Shan L. Spyker's Blog, page 2

Review - Emma’s Insights

The Way of the River receives 5-stars from Emma’s Insights

“Shan L. Spyker is a promising fantasy writer. The little readers will very much appreciate her debut novel, The Way of the River. It contains a very creative story, well built with extraordinary characters and creatures that will steal every reader’s heart….The Way of the River: Kellandale Wood (Book One) by Shan L. Spyker will draw not only children but also readers of all ages into a magical land with heroic characters, fantastic creatures, unforgettable adventures, and terrifying evilness. This children’s fantasy book is well written and edited; thus, I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.”

Read the full review at Emma’s Insights.

Purchase The Way of the River in print and ebook editions via the Author Shop Bookshop.org IndieBound Barnes & Noble Amazon Waterstones and more.

Kellandale Inspired T’s Are Here!

Now in the Shop! Two Kellandale-inspired t-shirt designs! One is the classic “&” t-shirt, this one 9 of the central characters in the story, the other the Ole Warty tree logo designed by cover illustrator and artist Thomas Spyker. T-shirts are screen printed by hand (not machine!) by yours truly on my indie press. Get ‘em while you can as this batch is a limited run!

Check Out the Kellandale T-Shirt here

Books Under Fire - Banned Books Box and Fighting the Spreading Bans

   

Continuing on with the sentiment I expressed in a prior post (Into the (Grand) Canyon), I have been anxious to use this blog space to include information, resources, and topics of interest I come across in my quest find ways to get involved in the protection of the environment, animals, and of human rights of every kind.

Needless to say, I am very excited to expand upon that idea by welcoming Ariel Hakim, founder of Banned Books Box, to take part in what is the very first interview for this blog.

As so many of us are, I’ve been reading the news and following the recent, worrisome rise in book ban attempts in school systems across the USA that target those with topics that dealing with race, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ issues or topics such as the Holocaust and slavery (a good article on this topic is Banning Books Is Good For Politicians But Bad for Students, an interview with Cicely Lewis, a librarian in Georgia as well as columnist for School Library Journal). It is frustrating and upsetting to read as, state by state, and school district by school district, these bans are popping up. The natural, pressing question I had (like so many others have) is, what can be done to stop it?

In a quest for answers, I discovered someone nearby, right here in NE Ohio, who is not just knowledgeable about this topic but has also been motivated to use their expertise to do something about it. I was excited to find her, and even more excited that she graciously agreed to take time out to answer some of my questions.

Banned Books Box is exactly what it sounds like, a book subscription service that not only carefully curates a collection of banned books and gets them into the hands of readers, but also provides information, background, and dialog about the books, as well as offers suggested ways for us to help counter these attempted bans. From the website: Each book box contains two banned books, a lapel pin allied with one of the books in your shipment, a bookmark or two with the lowdown on how and why the books in your box were censored and at least one additional bookish item we hope you’ll either adore for its whimsicality or find particularly useful.

Hi Ariel! Thank you so much for being here! I was really happy to come across Banned Books Box and to read about what you started. I am interested in learning more of what you’re doing and what prompted you to create it in the first place. To start, can you tell a little about yourself, your background, and a little more about Banned Books Box?   

Ariel Hakim, founder of Banned Books Box located in NE Ohio

I'm a mom of 3 elementary school children living in Wadsworth, Ohio, married to my husband Nick for a decade. My degrees are a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. My adult working life has been all over the place. I've done everything from cleaning bathrooms at a homeless shelter to most recently, working as a reference associate at my local library. While working at the library, I began to learn about drag story times being canceled due to what someone deemed their offensive nature, as well as other attacks on stories and people. I couldn't get my head around it. I read about some parents being deeply upset last May when university students in Whiteville, North Carolina, read One of a Kind Like Me by Laurin Mayeno to elementary school kids during a virtual story time. Following that, school administrators appeared to ban the book, apologizing for not having vetted it before it was read. In fact, the act of requiring review of the material before reading to students would have gone against the school district's policies. That book is a sweet tale based on a true story about a boy finding just the right costume for his school parade, offering a lesson of individual identity affirmation, including gender differences. It made me really sad to think about children being denied this story and others like it. Banned Books Box came out of these thoughts and feelings. Initially, I planned to launch two subscription boxes -- one for adults and one for children, but since I'd never done anything like this before, I wanted to get one amazing box going first, which is the adult box. The plan is to launch a children's box in April or May of 2022.

