SCBWI-MI Spring Conference Presenter Maria Dismondy

 

MSU, Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun, CEO, Cardinal Rule Press, and Bright Spirits: Author and Publisher Maria Dismondy

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author and publisher Maria Dismondy. Maria is also part of the cast of distinguished faculty at the SCBWI-MI spring conference. 

To see interviews with other conference presenters, click HERE for Carrie , HERE for Sarah, HERE for Kat, HERE for Debbie, and HERE for John.

You’ve claimed that your favorite book is The Notebook  by Nicholas Sparks. What is it about the story that touches you so deeply? Does the movie increase or decrease your pleasure with the novel?

It’s the love story for me. I believe in true love and the book illustrates the many emotions that take you on a rollercoaster ride in a relationship. The movie made me love the book even more which I can’t say for every book turned movie!

You alluded more than once in interviews that your family life as a child was not ideal. Without getting into painful specifics, how did your experience of growing up shape your future as a teacher, writer, speaker, and publisher?

My experiences as a child fueled me with empathy and compassion as an adult. I’ve spent my life in roles of helping others. First, as a teacher, then as an author and now as the leader of a nonprofit. I want to help others to find their light, especially in dark times!

After commuting to college your first year, you applied and were accepted at MSU. What did you find in the dorms and the MSU community that powered you through undergraduate and graduate course in education, child development, and research?

I loved my experience in college. I didn’t take my studies very seriously in high school. In college I learned how to study and I discovered a love of learning. I always had a job in college and enjoyed the challenge of balancing my school work with my job as a sandwich artist at Subway! I was so lucky to have really wonderful teaching experiences at a local Head Start Preschool along with elementary schools in the area.

You have always had a drive to succeed, as a teacher, as an author, as a book publisher, as a speaker. How do you keep your energy up? What strategies and tools do you use to keep organized and moving forward?

I loved my experience in college. I didn’t take my studies very seriously in high school. In college, I learned how to study and I discovered a love of learning. I always had a job in college and enjoyed the challenge of maintaining harmony in both working and learning.

Finding a strategy to stay organized is still a mission of mine! I have tried digital tools but always find myself back at the basics. A pad of paper and pen work wonders on keeping my deadlines in check!

As a teacher you searched for books teaching empathy and self-worth to students, but were frustrated when the books featured animal characters. You wanted realistic fiction with characters the students could identify with and root for. That’s why you wrote your first book. Why do you think that important niche for young readers had been ignored?

This is a great question! I am not sure I know the answer. Why was realistic fiction ignored for so many years? Maybe because one component of reading is for entertainment. Authors have fun creating dancing dinosaurs and singing fish! However, another aspect of reading is to learn about new things, to practice empathy and look into the life of another human being.

Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun was a book you shopped around on your own in 2005, sending out 90 queries, getting back 88 no’s, 1 maybe and 1 yes. This was based on your own school experience bringing “weird” food for lunch. This is still your best-selling title. What is the long-term appeal of the story?

It’s wild to me that this book is still selling thousands of copies a year! Children share their honest feedback with me all the time while visiting their school for author programs. They love how the main character Lucy chooses not to fight back but to show kindness to someone who needs help. They also think Lucy is brave because she goes back to school at the very end of the story with her favorite sandwich (spaghetti in a hot dog bun) even after being teased for eating such an odd combination!

The subsidy publisher who took on Spaghetti went out of business, but not before you recouped our initial investment on book sales. Did the experience of switching horses in the middle of a stream plant the seeds for your future venture into publishing?

I never planned on writing books and I definitely never dreamed of being a business owner. I love how life takes you on a journey outside your wildest dreams!

After the publisher I originally worked with went out of business, I knew it was my responsibility to keep my books out in the world. They were needed by children and they were making a difference!

You were approached by a former football player who had a children’s book he wrote and wanted to publish. You decided this would be a one-off for you as you ventured into publishing other’s work. What was it that convinced you to found Cardinal Rule Press and take on the role of CEO?

I didn’t have the idea to start CRP, our distributor, IPG out of Chicago suggested it since my books were performing so well. I also had a business coach that pointed out I was already running a business and it didn’t need to look very different!

You offer a free six-week mentorship with your new authors, focusing on promoting and marketing their books. How has your relationship with authors evolved since you first took over the helm at your publishing company?

