Interview with young author Erik Weibel, and book giveaway!

I am very pleased to introduce to you the youngest author I have interviewed so far. Erik Weibel is the author of The Adventures of Tomato and Pea, book 1: A Bad Idea. If you missed my review of his book you can read it here. I hope you enjoy our interview and then participate in the giveaway.

Hello, Erik. Welcome to my interview chair; it’s my pleasure to interview you before you become famous. 🙂 Please tell us a little
about yourself.

Thank you for having me here Mrs. Davidson! I am 12 years old and I am in 6th grade. I run the blog This Kid Reviews Books that I started when I was 9. I also write a monthly book column for The Upper Bucks Free Press.

You are a very ambitious pre-teen! Now that you have a book out, do you consider yourself to be “a writer”? If so, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspired you?

I guess I am a writer. I blog, I have a newspaper column and I am trying to write books.

I have always liked to write, but it was my uncle, Dave Costella, who got me interested in writing Tomato & Pea. Uncle Dave made two stuffed toys and told me they were named Tomato and Pea (I think he named them after the color of the fabric he made them out of). Dave gave me the toys and asked me if I could write a story about them (I am always making up stories). I was nine years old at the time. Dave told me he didn’t care what the story was about, to just use my imagination. That was my original prompt to write an entire story for the first time.

Your Uncle Dave must be delighted. 🙂 I know you are a voracious reader. Do you read every day? How many books do you think you read in a month?

I actually get into trouble at school and at home because I read so much. I read every day, no exceptions. I can’t remember ever not reading something on any day. I started keeping a list of the books I read every month. I read about 20-30 books per month. This past February I have 30 books listed.

You read three times as many books as I did in February. Do you have any favourite authors, genres, or books so far?

Brian Jacques, Rick Riordan, Roland Smith, Jude Watson, Nick Bruel, Michael Buckley, James Patterson, Tom Angleberger, Brandon Mull, Matt Phelan, Chris Grabentstein, Matt Myklusch… I can go on and on… my list is too big. Brian Jacques is one of my top 3 favorite authors, and I wish to be more like him in his writing. I love Fantasy and Sci-Fi and Action Adventure books. A specific book? Impossible. 😉

Would you read less so you can write more? Or would you write less so you can read more?

I write when I get in the mood (an average of 2-3 hours a week), so I don’t think I would change much. I think I have a good balance of both. I enjoy both so I wouldn’t give one up for the other.

Do you have a motto or Bible verse or quote that you try to live by and that helps to keep you motivated?

I will quote Master Yoda: “Do or do not. There is no try.” I also try to live by the Golden Rule: To treat others as you wish to be treated.

I like that quote, too. I may have to post it somewhere on my blog (and near my desk) as a reminder to keep moving forward. As for the Golden Rule, if everyone would keep it in mind we would live in a happier world. What is your biggest dream for your life, Erik?

Besides a world-famous author and a government agent (AKA secret agent AKA spy!), I want to try to make the world a better place somehow. Maybe help people through whatever work I will be doing.

Interesting choices! It’s always good to strive to be a good influence. What can you tell us about your very first time to be published (before your book), how did that happen?

I wrote a poem called “One Kid” for Dr. Niamh Clune of Plumb Tree Books. It was published in an anthology called “The Song of Sahel.” It was a charity event to help the people of Sahel Africa. My sister Josie painted a picture that was published in the same book. We were very happy to be published in the book and that it was for such a good cause.

What have you had published thus far? What do you most enjoy writing?

The poem for “The Song of Sahel”, my book The Adventures of Tomato and Pea, and the articles I write for the Upper Bucks Free Press are things that have been officially published. I compete a lot in writing contests too. Sometimes they get posted on other people’s blogs.

I really like writing funny stories. I like to make people (and myself) laugh. I also like to write fantasy. It’s cool to get lost in another world.

I appreciate good humour and enjoy reading fantasy, so I look forward to your future books. What helps you with writing and perfecting a book or article?

I read a lot of articles and took classes on how to make your writing better. I also ask for help from other people to critique my work. I think it helps to have others cheer you on and give you good advice (not necessarily what you want to hear, but honest advice). That helps keep you motivated.

Sometimes it is hard to accept what you don’t want to hear, but your writing will keep improving with your good attitude. How do you keep track of your writing ideas?

I have tons of journals and idea books. I carry one with me at all times (my idea journal).

That’s a good habit. How long did it take you to write The Adventures of Tomato and Pea?

My uncle, Dave, gave me the inspiration – actually he challenged me, to write a whole story. I kept telling him bits and pieces of different stories and he wanted me to write a whole one down. That’s why I wrote Tomato and Pea.

