Interview With Vanessa Barger Author of Super Freak

Hello, hello, hello! Thanks for stopping by. Today, we are joined by Vanessa Barger, author of Super Freak, a Middle Grade fantasy novel that has recently released. Here's a little tidbit about the book...

Super Freak by Vanessa Barger
Publication Date:  October 13, 2015
Publisher:  Tantrum Books
Genre:  MG, Fantasy

Thirteen-year-old Caroline is a freak. Her parents have uprooted her to a town full of Supernaturals.
You’d think she’d be thrilled. But, with someone without a magical bone in her body, this daughter of tree sprites feels like even more of an outcast than she has ever before.
To make matters worse, her new home is cursed. But when Caroline takes to investigating the mysterious and strange happenings of Harridan House, her BFF goes missing. Seems someone doesn’t want Caroline sticking her non-magical nose where it most certainly does not belong. Determined to prove herself, Caroline uncovers a plot to destroy her new hometown.

Undeterred, Caroline can’t give up. But what’s a human without magical powers to do? Caroline better figure it out fast, before she loses everything she has ever loved and the whispers she’s heard all her life prove true: Caroline is a useless superfreak.

           

               

Hi, Vanessa! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello! Thanks for interviewing me! I guess first thing, I’m an MG and YA writer, and I also teach high school students. I love to travel, to bake (it’s a problem), and do crafty things. I’m married to a fabulous man, and we live with our Overlord, a cat named Molly, in Newport News, Virginia.

Tell our readers a bit about SUPER FREAK.

SUPER FREAK is about Caroline Bennings, who is the only person in the world who doesn’t have any type of supernatural ability. Her parents are dryads, but she is just normal. She loves puzzles and mysteries, and when they move to a new town, she gets a whopper of a mystery placed right in her lap. Her house is supposed to be cursed, which just seems silly at first. But then she finds letters hidden in the house, and when they get too deep into the story, her new best friend disappears. It’s up to Caroline to figure out what’s happened, or live with the fact that she really is normal and a total useless super freak.

Sounds amazing! How did the idea of the story come to you?

I was in a bookstore, looking for a new book and I had the thought that so many of them are a person with supernatural powers in the normal world. And then I thought, what about a story where the main character is normal, in a world where everyone is supernatural. What would be her “special Ability” then? And then I came up with the fact that she loved puzzles and mysteries, and it snowballed from there.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Sadly, I have to give my punster badge back now. I used to say I was a little of both, but this novel marked the end of my pantser ways. Writing a mystery required me to outline to make sure certain things happened in certain places. I am now a plotter. Mostly. I still get sidetracked, though.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part is a tie between the ending and making the time to write. I always end the book and mess with those last few pages and lines FOREVER. The only book I have liked the last lines of is one I have never finished yet (but I wrote the last three lines when I got about halfway through)!

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Tea. A lot of tea. And some kind of snack is always good too. Usually cookies or something else I shouldn’t be eating.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Psychic. Definitely.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Weirdest thing? Probably how to start a fire with just a battery and some wire. At least, recently that’s the weirdest!

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... Baking.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

First, to all the readers, because without you, I wouldn’t be able to be published at all. THANK YOU for reading and loving my books! To my husband, Randy, who is amazing and puts up with so much from me. To my BFF, Sammi, who is fabulous and my self-appointed PR consultant. My parents and grandmother, who are always willing to be my cheering section and help me out. My publisher and publicist there at Tantrum Books. I’m sure I’m forgetting people, but I think that covers it.
And, of course, thank you to lovely bloggers such as yourself!!!!

Thanks for stopping by the blog!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer’s Club, and the Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be found baking when she should be editing.

                 

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5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Was Published, by Charles Curtis

We are so excited to have Charles Curtis here with us today discussing five things he wished he knew before he was published! Charles is the author of the Middle Grade Paranormal novel, Strange Country Day. But first, a tidbit about the book!

Strange Country Day
Publication date: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Charles Curtis



Alexander Graham Ptuiac, the son of an inventor, wants to play for the school’s football team. During tryouts, and under the watchful eye of the team’s coach, he suddenly manifests mysterious superhuman powers. Alexander makes the team, but not before the some ill-intended adults take notice, putting his life in danger.