Once a teacher, always a teacher! I knew from my own experiences being a published author that when we feel educated and empowered, we are more confident in marketing our platform and mission. I never liked feeling in the dark and not knowing what my publishers were doing on their end as far as promotions. We communicate quite clearly with our author family so they don’t have a ton of gray area working with us!

Our editor, Adam Blackman has recently taken on a new role and has been working one on one with our team of authors to support backlist title promotions. We are dedicated to selling our books the entire time they are in print, not just before and during the book launch! Now Adam has created a relationship with authors so I have more time to focus on other areas of the business.

How does Cardinal Rule Press handle the writers? Is it a flat fee system? What rights do they retain? How about illustrators? Work-for-hire? What rights do they retain?

Each contract looks a little different. In a nutshell, our authors receiving an advance along with a royalties. Our illustrators have always been work for hire in the past simply because this was an easier system for me as a small business. We have our first author/illustrator book being released this fall which goes to show we are not afraid to try new things!

You never took marketing or public relations classes in college, but those areas are your strong suit. How did you learn to effectively market and promote books?

I am constantly reading books, attending webinars and listening to podcasts. I love learning from others experiences though networking and relationships with my colleagues. This is the best way to learn in my opinion. Connect with others and learn what works for them and what doesn’t. I think it’s important to be willing to share openly with others and in return, the walls of competition break down!

You are a master at using social media. Which platforms work best for what purposes?

You are so kind! I would not say we’ve mastered social media by any means. It’s frustrating how it is always changing and makes it hard to keep up. What we have done is chosen to focus on just a few platforms instead of spreading ourselves thin and trying to be on them all!

Currently, we have taken a pause from the platform X. In the past, we have used this platform to connect with literary agents and aspiring writers. Our Acquisitions Editor, Adam, has built relationships outside of social media and we don’t feel we need the platform for visibility as much these days.

You’ve never met a podcast (samples HERE, HERE, and HERE) you didn’t agree to appear on. Why is a podcast an effective informational and marketing tool?

As a former teacher, I go back to the fact that there are many different learning styles. Let’s meet people where they are at and give them many options to absorb information in a way that works for them. Podcasts are just one delivery system!

What will you be presenting at the SCBWI-MI spring conference?

This spring I will be diving into writing craft that is not often talked about. We are going to dig deeper into what is currently trending versus traditional craft.

What’s next for Maria?

In 2023, I became active in conversations around book access. I started a nonprofit called Making Spirits Bright. Metro Detroit needed a book bank, a place dedicated to recycling like new books into the hands of children who need them. 

My researcher heart couldn’t believe how many pockets in our area that are deemed as book deserts (locations where children do not have age appropriate books in the home). I could go on and on about the work we do at MSB. 

Publishing feels like a secluded job. You spend a lot of time at your desk and behind computer. With the book bank, I am in the community with others who are passionate about reading. 

It has helped restore so much joy in my heart during the work day and has reminded me how very important publishers and writers are in the world of literacy!

Social media you'd care to share:

www.cardinalrulepress.com

www.makingspiritsbright.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with Larry Deary

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Larry Deary on the release of The Boy Who Talked to the Moon

 

Please share a little about this book's journey. How did you come up with the idea?

The idea came from watching my grandson who was enthralled with a book about the moon, stars and planets. His nickname was “Bernie,” which became the name of the main character.  I decided to self-publish the story as a picture book after a chance meeting with some authors, who urged me to pursue it. I started by attending writers group meetings at my local library. I received positive feedback from them about the story, which encouraged me to continue.

It took many drafts of the story until I was comfortable that the story “felt right” to me and had the ending that would make the reader feel good. I did use an editor to review the final draft prior to publication. I really enjoyed the collaborative process with my illustrator to develop the image of Bernie, as well as the other artwork. I used SCBWI to find my illustrator, and Leighanna Martin did a wonderful job.

What was the most difficult part of writing the book?

I understood what my process would be for writing, so my biggest challenge as a debut author was learning the book business and the process it took to self-publish a book. I benefited from all the available resources that exist which provide the needed information of “how to” and what not to do.

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

The book is currently available on Amazon. As a first-time author, I was focused on publishing the book and did not put enough emphasis on marketing strategies and tactics with the launch of the book. This is my focus for 2025.  I’m currently finalizing relationships with Ingram Spark and Barnes and Noble Press. Connecting with libraries will be important. Social media efforts with a Facebook business page and Instagram are planned. I’ve also identified key FB groups to join that focus on children’s books. I continue to learn what experienced children’s book authors recommend for marketing success.

