Book Birthday Blog with Ann Dallman

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Ann Dallman on the release of Cady and the Search for Family

 

 

This is the third book in the Cady Whirlwind Thunder series. How did you come up with the idea for your third book?

Like many authors, I’ve found that my characters assume a life of their own. When writing my Cady books (middle grade novels) I often feel as if I’m channeling my character. I felt Cady’s frustration, anger and sadness at the disappearance of her mother. Cady and the reader don’t know what happened to her mother and the reason for her disappearance. I wanted to write about a female heroine, someone the age of my former students, who was from a woodland band of Indians. The Potawatomi (Keepers of the Fire) have seven bands and Hannahville is the Woodland Band.

The Potawatomi are part of the Three Fires Confederation (Potawatomi, Ojibway and Odawa).

What was the most difficult part of writing the book? 

Writing this particular story was difficult because it contains an underlying theme of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People. I was helped with my research by a few of my former students from the Hannahville Reservation (Potawatomi) in Wilson, MI. This is an important topic and one which needs to receive more attention. I also wanted to present a warning, within a story, telling teens to be careful of internet involvements with strangers. From my twenty-five years as a classroom teacher, and as a parent and grandparent, I know that direct lectures are not always the most effective way to do this. I hope that readers will respond to the message when presented in story form.  

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

I’d like my readers (and I have readers of all ages) to relate to Cady’s message, “I’m here, see me.” Through missing her mother and trying to find her, Cady is learning how to see herself. All of us, at varying times in our life, seem to struggle with how to see ourselves as we grow and change. Christine DeSmet, a fabulous mystery writer, developmental editor and Distinguished Faculty Associate (writing) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said “We are inundated with ads and commercials about makeup, right? As if seeing ourselves isn’t good enough. We need masks. But we don’t…girls and young women need to truly ‘see’ themselves and value themselves so that they don’t get into trouble by following the wrong guy or path.” I love her explanation of this which truly captures one of the main themes of this third Cady book.  

I am also very proud of these two reviews:
 
“An adventure requires friends, and Cady Whirlwind Thunder has many. She must draw on the strength of all her spirit helpers as she reluctantly follows a path into a mystery about her very identity. Ann Dallman invites the reader to share a worthy, modern story about Native American youth, family, values and resilience.”
     -Martin Reinhardt, PhD (Anishnaabe Ojibway) Professor Emeritus, Northern Michigan University Center for Native American Studies
 
“In Cady and the Search for Family, the third novel in the Cady Whirlwind Thunder mysteries, author Ann Dallman gives the reader another heart-deep journey into the disappointments and hope-filled dreams of Cady, a modern Native American teenage girl. As in the first two novels of the series, Dallman spins a mystery within the storyline that adds the perfect touch of tension.”
      -Sue Harrison, internationally best-selling author

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

I have several author appearances lined up in the UP and Wisconsin. My first one is set for April 12 at Spies Public Library in Menominee, MI followed by two this upcoming summer in Door County. I’m especially excited about a July author signing I’ll be doing in Chicago. The exposure through SCBWI is invaluable and I plan to approach radio and newspaper outlets and will pursue the usual social medial sources. I’ve found that word of mouth and local advertising in my hometown areas of Marinette (WI) and Menominee (MI) are also worth pursuing. 

What's next for you?

Years ago, I wrote a memoir focused on my 15 years teaching on the Hannahville Reservation. I was working with a literary agent from New York who referred me to an editor from the New Yorker magazine. I put that project aside for various personal reasons and then wrote my Cady books. I’d like to return to that project with a fresh outlook that time has provided. 

More about the book . . .

Cady’s mother disappeared when Cady was only six-years-old. Now about to turn 14, Cady aches for her mother to be with her. In an attempt to curb her granddaughter’s angry outbursts, Grandma Winnie takes Cady on a road trip throughout Wisconsin and Michigan. “We’ll repeat the trip your mother took when she was your age and maybe you’ll learn more about her,” Grandma tells Cady. Adding to Cady’s stress is the deadline for her essay entry in Barnesville’s centennial celebration. Through missing her mother and trying to find her, Cady is learning to see herself. Accompanying her on her adventures are her best friend, Irish; her “crush,” John Ray Chigaug; and, an ever-present blue jay.

Published by: Modern History Press (an imprint of Loving Healing Press) of Ann Arbor, MI

More about the author . . .

Ann Dallman has lifelong roots in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This is her third Cady novel. Cady and the Bear Necklace (Midwest Book Award Winner) and Cady and the Birchbark Box are both UP Notable Books and received State History Awards from the Historical Society of Michigan. (Cady and the Bear Necklace also received the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award.) A retired teacher, Ann continues to work as a freelance journalist and photographer. “Sometimes I write myself into a corner. That’s when I go swimming, that’s where the solution comes to me.” Fall is her favorite season, and she is passionate about making applesauce.

