Writer Spotlight: Patti Bumpus Richards

Another place, freelance magazine gigs, Red Line, Miranda Paul, sing me a story, and packing: author Patti Richards

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author Patti Bumpus Richards.

I first knew I was a writer in the 7th grade. My teacher gave us an assignment (I don’t remember what it was), and I remember looking out the window and writing from what felt like another place, outside of the classroom. When I got my paper back she had written a note encouraging me to explore my gift and see how far it would take me. I’ve been exploring for more than 20 years now and loving every minute of it.

Another place. Do you still get to that place when writing?

I do! But not every time I sit down to work. It most often happens when I’m getting down an early draft of a new manuscript or when I’ve had a breakthrough during revision. When I’m intentional about having that “another place” experience, it requires quiet, comfort with where I’m working, and a deep sense of peace with urgency that the words I’m writing need to live…whether out in the world or in my computer.

After a successful education career in which she taught middle and high school language arts, social studies, public speaking and theater, Patti Richards’ inspirational connection with children simply could not be contained in the classroom. Her innate way with a story and her love of literature had long inspired her teaching. She’d written plays for her students and short stories and little snippets of this and that, but in retirement, she found she had much more to say.

Did that 7th grade teacher have any part in your career in education? Plays and short stories while you’re busy teaching?

Yes, she did! Miss Sorell had a wonderful connection to her middle school students. When I landed in a middle school classroom after first being a high school teacher, I knew I had found my sweet spot. The example she set for me all those years earlier was what I tried to emulate with my kids.

And yes, even as a busy teacher, I was always writing or working away at grading or meeting with students one-on-one to go over their revisions. I always tried to model a good work ethic to my kids, and if I gave them a writing assignment and time to do it in class (which I pretty much always did), I wanted them to see me writing too and sharing my work with them. That way no one had to feel shy about reading a crappy first draft to the group. I hope I created a safe space for my kids to share their work with me.

Patti’s insightful features on parenting, women’s health and education have been published in San Diego Parent, The Lookout, Homelife, Metro Parent and in many other print and digital publications nationwide. Patti was a Third Place Winner in the Smart Writers Amazing Story Contest in 2010 and also received the Gold Medal Award for Special Section Within a Publication (55K+ circulation), from Parenting Publications of America in 2003.

That was a whole freelance magazine writing career you carved out. What worked for you, back in the days there were still print magazines?

It all started for me when I nominated my husband for Westland’s Father of the Year Award and he won! Yes, you read that right! LOL! I had written my first picture book when my middle child was around 3, and had a request for the full manuscript, so I had already been bitten by the kid-lit bug. 

But I was also a stay-at-home mom picking up substitute teaching jobs and looking for writing gigs to bring in extra money. When I went in for the Observer interview about my husband winning Father of the Year, God whispered, “Ask the question!” 

So, at the end of the interview I asked the editor if they ever used stringers to cover local stories. She said “yes” and that she’d be in touch if/when something came up. Within a week I had my first assignment. 

From there, I started researching other local publications and found that the Metro Parent Publishing Group was taking submissions for story ideas on parenting and local resources for parents. I don’t remember what my first assignment for them was, but I developed a great relationship with the editor and worked regularly for them for several years. I did a ton of online content work for my BFF who was a magazine editor in Nashville at the time. This helped me make other connections and develop new relationships with other editors.

I think what worked for me that still works for anyone building the contract side of their writing career is what I mentioned above: developing good relationships with editors so they remember you and keep asking you to write for them. 

How do you do this? Always submit your assignments on time (early), submit the absolute best first draft of your assignment as possible (which means you’re actually submitting your fourth, fifth, or 10th draft), make your work as error free as you can, stick to your style guide like glue, and take every editorial suggestion without question. 

That last one might seem like a stretch and make some writers uncomfortable, but stay with me here. If you do everything an editor asks you to do with a, “Oh wow, I never thought of that, what a great suggestion, I love your ideas for this section, can’t believe I didn’t think of that” attitude, you will get asked back, again and again. Trust me on this!

Her first children’s story, “Fishing on the Black Volta,” was published in Boy’s Quest Magazine.

Was Boy’s Quest a scouting magazine? Do you like to fish? Did you know you were a children’s writer when this piece was published?

Boys’ Quest was part of the Fun for Kidz family of print magazines that included Boys’ Quest, Hopscotch for Girls, and Fun for Kidz. In the last few years, they combined the three into just Fun for Kidz, and it is still available as a print magazine. 

