Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!
Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators
Congratulations to Dawn Chevoya on the release of her new book, TRAPPER'S GROUNDING!
Q#1 What inspired you to write Trapper's Grounding?
In 2009 my grandsons were young and wanted G’ma to tell them a story on the long drive to Ontario for our annual camping trip. The story I told back then—involving a cabin in the woods—was much simpler than Trapper’s Grounding, about a 13 year old, and inspired by the Williamston middle schoolers where I worked. When the book finished, it struck me that Iwas the inspiration for my main character who struggled with feelings of insignificance.
Q#2 Did you come up against any challenges when writing this book? How did you deal with them?
Basically I was pretty inept at putting together a clean sentence. I had to read literally dozens of books on the craft of writing by authorities such as James Scott Bell, Les Edgerton, Stephen King and others, even Stunk & White. Also I commissioned my brother, an awesome artist who lives in Colorado, to draw a few illustrations I thought the book needed. He ran into some personal problems and never came through, so a day before my manuscript submission deadline I whisked off six pencil drawings that appear in the book. His would have been much more professional. Artists! Gotta love ‘em, right?
Q#3 Who is your author idol? How has that author affected you?
E.B. White is way at the top of my author idol list. When I get into a slump, reading anything that E.B. White has written in his wonderful clear, perfect style gets me back on track. He iskinda like an author godto me.
Q#4 Can you share what you are working on now?
My sequel research file is overflowing with ideas. Brennon Trapper will get into some more hot water when he discovers an opening in the ground of the dried-up creek bed.
Q#5 What are your marketing/promotional plans for your new book? Where can people connect with you?
Right now, I have someone working on an audiobook version. I am looking to book some school visits for anyone interested! Also, I offer a Classroom Guide created by a veteran 6thgrade teacher available on my website: http://dawnchevoya.com.
You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.c om/channel/UCR7EtlTeeiyPgS-Jt-1ywwQ
I try to post regularly on Instagram: dawnchevoya.
Trapper’s Grounding is available on B&N, Amazon, IndiBound, Books.A.Million(BAM), Goodreads and Google Books.
A little bit about the author:
While managing a middle school library (Williamston) for thirteen years, Dawn Chevoya enjoyed bonding during lunch hour with kids on the fringe and with students after school working on yearbook layouts. She has two children and frequently supplies gummy worms to her seven grandchildren. Chevoya was born in Fresno, CA, grew up in Miami, FL, and lives in Lansing where she has not yet retired from 22 years at the Thomas Cooley Law School Library.
A little bit about the book:
A boy sets in motion something big when he buries a tesserapod in the woods of Northern Michigan. Seventh-grader, Brennon Trapper discovers his parents have lied to him, and that his birth father is buried in the cemetery where he hangs out after school. On a family camping trip in the woods, Brennon and his younger brother encounter a beaver with an inexplicable gift who gives them the tesserapod that must be grounded. Already afraid of his father, Brennon is even more afraid he won’t be able to keep it a secret when it develops into something too big to hide. An epic December blizzard triggers a chain of events that drives Brennon to finally confront his greatest fear and ultimately run away. Too bad he chooses the worse day of the entire year.
Congrats to Dawn on her new book! That's awesome how she got her idea on a road trip with her grandkids.
ReplyDeleteHappy book birthday, Dawn! Cheers!
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