It took me about one year to write, and another to edit. About 6 months were spent looking for agents and publishers.

Did you write a little of yourself into any of the characters?

I wrote some of the things I love to do into all of the characters. I like to cook (Skew), spout random facts (Poppy Lobster), I am good with tech-y things (Pea), and I like to lead (Tomato). I also like to laugh in a maniacal way (Wintergreen). MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Why did you decide to publish your book in the non-traditional way?

Well I tried to get an agent and that didn’t work. I couldn’t even get a rejection letter. Then I tried sending my MS directly to publishers and I finally got what I wanted – my first rejection letter! It started off “Dear Author” – and I thought, “Hey! That’s me! Author!”

So, I figured that either no one was going to take an 11-year-old seriously or maybe my MS really wasn’t that great or there are so many other awesome books out there that I’d never get anyone to look at it. So I figured I’d try to self-publish it. I’m happy I did. I got some people to read it and mostly everyone who reads it likes it. That makes me happy.

It is a great start, Erik. What do you most enjoy about writing?

The freedom. The notebooks. The pens (have you seen how many different types there are?). The fact that I get my ideas down (I have a lot of ideas, and they all get cluttered). I like that I get to write out my thoughts and feelings and write a story no one has thought of.

I have lots of pens, too. What other interests do you have for a change from reading and writing?

I study 3 different martial arts (TaeKwon-Do (black belt), Karate (green belt), and Jujitsu (blue belt)). I also study 3 foreign languages (Latin, French and Russian). I like to cook and do things outdoors (like hike and camp). I also just started to train to run in 5ks. I like to run (makes sense, because I’m 5’7″ and wear men’s size 11 wide shoes, so I can cover a lot of ground. 🙂 ).

Impressive! How do you find time to write when you are busy with school and everything else in your life?

I write when I have the urge to do it. It seems like I can write (or type) things down faster when I get inspired to do it. I also work well if I put goals or deadlines on myself. If I didn’t do that I would just probably read all the time. 🙂

I also *barely* watch TV, and we don’t even have cable, actually we don’t have a TV hooked up at all right now. If I do watch “TV” it’s usually movies or old TV shows we stream on the computer. I don’t play video games that much either (2 hours a week, on average).

I try to keep organized. My mom helps me with that too.

I bet you keep your mom busy with that task. 😉 What are your writing goals?

To have 10 best-selling novels. To be world-wide famous. 😀

I expect you will do it, too! Do you have another book in the works? If so, can you share anything about that with our readers?

I am working on the next book in the Tomato and Pea series. To give you a hint, Wintergreen (the villain), is up to no good and is loose on EAR-TH (Earth). Tomato and the gang have to ask for help from some locals to get Wintergreen under control.

I am also working on several picture book drafts. One I wrote while taking Susanna Leonard Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic class and a couple of others that I am writing during Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 challenge.

I also have several novels I am working on (waiting for the inspiration to hit).

Good for you, you’re a novelist in the making! Finally, do you have any advice for hopefuls?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be able to take criticism. There are a lot of really nice people out there who really want to help you.

That is wise advice, Erik, thanks! And thank you for this wonderful interview. I wish you much success which I am sure you will achieve.

Thank you Ms. Davidson for interviewing me! 🙂

Now, dear readers, how would you like to win a copy of Erik Weibel’s first book, The Adventures of Tomato and Pea, book 1: A Bad Idea? Erik’s mom has kindly offered to send a copy to one person who leaves a comment. Just tell us what most impressed you or helped you in this interview. One name will be drawn on Tuesday, March 11, at 6:00 PM EST. I will contact the winner for a mailing address.

Be sure to check your email; you could be the one to win a copy of The Adventures of Tomato and Pea by Erik Weibel!

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

We have a Sue Harrison book winner! & Important announcement for writers!

This post is a doubly exciting one for me, a two-part privilege.

PART ONE:

Announcing the winner of a Sue Harrison novel:

My young grandson came to visit us awhile this evening, so at 6 PM EST (7:00 for me) I asked him to draw one name out of the basket of entries — the name of one person to win a Sue Harrison novel, winner’s choice of title. The winner is …… ** drum roll **

Bill G.!!

Congratulations, Bill! Please check your email for my request for your mailing address and the title of the book you want to receive from Sue Harrison, if you haven’t already said that in your comment. She will happily get that book into the mail for you. 🙂

THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR PARTICIPATING! It was fun for both Sue and me.

