SNEAKS-A Twisty Middle Grade Mystery: Interview with Author Amy Tern--By Julie Phend

Sneaks is a twisty middle grade mystery by debut author Amy Tern released by Holiday House this summer. I’m excited to interview Amy for the GROG blog.

Author Amy Tern

First, a little about the book:

Rook, a sheltered musical prodigy, couldn’t be more different from Valorie, the troublemaking daughter of his family’s cleaning woman. But their strengths complement each other when they team up to solve the mystery of a piano-playing child hidden in an apartment across the street. Spying from the balcony, Rook and Valorie are alarmed by the strange woman who goes out to buy pizza at the exact same time each day, a child’s simple piano tunes played only when the woman is gone, and a discarded doll whose head has been ripped off. Sensing danger, Rook and Valory try to alert their elders, but no one takes them seriously. As they investigate on their own, they discover important things about themselves, their families, and the assumptions they’ve made. 

This tightly plotted mystery keeps the reader guessing to the very end. Amy’s memorable characters and quirky humor make Sneaks a very fun, enjoyable read! 

We’re so glad to have you as a guest on the GROG Blog, Amy. Tell us a little about yourself and your writing career. 

Amy: I grew up in Colorado, taking the mountains for granted. My heart was in other magical places, such as Narnia, snowbound Canada, Britain with its moors and tea, and that most wondrous place of all, the Past. Little did I know I was living in the old days myself—and deprived of computers and video games, I wrote and illustrated my own books, mostly featuring animal characters because I could draw them better. I continued to write fiction until college. There, I took a creative writing workshop where I was convinced by a bunch of creatively dressed classmates that my writing wasn’t very sophisticated. Experimental fiction was in style, and I didn’t fit in very well. After college, I mostly quit creative writing because I was distracted by having to earn a living. Much later, when I had my own family, I reconnected with my childhood dream of writing kidlit, but getting published was harder than I expected. 

How did you get the idea for Sneaks? 

Amy: When I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window with my two sons, I thought the premise might be good for middle grade. In Sneaks, twelve-year-old Valory and Rook sit on the balcony spying on the neighbors and notice clues that something fishy is going on in the apartment building across the alley. In Rear Window, the police don’t take Jimmy Stewart’s suspicions seriously. In my book, it’s the grown-ups who underestimate the sleuths and accuse them of having overactive imaginations. When Valory and Rook set out to solve the mystery on their own, they break a few rules and make a few bad choices, but they also learn about being brave and following their own consciences. 

Of course, Rear Window has been adapted many times. Hitchcock himself adapted it from a short story by Cornell Woolrich. My book isn’t even the first kids’ version—The Secret Apartment, by Natalie Fast, particularly influenced me. I made the story my own by recalling how my brothers and I used to love sneaking around as kids. When I was eight, my family went to Belgium for three months and lived in a five-story apartment building. My brothers and I explored that place from top to bottom. We couldn’t even watch TV or get our hands on many English-language books, so we spent our time spying on people and having adventures. I tried to capture that sense of exhilaration in the story.

The two main characters in Sneaks are very different. Rook is an introvert and a gifted pianist. Valory is a daring rule-breaker. You tell the story in both their voices. Was that hard to do? Was one character easier to write than the other? 

Amy: This was my first experience writing in dual perspective. It seemed to fit this book, which has two protagonists of equal importance. To me, the hard part was differentiating the voices, but it helps that the characters are such different personalities. Valory is mouthy (to use one of my mother’s favorite words), brash, confident, shrewd, and judgmental. Rook is thoughtful, musically gifted, proud, somewhat timid, and secretive. Valory has to learn to be less self-centered, and Rook to speak up for himself. 

One useful hack I discovered quite by accident. I started out writing Valory’s chapters in first person and Rook’s in third. But I changed my mind and decided that would be too confusing for young readers. After converting Valory’s perspective to third, I was surprised to find that the language had a certain tone—a sort of slangy bounce—that was different than if I’d written it in third person in the first place. The tone served to further distinguish the voices, very subtly. 