The “Fishing” piece was about my husband’s years spent growing up in West Africa as a child of missionaries. His dad took the family camping on the river once each year, and the fish they caught were massive! 

A favorite old family photo is of my father-in-law and a friend holding up a fish they had caught. They had their arms stretched completely out above their heads, holding the fish between them and it was so big the tail bent and spread out at their feet. Listening to my husband talk about these fishing adventures, including hippos swimming in the river and monkeys swinging from the trees inspired the story. And yes, I do love to fish!

Did I know I was a writer for children when this was published? I’m grateful to say that I did. That doesn’t mean I haven’t questioned that along the way, but thankfully never enough to quit!

Tell us about your non-fiction books.

OIL POWER!, THE APOLLO MISSIONS, THE SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS and ALL ABOUT SOCIAL NETWORKING, were each work-for-hire opportunities with Red Line Editorial. Writers submit a resume and writing samples to them with areas of interest, and they keep those on file. When a project comes up that looks like it might fit the writer’s interests, they reach out with an offer, style guide, deadlines, pay, etc. You usually have a few days to consider and then get back to them, then they send you a contract to esign, and you get started. 

These books can take a few weeks up to a few months to complete, because of the research. But I really enjoy research, and I love revising, so they were fun for me. Getting to do these books was a nice resume builder that led to an opportunity to write for Capstone’s Pebble Go and Pebble Go Next online social studies websites. 

Writing pieces for them has opened a door to write a nonfiction very early reader (grades 1-2) book about Indigenous People’s Day which comes out in 2027. I’m in the middle of that right now. It’s just 150 words with an ATOS level of 2.5, so it’s been challenging, but such fun!

Your work is part of the award-winning poetry collection, THANKU: POEMS OF GRATITUDE. How much of a part? How did your poetry find this collection?

This is a great example of how SCBWI Michigan writers help each other. My dear friend and long-time writing partner, Lisa Rose, saw an email newsletter from Miranda that had an opportunity to submit a poem for her upcoming collection. She had already contracted with well-known children’s poets for most of the poems but wanted to leave one or two spaces open for new writers. 

Since Lisa knows my work so well, and how much I love writing poetry and rhyme in particular, she forwarded me the email with big letters in the subject line: YOU NEED TO DO THIS! All caps from Lisa always means I need to stop what I’m doing and see what’s up! LOL! 

So, I did. I read Miranda’s requirements for the poem, “kid-centered poem about Thankfulness, rhyming or prose.” I can’t remember the other parameters, but I think there were a few other things, deadline, wordcount, etc. So, I got to work right away.

I tried to remember something I had been thankful for when I was a kid, and I thought about getting my first pair of glasses. I had been squinting for so long because I couldn’t see the chalkboard. But I didn’t want to tell my parents, because I didn’t want to wear glasses. 

I then made a connection to Alice Through the Looking Glass and seeing things clearly, and that’s where the idea for my poem came from for “Alice Thanks the Looking Glasses.” I finished it just in time for the deadline and hit send!

A little while later she wrote back and told me how much she liked my poem…especially how kid-centric it was, and invited me to be part of the collection.

THANKU was edited by Miranda Paul. How much did you get to interact with her?

It was, and working with her was a great experience. She sent me notes about my poem and we emailed back and forth a few times until it was just right. She was very encouraging. What you see in the collection was probably my fifth or sixth draft. 

Then being part of such an amazing group of writers for the launch was incredible. And I have to admit being a little awestruck when I saw my poem alongside the work of Jane Yolen, Charles Ghinga, and other poets I admire!

There’s so much power in helping each other! I’m so grateful for Lisa, because without her forwarding me that email, I would have missed this opportunity!

The Story of MRS. NOAH

Mining For Information

So, You Want to Be a Writer?

Sing Me a Story!

These are presentations you offer. You’re still a teacher, aren’t you? Sing Me a Story?

Once a teacher, always a teacher, right? I retired from full-time teaching when my oldest was 4 years old. But I continued to substitute teach and tutor privately until he finished fifth grade. My school presentations are directly connected not just to the things I’ve had published, but to other things I love. 

I’m a musician…play the piano and sing, and dabble in the guitar, organ and the mountain dulcimer. I still don’t practice like I should (sorry, Mom). But having other creative outlets feeds my writing. For example, Sing Me a Story is for very young audiences about seeing/hearing the music in rhyming and lyrical picture books and how that works together!

