your trip.

If you’d like to learn more about Tammi, visit her website.

If you’d like to learn more about Scott, visit his website.

Oh, and here’s another really cool look at Mostly Monsterly. Blogger Jama Rattigan even created some monsterly treats inspired by the book.