Monday, September 10, 2012

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Cinderella Smith, Iterview with Stephanie Barden and 2-Book Giveaway!


When I decided to get more serious about writing, I looked for books that I felt were similar to my manuscript. I had read Judy Moody and Clementine, a few well-known series for my target age group, but wanted to expand my knowledge of this section of the middle grade market. I was quite happy to stumble upon Cinderella Smith by Stepahnie Barden!

Book Description: (from Amazon) Cinderella Smith has problems with a capital P. Her new teacher laughs at her name, she has to sit at the smart-boys table, and her old best friend is ignoring her. Now the new girl, Erin, has asked for her advice on wicked stepsisters. But Cinderella doesn't have any stepsisters, wicked or otherwise! And to make things worse, she's got to find her ruby red tap shoe before the fall dance recital!

How will Cinderella solve her capital P problems before it's too late?

Why it is Marvelous: This book is full of great material for the lower middle grade crowd. What happens when you loose your best friend, and the joy of finding a new best friend. How it feels when you are not allowed to get your ears pierced and what you do when your friends think you are being a baby for holding your mom's hand in the mall. Cinderella Smith handles each situation with great integrity. She stays true to herself which is why I have enjoyed this series so much.

Cinderella is a very likable character. She is a good kid who tries her best to make everyone happy, and shines with the support of her parents and a few friends she can trust.

Diane Goode's illustrations bring life and such wonderful expressions to this fun cast of characters!

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Interview with Stephanie!
 
1. I have read about how you landed an agent and it is an inspiring, and sad, and hopeful story. Can you talk a little about that and what you learned from the experience? 

Craig Virden plucked me out of the slush pile, signed me up and helped me polish up Cinderella Smith. He had just sent it out to potential editors when he unexpectedly died. When his agency called me with the sad news, I feared that was the end of my writing career. However, in his honor, his co-workers “vowed to get my book published”! Craig was highly respected in children’s literature, so I’ve always felt it was his “stamp of approval” that got editors to look at my manuscript. I dedicated my first book, in part, to him and feel like he’s my writing-guardian-angel.  

What did I learn from the experience…hmm… 

Knowing that Craig believed in me, I gained the confidence to start thinking of myself as a writer. I’m sure if his agency hadn’t kept me on, I would have persevered and looked for another agent.

2. When I met you at the Western Washington SCBWI this past April we only had a couple minutes to chat, but you admitted to not reading a lot of MG books. You said this was because you didn't want your writing to mimic other authors. I think I would be lost without all the MG reading I have done this year. Why does this work for you?
 

I love MG books and read a ton of them, but not while I’m actively writing first drafts. When I’m chatting with someone with an accent I find myself adopting it ~ and I’m always afraid that will happen when I write too! I know Cinderella’s voice now, so it wouldn’t happen with her, but I’m afraid a new character in a new book might end up sounding like Wilber in Charlotte’s Web or Arrietty in The Borrowers!

3. I also read that you didn't have a critique group when writing Cinderella Smith. Do you have one now?
 

Last spring I started meeting with two writer friends every week. We haven’t critiqued each other’s work yet, (although we always intend to). Instead we’ve been sharing potential story ideas, writing challenges and helpful hints. Sometimes we do some writing, but usually we just chat, chat, chat!

4. Your job at the Woodland Park Zoo sounds like a lot of fun. What is your background (job-wise) and do you think writing will ever become a full-time career?

I came to work at the zoo after several years as a docent. I didn’t have any teaching experience when I started, just a love of kids and animals and an appreciation of the natural world.  
As much fun as the zoo is, I’d love to be a full-time writer. My goal this fall is to create a writing schedule, keep with it…and NOT let the dog, crow or my darling neighbor singing “Puff the Magic Dragon” at the top of her lungs distract me!

5. Does working with kids in your job give you any particular insight when writing for that age group?
 

Absolutely! I think it’s critical to spend time with the age group you’re writing for in order to sound “authentic”. I probably ask my students as many questions about them as they ask about the animals! I counter the students: “Why is the ocelot doing that?” with: “What words would you use to describe him? Handsome? Scary? Weird?” The third Cinderella book, coming out in April 2013, actually begins on a school field trip to Woodland Park Zoo. I used an awful lot of my zoo-experiences in the first few chapters.

6. In my opinion, Cinderella Smith is such a wholesome character who (while flawed) is able to stand up for what she believes in. Did you intentionally write her this way?

Not initially ~ I didn’t have a real game plan when I started this series. I had a basic idea, (a shoe-losing kid), and a name, (Cinderella Smith), but no plot and no character sketches. (And I admit, this isn’t a very smart approach!) I just launched right in and CS came to life as I wrote. She became the kind of kid I was friends with growing up ~ respectful, courteous and always trying to do the right thing. She’s a good kid, but not a “goody-two-shoes”. My favorite description of her came from a student during a school visit: 
 
 
“Cinderella Smith is nice, but not so nice that you can’t stand her.”
 
7. Also, I love the character of Charlie! Can you talk a little bit about his role and why (from a writerly angle) he is there? 

Oh, Charlie. He’s based on two little boys I grew up with. “Tarles” was my very first friend and Tommy was my first crush, (at four years old). Every day I asked him how he thought I looked. If he approved, I stayed in what I was wearing. If he didn’t, I went back inside and changed. (Just like Cinderella does with Charlie.) 
Charlie Prince is certainly Cinderella Smith’s “prince charming” ~ although I’m not sure what that really means today. If I can convince HarperCollins to let Cinderella grow up, perhaps there will eventually be a YA romance between the two!