Alex struggles to suppress and control his strange new abilities, worried about exposing his secret and being kicked off the football team. Then he befriends Dex, a diminutive classmate who can somehow jump as high as ten feet in the air. Seems Alex isn’t the only one at school with a secret.
As the school year unfolds, Alex will find himself the target of bullies, holding hands with his first crush and discovering the shocking truth about himself and his parents.

          

                  

5 Things I Wish I Knew About Publishing Before I was Published

By: Charles Curtis

 1) Releasing your book to the public is like sending your kid to kindergarten the first time. I wrote a little bit about this on Father’s Day. Book Con was my first-ever signing and the first time I got to physically hold my book, the result of years of work and multiple rounds of editing. And when I sold a few copies, I felt a ball of icy nervousness in my stomach. I thought, “I’m sending my ‘child’ into the world.” I never thought about that until the moment the doors opened up at Book Con.

2) I’m not just an author. I’m now a marketing manager and a member of the sales force. Another thing that hit me at Book Con: Authors are no longer just the writers of their works. The pressure is on me to get the word out to the public through things like Twitter (@charlescurtis82, come say hi!) and to convince readers why they should sift through the thousands of titles available and pick mine. I have an awesome team behind me doing just that, but I have to be more active than I originally expected. Here’s my elevator pitch I’ve been honing: X-Men meets football when a couple of seventh graders suddenly find out they’ve got special powers they use on the field. Why do they have abilities? And who’s chasing them to answer that question? 

3) Writing the second novel in a series is much harder than producing the first. I’m experiencing this literally as you read it. I wrote the first “Strange Country Day” on spec over quite a few years with no deadline, no expectations and no pressure. All of that, of course, has changed. Added to that are the expectations of your readers and the complexity of a story filled with twists, increased drama and new characters.  

4) The “young adult” books I used to read are no longer what’s known as “young adult.” YA is now for an older crowd.  In its place is “middle grade.” I’m more familiar with the 21st century definition of YA (I’m a big fan of series like “The Fifth Wave”) and the more adult themes that come along with it, so I had to find the right voice and vocabulary for a younger audience, all while making sure I didn’t cross certain lines when it came to violence and the romantic lives of my characters. The other challenge? Not talking down to my audience at the same time. It’s a tricky balance. 

5) You’re writing and marketing as much for parents, teachers and librarians are you are for kids.  I hear what you’re thinking: “Hi there, Captain Obvious!” But when you write a middle grade novel, you think about what the kids want to read.  However, who buys books and vets them to make sure their kids will enjoy them? The answer is now more obvious to me and helped focus on my target audience going forward. I would love to see this book featured in a school book club – I can see students debating the morality of using special powers to win a football game in a sports world where performance enhancing drugs are a hot topic.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles Curtis is a writer and journalist based in New York City. He has reported and written for publications including NJ.com (where he is currently the site’s sports buzz reporter), The Daily, ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, Bleacher Report, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Charles has covered the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, golf, tennis and NASCAR. He has also written about television, film and pop culture.

In addition, Curtis has also written, produced and was featured in videos for ESPN.com and The Daily. He has made radio appearances on stations including 92.9 The Ticket in Bangor, Maine, WLIE 540 AM in Long Island and on morning shows across Canada via the CBC.

He can be reached on Twitter: @charlescurtis82.

            

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Interview with Donna Galanti

Who's up for some amazing MG fantasy? If you said 'me!", then I have a beauty for you! Donna Galanti, author of Joshua and the giant Check it out.


Joshua and the Lightning Road
Publication date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Donna Galanti


Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch
the orb.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.

To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.

In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.