Image courtesy of Ariel Hakim

What is your take on the bans that we are reading about in the papers lately—do you perceive an increased effort to ban certain books in the past year, or is it more of the same of what books have always faced? Does it seem like there is a more organized effort to ban lately, or do you think recent bans are spawning copycat bans? If there is a true rise in efforts to ban as of late, what seems to be most at risk at the moment (children’s books, YA, adult)? And where (school libraries, public library systems, prisons, or other)? 

There has definitely been an increased effort to ban books over the past several months, and stories of Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people are the targets. Groups such as Moms for Liberty and No Left Turn in Education have either formed or taken on book challenging in schools as top priority.  There does seem to be a formula groups are using to attack books at school board meetings, which includes reading isolated passages usually out of context they think will offend others to make the case that children shouldn't have access to the book. Interestingly, the people complaining are many times adamant about books being pulled from shelves immediately, which more often than not bypasses school districts' established policies for challenging materials. So, book banning in schools is truly on the rise right now. Book bans continue to occur in prisons in an alarming way, with groups such as Books to Prisoners remaining steady advocates for individuals who are incarcerated. Bans also do occur in public libraries, but my impression is that happens less often. It's also worth noting that canceled events like drag story times can also be considered bans. Something like this also happened last July, when an event featuring the authors of Forget the Alamo at Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin was canceled the day before it was set to occur due to pressure from conservative politicians against exposure of the role of racism and slavery in Texas history. 

What worthwhile actions can we as individuals take to help? I see you have an extensive list of action items on your site, which is so helpful (see 27 Things You Can Do About Censorship on the Banned Books Box website). If someone is only able to tackle one, or just a handful of those items, where do you suggest they begin and what do you feel would make the biggest impact?

I'm going to use recommendations from George M. Johnson, author of the often-attacked memoir All Boys Aren't Blue.
1. Buy banned books. 2. Correct misconceptions about the books. 3. Vote in local elections.

Banned Books Box’s January box, which includes George M. Johnson’s poignant, powerful and critical memoir-manifesto, All Boys Aren’t Blue, and Uzodinma Iweala’s equally important and impactful novel, Speak No Evil, both banned.

Do you think there is a way to reach people who are unconcerned or undecided how they feel about bans?

That's a good question. A couple of ideas would be to lend or purchase banned books for friends to read or to grab a friend to attend a school board meeting with you. I'm interested in hearing what suggestions and ideas others come up with. 

 

Where do kids (who are minors) fall in all of this? Do they have a voice in the matter, or are they reliant on their parents to take steps to counter book bans?

 There have definitely been some successful student efforts in fighting book bans. Student activists in York County, Pennsylvania set an incredible precedent when last fall they fought a massive book ban and won. Closer to home, with the help of State Board of Education member Meryl Johnson, students in Cleveland have formed S.P.E.A.K. (Students Promoting Equity and Knowledge), a student-led group for educating people to take a stance against discrimination, racism, and censorship. Students voices are extremely important.

 

As a NE Ohio resident with two kids now in college, I am wondering how parents like me who no longer have kids in school, or anyone without a child/children in the district, can actively stay abreast of any local movement toward banning books within their own school libraries. Who would one approach to ask if there are any such efforts to ban books or to obtain a list of books facing a ban? Does one have to have a child in the school district in which they live for their voice to count there?

Since Ohio K-12 schools are majorly funded by property tax dollars, voices of all humans living within a school district matter quite a bit, whether or not you have school-aged children. I'd suggest getting in touch with the superintendent to find out if there's been any movement toward banning books in your school district. Also, I'd suggest signing up for Honesty for Ohio Education's newsletter and checking out their resources for combating book bans.

