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/

The Researcher’s Treasure Hunt: Finding the Heart of "The Secret War"

By Todd Burleson

If you looked at my Google Drive right now, you wouldn't see a neat folder for a published novel. You’d see a decade-long archaeological dig.

Writing The Secret War wasn’t a straight line; it was a 13-year journey of uncovering the "wrong" stories to eventually find the one that truly mattered. As authors, we often feel like we’re on a long road trip where we’ve been pulled to the side with a flat tire or a busted radiator. There were even long stretches where it felt like the car had broken down entirely and I simply abandoned it—only to find it still there a year later, waiting to be repaired and driven again.

But in those moments of being "stuck," we notice the horizon at sunrise even more. Inspiration is everywhere if you are looking for it.

From Identity to Authenticity: The Shift from Jamie to Jamie

In the early versions of this manuscript, the protagonist was a 13-year-old Black girl. I spent months lost in the fascinating history of the Coffey School in Chicago and the incredible WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots). I loved learning about these pioneers, but as a new writer, I began to feel a deep responsibility toward representation.

Black and female characters have, for too long, been written through the lens of cis white men. I felt that as a debut author, I wanted to focus on an identity I "knew" from experience to ensure the story remained authentic. Jamie eventually became the boy I wish I could have been in 1944—someone who would have given anything to look Orville Wright in the eye.

The Heart vs. The Blood: Centering the Young Reader

Orville Wright was the inspiration for this entire project and has fueled my lifelong fascination with flight. In my initial drafts, the adult characters were front and center, but I realized I needed to bring the story back to a relatable reader audience.

I shifted the adult storylines to the background to ensure the boys remained the heart and soul of the book. If the boys are the heart, Orville is the blood pumping through their veins—his presence is felt everywhere, even when he is pushed into the shadows as a 72-year-old recluse in chronic pain.

From Trope to Truth: Trading "Green Goo" for Reality

As an educator and librarian, I’ve read thousands of middle-grade books, and I’ve learned that young readers don’t need "kid gloves". They need empathy and truth.

In my early drafts, the antagonist, Billy, was a cartoonish bully whose father suffered from a sci-fi version of "radiation sickness"—complete with glowing green goo. I eventually realized that by leaning on lazy tropes, I was robbing the story of its power. I traded the "goo" for the terrifying reality of the Dayton Project. In the final version, the tragedy is real: Billy is a victim of the system he’s trying to protect, carrying a warm, gray piece of Polonium-210 like a treasure while the adults look the other way.

The "Magnesium Glow" of the Future

The adult story that I "killed" in The Secret War hasn't actually vanished. It has become my next project, currently titled Magnesium Glow. This book is a narrative non-fiction biography of Colonel George Hatcher, the man who gave Orville his final flight on April 26, 1944. It explores the "Venn diagram" that brought these two amazing men together in Dayton, and I am incredibly proud to finally give Hatcher’s story the focus it deserves.

Looking Toward the Horizon

It is tough to give writing the time it deserves when you are working, raising kids, and simply surviving. But with retirement from my 34-year career in education now on the horizon, I am overjoyed. I’m looking forward to building more efficient routines while still allowing myself the time to wander the lakeshore and soak in the beauty of Kenosha.

The "Writer’s Math" of my journey—writing 500,000 words to find the 35,012 that mattered—wasn't a waste. It was the fuel.

What "scraps" are sitting in your own files waiting to become their own story? How have you balanced the "survival" of daily life with the need to wander and find inspiration? I’d love to hear about your own creative path in the comments.

Finding the Right Container: How a 10-Year Research Rabbit Hole Finally Took Flight by Todd Burleson

Every historical fiction writer knows the danger of the research rabbit hole. You go into the archives looking for a simple background detail to flesh out a scene, and you stumble across a footnote so staggering it derails your entire project.

For me, that footnote was a date: April 26, 1944.

I was working as an elementary school librarian, researching the Wright brothers, when I learned that on this day, Orville Wright stepped onto the tarmac at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, to take his final flight. He climbed aboard a Lockheed Constellation, a sleek, futuristic aircraft whose 123-foot wingspan was actually longer than the entire distance of his historic first flight at Kitty Hawk forty years earlier. During the 50-minute flight, Orville even took the controls, later joking, "I guess I ran the whole plane for a minute, but I let the machine take care of itself. I always said airplanes would fly themselves if you left them alone".

As a writer, my brain lit up. The poetic contrast between that fragile 1903 flyer and the massive 1944 wartime transport was irresistible. I was determined to tell this story.

My research journey hit a gold mine when I connected with George Hatcher Jr., the son of Colonel George Hatcher, the pilot who flew Orville that day. George Jr. generously shared his father's firsthand accounts, including articles, personal reflections, and even audio recordings from a local radio station. Having those primary sources, hearing the actual voices and reading the immediate reflections of the people in the cockpit, infused the history with an authenticity I could never have invented.

Armed with this incredible research, I sat down and wrote the story. Because of my background in the school library, I envisioned it as a 1,000-word picture book. I polished it, sent it out on submission, and waited.

