Why do I write Middle Grade? Middle grade is the starting point to get kids
really keen on books. Of course, the earlier the better with read aloud stories
and the old favorites, but middle grade has a special attraction to get kids
hooked. My grandson is hooked on the Wimpy Kid series and my granddaughter is
hooked on Harry Potter – say no more. My first middle grade was about Worry Dolls,
basically a story for girls and from the aspect of school bullies – and this
new book is for boys!
Why Goblins? I once read that witches, wizards, vampires and fairies are over
represented in kids’ books. Then I thought – well, goblins could be a bit
different. I started out with the idea of writing about a nice friendly goblin
– but sadly, Hob Gob changed things, and my little hero turned into a dirty,
smelly, greedy little villain. The twins Jerry and Jacob find him on their ‘big
adventure’ and can’t wait to get rid of the little squirt. That’s what happens
when a story writes itself! And stories always
write themselves, no matter what good intentions you have at the start.
Why Ravenswood? Kitty Honeycutt seems like a hard-working
publisher who wants to make a success of things. I hope it works out, don’t we
all. Wish us both luck. The websites are very detailed and the MG and
children’s books are part of Sunquills. Also, they work together with
Scholastic, which I consider good. Watch this space and I’ll keep you posted
about Ravenswood.
About me? Well, I have been writing in my free time for years, but now I have
retired from teaching I can spend more time writing and re-writing. A lot of my
ideas come from my school experiences, yes, I kept a school diary for a few
years – and there are many many stories waiting to be told. But for quite a few
years I was also a Town Councilor for the Green Party. My passions were /are
education, integration and the handicapped. Language alone isn’t the key to
successful integration of our new immigrants – involvement and education are
just as important. I have founded a local charity – The World of Reading –
and we bring books and stories to kids in our town.
And here is a taste of ‘There’s
a Stinky Goblin in the Shed’ – lovely pen drawings by Eva Kuenzel and 5
Star Reviews already 😊
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