What's next for you?

I have drafts of two more picture book stories but I’m holding off on these until I get my “handle” on the marketing strategies to support them. However, one of these, which would be a continuation of the “Bernie” series, might be pursued sooner than later – “The Boy Who Talked to the Giraffe.”

More about the book . . .

Bernie loves the moon so much that he talks to it. But what happens when the moon talks back? 

Bernie is a young boy fascinated with the moon. His curiosity urges him to talk to Mr. Moon, as he calls him. Surprisingly, Mr. Moon talks back, and they begin a dialogue. 

Bernie’s conversation with Mr. Moon takes him on a journey as he learns about the moon. He receives advice from Mr. Moon that teaches him a valuable lesson, and results in a heartwarming outcome.

Publisher: LDPICBOOKS

More about the author . . .

Lawrence, or Larry as his friends call him, was born and raised in Michigan. He currently resides with his wife in a suburb some 30 miles north of Detroit. His debut book, The Boy Who Talked to the Moon, was a story written for his grandchildren several years ago and recently expanded and enhanced with illustrations for publication.

Larry retired from a career in human resources administration and consulting and is also a military veteran. While in college he was a journalism major before being attracted to human resources. He holds degrees from Wayne State University and Central Michigan University.

He is a sports enthusiast and describes himself as an avid amateur golfer.

Website: https://ldpicbooks.com/

Email:  ldeary@ldpicbooks.com

 

SCBWI-MI Spring Conference Presenter Carrie Pearson

 

Apgar, Yooper winter, so many socials, and U of M preschool: Carrie A. Pearson

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author and  former RA Carrie Pearson. Carrie is also part of the cast of distinguished faculty at the SCBWI-MI spring conference.  To read Carrie's 2023 interview, click HERE.

Donckers Princess Launch 4/29/23

What were some of the formative books you read growing up that shaped your curious and insightful young mind?

Age 10 w/service badge

Thankfully, reading came easily and early to me. I devoured typical fiction such as "Misty of Chincoteague" and the "Little House on the Prairie" series, along with less conventional choices like "The Andromeda Strain," anything by Edgar Allan Poe, and every available Reader's Digest Condensed Book (which I had to sneak because they were "for adults”). But it was good old Encyclopedia Britannica that thrilled me. The truth boggled my mind then, and it still does.

You wrote about Doctor Apgar. Before the APGAR Score, it was common practice for maternity room doctors to put aside newborns who couldn’t breathe or make the transition to life outside the womb. Horrifying. What specifically did Doctor Apgar discover?

Apgar in action

Dr. Apgar’s primary goal was to ensure that newborns received medical attention. Up to the 1930s and into the ’40s, maternal mortality rates during childbirth were high. Mothers’ care was prioritized over that of newborns who were struggling. 

Dr. Apgar was the right person at the right time to change this perspective; she had a solid understanding of airway management due to her training and experience as an anesthesiologist. 

She embodied resilience in the face of significant gender discrimination. She was intellectually brilliant and skilled in practical applications. The test she developed shifted care towards both babies and mothers. It transformed a subjective inquiry (“How is the baby doing?”) into a numerical value, allowing for comparison. 

It also engaged a natural competitive spirit, as physicians were eager to avoid poor APGAR scores associated with their deliveries! It has been said that every baby born is seen through the eyes of Dr. Apgar.

Carrie in Marquette

Living as you do in the Upper Peninsula; you’ve experienced your share of weather. Can you share some weather-related stories when traveling for school visits? Or any other harrowing tale of Yooper winter survival?

I have never been asked this before, Charlie! I recall a pre-dawn winter car trip to a bookstore in Gaylord, 3.5 hours south of Marquette, during which I had to continuously scrape ice from the inside of the windshield throughout the Upper Peninsula because my defroster couldn’t keep up with the sub-zero temperatures outside. "Harrowing" is a good word to describe the experience, but “dumb lucky” fits too.

You’ve got a new book coming out this fall. Please share some details.

Watch Them Grow: The Fascinating Science of Animal Beginnings is a surprise for many reasons. First, we submitted the manuscript about animal gestation as a picture book (32 pages/about 600 words including back matter). However, Lerner/Millbrook wanted it as a middle-grade novel. Gulp. I’d never written a MG nonfiction. 

zipline

But working with associate publisher Carol Hinz at Lerner/Millbrook was on my author bucket list. So, we accepted the offer, and I dug back into the research, tapped into my natural science background, and expanded the text. 