There were other devices I used: for example, Valory uses more hyperbole and gives everyone nicknames. Valory is into clothes—what Rook calls a hat, she calls a fedora. Meanwhile, Rook uses a lot of music metaphors and tends to reference science fiction and superhero movies. At an even more granular level, Valory says “anybody” and “somebody,” while Rook says “anyone” and “someone.” More importantly, they notice different things—Valory is visual, while Rook takes in the world through his ears. Valory is highly attuned to hypocrisy in adults, which she calls out and condemns. Rook, who is in awe of his successful parents, struggles to please and is sensitive to any sign of adult displeasure. 

While Sneaks is a story about growing up and speaks to problems common to middle graders—dealing with parents, speaking up, making and keeping friends—it’s also a mystery. Which came first: plot or characters? 

Amy: I guess I would say the plot came first, since I got the idea after watching Rear Window. But I always struggle to write until I have a good sense of the characters. The first clue to the mystery is piano music, emanating from a supposedly empty apartment. I wanted Rook to have a special connection to this music, so I made him a musician. As soon as I did that, his personality and family life all fell into place. As for Valory, I realize now she was partly inspired by The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. I was very much a good kid (an “asparagus-eater,” as Valory would say) but Gilly’s rebelliousness thrilled me to my core. When I read about her blowing an enormous bubble in a social worker’s face, I think that’s when my own character of Valory started germinating in my mind. Valory is different from Gilly in many ways, but there’s definitely a family resemblance. 

What was the most difficult part of this story to write? 

Amy: The beginning is always hard because you need to hook the reader fast. Then again, the middle is where you have to keep raising the stakes, and that’s tough, too. Then again, the end is when the real pressure sets in. You know, it’s all pretty hard! 

That’s the truth! 

Old Town Books

Amy: But seriously . . . writing this book, I struggled most with the character of the villain—the Goblin Woman, as Valory calls her. At first, I set out to make her zany and completely evil, like Cruella DeVille in Dodie Smith’s marvelous 1956 novel, The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Maybe someday I’ll succeed in making that kind of dastardly villain, but I’ve noticed I tend to humanize my antagonists more with every subsequent draft. I start digging into why they’re so dastardly, and then I end up sympathizing with their motives. Which is no bad thing, but it’s tricky to get the balance right. Even if villains come off as realistic, even if they have a proper character arc, even if they make the reader laugh, they must also be dangerous enough to challenge the hero or heroes to the utmost. 

I think you got that just right, Amy. Ms. Smith, the Goblin Woman, is very creepy and sinister until we get a glimpse under that protective armor to the vulnerable woman inside. 

Tell us about your writing process. Are you a pantser or a plotter? 

Amy: I guess I tend more toward the pantsy end of the spectrum. But oh, I wish I could be a plotter so much! Plotters tend to write their books much faster than pantsers. Sometimes I try to construct a proper outline, but it tends to spin out of control until I realize I’m outlining a 700-page book instead of a 200-page book. In the case of Sneaks, I was (very loosely) basing it on Rear Window, so that gave me some structure going in. Near the end of the film, there’s a great scene in which Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) watches helplessly from his window as Lisa (Grace Kelly) goes into danger. He wants to run and save her, but he can’t because he has the world’s most enormous cast on his leg. In my story, Rook doesn’t have a cast, but he’s trapped at home for reasons I won’t go into here. But I was always writing toward my own version of that scene—the going into danger scene—and that helped me keep my direction. 

About your road to publication: How did you find your agent and your editor? Any comments on the publication process? Surprises? 

Amy: It’s been a long road to publication for me: about twelve years of considerable effort. I wrote and queried several manuscripts before Sneaks, including two picture books, two chapter books, and two middle grade novels. I also read craft books and learned a lot about plot (the “p word” was never mentioned in those long-ago creative writing workshops). In the end, I think what kept me going through all the rejection was the support of my critique group. It was just really fun having people read my stuff every week. I learned a lot from their comments and from critiquing their work. After racking up about 200 rejections for my various manuscripts, I finally got a “yes” from an agent, who sold Sneaks within nine months. Unfortunately, my agent left the business not long after. So I’m back to querying again. 

Full disclosure here. Amy and I have been in the same critique group for years, and she’s right. Our wonderful group has been so encouraging. At the same time, the thoughtful, and often tough, feedback has helped us all to grow. 

Amy, though you’ve been writing for many years, this is your first published book. How does it feel to be a debut author receiving a lot of positive attention? How has your life changed since publication? Any hints about what’s next? 