          

     

INTERVIEW

Hi Donna! After meeting you in person this past Saturday (and picking up my own signed copy of this book), I'm honored to have you on We Do Write. Tell our readers a bit about JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper learns the hard way that lightning never strikes by chance when a bolt strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever. To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark world where stolen human kids are work slaves ruled by the frustrated heirs of the Greek Olympians who come to see Joshua as the hero prophesied to restore their lost powers. New friends come to Joshua’s aid and while battling beasts and bandits and fending off the Child Collector, Joshua’s mission quickly becomes more than a search for his friend—it becomes the battle of his life.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

Very fast! I had attended a writer’s meet up and learned about a class that started the next day to write a children’s book in nine months and said to myself “now wouldn’t that be a challenge?” Storms have always fascinated me and as a child I would sit on the screened-in porch to watch them. I remembered the movie War of the Worlds and how the aliens rode blasts of lightning and thought “wouldn’t it be cool to travel a lightning road to another place?” And Joshua and the Lightning Road was born.

That. Is. Awesome. Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Dare I say both? I first plot and create an outline to follow (I always know the end and sometimes write that first). But then the best part comes when I sit down to write and magic happens! Then I discover new characters and events that instinctively drive the story. Discovery is the wonder part of writing.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Writing that first draft! I actually love revision because it’s where I can peel back the layers of my first draft to make is shine.

Amen to that! What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Black chai tea and pumpkin muffins – and a window overlooking the woods. A hammock would be nice but then I would doze and read more than write.

What are you reading right now?

Yikes – I have three books on my nightstand I go back and forth from reading. Shiver by Maggie Stievater, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, and Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

To whisk myself away to anywhere in the world in a second. I would go back to England first and visit lots of castles! I lived there as a child (sadly not in a castle). 

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

Reading, biking a back road, or kayaking a Vermont creek in fall!

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

So many wonderful and supportive people helped get this book published. Kathryn Craft, my dear friend and first editor, who guided me in shaping this tale  – and who helped me shape myself as an author. My understanding husband Michael, the greatest provider of alone time there is! My first reader and cosmic sister, Lisa Green, who inspired me to find the power in the details. So many more moved this book along the road to publication including the dedicated staff of Month9Books, my literary agent, Bill Contardi, who took a chance on a new author, and my wonderful Weggie Writers group of gals who trudged alongside me as this book came to life. And to the person who began this book, the real Joshua Cooper Galanti. I wrote this for him. I hope he never grows too old for bedtime stories and always seeks just one more adventure.

Watch the Joshua and The Lightning Road book trailer!

or Link to show video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc1ngAmk0SI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Donna Galanti attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship. She’s lived in other exotic locations, including Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse, and dreams of returning one day to a castle. Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books) and blogs at Project Mayhem. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com or on Amazon.

Praise for Joshua and The Lightning Road:

 "Vividly imagined characters in a gripping action fantasy that never lets you go until the very last page." —Jenny Nimmo, New York Times bestselling author of the Charlie Bone series.

           

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Interview with Michael Gibney, author of The Three Thorns

We are pleased to be joined by Michael Gibney, author of The Three Thorns: The Brotherhood and the Sheild! Here's a little bit about this new MG fantasy!

THE THREE THORNS (THE BROTHERHOOD AND THE SHIELD #1)

Publication date: February 24, 2015

Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Michael Gibney

Three brothers born to a once powerful King were abandoned at birth and cast out into the old world as orphans - alone and unaware of the other's existence or their royal heritage.

In the new world, by order of the false King, three of the most lethal assassins are sent to kill the children before they come of age and avenge their father’s throne.

But when the brothers find one another, Benjamin, Tommy and Sebastian must resist the temptation of magic and power if they are to defeat the unspeakable evil that has threatened them since birth.

The Three Thorns is book one in an exciting children’s fantasy series called The Brotherhood and the Shield from debut author Michael Gibney.

         

               

Hi, Michael! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell our readers a bit about THE BROTHERHOOD AND THE SHEILD: THE THREE THORNS.

Three princes born to a powerful fallen King have been abandoned at birth and cast out into the old world known as “Earth.” By order of the current false King, three of the new world’s most lethal assassins have been unleashed to kill the orphans before they come of age to avenge their Father’s throne. Following the search, a lone protector is sent to retrieve the Brotherhood back to the new world. No one knows where the children are, and they have no knowledge of one another. But all is set to change when Benjamin, Tommy and Sebastian join together to face an unspeakable evil and the temptations of magical powers. The Three Thorns is book one in this exciting children’s fantasy series.