Website: https://www.anndallman.com/

Instagram: AnnDallmanAuthor

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Book Birthday Blog with Ann Dallman

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Ann Dallman on the release

 of Cady and the Birchbark Box

 

 

This is the second book in the Cady Whirlwind Thunder series. Tell us a little bit about the series, and how you came up with the idea for your second book?

The idea for my second book, Cady and the Birchbark Box, came to me the same way the idea for my first book, Cady and the Bear Necklace, did—via a gift. I was inspired by a birchbark “basket” given to me by a friend and member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa tribe. It’s bound with sweetgrass and has tiny acorns attached. And shipwrecks! My father was a boat builder by profession, and I set out in boats with him before I learned to walk. I’m fascinated with sailing history and the bravery of the people who venture forth on the Great Lakes for a living.

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

I hope readers will want to explore some of the topics I’ve introduced—birchbark, a respect for the land, and Great Lakes shipping history. Perhaps they’ll visit their local landmarks and those throughout this great state of Michigan. 

What inspires you to write?

Writing is something I’ve wanted to pursue since eighth grade when I won an essay contest awarding me a week at camp; in high school I won a gift card to a local department store. I was the oldest of five children and these prizes/awards made life so much sweeter. I was elected editor of our high school newspaper and we went on to achieve Quill & Scroll awards. I majored in Journalism Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked for several years in the newsroom of a small daily newspaper. Since then, I’ve done curriculum writing, corporate writing and worked freelance for several national magazines. Turning to novel writing for a primarily middle grade audience was a natural progression after I retired from teaching. 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

The most difficult part is remaining true to my character’s native culture. I am always cognizant of honoring her traditions in a respectful manner. With this book, a major portion of my research involved interviews with men who had sailed on the Great Lakes. They were invaluable in exploring shipwrecks, how they could occur, and the feelings experienced by the sailors on board. 

What are your marketing plans for the book?

Marketing for an author is such an important part of writing, something I wasn’t aware of to the extent I am now. Interviews on our local radio station have helped a lot with area sales. I also reach out to librarians and teachers and scour the internet for low-cost or free methods of promotion. Also, SCBWI websites—Michigan’s and the national’s—provide a wealth of ideas and suggestions.

Reviews like this one are very gratifying!
Critique: A thoroughly original, charming deftly written and entertaining work of fiction for young readers ages 8-12, "Cady and the Bear Necklace" is the winner of the Historical Society of Michigan's book award for children and youth for 2020; the Midwest Book Award for young adult fiction for 2020; and the winner of the Upper Peninsula Notable Books award for 2020. While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781615996483, $15.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.95), "Cady and the Bear Necklace" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to elementary school, middle school, and community library fiction collections for young reader. Children's Bookwatch: May 2022 

A little bit about the book . . .

In Cady and the Birchbark Box, Cady Whirlwind Thunder solves the mystery behind a weathered journal found inside a very old birchbark box. Why was the box buried behind a deserted garage? This is the question her friend and "crush," John Ray Chicaung, asks her after the two of them find it. And, what meaning do the notes in the book have? Cady's grandma and her ever-present companion, a noisy blue jay, encourage her as she puts together the pieces and ultimately restores the reputation of a deceased elder. Cady does so while navigating through another school year, earning a place on the school's soccer team, and continues to calm down her temper and adjust to life with a new stepmother and baby brother.

Cady and the Birchbark Box is now available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

A little bit about the author . . .

Ann has lifelong roots in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She started out as a newspaper reporter/photographer and returned to journalism after more than 20 years teaching middle and high school English and Title 1 Reading. She loves delving into "the story behind the story." Her first Middle Grade novel, Cady and the Bear Necklace, received: Historical Society of Michigan State History Award, Midwest Book Award, New Mexico-Arizona Book Award and was a Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist and UP Notable Book. Her second book in the series, Cady and the Birchbark Box, will be published the first week in June by Modern History Press, an imprint of Loving Healing Press of Ann Arbor, MI. It is currently available on Kindle Vella.

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Book Birthday Blog with Ann Dallman

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

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

Congratulations to Ann Dallman on the release of her book, Cady and the Bear Necklace!

Congratulations on the release of Cady and the Bear Necklace! What inspired this story about a young Native American girl and a mysterious necklace?

I was the high school English teacher for 15 years on a reservation in the Upper Peninsula. I taught a variety of classes ranging from seventh-grade English to Journalism to English Literature. My assignment to teach a class in Indian Literature drove me to delve deeply into the wonderful stories and works of Native American authors. My students asked me to find more books written about characters with whom they could identify. “Why can’t kids like us be in more books?” they asked me. The challenge was raised and I responded to it. I have the actual necklace shown on the book’s cover as it was a gift from a dear friend. Looking at it one day, I thought “what if?” 

The bear necklace given to Ann

Did you have any challenges as you were writing this book? How did you work through them?