A big assist came from the publisher, who contracted a science educator to review a draft for alignment to middle-grade science benchmarks. Then I could edit, knowing I was in the right ballpark. 

The second surprise is that I thought the book would launch in 2026, but now it is expected to be released in September of this year. This is possible because it primarily consists of photographs, rather than illustrations, with visuals created by a talented graphic artist. I’m excited to share more very soon.

Please talk about Children’s Book Connections.

I started my consulting company, Children’s Book Connections, about five years ago to help people prepare for and find their agent partners. Having been in the trenches doing this for myself three times and watching so many friends go through it, I knew it was a pain point. 

Backcountry 2023

I learned that I love helping people in this space and will prioritize that over slogging through my deadlines, edits, and even story generation.  So, sadly, in the interest of my career, I’ve had to pare back the time I spend on Children’s Book Connections. 

But I look forward to spilling the tea about many agent-related topics at the SCBWI-MI Spring Conference on May 17th!   

You’ve used Deb Gonzales for a study guide for at least one of your books. What’s the process for creating a study guide?

In my experience working with Deb Gonzales, I reached out to her six months prior to the launch date to secure a spot on her schedule. She’s been able to squeeze in the guide, but I’m not sure if that is possible now that her business, PinLit has taken off! 

When I receive an ARC (advanced reader copy) as a pdf from the publisher, I share it with her along with my bio. After she works her magic, she provides me with a draft to review. After that round, I share it with the publishing team for their input. Usually, they have one or two minor comments. Deb then gives me the final guide as a pdf. 

I use the final guide for various purposes, including linking to my website as a free download, as a follow-up to school and library visits, as a promotional tool, and as a resource for social media posts. It’s well worth the investment.

school visit

You have social media platforms on FaceBook, Pinterest, Instagram and Bluesky? Any others? How do you keep them current? Are some social media platforms better for achieving your goals?

Over the years, I’ve felt that social media platforms for my book business were a good thing, and for the most part, I’ve enjoyed being there. They offered connections I didn’t feel I could make otherwise or at my stage in my career. 

I’ve selected specific platforms for their ease of use and because I liked their format (e.g., early Twitter for its limited character posting and connections to the publishing and education worlds, and early Instagram for its visual emphasis). 

My followers are aware that I’ve recently undergone a reckoning regarding my presence and support of Meta platforms, but I've decided to stay for now. Non-Meta Bluesky feels new, safe, and quite like early Twitter. I hope it stays that way. 

Pinterest is so different in all the best ways because it's not a snapshot in time, like social media; it’s a longer-term investment with lasting dividends. I retained PinLit, and over six months, they’ve created a home base for my authored books and resources, which will continue to grow. Take a peek!

Houghton Library 1/25

You graduated from U of M, and then worked in their preschool. As a young teacher, what did your students teach you?

Such a great question. Reflecting the multicultural student body at the University of Michigan, one of my classes, which included eight 4- and 5-year-olds, had six children who primarily spoke languages other than English. I learned that the language of play transcends any barriers. 

I also discovered that books read aloud in any language serve as a magnet. They can calm, excite, build community, and engage. I’ve never forgotten the power of books from that experience and continually try to harness it in the books I write.

You  won a mentorship with Newbery Award winner Lynne Rae Perkins. What was that experience like?

This mentorship was a pivotal moment. I had concluded that my dream of publishing would likely remain just that because, after four years of learning, writing, and submitting, I hadn’t placed a manuscript. 

However, I had already signed up for an SCBWI-MI conference and submitted a manuscript for the mentorship during two moments of FOMO. No one was more surprised than I when my name was announced as the recipient of the mentorship. 

Receiving this mentorship meant that someone thought my manuscript had promise, and that someone was a Newbery Award winner! Working with Lynne Rae Perkins certainly elevated my craft and, perhaps most importantly, gave me the confidence to keep going. I am deeply grateful to SCBWI-MI and to my mentor.

Carrie’s follow-up question: Did you ever sell the manuscript you used for the mentorship submission? Carrie’s answer: Not yet!

What’s next for Carrie?

We have a nonfiction picture book on submission, so we're keeping our fingers crossed on that. My next project is out there somewhere, but so far it is just ahead of me! I’m noodling a longer-form fiction idea, which would be way outside my comfort zone. Part of me says that’s precisely the reason to do it. 