Painting and piano are some of the things you enjoy. What kind of painting do you do? How much fun do you have with a piano in the house?

I don’t paint as much as I used to, but I love acrylics and drawing/creating with charcoal/pastels. My daughters also love to paint, so when they lived at home, the easel in my office got lots of use. 

My entire family sings, so we love family sing-a-longs when we’re all together. And thirty minutes of playing/singing when I’m getting ready to write or have been at it for a few hours, helps center and feed my heart. It is one way I have devotions, offer my personal praise to God and thank Him for the gifts that words and music have been in my life.

The story of Mrs. Noah is apocryphal. A first-ever cruise family vacation, and you’re trying to manage the logistics of the trip for every one of your family members. How did the trip go?

It turned out well. It was a celebration for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, and they had a blast. I’ll never take another cruise again (unless it’s a much smaller boat)…too many people, not a big enough swimming pool, and I’m a bit claustrophobic…but I’m grateful we got to do it when we did. But wow, I was so tired when we got home, so MRS. NOAH was her story AND my story!

SNOW ANGELS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Curious World, January 2014)

Two sisters head out into the snow to make snow angels and snow pie! But when they go to bed, the snow angel sisters come to life and have a moonlit adventure all their own. Ages 4-7.

Big name publisher, 2014. What was that experience like?

Well, the company that actually bought and published SNOW ANGELS, was called MeeGenius. It was during those years when eBooks/book apps for kids were going to be all the rage. 

At some point…I think it was a couple of years after SNOW ANGELS came out…MeeGenius was bought by HMH and came under their Curious World imprint. So, I worked with a HMH acquisitions person for a bit during the transition and it was a positive experience. 

One nice thing that did come out of it was that the person the MeeGenius authors were in contact with at HMH went on to work briefly for a similar venture through Amazon called Amazon Rapids. So, I got a chance to do a couple of work-for-hire stories for them. 

Amazon Rapids is now defunct, and although Curious World still exists, they only have a small fraction of the original stories still available. The good news is that I did get my rights back to SNOW ANGELS, so you never know what might be next for that piece.

30 years of experience writing for magazines, newspapers, websites, publishing companies and poetry journals. Ten years’ experience teaching English, creative writing and theatre.

Is there any kind of writing you haven’t done but would like to try?

You know, the two things I haven’t tried are writing YA and books for adults. I know I’m not a YA writer, so I don’t have to think about that one. But sometimes I think about writing a book for young women. 

There are so many things I’ve learned along the way about life, faith, having it all but not all at the same time, being a mom/wife/daughter/sister/friend all at the same time, body image, loving yourself and seeing yourself the way God sees you, I’d love to share them. 

I’d think of it as a love letter to my adult daughters and their friends filled with all of things I wish someone had told me when I was their age. I do lots of that with them now, but I think writing it all down (as if that’s even possible) is something that would make my heart sing. I’d feel I’d done all I could do to speak into their lives and make the journey better somehow.

I’d also like to do more conference/public speaking. As a former theatre teacher, I love teaching about the art of performance storytelling and how it informs writing and enhances author visits.

You helped found The Mitten, and conducted interviews for the Writer Spotlight. Which interviews did you most enjoy?

Wow, I’d forgotten I used to do the Writer Spotlights as well as Hugs and Hurrahs! LOL! You know, the interviews I loved the most were from the people I knew the least about. I learned something valuable from every friend I was meeting for the first time.

SE Michigan as a Shop Talk area doesn’t exist for SCBWI-MI anymore. But you had a stellar group of kidlit talent in that group, back in the day. Your group had some memorable meet ups (now I see why Shop Talks works better). What are some of your favorite memories?

Oh, my goodness…we had some wonderful Shop Talks! We met at the historic Spicer Farmhouse at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills, and what an amazing venue for creative souls. 

We had so many great speakers—Lisa Wheeler, Nancy Shaw, Shutta Crum, Ruth McNally Barshaw, Rhonda Gowler Green, Kelly Dipuccio (those names just jumped out of my memory)—we had agents and editors, volunteers who researched topics to share with the group, we used SCBWI video master classes, hosted panel discussions, and our most popular thing, critique days. I was co-chair with Jennifer Rumberger and then with Kris Munroe, and what a blessing they both were to work with!