I had many challenges. A major challenge was learning to write in a new genre. Another challenge was to write respectfully about Cady’s culture. I wrote Cady and the Bear Necklace based on my experiences as a classroom teacher. I wrote about the fictional life of a fictional character as seen through my eyes. Also challenging was the need to rewrite. I would send out new queries after each revision and I lost count after my seventh revision. I quit counting queries after I approached 70 which was when I found a publisher. 

You taught high school English on the Hannahville Indian Reservation in Wilson, Michigan, for 15 years. Would you say that experience impacted or inspired how you wrote Cady and the Bear Necklace?

What a great question! Teaching on the Hannahville reservation both impacted and inspired me. One of my favorite parts of my job was being able to follow my students throughout their high school years as their classroom skills increased. Many of them were and continue to be gifted writers, especially with poetry. They pushed me to be the best teacher I could be and, later, the best writer. They opened their world to me. And how could one help but be humble when that happens?

Before this book, you had experience writing for a variety of newspapers and magazines, like Tri-City Neighbors Magazine, Marquette Monthly and the Green Bay Press-Gazette! What was the transition from journalistic writing to novel writing like?

I was trained as a journalist and worked in the newsroom of a daily newspaper for almost 10 years. After that I worked in marketing for a local campus of the University of Wisconsin and then as a high school journalism teacher followed by writing for national trade magazines in the salon industry. All of this was prior to teaching on the reservation which required me to sharpen my skills in yet another genre—curriculum writing. I’m a journalist at heart so switching to writing fiction was a reversal of how I wrote instinctively. I had to permit myself to switch from writing objectively to subjectively, to allow myself the freedom to not only create descriptions but to embellish them and then, of course, learn how to construct a narrative arc when I’ve relied on the inverted pyramid for so many years. That was a major learning curve for me to overcome. 

Could you offer any advice to a writer aspiring to publish their own book?

The best advice I received was from a literary agent. “Don’t overthink,” she told me. I’ve made a poster of those words and hung it near my desk. Also, I think if one is a writer then you just keep writing despite setbacks. When discouraged when writing Cady I’d switch back to writing poetry or a freelance piece for a newspaper. Also, attend workshops—whether online or in person, network and read. And, of course, take advantage of everything SCBWI has to offer. I’ve made some wonderful new friends during this process through networking. Librarians are wonderful resources and truly love and respect writers and books. And, finally, don’t give up. 

What do you hope your readers take away from Cady and the Bear Necklace?

I hope that my readers not only enjoy reading Cady and the Bear Necklace but learn something about native cultures, especially in our part of the country. 

What’s next for you? Do you have any new ideas or books in the works? Where can readers learn more about you and your work?

I’ve started writing my second Cady book. I’ve also written a memoir based on my teaching experiences. Several years ago a literary agent in New York paired me with an editor from the New Yorker which was enormously helpful as she taught me how to structure in yet another genre. I have now rewritten that book at least four times but it still needs more work. I’m still writing freelance for a few publications. My website is: www.anndallman.com and on my Facebook page, Ann Dallman author.

A little bit about the book:

Cady, a 13-year-old girl of Native American heritage, has experienced change in the past year—her father’s marriage to a much younger woman, a new baby brother, and a move from Minnesota to Michigan. She is attending a reservation school for the first time in her life. It’s a difficult juggling act.  One day at school Cady finds an eagle feather on the hallway floor and reports it to the principal. He thanks her for this act of honor and cautions her that a mystery might soon appear in her life. Not long after, while attempting to organize her bedroom closet, Cady discovers an antique Indian beaded necklace hidden under the closet floor. She knows she’s found it for a reason but what is the reason? Is this the mystery her school principal predicted might appear? She consults with the elders who tell her it is her task to find out why. In the process of solving this mystery Cady’s home life calms down and she draws closer to the teachings and traditions of her culture. Helping her along the way are new friends: Irish, John Ray, and a talking blue jay who help to guide her as she balances between two worlds. 

A little bit about the author:

I taught high school English for 15 years at the Hannahville Indian School/Nah Tah Wahsh (Soaring Eagle) School located on a Potawatomi reservation in Wilson, MI. I edited, wrote and did the graphic design for Sam English: The Life, Work and Times of An Artist which received numerous awards including Coffee Table Book of the Year (2009) from the printing industry (PEAK Award). I have been awarded scholarships to study writing with author Susan Power (Split Rock Arts Institute) and to Highlights Foundations sessions in Honesdale, PA. I have also been awarded three writers residences at Wild Acres Retreat Center in North Carolina. I am a former newspaper editor and have had my articles published in national trade magazines, etc. and worked for several years as a Title I reading interventionist. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism Education (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and a Master’s degree in Secondary Education/Reading (Viterbo University). I have taught English/Language Arts and Journalism at the high school and junior college level. I was Content Coordinator/Editor of Tri-City Neighbors magazine for two years and now freelance for Marquette Monthly and other magazines. I am very proud of being the Michigan Chapter of SCBWI’s 2016 Multicultural Mentorship Competition 1st Runner-Up and am a proud member of the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association.