The Brotherhood and the Shield series is in the same category of such beloved children’s books as C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Without giving too much away, The Brotherhood and the Shield tells the story of a group of orphans growing up in a borstal home in London at the turn of the 20th Century. The series centers around three main characters - Benjamin Brannon, Sebastian Cain and Tommy Joel and their progression from childhood to adulthood.

In The Three Thorns, the orphans struggle to survive in tough upbringings before terrestrial forces call upon them for help from a world beyond their own, which offers answers to their past. They discover this new world called Abasin that has been overrun by a false king who has ruined most of what was good and magical about it and are landed with the burden to put things right due to a birthright each share.

The characters form a Brotherhood together and are helped by many of Abasin's last survivors, most of them magical creatures. Through their journey to rid the new world from evil, the Brotherhood meets friends and foes. Some set out to protect and train them into warriors, while others are on a mission to hunt them down and kill them.

Not all things are what they appear to be in the story of The Brotherhood and the Shield.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

The whole subject of abandonment narrowed this particular book for a younger audience, but as I got to book 3, The Lost Prince, it progressed into something else. It became both a children’s series of struggle and victory and an adult book of reflection and loss. Some of my main characters have been based on real people I have met. 

The less central characters I created myself. But I got the initial idea from a friend who lost his parents at a very young age and I felt like writing a book for people like him and using this sense of loss and abandonment but giving such characters superpowers to compensate for that loss, that maybe it would give some comfort to such readers. 

A lot of the second book deals with one particular character that I believe most readers will relate to. His initial character in The Three Thorns is that of a loveable heroic underdog but his character changes later in the story.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A bit of both. I don’t believe in making a story up as it comes to me because my nature is always to pre-plan and be cautious of decisions I make, both in writing and in life. I have a great deal of foresight, which I use my story and its structure and continuity, however when a great idea comes to me out of left field, I utilize it and incorporate into the story where best suited. I also do not believe in ignoring a potentially amazing concept just because it wasn’t planned. Sometimes the most genius ideas don’t come from us planning anything. I believe they’re given as a gift we sort of download from a higher source or frequency beyond ourselves.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Having the motivation as all writers but mostly when I’m writing, it flows naturally for me. I’m lucky. My biggest challenge is having the mental energy. Using so much brainpower and exercising a muscle like the brain can take its toll on the human body’s energy levels. So having no coffee is the hardest part of writing for me, personally.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Coffee or a strong cup of British tea and a selection of favorite classical film scores playing in the background to get me in the zone.

What are you reading right now?

Stephen King’s Carrie and Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

The gift of flight. I feel this superpower was best executed in the movie Chronicle. This is taken for granted with most comic book characters, but if you think about it, if one could fly in reality, it would be pretty incredible. I’ve always wanted to be able to fly. I think nothing would compare to such an experience, hence why I included it in The Brotherhood and the Shield sequels.  

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

The Paranormal. Both stories and testimonies.

  

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... writing in my head. 

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

The God of Jacob for giving me the opportunities and talents to create such a daring series as this. My Grandfather for passing down the gift of literature and the ability to write it. My parents who have supported me the most with my career in writing. My agents Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris of Liza Royce Agency, for believing in this book and pushing it all the way. Tina Sims for being the first person in the Literary industry who saw my potential as a writer and saw the vision in The Three Thorns novel. My editor Jennifer Rees for taking a chance on my debut novel and for doing an amazing job at editing it. My Publisher and everyone at Tantrum Books who have been working hard to promote and get The Three Thorns into the hands of every child and adult fan of the fantasy genre. And to my loyal friend, supporter and advocate, Film Composer, Music Producer and Songwriter, Van Dyke Parks.

ABOUT MICHAEL GIBNEY:

Michael Gibney began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen and assumed his first sous chef position at twenty-two. He ascended to executive sous chef at Tavern on the Green, where he managed an eighty-person staff. He has worked in the kitchens of Morgans Hotel Group, 10 Downing in Manhattan, and Governor in Brooklyn’s DUMBO, among many others. Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to work alongside cooks and chefs from many of the nation’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Bouley, Ducasse, Corton, wd~50, and Momofuku.

In addition to his experience in the food service industry, Gibney also holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

        

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