8. I love your promotional photo for your books and website. Is that in your house, and did you go through a professional photographer?
 

That is my house in the background. I had a professional photographer, (and a friend), come over and take my picture ~ and my dog, Otis, raced around us the whole time! He nearly knocked over lighting-umbrella-things several times. Twas a bit of a circus, as is life, I suppose.

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And now for the giveaway!
Stephanie has offered a paperback copy of Cinderella Smith and a hardback copy of Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier for my giveaway this week! All you have to do is leave a comment and I will draw one name next Monday and announce the winner then. It would be nice if you signed up to follow my blog, but not necessary to be entered in the drawing.

No international entries. US and Canada only.
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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM) was created by Shannon Messenger. To find other bloggers participating in MMGM go to her blog for a list of links.



25 comments:

  1. I hadn't heard of this one before. Thanks for featuring it, Julia. And thanks for the interview, Stephanie. You sound so interesting, I'm sure that must spill over into your writing! I'll have to look for your book!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Andrea. Glad I could introduce you to Miss Cinderella!

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  2. I've never heard of this series before but I know my daughter would love it. laurisawhitereyes at yahoo dot com

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    1. Glad to spread the word about this fun series. Good luck to you and your daughter in the drawing!

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  3. I'm always looking for new chapter book series for my elementary school library . . . this one sounds fun.

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    1. Perfect for an elementary school library! Thanks for signing up as a follower of my blog!

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  4. Julie, isn't it great when you find writing that helps you craft your own?

    Wonderful interview. Stephanie, I like how you take your own path and do what works for you.

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  5. This sounds like a book I'd love to share with my granddaughter. Wonderful, encouraging interview. Thanks for that and the giveaway.

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    1. Your welcome! I love the encouragement I feel when reading author success stories too Rosi!

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  6. I've seen the first book mentioned elsewhere on the blogs. Fun interview, Julie and Stephanie. I love that you pantsed your way through the first book, Stephanie. And that you based Charlie on two boys from your own childhood. Wonder what they would think now?

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Joanne! Everyone's process is different... not even sure I could define mine, but it involved a lot of downtime between writing sessions! :-)

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  7. I also find it hard to read similar books when I'm first drafting. Interesting.
    Cinderella Smith series sound cute. I'm adding them to my list.
    Thanks for an inspiring interview. :)

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    1. I am the opposite Akoss. When I am stuck it helps me to read other (already successful) stories to get the feel of the age-range again. Since I am writing a lower MG manuscript but read MG-Upper MG and YA it is hard to focus back to writing for a lower reading level.

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  8. Thanks for the great interview. This is the first I'm hearing about this series and it sounds like a great one : )

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  9. I love getting all the suggestions for my kids as they get older. I like the sound of Cinderella Smith. She seems like someone I could get along with. Thanks.

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    1. Yes, I agree. I would be quite happy if a "Cinderella Smith" befriended my daughter at school!

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  10. What a fabulous, interesting interview! The concept of the book sounds adorable as well. Thanks ladies - I really enjoyed reading this!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Kimberly, and I'm glad you enjoyed the interview!

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  11. I like the mc's name. Great interview too!
    I'll have to recommend it to my son's teacher. It seems perfect for 2nd graders.

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    1. Thanks Kristen!

      Yes, since the mc is in 4th grade I think this would be a good fit for 2nd graders... from my experience kids usually like to read about characters a couple grades older!

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  12. I read this book last january I believe! Owning a copy would be lovely of course. I found it at my library among the others and thought it was fun read. Wow, I have to check out the author's website. I'd love to know more about her writing journey.
    I do tend to read a lot while I write, and truthfully I think this might hinder me because I tend to "imitate" but I have a compulsion to always be reading something; whether MG or YA or sometimes adult or non-fiction. So, I'm not sure how I can ever remedy that predicament, because I can't just not read, ha!
    The author didn't have any critiques or beta's prior to querying for an agent?
    I feel so new to writing and just dabbling in first draft thing now that the journey seems long and formidable! I'm frightened to share anything with others, particularly if my current WIP is more for "practice" or rubbish, but still anxious all the same. Just to see exactly how bad or good I am, ha :)
    Anyway, the story was very cute and nice for younger readers for sure.
    It's funny because I tend to not be around kids and I think that does hinder my perspective or know-how on how kids think or speak..BUT I also think it depends on the particular project and purpose. I know a lot of writers end up writing stories they think is upper MG or YA and it turns out better for lower MG or vice versa, etc. So I guess the best thing to do is just write what's in your head and see what happens :)

    Now I want to work at a zoo :)

    Thanks for the great interview Julie.

    Jill

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the interviw Jill!

      And I think reading inspires me more than anything. Especially holding the books in my hand and imagining that one day (with lots of hard work) I might be able to hold my own book!

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  13. I didn't let myself use my computer last week for anything other than writing. (I'm working on a middle grade "boy" book and needed to push through a snag ~ no "I wonder what's new in my in-box?" or "what are my pals up to on facebook?" for me!) The bad news is, I have scads of emails to go through. The good news is, I have some terrifically fun things to read ~ like Julie's blog and everyone's comments! Thanks for tracking me down at the SCBWI conference and for the great interview questions, Julie. Happy writing everyone, Stephanie

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