I’m building an art and design aspect into my life because I love it, and now that I’m squarely in the sixth decade of my life, why not?

Carrie and redwood

 

Please share any social media platforms:

Bluesky @cpearson.author
Instagram @carrieapearson.author
Pinterest (not really social but awesome) @carrieapearson
Facebook @carrieapearson

 

 

 

 

---

SCBWI-MI Spring Conference Presenter Editor Sarah Rockett

Favorite Reads, Penguin Young Readers, Sleeping Bear Press, Tilbury House, and Runaway Bunny: Editor Sarah Rockett

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet editor Sarah Rockett. Sarah is also part of the cast of distinguished faculty at the SCBWI-MI spring conference. 

Where did you grow up? What was life like for young Sarah? What were some of your favorite childhood reads?

I grew up in the Detroit suburbs and traveled up north to Torch Lake as often as my parents could manage. I’m an only child, but always had a dog by my side and a gaggle of cousins (twelve of them) lived within a five-mile drive—with four of them right down the street and even more of us at the same school. I was always a voracious reader. I loved Miss Rumphius and King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub, Miss Nelson is Missing and Runaway Bunny. I loved Shel Silverstein. As I got older, I devoured R.L. Stine, Tamora Pierce, and Judy Blume.



Were there influential teachers and adults who helped shape your love of books?

My mom was a teacher and attended lots of reading and education conferences like MRA and ALA. She always brought gorgeous picture books (often signed) home for me. These always felt like little treasures. Both my parents loved reading novels as well. So books, trips to the local Borders, and TBR stacks on the bedside table were a big part of my childhood.

Sarah in the wild

A journalism major from Boston University’s College of Communications, you started writing for magazines How and why did you make the transition to book publishing?

Growing up I definitely wanted to work with books. I had no idea what that might mean though—except to be an author, which I knew wasn’t for me. So journalism felt like the right choice. It wasn’t until I got through college and then into my first magazine job that I realized book publishing, specifically editorial, was where I was really meant to be. I was in NYC at the time and was lucky enough to get my foot in the door at Penguin.



You were a writer for magazines. Do you still write? Do you have any ambitions to have one of your own books published?

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I don’t have great ideas. I know how to turn a great idea into a great book. So editor is where I’m meant to be!



You started in magazine journalism, moved to academic book publishing, then to production for a Penguin adult imprint. What was life like for young woman Sarah Rockett, entering the publication biz, and navigating New York City?

My mom jokes that I had two dream jobs before I turned 30—the travel magazine and working at Penguin Young Readers. I was really lucky in both cases and was willing to start at whatever position I could be put into that moved me a little closer to my goals. 

NYC was great because there were a lot of options and opportunities available. I usually had two jobs and spent most of my evenings out with friends. 

There was always something really wild going on in NYC—like ending up at a movie premiere after party or dancing under the Brooklyn Bridge with a bunch of circus performers. It was wonderful—but everyone has an NYC expiration date and I hit mine in 2012.

You moved from NYC to Ann Arbor. Sleeping Bear Press was the only publisher within a 500-mile radius. What was so attractive to you about Ann Arbor?

I was eager to move back to Michigan and my boyfriend (now husband) got into U of M grad school. So we were moving to Ann Arbor and I was thrilled. It wasn’t until I got here that I realized the Sleeping Bear offices would just be a few miles away. 

At the time, Sleeping Bear Press wasn’t hiring but I was able to convince them eventually to bring me on as an intern. We love Ann Arbor for the culture and restaurants and proximity to Detroit. If you’re used to NYC and moving to Michigan, Ann Arbor is a great option.

Author Devin Scillian, illustrator Tim Bower, and our CEO Ben Mondloch

“Sarah Rockett is senior editor with Sleeping Bear Press and editorial director for Tilbury House Publishing, both imprints of Cherry Lake Publishing Group.” How do your duties as Editorial Director at Tilbury House differ from your role as senior editor at Sleeping Bear Press? Both are imprints of Cherry Lake Publishing. What distinguishes a Tilbury book from a book published by Sleeping Bear Press?

For both Sleeping Bear Press and Tilbury House I acquire and edit projects. With Tilbury House, I also manage the direction of the list and work more closely with the sales and marketing teams regarding the imprint. 