 

To learn more about the important service Banned Books Box is providing and to start your own subscription, visit www.bannedbooksbox.com . Select past boxes are also available for individual purchase. You can also follow and share via @bannedbooksbox on IG and @thebannedbooksbox on Facebook to spread the word and help others learn about Banned Books Box, too.

Visit 27 Things You Can Do About Censorship on the Banned Books Box for a list of action items to take to combat the rise in book bans.

 

Banned Books Box

   

Continuing on with the sentiment I expressed in a prior post (Into the (Grand) Canyon), I have been anxious to use this blog space to include information, resources, and topics of interest I come across in my quest find ways to get involved in the protection of the environment, animals, and of human rights of every kind.

Needless to say, I am very excited to expand upon that idea by welcoming Ariel Hakim, founder of Banned Books Box, to take part in what is the very first interview for this blog.

As so many of us are, I’ve been reading the news and following the recent, worrisome rise in book ban attempts in school systems across the USA that target those with topics that dealing with race, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ issues. It is frustrating and upsetting to read as, state by state, and school district by school district, these bans are popping up. The natural, pressing question I had (like so many others have) is, what can be done to stop it?

In a quest for answers, I discovered someone nearby, right here in NE Ohio, who is not just knowledgeable about this topic but has also been motivated to use their expertise to do something about it. I was excited to find her, and even more excited that she graciously agreed to take time out to answer some of my questions.

Banned Books Box is exactly what it sounds like, a book subscription service that not only carefully curates a collection of banned books and gets them into the hands of readers, but also provides information, background, and dialog about the books, as well as offers suggested ways for us to help counter these attempted bans. From the website: Each book box contains two banned books, a lapel pin allied with one of the books in your shipment, a bookmark or two with the lowdown on how and why the books in your box were censored and at least one additional bookish item we hope you’ll either adore for its whimsicality or find particularly useful.

Hi Ariel! Thank you so much for being here! I was really happy to come across Banned Books Box and to read about what you started. I am interested in learning more of what you’re doing and what prompted you to create it in the first place. To start, can you tell a little about yourself, your background, and a little more about Banned Books Box?   

Ariel Hakim, founder of Banned Books Box located in NE Ohio

I'm a mom of 3 elementary school children living in Wadsworth, Ohio, married to my husband Nick for a decade. My degrees are a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. My adult working life has been all over the place. I've done everything from cleaning bathrooms at a homeless shelter to most recently, working as a reference associate at my local library. While working at the library, I began to learn about drag story times being canceled due to what someone deemed their offensive nature, as well as other attacks on stories and people. I couldn't get my head around it. I read about some parents being deeply upset last May when university students in Whiteville, North Carolina, read One of a Kind Like Me by Laurin Mayeno to elementary school kids during a virtual story time. Following that, school administrators appeared to ban the book, apologizing for not having vetted it before it was read. In fact, the act of requiring review of the material before reading to students would have gone against the school district's policies. That book is a sweet tale based on a true story about a boy finding just the right costume for his school parade, offering a lesson of individual identity affirmation, including gender differences. It made me really sad to think about children being denied this story and others like it. Banned Books Box came out of these thoughts and feelings. Initially, I planned to launch two subscription boxes -- one for adults and one for children, but since I'd never done anything like this before, I wanted to get one amazing box going first, which is the adult box. The plan is to launch a children's box in April or May of 2022.

Image courtesy of Ariel Hakim

What is your take on the bans that we are reading about in the papers lately—do you perceive an increased effort to ban certain books in the past year, or is it more of the same of what books have always faced? Does it seem like there is a more organized effort to ban lately, or do you think recent bans are spawning copycat bans? If there is a true rise in efforts to ban as of late, what seems to be most at risk at the moment (children’s books, YA, adult)? And where (school libraries, public library systems, prisons, or other)? 