Another project I’m focused on right now is about helping kids talk about difficult subjects. It’s called “The Elephant in the Room.” It’s my hope that this one finds its way to the right publishing home soon once I start submitting, because it’s so needed.

I’m also playing around with a fractured fairy tale called, “A Needle in a Haystack.” It’s a western/cowgirl-themed version of the “Princess and the Pea,” and I’m having tons of fun with it!

Anything come of Elephant or Haystack?

Not yet. I’ve set both aside for a while as other things I want to say, characters that need to speak, rise to the surface. I’ve learned over the years that some stories are as much about therapy for the writer and taking time to play with words as they are about publication.

You moved your office to a bedroom. Is that still your workspace? How has it changed over the years?

Not her workspace

Ha! Well, I have an absolutely beautiful office/creative space. When I moved out of the corner of the dining room, my youngest had come home from Calvin University because of COVID, my middle child had just graduated from Calvin as was starting her first teaching job that suddenly became virtual, and my husband was working from home because of shutdown. So, the girls had desks in their rooms, Gene was working from the dining room table, and I was in my office. 

As things began to open up again, my RA started to flare and I found myself working from my recliner in our family room more than from my office. My office then became the staging area for two weddings, the spare bedroom complete with camp bed, and the place to hide and wrap Christmas presents. 

I’m happy to say that my RA is back under control, my office is sparkling clean, I have a new monitor that allows me to have two versions of my novel on the screen while revising, and some pictures of my precious grandbabies…we now have three. But where am I writing from most of the time (right now even)? From my recliner by the fire place in our family room! LOL!

Ida Pluck’s Cluck?

Oh, my goodness, my dear IDA PLUCK! Her story won first place in the Detroit Writing Room awards a few years ago, and an updated version of the story took 8th place in the Writer’s Digest Awards in 2023. She is one of my favorite characters, and I’m trying my best to sell her story. She deserves to be heard! 

Ida Pluck is a duck who wants to cluck instead of quack. But no matter how hard she tries, she cannot talk chicken! When auditions for the yearly Cluck Cabaret come around, she decides that auditioning for the show is the best way to win the friendship and approval of the barnyard biddies. While waiting in line, she is overcome by the tune and beat of the music and starts quacking. The chickens, who are desperate for an alto voice to complete their Classical Cluck Quartet, hear her voice and decide they’ll take a chance on her after all. 

And for the rest, maybe you’ll get to read her tale someday! This one is actively on submission, and I’d like to thank the amazing Lisa Wheeler for challenging me to turn this story on its head and see it in a completely different way. If you are ever in need of a top-shelf critique and Lisa Wheeler is open, do it!

What’s next for Patti Richards?

Well, between submitting, revising and writing new stories, being Grammar to my three grandkids who all live in Grand Rapids, becoming a caregiver to my aging parents and being available to my adult children and my friends whenever they need me, Gene and I are determined to travel more. We have our sights set on the British Countryside sometime in 2026, but God’s plans are always better than ours, so we’ll have to wait and see.

And, I’m gearing up for a book release in the Spring of 2027 with The Little Press/Bless This Press! It’s called THEN GOD WHISPERED: A LITTLE CREATION STORY. But you’ll have to wait to hear more about that next year! Oh, and I fully intend to keep listening for God whispers that turn into ideas that become stories. I hope what I’ve shared here inspires you to do the same.


Please share any social media:

Patti is currently open for picture book critiques. Visit www.pattigail1.com and click on the Critiques tab to learn more.

Website: www.pattigail1.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattigrichards/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pgwrites5

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15888762.Patti_Richards

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/pgrichards

Book Birthday Blog with Christina Wyman

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to Christina Wyman on the release of Breakout

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book? Is this part of a series? 

My books tend to be very personal projects, so they each deal with an issue that impacted my life as a child – in whatever way that happens to be. In the case of Breakout, the main character deals with debilitating acne, and is something that most adolescents can relate to on some level! But it also deals with complicated relationship dynamics. The main character, Ellis Starr, struggles with her best friend (who doesn’t suffer from acne), and is also having to come to terms with the fact that her single mom started dating again. All of this has been pretty rough on Ellis – she just wants to feel normal. 
 
But I have to give a lot of credit to my dad for this one – during a conversation one day, he told me about a friend of his whose daughter was dealing with a terrible case of acne  – to the extent where she didn’t want to go to school. I remember those days well, and boy, did my wheels start turning. Breakout was born from that conversation. Sometimes it takes a simple conversation with our parents to remind us of the adolescent trials and tribulations of long ago!
 