Both Sleeping Bear and Tilbury House publish gorgeous, engaging, and important stories but Sleeping Bear titles are bit softer, have more humor and tenderness, and feel really friendly. Tilbury titles tend to be a little heavier, trust readers with bigger ideas—from science to social justice, and encourage conversations.

In the years you’ve been in children’s book publishing, the industry has changed and evolved. What’s different now? What new realities do book writers and illustrators face?

When I started in children’s publishing, ebooks were a big deal. Penguin had a whole division that was exploring ways to make ebooks more exciting for buyers—adding music and animations and game elements—and wading through all of the rights questions that came with the new format. 

The preoccupation with ebooks seems to have plateaued for children’s books, until the next new thing is available, but now everyone is contending with the realities of AI. 

The children’s book world is also now more susceptible to fluctuations in the social and cultural fabric of our world. I think children should see the world they live in reflected in the pages of picture books and that means more opportunities, risks, and responsibilities for authors, illustrators, and publishers.

“Sarah is interested in stories that will engage and inspire young readers. She has a soft spot for science/nature and environment, joyful stories, lyrical read alouds, and quirky humor.” Give some examples of books that check off some of these boxes.

Some—not all!—of the recent titles that have really made my PB-loving heart soar are: Inside the Compost Bin, Pine Cone Regrown, Winged Wonders, Courage Every Day, Too Many Pigs in the Pool, Just Flowers, Wild at Heart, The Littlest Grito, and The Bakers Dozen.

What’s in your TBR pile right now?

Witchy fantasies and multi-perspective murder mysteries!

Runaway bunny? (Her Instagram account is a runaway bunny: https://www.instagram.com/a_runaway_bunny/?hl=en)

The Runaway Bunny was always one of my favorite books as a kid and, as I grew up, my parents joked I was a runaway bunny myself, always hopping further away—until I eventually hopped back home.

SCBWI-MI Spring Conference Presenter Kat Higgs-Coulthard

River Bluff Road, NWP, Get Inked, dogs, and suspenders for pantsing: Author and educator Kat Higgs-Coulthard

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author and  educator Kat Higgs-Coulthard. Kat is also part of the cast of distinguished faculty at the SCBWI-MI spring conference. 


You were born in Niles, MI. How did you end up at the University of Nebraska for your undergraduate schooling? You eventually settled back in Niles. How far are you from where you grew up?

I grew up on the north side of Niles only about a mile from both sets of grandparents. That was a huge blessing, as we were very connected to the extended family. 

One set of cousins lived across the street. They would come over and roller skate on the concrete floor of my basement and we all spent lots of time helping our Grandma Brown snap peas grown in my grandpa’s garden. My other grandmother (Marlin) had a kiln in her basement. One of my favorite things was to paint ceramics with her and help her sell them at local festivals.

While I went away to college in Nebraska, Michigan called me back. I love the rivers and creeks and especially Lake Michigan. Michigan is a great place to raise a family.

You talk about exploring the dump below your house, about the “treasure trove” it held for you.  Did the junkyard below the bluff supply any treasures for JUNKYARD DOGS?

As a child, I lived on River Bluff Road. Our home was literally on a bluff overlooking the river. Families that lived there before us had used that hill as a dumping ground and as I child, I found it fascinating to explore back there—finding old bottles, abandoned appliances, and even a junked-up truck. 

Kat w/Maya

That was part of the inspiration for JUNKYARD DOGS, but an even larger part came from trips with my dad to an actual junkyard. He would go there to drop off debris from my uncle’s construction business and I would be left to roam the huge piles of junk, often finding bits of treasure—like teacups that I could bring home for my mom’s collection. Often they were more like mugs—nothing too special—but she would fill them with soil and grow marigolds in them.

Your family grew up without a lot of money. Your Dad would take the kids to a junkyard to find “treasures” like teacups still fit for drinking. Where many people might be embarrassed by this unusual outing, you were able to embrace the adventure. Why?

It never occurred to me to be embarrassed by it because it was just a normal part of my childhood. My parents worked hard to make sure we had everything we needed, so even though we were right on the cusp of poverty, my brother and I didn’t feel poor. There were certainly many families in worse shape.

It was decided that you couldn’t take a creative writing class because you didn’t excel in English(!?) Later in college you were exposed to the National Writing Project, which helped develop teachers as writers, and as teachers of writing. You even started a novel. Were you different, or was it the attitude of the instructors?