There has definitely been an increased effort to ban books over the past several months, and stories of Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized people are the targets. Groups such as Moms for Liberty and No Left Turn in Education have either formed or taken on book challenging in schools as top priority.  There does seem to be a formula groups are using to attack books at school board meetings, which includes reading isolated passages usually out of context they think will offend others to make the case that children shouldn't have access to the book. Interestingly, the people complaining are many times adamant about books being pulled from shelves immediately, which more often than not bypasses school districts' established policies for challenging materials. So, book banning in schools is truly on the rise right now. Book bans continue to occur in prisons in an alarming way, with groups such as Books to Prisoners remaining steady advocates for individuals who are incarcerated. Bans also do occur in public libraries, but my impression is that happens less often. It's also worth noting that canceled events like drag story times can also be considered bans. Something like this also happened last July, when an event featuring the authors of Forget the Alamo at Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin was canceled the day before it was set to occur due to pressure from conservative politicians against exposure of the role of racism and slavery in Texas history. 

What worthwhile actions can we as individuals take to help? I see you have an extensive list of action items on your site, which is so helpful (see 27 Things You Can Do About Censorship on the Banned Books Box website). If someone is only able to tackle one, or just a handful of those items, where do you suggest they begin and what do you feel would make the biggest impact?

I'm going to use recommendations from George M. Johnson, author of the often-attacked memoir All Boys Aren't Blue.
1. Buy banned books. 2. Correct misconceptions about the books. 3. Vote in local elections.

Banned Books Box’s January box, which includes George M. Johnson’s poignant, powerful and critical memoir-manifesto, All Boys Aren’t Blue, and Uzodinma Iweala’s equally important and impactful novel, Speak No Evil, both banned.

Do you think there is a way to reach people who are unconcerned or undecided how they feel about bans?

That's a good question. A couple of ideas would be to lend or purchase banned books for friends to read or to grab a friend to attend a school board meeting with you. I'm interested in hearing what suggestions and ideas others come up with. 

 

Where do kids (who are minors) fall in all of this? Do they have a voice in the matter, or are they reliant on their parents to take steps to counter book bans?

 There have definitely been some successful student efforts in fighting book bans. Student activists in York County, Pennsylvania set an incredible precedent when last fall they fought a massive book ban and won. Closer to home, with the help of State Board of Education member Meryl Johnson, students in Cleveland have formed S.P.E.A.K. (Students Promoting Equity and Knowledge), a student-led group for educating people to take a stance against discrimination, racism, and censorship. Students voices are extremely important.

 

As a NE Ohio resident with two kids now in college, I am wondering how parents like me who no longer have kids in school can actively stay abreast of any local movement toward banning books within their own school libraries. Who would one approach to ask if there are any such efforts to ban books or to obtain a list of books facing a ban? If one does not have a child in the school district in which they live, does their voice still count there?

Since Ohio K-12 schools are majorly funded by property tax dollars, voices of all humans living within a school district matter quite a bit, whether or not you have school-aged children. I'd suggest getting in touch with the superintendent to find out if there's been any movement toward banning books in your school district. Also, I'd suggest signing up for Honesty for Ohio Education's newsletter and checking out their resources for combating book bans.

 

To learn more about the important service Banned Books Box is providing and to start your own subscription, visit www.bannedbooksbox.com . Select past boxes are also available for individual purchase. You can also follow and share via @bannedbooksbox on IG and @thebannedbooksbox on Facebook to spread the word and help others learn about Banned Books Box, too.

Visit 27 Things You Can Do About Censorship on the Banned Books Box for a list of action items to take to combat the rise in book bans.

 

Map of Eldmoor

Once upon a time I almost added a minor in cartography to my degree after taking a few map making classes. I’ve been forever been enthralled by maps and map making, so of course I have been itching to make one for the book. (I didn’t end up adding the minor, by the way, as I discovered the classes a little too late and it would have caused me to graduate a year and a half later than planned unfortunately…) Alas, thanks to the wonders of Procreate and Photoshop, I’ve been able to rekindle my love and share Kellandale as I see it in my mind’s eye!