Amy: Being a debut author is exciting. As an introvert, it’s a little nerve-wracking to be out promoting my book and connecting with potential readers. But it’s wonderful, too. I try not to get so distracted by book promotion that I neglect my writing. Ultimately, blowing your horn on social media doesn’t build your career nearly as much as working on your next book. I’m currently revising a previous manuscript, as well as embarking on a new project. Someday I would love to publish those picture books I wrote back in 2011! And maybe I’ll write a mystery for adults one day—who knows? 

The best thing about writing is that no one tells you what to do next. And the worst thing? No one tells you what to do next! But maybe that’s why we love it so much. 

Thank you, Amy! It’s been wonderful talking to you about your marvelous book Sneaks. 

Find it wherever books are sold. 

For more about Amy, visit her website at https://amytern.com/

Little House of Hope (La Casita de Esperanza) A Sneak Preview and Interview with Author Terry Catasús Jennings~Julie Phend

 

 

 

Here’s a sneak preview of The Little House of Hope (La Casita de Esperanza) by Terry Catasús Jennings, illustrated by Raul Colón, scheduled for release by Holiday House on June 14, 2022, and interview with the author.

 

Julie’s Review:

 

This beautiful picture book for ages 4-8 tells the story of a family who immigrates from Cuba to the U.S., where they rent a modest house.

 

It was small. 

It smelled like old, wet socks.

It had rickety, tattered furniture

from a church basement…

 

But the family was together.

They were safe.

They were happy in la casita.

 

To make ends meet, the parents each work two jobs, and Esperanza and her brother Manolo work hard in school. On weekends, they fix up the house, scrubbing, painting, and making repairs. La casita becomes home, complete with the good smells of Mami’s cooking and decorated with the children’s art. Esperanza makes a collage of her name in Spanish and English. Esperanza=Hope, which is what they found in la casita.

As they learn of other families who need somewhere to live, they open their doors. By sharing their home, they help other newcomers achieve their dreams

 

Little House of Hope is a heartwarming story of hard-working immigrants who come to the U.S. full of hope and promise, and share what they have to help others. Terry Catasús Jennings’s text is spare and lyrical, while Raul Colón’s watercolor illustrations bring the family to life in vivid, expressive detail. This is a book that is at once charming and important.

Interview with Author Terry Catasús Jennings:

Terry Catasús Jennings

Julie: Welcome back to the Grog Blog, Terry! Today, we'll talk about The Little House of Hope. Like the family in the book, your family emigrated from Cuba in 1961 when you were twelve years old. How close is the book to your own experience?

 

 

Terry, center, in Cuba with extended family, 1959

Terry:  Oh goodness, so close! When my family (Mom, Dad, my brother Tony and I) came to the U.S., we could only bring fifty dollars and one small suitcase each. Can you imagine starting a new life like that with no one to help you? However, my uncle and his family had been in the U.S. for about a year, and they opened their home to us. They also took in my aunt’s brother and his wife and baby—they lived in the garage like one of the families in the book.

When our family was finally able to rent a house of our own, our furniture came from the church basement, and I decorated the walls with collages I made on colorful poster board. One house we rented did have a peculiar smell, like old wet socks. When we lived with my aunt and uncle, the good smells of my aunt’s cooking filled the house. BUT after we moved out and my mom cooked, it mostly smelled of burnt rice. Mami had never cooked before in her life! She lived with her grandmother until she got married, and then she had a maid. So I stretched things a bit there.

Terry in Cuba with her Mami and Papi and brother Tony

Julie: In your Author’s Note, you say this book was born out of anger. Tell us about that.

 Terry: A realtor I knew told me he never rents to Hispanics because they live four families to a house and trash the property. It made me angry. He knew I was Cuban and had known me for years. Then I had a lightbulb moment: I was one of those people! We lived three families to a home, and we left it better than when we moved in. That was the kernel of Little House of Hope. I wrote the book very quickly. Neal Porter expressed interest within hours of my agent’s e-mail, and we had an offer two weeks later.

 

Julie: What do you love about this book?

Raúl Colón, Illustrator

Terry: How can you not love Raúl Colón’s illustrations? They are so evocative. When Neal Porter, our editor, told me Raúl was to illustrate The Little House of Hope, I was elated. I was already captivated with his work in Good-by Havana, Hello, New York. Raúl is from Puerto Rico and his wife is Cuban, like me. Raúl got Cubans right. One of the spreads in Little House shows the father after he has a good job. That man looks just like my papi. It made me cry.