Breakout is my third standalone novel, so, not a series. But all of my books deal with adolescent life in some way!  

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book? 

I’ve always struggled with this question because, as every artist knows, once your art is out in the world, it no longer belongs to you – and people are going to take away whatever they’re called to take away. For these reasons and more, I don’t really write with specific messages or goals for readers in mind. What I always hope for is that readers feel seen in the books that I write, in whatever way makes sense for them. (And I absolutely love when they write to me to tell me about it!) 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book? 

I find that writing standalone novels in the same genre presents a host of possibilities – but also challenges. For me, the challenges involve creating characters and plotlines (whether major or minor) that do not feel too much like characters that have already appeared in my other books. I don’t want readers to feel like they’re reading the same stories over and over, so I work the hardest at really differentiating each book so that they feel like they stand on their own two feet. (Also, I wrote Breakout twice, which was its own unique challenge!) 

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it? 

I am very fortunate that my publisher handles a lot of this piece, but locally, I like to visit schools and bookstores during launch season. Breakout can be found wherever books are sold! I have received so many wonderful opportunities to talk with kids, families, teachers, and librarians. Word of mouth is really how middle grade books get momentum. 

What's next for you? 

I am very lucky to be crossing the finish line with my fourth book, Mean, about an eighth-grade girl struggling with her friendships and other middle school trickiness. Stay tuned! 

More about the book . . . 

Taken from Amazon: 
From the USA Today–bestselling author of Jawbreaker and Slouch, Breakout is a fresh and funny middle-grade novel about a girl with chronic acne figuring out how to feel good in her own skin.



Ellis Starr likes learning about active volcanoes. She does not like having acne that
resembles them. But it’s not just cosplaying as a pepperoni pizza that has Ellis on the verge of erupting. Her mom’s hot-and-cold moods have the two of them butting heads nonstop―especially now that her mom is dating for the first time since her parents’ separation. Then there’s her best friend, Aggy, whose own life―and skin―seem perfect. And who could forget that Ellis still needs to decide on a research topic for a big school project.



With eighth grade proving to be every bit as pesky as a new pimple, Ellis’s only bright spot is the time she spends with her aunt Lydia, whose adorable puppy, Rocco, is a natural stress reliever. (And perhaps the perfect subject for her project.) Maybe this season of breakouts can lead to a breakthrough about what Ellis needs to truly feel good in her own skin.



Rising star author Christina Wyman takes on a quintessential middle-school experience―acne―with her trademark humor, honesty, and heart. Breakout is a must-read for kids ages 8-12 who love Raina Telgemeier, Terri Libenson, Kelly Yang, Gordon Korman, and other endlessly funny and deeply heartfelt books that tackle big topics and universal coming-of-age experiences alike. 

If you enjoyed Breakout, you’ll also love the USA Today bestsellers Jawbreaker and Slouch from Christina Wyman. Order your own copy today!

Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

An imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group 

More about the author . . .  

Christina Wyman is a teacher and writer living in Michigan with her husband and silly rescue cats named Alfred and Greta Cannoli―not to mention the raccoons, owls, and hummingbirds that occupy a tree outside their bedroom window. She grew up in a tiny apartment with her family in Brooklyn, New York, where she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her work has been published in New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Elle, Ms. Magazine, The Independent, and other outlets. When she’s not writing, you can find her stocking up on chocolate or trying to convince her husband to adopt more cats. Most recently, she’s developed a passion for eating strawberry jam straight out of the jar. Christina is the USA Today-bestselling author of the middle-grade novels Jawbreaker, Slouch, and Breakout. 

Instagram: @christina.wyman.books  

 

 

Writer Spotlight: Allison Ruegg DeCamp

Near-Death, Bird, good company, Harbor Springs Festival of the Book, and Covers: Author Alison Ruegg DeCamp

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author, festival organizer and bookstore worker Alison DeCamp.

Your first book, My Near-Death Adventures (99% true!), was a “lively and folksy” story of almost 12-year-old Stan, who works at an Upper Peninsula Michigan lumber camp. How much of the story is part of your family lore? Did you have ancestors who were lumberjacks, or cooks? 

There’s so much family lore running through My Near-Death Adventures, and who knows how much is actually true. My grandmother, Alice, had my Uncle Stan when she was 16 years old. 