Kat w/Gabi

I have been a writer for as long as I can remember, filling notebooks with world building and character descriptions even in elementary school. My third and fourth grade teacher (Miss Consigny) nurtured that in me and our elementary school librarian (Mrs. Bigford) started a school newspaper so that kids like me could have an outlet for our creativity.

I actually don’t remember why I wasn’t allowed to take creative writing in high school. I think that I didn’t know it was an option or hadn’t been recommended for it. So when I found out that my best friend who didn’t even like to write was placed in the class, I was aghast. I advocated as hard as I could to be let in, but the class was already full and they said no.

When the guidance counselors started talking to us about college, they swayed me away from a career as a journalist and into teaching. Again, I am not sure why—I had great grades and was in the Honor Society, so it wasn’t for lack of talent. I figured, oh, well, at least I’ll be able to share my passion for writing with my own students.

My first year teaching, I was recommended by a colleague to the National Writing Project’s Summer Institute. NWP supports teachers as writers, believing that to be a good teacher of writing, one must write. 

The NWP nurtured the writer in me and helped me bring that into my teaching. I have stayed involved with the NWP and even served on the Hoosier Writing Project’s (Indiana) executive board.

Tell us about the Michiana Writers' Center. What is it? How did it come about? Is there a summer writing camp set for this year? What are the plans for the future?

I founded Michiana Writers’ Center because there just weren’t any writing opportunities in Southwestern Michigan or Northern Indiana. Everything was 3 hours north or 2 hours south of where I lived. 

I knew I couldn’t be the only one in the area that wanted a community of writers, so I started one. I hired local writers and teachers to provide workshops to adults and kids. We ran a summer camp for grades 3-12 for several years. 

Since Covid, more people have turned to online opportunities and our classes weren’t filling, so we’ve turned our energy to one big event each year—the Get Inked Teen Writing Conference, which we cohost with Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, where I am a tenured associate professor in the Education Department.

By the time this piece publishes, the Get Inked Teen Writing Conference will have happened. Tell us about Get Inked, where it sprung from, what you hope to achieve. (And what a cool line-up of faculty you’ve got this year, including a bevy of SCBWI-MI writers!)

The Get Inked Teen Writing Conference grew out of my desire to create a conference for teens modeled after the amazing writing conferences out there for adults. I had just attended the SCBWI annual conference in New York in 2013 and wanted to bring that feeling home to kids in my area. 

Kat presenting

Many school districts have Young Author Conferences for kids, but they peter out once a kid hits 5th or 6th grade. Get Inked takes over from there—inviting writers in grades 7-12 to begin to drive their own growth as writers—selecting which craft workshops they are interested in and which YA authors they would like to work with. 

The other cool thing about Get Inked, is that it brings kids to a college campus so they can see what it’s like. I’m a first-generation college grad and I didn’t even consider many colleges because I couldn’t see myself there. This helps overcome that barrier for some students.

JUNKYARD DOGS is a young adult novel. How much difference between writing a middle grade novel versus one for older teens? Your novel involves housing instability, mental illness, betrayal, and dead bodies. Where do you draw the line for teen readers? Is there a line?

So much of what we create is informed by our own curiosities and that is certainly true for me in my work. I write to answer questions about why people do the things they do—good and bad. (Check out Lifeboat Theory, one of my 1st published short stories for an example: https://www.cleavermagazine.com/lifeboat-theory-by-katherine-higgs-coulthard/#:~:text=He%20said%20rich%20nations%20was,get%20into%20the%20richer%20lifeboats . ) 

What makes one person work three jobs to support a family they didn’t think they wanted while another person walks away? What do we choose to ignore and what can we simply not see? Why do some people never seem to have enough and how do others survive—even thrive—with so much less?

Nothing I write is beyond what actual kids experience in the real world. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop has said that books should serve as windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors for readers to see themselves and others—I take that edict to heart. 

Readers need to see other kids struggling with complex family dynamics. It is horrific to think about, but the truth is many kids live in poverty, experience abuse, have lost people they love. 

Where I draw the line is that stories should show a path through trauma. It must provide hope by showing readers an example of a kid who survives—and maybe even thrives—despite the challenges thrown at them. 

But it has to be handled carefully. Putting a big shiny bow of an ending on a difficult story won’t ring true to kids living these situations. The ending has to be believable. How can the characters be okay enough at the end of this book to be there for the next part of their story?