PART TWO:

Have you been watching my countdown clock? It now says 2 days to go! I can’t stand the wait, so here is what I’ll be bringing you that I have been eagerly waiting to tell you. 🙂 On Thursday morning, January 24, at 8:00 EST (9:00 for me) a new series begins here on my blog, then the fourth Thursday of each month the next installment will be posted. Curious?

This is for you, if:

you are a writer,
you are a writer of fiction,
you have been thinking about trying your hand at writing fiction,
you are a fiction writer who would love some tips about how to give your characters more depth,
you want to learn more about fiction writing but don’t have the time or money to spare right now to go to a workshop,
you are a Sue Harrison fan.

That’s right! Sue Harrison has enthusiastically agreed to guest post here, but then offered much more than that. She will post here once a month, the fourth Thursday of each month, so that you can learn from her experience. How cool is that!!

Now you know why I am excited about this! Sue is going to teach us about Writing The Third Dimension. Here is how she describes it: “Basically, the
concept is for writers to write their characters, scenes, and plots in such
a way that they “pop” off the two-dimensional page and assume a
three-dimensional presence in the reader’s mind – as if the reader had
actually lived the story.”

I’m thinking this will be of help to me when I finally put my attention to the editing and revising of my NaNoWriMo novel – which I have to finish writing first. It should even help with writing picture books. I’m sure it will be of help to you in your writing.

I am also going to set up a page for this series so that not only can you find Sue’s posts here, but you can also click on the page WRITING THE THIRD DIMENSION (under Writers’ Helps & Workshops on the drop down menu), and link back to whichever topic you want to study.

I AM EXCITED !! I hope you will come back and check this out. For your convenience, you can sign up for emails to be informed of when there is a new post on my blog. (top left corner) I don’t want you to miss any of Sue’s teaching. Rest assured that I do not use anyone’s addresses for anything else. It’s all done automatically through WordPress, anyway. 🙂

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Reminder: Book Giveaway on August 12!

This is just a reminder in case you planned to add your name into the draw and haven’t done so yet.

Tomorrow, Sunday, August 12, the names of those who left comments on my last post will be put into a little basket, and at 6:00 PM EST one name will be drawn out. That person will be notified via email that he or she has won a copy of The Lion Is In, written by Delia Ephron. Once I receive a reply with your mailing address, I will contact Blue Rider Press who will mail a book to you.

At the time of my writing this post, you have less than 21 hours to enter the draw. If you want a chance to win a book, then get your name in by leaving a comment after reading my interview with Delia Ephron. That’s all there is to it. Oh, and you must live in either Canada or the USA to win. (Sorry, that’s the stipulation this time.)

You can also read my review of The Lion Is In.

I hope you win! I wish you all could.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Interview with Delia Ephron and book giveaway

It is with great pleasure – and more than a little excitement – that I bring to you my interview with renowned author, Delia Ephron. As you know, Ms. Ephron has applied her talent to journalism, essays, movies, novels, screenplays – to name some venues. I was thrilled to discover the author of The Lion Is In also co-wrote one of my all-time favourite movies, You’ve Got Mail.

If you haven’t already read my review of The Lion Is In, you can do so here.

Now to our interview —

Delia, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to my blog. Having just read and reviewed your new book, The Lion Is In, it is an honour to interview you. Thank you for graciously agreeing to this.

To begin, when did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspired you?

My parents were screenwriters. My mother wanted all four of her daughters to be writers and she got her wish.

What an accomplishment! Who were/are your favourite authors or books?

My favorites are from childhood. Anne of Green Gables, the Betsy-Tacey books. I read them again and again and again while eating chocolate chip cookies.

Books and chocolate chip cookies sound like a delicious combination to me! Regarding writing, have you ever felt like giving up? When did you finally believe in yourself so you can say “I am a writer”?

Well, it’s a process. You have to develop writer muscles. This just means really good work habits. And then it’s exciting when you start to really have technique. But there are always moments where you want to quit. Being driven and brave is very important.

Good work habits, driven and brave, excellent advice. What do you remember about your very first time to be published, how did that happen?

I think my first piece was about basketball. I was living in Rhode Island and I wrote about Providence college basketball. They had a great team. Or maybe it was my crocheting book. My first book was called The Adventurous Crocheter. So either basketball or crocheting.

You have an impressive list of successes. Of all you have had published thus far, what means the most to you? What do or did you most enjoy writing?

I love novels the most. I love story telling and just being able to write things exactly the way I want. Movies are collaborations, so that is much more complicated. No control. I love control.

Freedom to write, control to write the way you want. Sounds good to me. 🙂 How did you get into writing for the movies?

I married a screenwriter and he taught me how to do it. Also I had written a funny book called Teenage Romance, and there was interest in it for a television movie, and the network let me write it.

