Interview with children's author Carey Fessler

Children’s writer Jeff Bolinger, aka Carey Fessler, joins me today to chat about his new middle-grade historical suspense book, Foiled.

Welcome, Jeff. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in a military family and moved around more often than a gypsy. My favorite smell is green, favorite flavor is mist, and favorite day of the week is Funday. I wonder if fish wish they could wink and trees wish they could walk. I think it’s bizarre that your belly button harbors more bacteria than there are birds in Borneo. I believe biographies are boring and think it’s fun to speak in silly-sounding sentences with wacky words that start with the same letters. I live in the city of rain and thunder in the land Down Under, which is home to koalas, kangaroos, and kookaburras—a kingfisher. Finally, I believe in exercising your imagination and secretly staying up past your bedtime.

Please tell us about your current release.

Foiled is a Middle Grade pacey, page-turning novel set in 1947, featuring the famed Roswell UFO crash incident near Roswell, New Mexico.

The title Foiled has three meanings:

1.    Foil: noun- referring to the ‘magic foil,’ (piece of thin metal sheet) in the story, which is a piece of alien technology from the crash site of a UFO. On the front cover, you can spot the girl holding it in her hand. ;)

2.    Foil: noun- The two MCs contrast each other and so emphasize and enhance the qualities of the other.

3.    Foil: verb- prevent (antagonists) from succeeding.

What inspired you to write this book?

The idea for the book came after seeing three photographs of a UFO near Roswell, New Mexico that my brother in-law had showed me. As an author I didn’t care if the photos were real or not. I just asked myself, “What happens if … in 1947, two Roswell kids obtain a piece of alien technology and become fugitives?” And that was the seed for the story.

Excerpt from Foiled:

“You’re the first real Indian I ever met,” Billy said. “I was kind of hoping you lived in a tepee.”

“My goat ate it.”

“Where’s your goat?”

“I ate him.”

“Oh.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’ve just finished the last book in my sea-island adventure trilogy:

Shanghaied: Escape from the Blackwolf

Shipwrecked: Dragon Island

Sea Raiders

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The first time I came out of the closet and told someone other than my wife.

Do you write full-time? Yes.

If so, what's your work day like? Up at dawn, walk the dog, eat breakie, and write until noon. Walk the dog, eat lunch, re-write/revise the previous day’s work until 3pm. Walk the dog, do errands, housework and make supper. Rinse and repeat.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I listen to music while I write, either Classical or New Age.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? An oceanographer so I took scuba diving lessons in college and then joined the Navy and served in nuclear submarines, so I came close.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

1. I use the pen name Carey Fessler to honor the two people who encouraged me to read as a kid—my grandparents: My G’ma’s maiden name is Carey and my G’pa’s last name is Fessler … Carey Fessler worked perfectly.

2. Adults are constantly telling children what they can and can’t do.

I set out to write a story about an eleven year old stumbling over endless physical and mental pits, picking herself up, and pushing herself on to discover for herself what she can do. I also wanted to ask, “Would an eleven-year-old stop at the established limits set by the grown-up world to save her friend and family, or would she break those limits?”

3. I’m hoping to turn kids onto reading by sparking their imagination. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is intelligence having fun.”

Thanks for being here today, Jeff.

Interview with author Frances Pauli

Today’s guest is author Frances Pauli and is focused on the first book in her Princes of the Shroud series, Shrouded.

Frances is giving away an e-copy of the book to a lucky commenter (who uses the form below) during her virtual book tour. Feel free to visit other tour stops between now and December 6th and enter for chances to win there, too!

Bio:

Frances Pauli writes speculative fiction, usually with touches of humor or romance, which means, of course, that she has trouble choosing sides.

She's always been a fan of things outside the box, odd, weird or unusual, and that trend follows through to her tales which feature aliens, fairies, and even, on occasion, an assortment of humans.

More information on her work and upcoming releases can be found on her website.

Welcome, Frances. Please tell us about your current release.

Shrouded kicks off a series about a race of aliens who have made their home on the planet Shroud, a veiled world with almost no outside contact. Their culture revolves around their dense, protective atmosphere and the sacred crystal that they use to find and bond with their ideal mates. When the selection process is tampered with, the Shrouded throne and the safety of the whole planet are put in jeopardy.

What inspired you to write this book?

A discussion on planetary science. I’m a pretty big fan of space, and of getting humans into it as soon and as often as possible. I can’t remember where the idea of this heavy, veiled atmosphere sprouted from, but as soon as I worked out that it was possible, then I started to imagine the people who would make their home underneath it, the technology they’d use, and the reasons they might choose to remain secluded. The Shrouded spawned on their own from there, and their stories are still unfolding along the way.

Excerpt:

“I think they’re going to torture us and feed us to something,” Tarren hissed.

“What was that?” Murrel asked.

Vashia stared down the ramp. She took a step forward, and they both followed her. “Nothing, Murrel. It’s going to be fine.” She ignored Tarren’s snort and took another step. The girls that left ahead of them pooled in a bunch around Madame Nerala. They fidgeted and shifted from foot to foot, but the whispers stilled.

The three of them were last to leave the ship. Vashia led the way out into the hangar. The ship a few bays down fired up, drowning out whatever Nerala said to them in a roar of engines. The women moved closer, pressed up beside their newest caretaker and waited for instructions.

The sleds followed the floor lighting between the freighters, weaving toward their individual destinations. Vashia took a step to the side and let Tarren and Murrel squeeze in beside her. She leaned out around the butt of their ship and watched the tunnel where the majority of the cargo seemed to end up. The departing ship’s engines faded as it returned to orbit. Its absence made the regular hangar sounds seem quiet.

“There we go,” Madame Nerala purred. “Now, we’ll head through the atrium and get your rooms assigned. I think you’ll find them comfortable for the short stay. Oh!” Her hands clapped to her mouth and all fourteen bride candidates jumped in place. She waved them to calm with one hand, but the other busily straightened her hair. She stood taller, cast nervous glances to their right.

Vashia followed her gaze and caught her first glimpse of the Shrouded. Two men stalked across the hangar, and she had no doubt at all as to their race. They had to be Shrouded. They couldn’t be anything less. Her jaw dropped open.

“What is it?” Murrel whispered.

Before Vashia could answer, static exploded inside her brain.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I just finished the zero draft of Seen, Princes of the Shroud book two. It features the Seer character from book one and a new race of shape-shifting aliens at war with their technology obsessed cousins. Taking the Princes off of their safe little home world was a lot of fun.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

After I finished my first novel. I had begun many projects before that, but finishing was something I didn’t know I could pull off. Once that happened, I knew I was never going back.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I am a stay at home mom and I home school my two children. That being said, I write full time in the sense that I don’t have another outside job. I write as much and as often as possible, and always have a book in the works. That’s about as full time as I can get around the rest of my crazy. I make time to write. That’s the only real way to find time. And I don’t do idle. If I’m not busy with kids and school, I’m writing nine times out of ten. 

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Aside from having a panic attack at about 35,000 words (every book, I swear) I eat a lot of wasabi peas while writing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a zoologist. Actually, I wanted Marlin Perkins’ job. (Part of me still does)

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

A huge thank you for being readers, for loving books and making it possible for authors to tell stories and keep reading around as long as possible.

Ways to connect: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog

Buy links:

Buy Direct | Amazon | BN

a Rafflecopter giveaway