The story takes place in an imaginary world with fictitious lands, and is set within Eldmoor—a country I envision to have overcome most human-related barriers to equality. In the story, the only social barrier that exists is unequal access to and control of education as it was my intention to write a hopeful story for a young audience that encourages kindness, compassion, open communication, recognizes and embraces diversity, and to inspire a desire to work with others to enact positive change. If you’ve read the story, I hope you enjoy seeing this world come to life in map form!

This rendition is a first draft as I am working toward a final, potentially hand drawn, watercolor version to be included in a hardback edition should I decide to embark upon that quest!

If you haven’t read it yet, The Way of the River is available via the shanspykerauthor.com Shop and everywhere books are sold online (and in some indie bookshops, too!)

Into the (Grand) Canyon

Last night I sat down, unplanned, and watched Into the Grand Canyon, a documentary directed by photographer/film maker/writer/public speaker Pete McBride, along with his friend and travel/adventuring partner for this project, Kevin Fedarko, author, writer, and a former senior editor at Outside Magazine—which was released in 2019 that had escaped my radar until now. As someone who has traveled to the US desert southwest several times, one of those times a one-month long journey meandering and camping through the heart of the wild terrain and National Parks in Arizona and Utah, and who yearns for slickrock canyons way too many days out of the year, when I came across this film by chance, the title alone was all I needed to drop everything and watch it.

And Into the Grand Canyon ended up so much more than what I had hoped it to be. It was inspiring in every way—from their personal journeys through rough, potentially deadly terrain to traverse the entirety of the park, to the story of a successful defeat by Navajo activists to protect the land from the tenacious developers (hoping to monetize this and other national parks for their gain, an ongoing issue) which unfolded as it they were making their trek, and of course, to the epic scenery and awe that our natural world can inspire.

I have felt “that feeling”—an awareness of just how incredibly small and insignificant we are, a liberating, cathartic and all-encompassing recognition of our connection to nature, the stars, to each other, and to all living creatures—and I was especially moved by the way they each expressed this in the closing of the film and it made me love it all the more:

“The [Grand] canyon is a ruthless cathedral, and like all holy places invites people to think, reflect, and I think above all, to move towards and embrace an element of humility. It invites us to reframe our perspective of where we stand, and forces us to conclude that in the end, we are not large, we are not important, and we do not matter, and we so need that.” — Kevin Fedarko

“I went in to try to understand the place, and I’m still trying to understand it. I think it changed me. Maybe I walked out of there with a little jar of silence and simplicity. It reminded me why a place like this exists and that’s, I think, the question with any national park. Do we want them to be these coddled landscapes of amusement? Or do we want them to be experiential, where you might actually shed some layers and be reminded of what’s important in your world. If we can’t protect Grand Canyon as a national park than what can we protect?” — Pete McBride

 

In summary: breathtaking, awe inducing, and still left sitting with me today. Here are some of the resources and articles I’ve found while digging around after watching.

Pete McBride speaking about Into the Grand Canyon (YouTube)

May 2018 How Navajo Activists Defeated the Grand Canyon Escalade (Outside Online)

Oct 2020 Another developer, another project near the Confluence (Navajo Times)

Stopping Grand Canyon Escalade (Grand Canyon Trust)

In 2016 filmmaker/photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko set out on a 750-mile journey on foot through the entire length of the Grand Canyon. From the outset, the challenge was far more than they bargained for. More people have stood on the moon than have completed a continuous through hike of the Canyon. McBride and Fedarko took a sectional approach, achieving a feat that many adventurers have taken decades to complete. Others have lost their lives trying. But their quest was more than just an endurance test – it was also a way to draw attention to the unprecedented threats facing one of our most revered landscapes.

Kellandale Style “&” T’s!

Those who know, know!

These will be available through preorder only, which will be accepted through January 24, 2022.

100% Cotton in Black with “Iveria” Blue Ink.