You reference Stephen King in your interview with Danielle DeFauw . His writing advice includes a teacup. A situation may present itself to the writer, but it is only once the writer finds the cup handle that they can proceed. Young you searched the dump for unbroken teacups for your mom. Writer you searches for the teacup handle. How does one find the handle?

I love this question! My approach to writing has been nurtured by many of the writers I admire. Ralph Fletcher says that writers should keep a journal to collect ideas much like a ditch will collect odds and ends over time. You don’t know what will work its way into a story. That connects with what Stephen King has said about letting a story idea sit until you find a handle to pick it up. 

SCBWI event 2024

An example of how this worked with JUNKYARD DOGS: In my notebook I had collected memories about visiting junkyards as a kid, losing our home and everything we owned in a fire when I was in 5th grade, being so nervous to try out for sports in middle school that I was physically ill, observations of a stranger with unique habits walking downtown and seeing him again in a food court. 

All of these pieces seemed unrelated. Then I stumbled on a retrospective of the 2006 Manhole Murders written by reporter Virginia Black and there was my handle—what if a teen was somehow mixed up in the scrapping ring at the center of the murders?

You prefer the drafting part of the writing process. You “pantsed” your first three novels, but now you at least wear suspenders. What metaphor do your suspenders serve?

While I love finding my way through a story by writing, rather than plotting it out, pantsing my way through my first novels created huge headaches for me during revision. 

Now, I try to do a little more prep work—to sketch out my characters a bit in advance, get more of the setting on paper, consider what will need to happen in the story for the outcome I’m writing toward. This has helped streamline my discovery draft, so that more of the pieces make sense in that draft and less has to be worked out in revision. 

I guess I would say I have put suspenders on my pantsing—or another metaphor might be setting out trail markers on the path from blank page to story draft.

You’re another success story of a writer who attended an SCBWI-MI event and eventually published with the editor on the faculty. How did you end up at Peachtree? What steps were involved in getting published?

SCBWI-MI rocks! I still remember how excited I was to find out there was such an organization. I’d been working on a middle grade book and the only support system I had was through NWP—which is great, but most of my colleagues were writing for adults. 

Then I met Cynthia Furlong Reynolds at a Barnes and Noble event and she brought me to my first SCBWI conference. My whole world changed! I met so many kind, talented writers and illustrators. Going to an SCBWI event has always felt like a big family reunion to me.

Flash forward to April 2021. Peachtree Teen editor, Jonah Heller spoke at the SCBWI-MI spring conference. I was drawn to his approach to publishing because of what he said about the need to center our audience. 

Kat kayaking

I had been revising a book about a teen basketball player hiding his poverty from everyone at school and believed Jonah would connect with the teen voice and important issues in the story. His submission policy at the time was to physically mail the query, synopsis, and first few chapters. 

I loved this quirky throwback to before email and Query Tracker became the norm, so I printed out my materials and sent them off in the mail. A month or so later, I received his email requesting the full. Luckily, I was allowed to email that. By October I had an offer!

Working with Jonah and the team at Peachtree on JUNKYARD DGS (2023, hardcover; 2024 paperback) has been a dream come true. They involved me in many of the decisions, such as the cover art and selecting the narrator of the audio book (Robbie Daymond!). 

Presenting at the ALAN conference

Peachtree has a devoted marketing team that even made possible one of my biggest dreams. I have attended NCTE’s ALAN conference for several years because I love the insightful author panels and the 40-pound box of books each attendee receives (It’s like Christmas for teachers/librarians.) In 2023, Peachtree secured me a spot on a panel at ALAN and put copies of Junkyard Dogs in the ALAN boxes!

It was very different from my experience working with a smaller press to publish HANGING WITH MY PEEPS (2016). That press did not have the resources to promote the book and didn’t involved me in any of the decisions about cover art or the internal line illustrations.

What’s next for Kat?

I spent three rejuvenating weeks in March at South Porch Artists Residency. (Thanks to writer-friend Dawne Webber for suggesting I apply!) 

During that time, I completed the latest revision of a YA ghost story about a girl who moves into a house already occupied by two ghosts who are in a perpetual game of hide and seek. 

I also began drafting my next project, a YA speculative fiction about a kayak trip on a Michigan creek that goes horribly wrong.

Please share any social media platforms:

Website: https://writewithkat.com/

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

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15141419.Katherine_Higgs_Coulthard