Book Birthday Blog with Rachel Anderson

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators

Congratulations to Rachel Anderson on the release of her new book, The Puppy Predicament!

Congratulations on the release of your debut novel, The Puppy Predicament! What inspired you to write this book?

Thank you, Lauren. I’m on Cloud 900! When our girls were growing up, we had a dog named Falon. They loved her. I saw so much joy in their faces when playing with Falon. I started thinking about what would happen if a girl wanted a dog and couldn’t have one. What would be the reasons she couldn’t have one? What lengths would she go through to get her own dog? And then I wrote a sweet story about Emily Hanover, a girl who wanted a dog. And she found a way to get a dog and lived happily ever after. The End! Well, it was the end of that version. I had a lot of work to do to make it a novel vs. a story.

I had the manuscript critiqued many times over the years always hearing that it was sweet story but needed more depth. And since I wrote the story as historical fiction, being set in the mid-1960’s, I had to ground it in that era. I decided Emily’s brother was serving in the Vietnam War, and they would write letters to each other. 

What would you say was the most successful and most challenging part of the writing and publishing process?

Successful: Receiving critiques where the reader gets the story, loves the plot, loves the characters, and only has minor revisions for me to consider. Yes, that is success! And finding an editor who loves my story as much as I do = success. My editor, Janice Broyles, of Late November Literary, loved my story so much she’s waiting for a sequel. (No pressure!) She made the publishing part easy, smooth, and rewarding.

Challenging: The years when I kept getting rejected. Many times, I had received the same comment from an agent or editor: “We like your story. It has good bones, but I don’t know where it fits on the bookshelf or library shelf. The Vietnam War isn’t taught as part of school curriculum, and it isn’t on the summer reading programs.” Talk about a gut-punch. I had this great story that I wanted to share with the world, and I couldn’t even get someone to give it a chance. That was challenging; that was heartbreaking. That caused my novel to go into a drawer and stay there for a year or more. On the bright side, I had a well-known editor tell me to write the best story I could no matter the era, no matter the negative comments, and it would find a home. Yay! At the same time, Emily whispered in my ear that she was still waiting for me to tell her story, and ideas began to percolate. I pulled out the novel, read it, and decided I still loved Emily and her family and her story. And then I got back to writing and revising.

Who are some writers that inspire you?

There are many children’s writers whom I could mention, but then I’d accidentally leave someone out and I’d be sad about that. So, to the SCBWI-MI writers, you ALL inspire me! And to all PB authors, I wanna be you. 

Some authors of other genres: Charles Martin, Suzanne Redfern, and Suzanne Collins. I’ve always been a fan of Cinda Williams Chima.

Why did you decide to set your story in the mid-1960’s?

I’m giving away my age, but I was 10 years old back in 1965. I wanted Emily to be 10 or 11 (turns out she’s 11). It’s a great age to still be a kid at heart yet learning that with more “wants” comes more responsibilities. I could relate to a country-raised girl wanting a dog of her own, and not being able to have one. While I was only bullied once, I know from other kids what that felt like. And I know what it’s like to want something so bad, you’ll lie to get it (thinking you’re just doing what’s best).

Do you have any tips for authors also looking to write a story set in a historical time period?

Research, research, research. I studied how much things cost back in that time, what kids wore, what slang words were used, favorite foods and television shows, even what school subjects were taught. I couldn’t just go by memory, as I was always second guessing myself. When it was time to add elements of the Vietnam War, I wrote out what I wanted to know about the war and the troops and researched those questions. Once I had a good idea of what might have happened in some particular circumstances, I created a questionnaire and sent it to a couple of veterans who agreed to fill it out based on their time in the war. After that, when I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to put into my novel, I sent the questions and answers from the veterans to one more veteran, who helped me put it all into perspective. Whew! 

If your readers could take away one thing from your book, what do you hope it would be?

Remember to never give up. The task, or goal or wish, may seem insurmountable, but if you give up, it is. Instead, keep on trying, keep on reaching, keep on learning. Emily wanted a puppy of her own…I wanted to publish her story. I did. You’ll have to read the book to find out if Emily gets her puppy. Sorry!

Is there anything coming up for you? Any new ideas in the works? Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

I am pulling together ideas for the next MG book, tentatively titled: A Doggie Dilemma. I’m having fun with my grandson, who is helping with the plot line and challenging scenarios. I’m also finalizing a YA fantasy adventure. I’ve been rejuvenated since the publication of The Puppy Predicament.

You can find me at:

website: https://rachelandersonauthor.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/rachelandersonauthor

Instagram: https://instagram.com/rachel_writing_gal

(rachel_writing_gal)

Email: rachelandersonauthor@gmail.com

A little bit about the book:

Eleven year old Emily Hanover learns that her neighbor’s golden retriever had a litter of pups...mutt pups. When she finds out the neighbor doesn't want them, Emily is determined to rescue them and keep it a secret. She soon discovers that the puppies are loud, always hungry, and a whole lot of work. How is she going to keep them fed and keep them hidden? Emily takes on the challenge. And maybe, just maybe, if she does a good job, she can convince her parents to let her keep a pup for herself. Set in a small Michigan town in the mid-1960s, Emily learns how to stand up for herself, to be true to her commitments, and to never, ever give up.

A little bit about the author:

Rachel Anderson grew up on a farm in rural Michigan. On the farm they had cows, horses, pigs, chickens, a dog named Queenie, and many cats and kittens. And that is one reason she loves to include animals in her stories (even mutt puppies). Rachel likes to volunteer in the community with a local pregnancy resource center, and her church. She has been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for many years. She is married to Craig, and they have 2 daughters and one grandson. She writes picture books, middle-grade, and YA. This is her first published novel.