My grandmother is in the top left.
Cora is holding my Uncle Stan

 

My great-grandmother made her daughter marry the father (to be honest, no one in my family has ever really verified the timing). He worked on the railroads and died in the flu epidemic. In our oral history he was not a great guy, and for all intents and purposes, my grandmother was a single mom. 

She did, in fact, work in the lumber camps with her mother, Cora (Granny in the books) and sister as a cook to provide for her son. Growing up, my mom would tell stories about her grandmother Cora. 

She adored her, but to me she sounded terrifying. She did, however, keep an amazing scrapbook that I own. It’s almost like folk art and was certainly the inspiration for Stan’s scrapbook. 

After the book came out, Uncle Stan’s daughter, Anne, wrote me a long email asking how I knew so much about her dad. I still am not sure she bought it that I made 99% of it up. 

How much research to authenticate life in a lumber camp during the late 1800’s? Where do you find it?  Who were some of the people you interviewed? Was Stan’s uncle’s logging camp a real place, or a conglomeration of places?

I did a lot of research into lumber camps in the UP along with the language and slang that would be used. I really was scared that someone would fact check me and find me totally fraudulent and completely negate the story. I’ve since come to realize that for the most part, readers are more forgiving than that, as long as the errors aren’t completely egregious. 

This is my Great Grandmother,
Cora (Granny in the books)

It was over a decade ago when I started writing this book and I think I got most of my information online—there’s such a wealth of good information, often via universities. 

I also visited Hartwick Pines one afternoon with my Dad. I used a lot of images from the Library of Congress. I read Bruce Catton’s Waiting for the Morning Train and Lumberjack: Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, by William S. Crowe. 

The camp where Stan lives is completely made up, informed mostly by images I pulled from the internet or photos my mom had lying around, along with descriptions I’d read. 

How did you, a first-time author from upper-lower Michigan Harbor Springs, land a book contract? 

In order to land a book contract I, of course, had to land an agent. That is a long and arduous process, as we all know. I queried many, many agents after narrowing them down via QueryTracker and the acknowledgement pages of authors I admired and whose writing I wanted to emulate. 

Twitter back then had occasional contests and I entered one put on by Mindy McGinnis and her agent. The agent wanted to read more of my book and then offered representation. 

Then I let other agents know and ended up signing with Greenhouse Literary Agency. Sarah Davies was highly editorial, so after many more rounds of revisions, we submitted and got an offer from Crown Random House for three books. 

You wrote a second book, My Near-Death Adventures 2. Did you have a sequel in your back pocket all along? How different was the writing process for 2? 

Yes, I had two books in mind, but I also signed for a three book deal. My Near-Death Adventures: I Almost Died. Again. was in many ways easier to write because I already had Stan’s voice. That voice really took awhile to find initially. 

In My Near-Death Adventures 2 Stan gets to meet his long-lost father, and he’s a disappointment. Were you disappointed when there were no further adventures? 

The publishing industry is full of highs and lows. I had a contract for 3 books: 2 Stan books and a third that never came to fruition. That actually was very disappointing and I still have that third book floating around in the back of my head. 

Some of my early writing (lol).
I also did the illustrations!

You were one of two dozen female writers whose work was selected for the collection Funny Girl: funniest stories, ever, compiled by Betsy Bird. How was your work selected? What piece of yours did they publish?

One of the nicest parts of publishing was being asked to contribute to Funny Girl, Betsy Bird’s collection of all women writers who she felt were funny. 

I submitted a story called, “Dear Grandpa: Give Me Money,” and was so excited to have it selected. I think I have a sense of humor that may take a minute to understand, so it was really nice to be included in such a great lineup of women writers. 

You’re in with some heady company: Raina Telgemeier, Sophie Blackall, Libba Bray, Jenni Holm, Mitali Perkins, and Deborah Underwood. Have you been able to invite any of those funny ladies to the Harbor Springs Book Festival?

We have sent out invites to some of the other authors in the Funny Girl anthology. There are always so many factors to invite an author to the Festival, and there are just as many factors for one to accept the invite. 

Timing for book releases have to align to the calendar, the author has to be available for that weekend, sometimes religious holidays have conflicted with the schedule, and we really try to be mindful of the diversity of the festival authors as a whole in order to create the most inclusive, thought-provoking, idea-driven weekend. 