That must have been exciting. What method do you use to keep track of your writing ideas?

Idea files in the computer.

What process do you go through when writing and perfecting your work?

Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And print it out and then rewrite it, retyping the whole thing. Don’t just edit on the computer.

That is a lot of work! It’s certainly a commitment and I can see that by doing it that way you’d get to thoroughly know your story and characters and what needs fine-tuning. This method obviously has had great results for you.

What inspired you to write The Lion Is In?

I had a dream about three women and a lion. I knew all about the women, their names, their relationship. I knew they were all on the run and they were in a bar on a highway in North Carolina. I knew the lion would change their lives, and when I woke up, I also knew it was my next novel.

Wow! I’m sure every writer would love to have worthwhile dreams like that! How long did it take you to write The Lion Is In? And how did you come up with that title?

Two years. When I woke up from the dream, I knew the title.

Did you write a little of yourself into any of the characters? Do you have a favourite?

I don’t have a favorite but I am in every character. I don’t think it’s possible to write a character that isn’t in some way personal.

Why did you decide to include some crude language and, shall I say, ‘delicate’ scenes? Was it simply a natural fit with the characters?

Yes. I don’t worry about that. The important thing is, are the relationships real, do I care about these characters, do I want to know what happens. Is it emotional?

Good tips there for writers, especially when dealing with dialogue. I can vouch for it being emotional as the reader gets to know your characters. What other interests do you have for a change from writing?

Cooking. Baking especially.

Yummy chocolate chip cookies, perhaps? 🙂 Do you have another writing project in the works?

Yes, but it’s way too soon to talk about it.

I can certainly respect that. We now have something more to watch for from you. Finally, is being a writer/author all you had hoped or thought it would be? Do you have any advice for hopefuls?

Being able to earn a living from your imagination is a great gift. The important thing for all aspiring writers is believe in yourself, be driven and never give up.

“Be driven and never give up.” Thank you for this excellent advice, Delia, and thank you again for sharing with us a little about yourself and your creative gift. I wish you much continued success.

Now, my readers, I hope you enjoyed this interview. 🙂 I’m sure there are things you can take away from it that will benefit you. Would you like a chance to receive from Delia Ephron’s publisher, Blue Rider Press, a copy of The Lion Is In? If so, please leave a comment and on Sunday, August 12 at 6:00 PM EST one name will be drawn out of the basket. This time there is one stipulation: you must live in Canada or the US to receive the book. But, if you live in another country I still want to read your comment. (Please tell me from what country you are writing if outside Canada and USA.)

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

How My Savior Leads Me … and the winner is …

Today we have a winner who has already responded!

This evening our young grandson was visiting and asked to be the one to draw the name out of the basket, so at 5:00 PM EST that is what happened. The winner receives the copy of How My Savior Leads Me by Terri M. Stellrecht, generously donated by the author for one of my readers to win. Thank you, Terri.

So … congratulations to Rebecca Carney who replied: “Thank you so much!! I look forward to reading this book.” I will put the book into the mail this week for you, Rebecca.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

More great Writer’s Helps!

Do you not only come up with great stories, but you also create whole new worlds? If you do, then you may need to put your world on a map.

Have you ever tried to follow a story and wished you could see what the author could see? I have, and a map would have been a great help to me so I could follow along with a visual. Well, if you have ever thought you would like to – or should – have a map for your story or fantasy world, then check out the links I have added to my Writer’s Helps page. One is for maps you can use for free, the other is free software to make your own. How cool is that! 🙂

While you’re there, be sure to check over the other links as I sometimes move things around and I don’t always announce when I add one link to a list.

Just a final reminder, at about 5:00 PM EST a name will be drawn for the book How My Savior Leads Me. Be sure to read my review before entering. Then watch your email as I will be sending notice to the winner.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Get e-book — Brevity of Roses — free today!

This is a quick post to let you know of a great book promotion — Brevity of Roses — by Linda Cassidy Lewis. This is her debut novel.

Right now … TODAY (February 24) … you can get Brevity of Roses in E-Book format for free on Amazon for a few more hours. If you want the digital version of this book then don’t wait … get it NOW for free HERE. There are only a few hours left to take advantage of this great offer.

If you don’t have a Kindle you can download one, also for free, off Amazon for use on your computer. Even though I prefer ‘real’ books, I do have a pc Kindle with a few books on it, including Brevity of Roses.

If you want to first take the time to read a chapter or two of this book by Linda Cassidy Lewis – you can do that HERE.

So hurry! there is not much time left. Go HERE to download Brevity of Roses for free.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