Youth M-XL ($20) and Unisex S-3XL ($22) are available, plus shipping.

Get your order in before January 24!

Order via the Shop here Kellandale & Shirt Preorder

Note: a minimum of 25 t-shirts must be ordered for these to be produced. If we do not reach 25 orders by January 20, all orders will be refunded.

Happy Solstice! The Way of the River is on sale in a big way!

Right now The Way of the River is on sale in different ways, in different places for a limited time. Here’s some of the ways you can save!

The ebook is on sale from now until December 31, 2021 for 99¢ (marked down from $6.99), which if you like to do the math thing, that’s about 85% off!

This price applies to all places the book is distributed in ebook format, which you can find a list here:

The Way of the River 99¢ ebook edition

Meanwhile, not to be outdone, in addition to the 99¢ Kindle version, Amazon has also included the paperback edition of The Way of the River in their holiday price slash sale, and continues to mark down the the price day by day.

As of right now the book is listed at $14.14 (from $14.99) with free shipping. With ample books in stock they will ship fast! How long will it continue to drop? No idea, nor do we know what it will drop to at the lowest. It’s a game of chicken-book of sorts! If you want a copy, get in there fast!

Finally, in the Author Shop here you will find:

current first edition reprint are available for $12.99/signed ($2 off) until December 31, 2021.

first edition original printing copies are now $9.99/signed ($5 off, limited copies are left) until December 31, 2021.

1st Edition Reprint Author Proofs are FREE ($14.99 off! very limited copies available) and will be continue to be given away FREE (minus the flat rate $5 shipping) until they are gone. The books are in perfect condition and are in tact and identical to the current reprint edition except for one very minor blemish—the review quotes at the top of the back cover cut a little too close to the top margin making them unsellable.

So if you’d like an ultra cheap way to get a copy, head to the listings in the Shop for details!

Author Q & A (Part 3)

And here we are with the third and final part of the author Q & A! This is another really great group of questions, all fun, challenging, and thought-provoking questions allowing me to delve deeper into some of the story elements.

The last of them are below, and all three parts and now together on a dedicated Author Q&A page if you prefer to read them altogether!

Once again, apologies for the delay and thank to all of you who waited patiently to read the last installment, and especially those of you who took the time to ask questions and were waiting for my replies. Here they are finally!

Part 3Tillie and Lina's falling out is a great side story, partially because it adds tension and obstacles to the story but also because it's a relatable misunderstanding between young friends. Did you enjoy writing their relationship?

Yes! Their friendship story arc was probably one of the most enjoyable, satisfying, and meaningful parts of the story to write. There are many messages and themes in the story but strong and clear communication amongst loved ones was so very important to me to address.

The rift in their friendship was, of course, because of a simple misunderstanding, which had the unfortunate result of a breakdown in communication, which is so very common in all relationships, both among young friends, and adults as well. It definitely was meant to also add a bit tension and be a bit of an obstacle for Tillie going into the forest in the beginning.

The two of them are so much alike. Before Tillie and Lina are able to resolve their quarrel, their personality similarities are ironically what help contribute to delaying overcoming the temporary breakdown in friendship. But when they do overcome their misunderstanding, because of these similarities, they are able to then bring out the absolute best in each other.

In the end, it is because they are both finally willing to communicate, open their hearts and share what they are really feeling, that they are able to not just resume their friendship, but for it to grow even deeper.

Was this story based somewhat on real life experiences or did you dive deep into your imagination and let it take you on this magical journey?

 It was definitely a deep dive into the imagination, with a few incidents, character references, and real-life location inspirations, some of which are little easter eggs for my kids and family! But yes, overall, it gave me a chance to really imagine a new world. There were even times I would literally pick a character and fall asleep picturing them moving about through the manor house, or the forest, or circus or wherever and sometimes my imagination would take me places that were unexpected!

Which character was most fun to write (and who's your favorite character)?