 

I also love that I got to do the translation for La Casita de Esperanza. Neal allowed me to keep my Cubanisms, words like guagua, which we use for bus, when other Latin American countries use autobus. I had a fairy godmother, Eida DelRisco, who watched over me to make sure my grammar and usage were correct. We found that some phrases were more lyrical in Spanish, so we changed the English to match. When we got a review that praised the lyricism of my Spanish, I knew we’d nailed it. I couldn’t be happier about the way the whole project turned out.

 

Julie: Many of your books are based on your life experiences. As a writer, how do you mine your past for story ideas?

 

With friends, in costumes

Terry: As writers, our experiences always inform our stories. In the Definitely Dominguita series, I was the girl who was just as happy reading as doing anything else. I didn't need friends because I had my books. When I look at pictures from when I was young, so many show me in costumes because we loved to pretend. That became the basis for Dominguita.

The story of The Little House of Hope is largely true. I use events in my life in all my stories. I have experienced discrimination—stupid things, large and small, that made me feel like a second-class citizen. Those experiences hurt. For the longest time I wouldn't tell anyone I was Cuban. My English was good, my last name was Jennings. Nobody needed to know. I kept that up until I was 46 years old!

 

Having experienced discrimination, I want my books to show that people like me are not different. When I was younger, I used to tell my friends, "You know, there were big buildings, museums, and world-renowned restaurants in Cuba, too," because many kids thought I’d lived in a hut made of sticks with a thatched roof. When people view you through a lens that distorts the truth, it’s your responsibility to bring that truth out in your books.

U.S. Citizenship Day (Terry in green)

 

From anger, I hope this book brings understanding. It is dedicated with unwavering gratitude to the country that took us in, and to all immigrants who come to the United States in search of hope.

 

Julie: Thank you, Terry, for your insights. Best wishes for success with Little House of Hope. It’s a lovely book. 

 

 

 

NF4NF

By Janie Reinart

 

With a hoot, a holler,and a howdy do, a lovely dinner started the festivities at the Nonfiction for New Folks Conference (NF4NF) in Fredericksburg,Texas.  

Pat Miller

At this four day event, our own GROGer, Pat Miller lassoed us up tight in southern hospitality. 

Now here comes the excitin' part. Pat created, hosted, and presented at the conference with her stellar faculty.

Peggy Thomas

NF4NF had it all covered, from the esteemed author of the Anatomy of Nonfiction, Peggy Thomas to the entertaining singing Zoologist, Lucas Miller!

Lucas Miller, Steve Swinburne, Damon Dean

Now you can just start to get a kinda pretty picture up inside your head about the sixteen main power sessions we had. 

We commenced to havin' a whole heap of fun with critique groups, an ice cream social (peach pecan),Texas BBQ, line dancing, prize drawings,and an assignment while exploring Fredericksburg.

Here are some golden nuggets from the faculty: 

Pat Miller: "Use layered text such as charts, tables, graphs, timelines, diagrams, and text boxes in your nonfiction writing."  

Peggy Thomas:
"Infuse an image system into your story." Peggy subtly wove in agricultural words in her book, Farmer George.

Kristen Fulton: Recommends having three primary sources, two secondary sources and one other source like the internet.

Steve Swinburne

Steve Swinburne: "Devise a photo want list for your story. Think ahead. Scout locations. So shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Digital has made life easy." 

Kelly Loughman: "If you've got the hook, you've got the book." Know thy publisher. Make sure your story is a good fit.

 

Kristi Holl

Kristi Holl: Assess where you are in your writing career. Keep track of how you are using your time. "Time is like a walk-in closet. If you keep pushing things in and not taking things out, it will explode."

Lucas Miller: Your story/song should "be compelling and entertaining with an emotional impact to make an enjoyable experience with science."

The Hill Country University Center, built in 2010, is home base.

This is what Arlene C. Graziano, a conference attendee had to say about the conference, 

"Informational, entertaining, inspiring, and approachable presenters spoke, sang, counseled and chatted. (A few danced, but that's another story.) Pat welcomed us with great food, facts, and fun."

Pat, we all are a fixin' to say,"Thank you, Ma'am, for a boot scootin', rip roarin' great time."

#145675657 / gettyimages.com