It was rejected across the board.

For years, the manuscript sat dormant. I couldn't understand why a story with such incredible, primary-source-backed history wasn't landing.

It took a conversation with a brilliant publishing innovator to help me realize my mistake: the history was solid, but I had put it in the wrong container. That single historical moment was too heavy, too complex to be confined to a 1,000-word picture book. It didn't want to be the entire story; it wanted to be the symbolic anchor for something much larger.

I took the story down to the studs and rebuilt it a dozen times, but it now lives as a middle-grade historical fiction novel, The Secret War.

In the expanded canvas of a novel, Orville’s brief appearance on the tarmac took on a much deeper meaning. To my 12-year-old protagonists, the Lockheed Constellation represents the thrilling dawn of modern aviation, but it also casts the dark shadow of wartime progress. By 1944, the pure dream of flight born in a bicycle shop had evolved into terrifying machinery, while their own hometown of Dayton was secretly processing radioactive "spark plugs" for the atomic bomb. The history finally had room to breathe, perfectly encapsulated by a realization in the book: "The plane was the dream. The cloud was the cost".

It took me more than ten years to realize that a rejected manuscript doesn't always mean a bad idea. Sometimes, our meticulous historical research just needs a bigger canvas.

To my fellow writers: do you have a "failed" prototype or a rejected manuscript sitting in a drawer? If you look at the research you gathered for it, is it possible the story isn't dead, but just waiting for you to build a different container?

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The Secret War officially launches on April 1st. To learn more about the book, download the free Educator's Guide, or explore more of the history behind the story, please visit my website at toddburlesonwonders.com.

What I Have Learned So Far About Trust and Truth in Indie Publishing by Todd Burleson

In my first post for the GROG Blog, I shared what I had learned about stepping into the world of independent publishing, choosing an editor, launching a Kickstarter campaign, and discovering communities like Reedsy. That was the beginning of my journey.

This time, I would like to share what happened next. Two areas in particular have taught me lessons that might be useful for other writers, whether you are publishing independently or traditionally:

1. Trusting beta readers with a manuscript that has been more than a decade in the making.
2. Wrestling with cover design and learning how to make the outside of a book feel as true as the inside.

My son Jack experiencing flight for the first time, the same feeling I had when I sent the manuscript to beta readers.

Trusting Others With the Story

After thirteen years of shaping this story, handing it to beta readers felt both thrilling and terrifying. I did not choose my readers casually. Colleagues brought professional expertise. Friends knew me well enough to be honest and kind to me. Children, the very audience I was writing for, helped me see what rang true and what did not.

To make it easier for them, I prepared different file formats, including PDFs, ePubs, and print copies for adults, as well as simple tablet-ready files for kids. I created feedback forms that felt like conversations rather than assignments. Parents were invited to read alongside their children, allowing questions to be discussed together.

What I have received so far has been thoughtful and respectful, full of insights that push me to refine characters and settings. It has reminded me that feedback is not just about affirmation. It is about making the story more lifelike and rich.

Waiting for feedback is not idle. It is the work of trust.

For me, the real lesson is that independent publishing is not only about control. It also requires the courage to let go and trust others with the story.

One of my early cover drafts. Beautiful, but not the right fit.

Finding the Outside of the Book

While feedback was coming in, I faced another challenge: the cover.

My first experiments in Canva were clumsy but thrilling. For the first time, the manuscript looked like a book. But early designs worried me. Would they look unprofessional, too homemade, not worthy of the years I had invested?

I experimented with AI images and hired a designer whose work I admired. Neither approach fit. The results were too fantastical, too young, or too far from the tone of a story grounded in WWII Dayton, Ohio.

The lesson was clear: talent is not enough. Fit and truth matter most.

In the end, I returned to my own drafts, layering figures, planes, and backgrounds like a collage. I used ChatGPT as a critique partner, asking it to respond as a professional cover designer. The feedback was concrete and immediate. It was not perfect, but it helped me move forward.

A cover is not just decoration. It is the invitation to the story inside.

Would I have preferred to hire a professional? Absolutely. But working independently often means picking your battles. I invested in the best editor I could afford, which meant learning to stretch myself in other areas of my work.

Lessons for Any Writer

Independent publishing has stretched me in ways I never expected. It has asked for patience, humility, and the willingness to learn skills I had never practiced before.

For any writer, regardless of publishing path, two lessons stand out:

• Trust others with your story. Beta readers, editors, and critique partners are essential to the writing process.
• Stay grounded in truth. Do not chase trends. Make sure the inside and outside of the book reflect the story you believe in.

Independent publishing may seem like a form of control, but in reality, it demands courage —the courage to let your work leave your hands and live in the world.

A glimpse at my work over the past thirteen years, from drafts to research notes to cover iterations.

These lessons are still unfolding for me, which is why they are worth sharing now. Publishing is not only about finishing a manuscript. It is about releasing it into the world in ways that require both trust and truth.
I look forward to sharing the next installment in this process.

I would love to hear from you, what part of your own publishing journey has taught you the most, and what you wish you had known sooner?