You've been part of the author committee for the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book since its inception. It’s celebrating its 10^th anniversary in September (26-28, 2025). How has the festival changed over the years? How does one attend?

The Harbor Springs Festival of the Book has evolved from people simply showing up to attend, not knowing exactly what to expect (unlike a Beer Festival, people had a hard time conceptualizing a Book Festival) to having tickets sell out in 4 hours (not to mention this year’s Keynote selling out in 11 minutes). 

I don’t think the quality has changed—I think one of the best parts of the weekend is the programming. It’s eclectic and dynamic and engages both the authors and attendees. The concept of the Festival has really stayed the same, but it’s now been honed into something really special. 

These are actual clippings from Cora’s scrapbook

The energy in town during that weekend is so good—it feels creative and electric and even though we work so hard that weekend that by Saturday afternoon our eyes are burning and we feel a little drunk, it’s really just a gift to be a part of it. 

I would encourage anyone to attend. Held in downtown Harbor Springs, part of the charm is that the town is the festival venue. It is always held the last full weekend of September, but tickets go on sale in July and, as I’ve said, they go quickly. 

General registration is the meat and potatoes of the Festival granting ticket holders access to panels Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Those tickets range around $25 for the entire weekend. 

Keynote tickets are separate as are cookbook events and those can sell out within minutes. I would encourage anyone who is remotely interested to sign up for the Festival newsletter where you’ll get up-to-the-minute info so you won’t miss out. www.hsfotb.org

The festival invites dozens of artists every year. In the past three years you’ve invited Francisco X. Stork,  Mark Crilley, M.T. Anderson, Vera Brosgol, Patrick Ness, and Rainbow Rowell. This year alone you’ve invited Travis Jonker, Brianne Farley, and Rebecca Stead. (And those are just the ones I recognized.) How does the author committee choose their authors? How does an author get invited?

The Author Committee meets throughout the year to compile a list of potential authors. Two of us on the committee work at the bookstore, Between the Covers, so we’re constantly throwing out suggestions since we’re surrounded by books all day. 

Some invites go to authors we’ve invited in prior years who couldn’t make it but who still meet this year’s criteria and have indicated that they are interested in attending. Others have been submitted by publicists or we’ve reached out to them personally or through their publicist. 

Sometimes authors submit themselves. As I mentioned, we really try to keep diversity in mind both in genre and the authors themselves. The more voices, the better the ideas and discussions. 

When Ruth was invited, we spent the weekend at a local resident’s home. Is that still an option?

Yes, local residents still offer their homes to attendees and I think many of the writers are surprised at what a nice experience that is. 

The festival seems to embrace all genres. Over the decade, how has the list of invited authors changed? Who are some of the authors you’re proudest to have brought in? Who are some of the dream names you still hope to attract? 

Our first year we had Craig Johnson and Amor Towles, which is really incredible, if you think about it. This was right when A Gentleman in Moscow came out and he really hadn’t gotten extremely popular yet. 

It’s always fun when we have authors attend the festival and then win the Newbery, for example, or get short listed for the Booker. Malcolm Gladwell was great, but it was during Covid so it was a bit wasted. Honestly, there are too many to list. 

And there are always surprises: last year Elyse Graham, who wrote Book and Dagger, was a fan favorite across the board, but I’d venture to say not many attendees were familiar with her prior to the Festival. 

Arshay Cooper was also much beloved and will be back in May for One Bay One Book to talk about his new book, Let Me Be Real with You: Inspiring Lessons on Living a Life of Service.

You work at the local bookstore Between the Covers. How long have you been there? How has your bookstore changed since 2015? What has changed in your life? 

I worked at the first iteration of Between the Covers back in 1994ish. I was teaching in Pellston and worked at the bookstore in the summer. I loved it because unlike trying to convince middle schoolers what to read, people actually listened to me in the bookstore. 

When Katie Boeckl bought the store in 2014 she asked if I wanted a job and I’ve been there ever since. Katie really is a gift to this town. The bookstore was in a basement that people found charming but that was actually hazardous to work in. We’re talking flooding and frostbite. 

She moved it to its Main Street location the following year and has really made it a bedrock of the community. 

Katie helped develop the Harbor Springs Festival of the Book, has spearheaded a drive to get a new book into the hands of every kid from pre-K to 8th grade in our school district so they have something to read over the summer, hand picks all of the books in the store, and we all just try to remind people how important it is to read an actual book sold at an actual bookstore. We’ve also just set up our website: harborspringsbookstore.com (and we ship for free!).

