 A month ago when Non-fiction for kids writer Kelly Milner Halls invited me to join in the Children’s Author’s Blog Hop, I happily told her I would love to. Then writing deadlines and prep for our Inland NW Regional Conference hit me head on. So here I am a month late. Which worked out okay because since Kelly tagged me, she started a new venture– video episodes on MSN. She’s written and filmed ten 3-minute videos, each exploring something odd and amazing. She’s perfect for this gig because she has written lots of books about odd and amazing things. Like ALIEN INVESTIGATION and IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH. Click here to see her newest video Lulu the Hero Pig. And find out more about Kelly’s books and videos at www.WondersOfWeird.com. So what this blog hop is all about is authors answering four questions about their current project. What are you working on right now? Right now I am working on a YA historical novel set in 1660 Boston about Mary Dyer, a woman who challenged the towns religious persecution of Quakers. Some Quakers suffered whippings, had their ears cut off and were dragged out of town behind a horse and cart. But others, like Mary who would not stay away from Boston and refused to refused to renounce their faith, went to the gallows. Before her hanging, Mary said, “My live not availeth me in comparison to the liberty of the truth.” How does it differ from other works in it’s genre? My novel will differ from other YA fiction based on American history because the main character actually lives in present-day Boston. Her witnessing the hanging of Mary Dyer is not magic, this book isn’t fantasy, but it is mysterious. Religion becomes a place of exploration for many teens. Sometimes what they have taken for granted all their lives, suddenly doesn’t make sense. This book delves into that religious space that is very difficult to quantify. Why do you write what you do? I have a passion for stories about people facing great adversity with courage. Writing stories like the one about Mary Dyer and my upcoming book PURE GRIT: HOW AMERICAN WWII NURSES SURVIVED BATTLE AND PRISON CAMP IN THE PACIFIC has been my way of exploring courage. What it is, and where it comes from. One thing I see again and again is that in their darkest moments people have the opportunity to discover their true identity, and that gives them the courage to follow an inner compass toward some good greater than themselves. What’s the hardest part about writing? For me, the hardest part about writing for kids is the integrity it demands. I want to tell kids the truth, whether it’s the true story of American women in WWII, or a novel composed of events I’ve imagined. Writing the truth about war means you have to get very close to war. If you don’t experience it yourself, you listen to other people’s accounts of it, and you don’t turn away from the ugliness, the horrific loss of life. You let it move through you onto the page. Writing fiction, requires an honesty about your own life experience. What moves through you onto the page of a novel is the emotional truth of living in this world. I find the honesty of the writing process to be very difficult at times. Now if I’ve taken you down a path that is too serious and dark, I urge you to check out Author Stacy McAnulty.  She writes funny books for children, books that usually star dinosaurs or dragons or dogs. DEAR SANTASAURUS, published by Boyds Mills Press 2013, is her debut picture book. She has two additional picture book deals in the works. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. And when she’s not reading, she’s tweeting or playing around online. (She tells her family it’s “marketing.”) Stacy lives in a cluttered house in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 husband. www.stacymcanulty.com  I’m also tagging a friend who works with my same editor at Abrams/ Amulet--fantasy, steam-punk novelist Maureen McQuerry. Maureen’s published works include THE PECULIARS, a YASLA, Bank Street, Horn Book and Westchester YA best book; NUCLEAR LEGACY, an Independent Publisher’s Award winner and numerous poems in literary journals. In the tradition of the Dark Is Rising books, fantasy and myth come to life in Maureen’s forthcoming middle-grade duet. BEYOND THE DOOR and THE TELLING STONE are due out in spring and fall 2014. Connect with Maureen at www.maureenmcquerry.com.  Lastly, I’m tagging Nancy I. Sanders, who I first introduced on this blog when she published FREDERICK DOUGLASS FOR KIDS: HIS LIFE AND TIMES. Nancy is the bestselling and award-winning children's author of D IS FOR DRINKING GOURD: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN ALPHABET. Further, she has written more than 80 books for children, teachers and writers. Her favorite topics to write about are God, Bible stories, educational subjects, and African American history. Find out more about Nancy here http://nancyisanders.wordpress.com. With these authors, I'm giving you a little of everything to choose from, funny picture books, fantasy YA & middle grade adventure, plus more non-fiction. Check 'em out!
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I'm fascinated to discover little-known history, stories of people and events that provide a new perspective on why and how things happened, new voices that haven't been heard, insight into how the past brought us here today, and how it might guide us to a better future.
I also post here about my books and feature other authors and their books on compelling and important historical topics. Occasionally, I share what makes me happy, pictures of my garden, recipes I've made, events I've attended, people I've met. I'm always happy to hear from readers in the blog comments, by email or social media. Archives
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