This is probably the hardest question to answer of all because I had so much fun with each of them! I enjoyed developing their characters and the different turns each took. It sort of felt like play acting or putting on personalities of other people who are different from me.

Elinora and Tillie, and Henry, of course, are who the story originally focused on. But as the cast grew and other characters took their place on the stage, I was able to really have fun. Lina and Alister were definitely very fun to write. I look at them as the very sensible, intuitive types that are so reliable. I also began tapping into a little bit of Lina’s somewhat psychic intuition which will be very fun to work with in Book Two. I do have to say writing Tillie’s somewhat sassy lines were also good fun.

Favorite character? Errr…that is so hard, but in the end, I will have to go with Henry simply because he has a heart of gold and is meant to be the epitome of what everyone’s canine love of their life is.

Who is your favorite minor character if you have one?

This is also very hard to answer because there are just so many characters in the story! This was by design, as I am always a fan of stories with ensemble casts, movies with stories about large families gathering, etc. So, I had a lot of fun in that way. Right now, Lovii, Emil and Lark are minor characters at the moment, but I love them all very much for various reasons, and they will develop even more and begin to play a bigger role in Book Two.

Specifically, Lark has quite a bit of meaning to me as she does not speak much and communicates physically and with little grunts or noises. As a student I could barely find the nerve to talk in elementary school, and even beyond that I was incredibly shy. So, I have to say, I have a special place in my heart for Lark for that reason.

Are you currently working on Book Two?

Yes! Book Two is currently in both my head and bits of it are on paper! Right now, the overarching storyline and the conclusion are in my mind, which is how I begin. I then begin fleshing out the in between parts. I also do a lot of talking to my creative team, who are my kids, my dad, my sister, mom, and other family members who are involved. I bounce off ideas, listen to their ideas, and really start knitting things together.

Once I get through that phase, I’ll begin a very rough outline of the action and what needs to happen, chapter by chapter. Finally, I will dig in one chapter at a time to get that first draft completed.

Book One was a lifelong process, but as I got more serious about getting it on paper and into book form, that process sped up. It will take a bit of time to complete the second book, but this time around, after learning so much about my writing habits and what works for me, I will be able to complete Book Two so much faster. There is no release date as of yet, but I will continue to post progress! All I can say is I am so excited to get back into the heads of the characters, and into Eldmoor and Kellandale Wood!

 

Author Q & A (Part 2)

As promised, though a little late, here is Part 2 of the Q&A responses. I was happily surprised by the depth and number of questions received, so it’s taking me a bit longer than originally planned to answer them thoughtfully.

The next three questions appear below in today’s edition—and these great questions focus on characters and character creation.

If you asked a question and you still don’t see it here, no worries! It will be posted here in part 3, which I will be working on this weekend (and all questions will eventually be added together here on the new Author Q&A page once all the posts have been made).

Thanks again to everyone for round two, I’m still having a blast responding!

Part 2Tell me more about Elinora, and her growth as a character.

Oh this is good one! Elinora was a very fun character to write. She came very natural as I share a lot of similarities with her, though of course there is a lot about her that was exaggerated for story purposes. But as someone who was extremely shy as a child, and still deals with deep shades of it at unexpected times as an adult even, I had a lot to draw from and it was easy to write her physical reactions to her anxieties.

Elinora’s story arc was meant in part to be that of a very hesitant, anxious teen on the edge of growing up and leaving home, and how that hesitancy holds her back from accomplishing things. Through the discovery of Henry, seeing how brave he is in the face of the fear and perils he faces with his missing family, and also seeing how her own fears begin to impact him, as well as seeing the conditions at the circus, she is absolutely pushed to confront her anxieties. She also learns that her drive to help others far surpasses the need to covet and protect her timidity.

So as Tillie is changing and learning to temper her rash and sometimes reckless choices in the name of excitement, Elinora is meanwhile doing just the opposite. By the end of the story she is ready to step up and take risks to help others, which is something I hope younger kids can learn from as we live in a world in deep need of those who are willing to make the extra effort to help their fellow humans, animals, as well as our planet.