 I have always written. Whether it was letters to magazines or poorly constructed stories with equally awful covers, I love to create. Some times in my life I've written more, sometimes less, but I've always written.

Is that still true? Or 99% true? What are you writing now?

I’ll admit that my publishing journey hasn’t always been easy. I was let go by both my publisher and agent quite a while ago and it’s hard not to take that personally. I know I’m not the only one this has happened to, and I also know that perseverance pays off. 

That being said, I have ideas floating around in the back of my head, some of which I’ve just started to explore a little more. It’s always beneficial for me to have something I’m working on, that way when I wake up at 4am I don’t just worry about what’s happening in the world today (although I do that as well), but I can switch my brain to thinking about my characters and story instead. 

 (My first published writing—
it wasn’t even a full letter,
just some lines, but I was terribly excited.)

Edited to add:

Our trip to Tanzania was exceptional—saw so many animals (some I didn’t even know existed, like the caracal), met really great people, swam with a couple whale sharks, made really wonderful memories with my family, and also realized how important it is to remain engaged in our civil society. 

Tanzania

That part wasn’t anything I was seeking out or looking for, to be honest, but we were in Tanzania during elections which turned out to be corrupt--there was rioting which later was revealed to leading to mass graves of the protestors, the international airport was closed, the government turned off the internet and data leaving us unsure of when or if we would be able to fly home. 

The State Department issued a shelter in place. It was a lot and we were all super thankful when our plane took off from Dar Es Salaam to Amsterdam. Looking back, it was an incredible experience all around and, like travel tends to do, opened all of our eyes and increased our empathy.

Alison's social media:

Instagram : alison_decamp

Threads : alison_decamp

 

Book Birthday Blog with Karen Finch

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to Karen Finch on the release of Spring Scenthound

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Literally, right outside my back door to a path that leads straight up into the woods where my dogs and I have spent many seasons together. Shortly after winter, I think we all get “spring fever” from being indoors too long, from shorter daylight hours, and from missing that vital connection to nature we need. In 2022, while taking Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab, I wrote a poem titled Spring’s Release, reflecting on the first signs of spring that my dogs and I have noticed over the years in our woods and along several other nature trails in southwest Michigan. With revisions, that free verse poem turned into a lyrical picture book.

This 2021 photo of my old dog, Star, and pup, Olive, happened to have been taken on March 3rd—SPRING SCENTHOUND'S book birthdate!

 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book? 

My hope is that readers will be encouraged to use super-sensing eyes, ears, and noses to take note of not only spring, but all of nature’s seasonal changes. 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book? 

My first drafts reflected my own musings about wandering in the woods with a dog. I needed to be more child-focused. And, as a very visual person, I tend to get ahead of myself and forget that readers can’t see what I’m seeing, so sometimes phrases or sequences needed to be clarified or struck altogether.  

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it? 

I’ve been fortunate to be a part of Instagram’s PBMIX26, a 2026 debut and established author marketing group. And I’m excited to be celebrating the book launch at my local dog park’s gathering spot, The Thirsty Hound in Kalamazoo, tonight from 5-7 pm. Later this month, I’ll be doing an evening reading at Dix St. Elementary School in Otsego. Next month, on April 16th, I’ll be doing a storytime at Bookbug in Kalamazoo from 10:30-11:30 am, and a storytime at Rolling Rabbit Books in Byron Center on April 28th. In May, I’m scheduled for an interview on Jena Benton’s Simply 7 blog. The book is available on Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. 

What's next for you? 

A combination of revision work (especially one based on a critique I received from our SCBWI MI Critique Carousel last fall) and writing new picture book drafts and poems. Plus, keeping up on craft and industry webinars and querying and submission opportunities.  

More about the book . . . 

SPRING SCENTHOUND is a lyrical picture book that expresses the powerful bond between a nature-loving kid and her scent-centric dog who both know “there’s spring outside…” But their bond is tested when their explorations separate them, and daylight begins to slip away.

Published by: Tilbury House 

More about the author . . . 

Karen Finch is a debut picture book author of SPRING SCENTHOUND (Tilbury House) and a contributing poet in Pomelo Books anthologies, Things We Feel, Things We Wear, and What is a Friend? Karen lives with her husband in Michigan, in a little house with a big, glacial moraine for a backyard. 

Instagram @karenfinchwrites

https://www.karenfinch.com/