I’m always curious how and why an author chooses names for their book’s characters. You have very interesting names in your book. How did you go about your choices?

Thank you! I enjoyed naming the characters and some of it was simply picking names that I like. Others have reasons and stories behind them.

Elinora had a different name when I first started writing the story down, in fact many of the characters did. For her name—I absolutely love The Beatles song Eleanor Rigby, and loved the name (I of course changed the spelling a bit). Both my parents were huge (huge) Beatles fans and I grew up listening to them, so it was also a great way to pay tribute to that.

Others were deviations of names that have meaning for me personally, twists of names of people that have inspired me, and some, especially surnames, for their actual meaning. Some were named by my dad (Ghant, among many others), my kids (including Mudd, named by my son, and Coddlefin’s first name by my daughter), my sister (Rodene), and other family members. Many of the animals in the circus were named after dogs and cats and pet rats and fish in our family’s lives through the years.

One was named after a famous stuffed animal belonging to my nephew when he was young (that would be Boing!). Pipe I named when I was 5. Henry is 100% my dad’s and he’s been Henry since the beginning of time, as has Mister Squirrel, aka Mister.

Another fun tidbit, Coddlefin’s first name, after remaining the same for years and years, was renamed right at the last toward the end of writing the last draft when I realized it was the same name as one of my friend’s young sons. I did not want him to read the book and see his name used for an unscrupulous villain! My daughter came up with the new name, a very funny and apt tribute to a certain unappealing, contemporary US public figure—Théodore. We added the é for a little flair.

I also paid mind to the advice not to have too many character names that sounded similar or began with the same letter.

Interestingly, as I was pondering the surname of Graham and Jamie I came up with O’Conor for no good reason, so I was very surprised when I discovered that it means “lover of hounds,” Henry being a Morlish (fictional region) wolfhound. Perfect!

Hi! If you envisage this as a movie, do you have any cast ideas!? I know I spoke to you before and said is it set in England, as that where I see it; wondering what other readers think about where it’s set?

Ohhh we have had great fun coming up with cast ideas! Some are pretty solid and even had a part in helping mold the characters—it was really helpful envisioning someone who exists to bring action alive in my mind as I wrote. I didn’t want to draw upon people in my orbit too heavily so that was a great exercise. Graham is most closely physically meant to be a mirror of a certain well known actor, and Alister is a blend of the mannerisms of another well known actor combined with the physical descriptions of a few others. The other main characters, Elinora, Lina, Jamie, and Tillie also have their imaginary counterparts that we came up with (me being me and my son and daughter, we had fun!). We joke our film budget would be in the billions if we had our way. But I don’t want to share who as I don’t want to sway what people envision in their own minds!

As for setting, the story takes place in a fictitious parallel world, Eldmoor. All places and place names are fictitious as I wanted to take it out of our own experience and be able to build a world how I would like it to be. (As a semi related aside, I would have made the story take place within a full on utopia for that reason, but in the name of a dramatic story and also one with some meat so it has meaning, I wanted/needed to put some elements of discord and conflict that I could work with, and that is the existence of greed, and related to that, the seizure of control of education and the reserving of it for the most elite).

But I chose to do this in order to throw the story squarely into a fantasy realm. I know it may be a thorn in the side for a few readers to not know fully where it was set, but that was part of my goal—to make it a place that was similar yet different, the feeling you can get when traveling to a foreign place.

That said, I say to people who are curious and do want context, that it is vaguely English-ish-ish m, as I spent 19 days in the English countryside with my mom (who was on a genealogy quest), grandma and husband many many years ago. So I did naturally take a little from memories of that. But also it is very firmly rooted in the landscape of my area of the world too, NE Ohio (which has similarities to that part of the world in ways, namely the frequent low clouds and grey skies and beautiful greenery) even more so. And the rivers and forests I hiked along and among almost daily while writing is what you’re probably also feeling. But in the end, Eldmoor is it’s own place, in its own world.

To be continued…