Writer Spotlight: Candace Fleming

Three-legged cat, cornucopia, Ann Schwartz, loose-leaf paper, gray areas, and baby rhinos: Candace Fleming

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet prolific picture book, novel, fiction and non-fiction author Candace Fleming, esteemed faculty member of the 2014 Mackinac Island conference.

I suppose yours could have been a Roald Dahl-type story of a girl who embellished the truth and got punished/and or banished for her falsehoods. Who told adventures of her three-legged cat (when it turned out there were no cats with any number of legs—your mom was allergic), the ghost in the attic, and the fabulous family trip to Paris, all by Grade 1. But your mom was a storyteller too, and she encouraged you to write your stories. You said writing cured your itch for performing before a live audience. But did it? Don’t you still get a thrill presenting to a live audience?

Don’t get me wrong, I love talking with kids about writing.  And while I wouldn’t call it a thrill, I am inspired by their enthusiasm and curiosity, their imaginations and senses of humor.  Kids really are the best audience, even middle and high schoolers.   

School visit, gymnasium of 1st-5th grade students 2023

Your Mom influenced at least two of the books you wrote. Boxes for Katje was based on her actual childhood experience. And your book about Amelia Earhart arose from your mother’s heartbreak when the famous aviatrix and her plane disappeared. What else did your mom inspire you to do?

Both my mom and dad inspired me to become a writer.  Not literally.  They didn’t say, “Candy, go forth and write.”  But they were both storytellers, and valued story.  They bought books for both themselves and us kids.  They were enthusiastic library patrons.  We talked about books at the dinner table, and on long car rides.  

And our house was filled with so many books that we didn’t have shelf space for them all.  It was common to have stacks of books sitting on the floor beside the shelves.  

They also valued the stories I told, and eventually wrote as a kid.  My dad kept them in this wooden box he brought home from Japan after World War II. He treasured that box.  Putting my stories inside it told me he treasured them equally.  It all sent a message: my voice had value.

 

Your love of language was triggered in second grade by the word cornucopia. What are some of your other favorite words?

Cattywampus, flimflam, flibbertigibbet, azalea, crepuscular, perpendicular.

 

Fourth Grade was magic for you. It was the year when you were Arm Wrestling Champ. Also the year when you wrote a letter to author Marguerite Henry and got a response! Do you respond to young fans?

I clearly remember feeling so special when I received both a letter and a signed copy of Misty of Chincoteague (including Misty’s hoof-o-graph) from Ms. Henry.  I want my readers to feel that way, too.  

And let’s face it, it’s a huge honor to get a few words or a hand-drawn picture from a reader.  They’ve taken the time and effort.  What a gift that is!  And for a children’s writer, it’s the ultimate gift.  I’m always so grateful.  

Candy and Eric signing books

You said you wrote your first book specifically for fourth graders, when you found that they were consumed studying for upcoming standardized tests. Would that be Professor Fergus Fahrenheit and his Wonderful Weather Machine (1994)? Later The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School (2005). What is it about that age that excites you?

To my mind, fourth grade is the sweet spot.  They’re so capable, yet still so excited about school and learning.  They’re funny and unsophisticated (in the best way) and willing to try new things. What’s not to love about fourth graders?

Your early picture books in the 1990’s were a mix of fact and fiction (except maybe Women of the Lights (1995), which were biographies of female lighthouse keepers.) Big hair, big cheese, bird calls, and opera singers in the Wild West. The one connecting thread—you found something interesting in every topic. What were the 1990’s like for a green picture book writer?

Wow, I hope I can remember that far back!  In the early nineties you could still send a manuscript over the transom and get pulled from the slush (I did).  There were fewer resources out there for newbies, and really, everyone was dependent on SCBWI because they were one of only groups doing workshops or conferences etc.  

Agnes Peregrine
accomplished birdcaller

Was there more opportunity?  I can’t recall.  I got rejected more than a few times.  But I do think publishing’s door was more wide open than it is now.  

When did you meet Anne Schwartz of Random House Children’s Books? Was it love at first sight, or did it take a while for your relationship to grow?

I met Anne at an SCBWI conference here in Illinois.  I went because I admired her picture books.  She’d just gotten her first imprint, Apple Soup Books at Knopf, and I really wanted to hear what she had to say.  I was still unpublished at the time, and certainly didn’t expect to be discovered or anything like that.  I was just seeking some knowledge.  

As luck would have it, she came down during an open mic reading (she had begged off to go to bed but got bored in her room).  She’d just sat down when my book was read.  People in the room actually laughed in all the right places.  

Sitting in the audience, I was blown away.  I was even more blown away when Anne stood and asked who’d written it.  Then she walked over and asked if she could take it back to NYC with her.  My answer?  “It’s not done yet.”  Yup, I was green!  

But I did send it to her (after I revised) and she bought it.  I’ve been with her ever since and it’s been one of the most transforming relationships of my life.  Not only does she understand me as a writer, and brings out my best, but she’s a good friend.  We’ve been together… what… thirty years?  Thirty years, twenty-six books… and counting. 

Speaking of love at first sight, how did you meet Eric Rohmann?

Eric Rohmann and Candace Fleming

Who?  No, just kidding.  We met at a conference in Chicago and really connected.  We had so much in common, not just kids books, but travel and hiking.  I loved talking with him, and he made me laugh.  (I still do and he still does). 

For years, however, we were just close friends.  Eventually, those feelings blossomed.  He’s still my best friend, though.  I’m blessed. 

Your early drafts are composed on wide-lined loose-leaf paper, scrawled with blue Bic pens. Very common tools, and you find them freeing so that your words aren’t so precious. 

Though you said the Giant Squid book started on a napkin. What are some of the most unusual “pen and paper” combinations you have been forced to use when loose-leaf and blue Bic pen were unavailable?

I’ve written on the backs of receipts and envelopes.  I’ve torn out those black, back pages in books and ripped apart paper tablecloths.   I used my lip liner the other day because I didn’t have a pen or pencil.  It worked.  

And while I hate electronic first drafts, I wrote a picture book not too long ago in my phone’s notes.  You’d think I’d be prepared after all these years and carry something.  But nope. 

You’ve done extensive traveling, to Russia (twice) for The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia (2014) and Egypt for THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY: UNCOVERING TUTANKHAMUN’S TOMB. Where else have your books taken you?

Candy inside a pyramid 2021

South Africa (twice), Roswell, New Mexico, the Aleutian Islands, Cody, Wyoming, Bletchley Park outside of London, and every Lincoln site in the United States (just to name a few).

 

You described your research techniques as “chaotic.” Surely, with all the intervening non-fiction you’ve produced, you’ve sanded off some of the rough edges. Still, research and a keen curiosity can lead you down alternate paths and all sorts of rabbit holes. What have been some of the surprises you’ve uncovered while looking for something else?

Nope, my research remains chaotic, and I like it that way.  It’s organic, you know?  What I ask next springs from what I’ve just discovered.  I never know what path I’m going to take.  I purposely leave myself open for surprise and diversions.  

In my opinion, it’s the diversions and surprise that create good books.  Hmm…. Surprises.  Here’s my favorite:  When I was working on The Family Romanov I traveled to Tsarskoe Selo, the imperial family’s country getaway fifteen miles from St. Petersburg, Russia.  

From my research, I knew that Nicholas and the family had escaped there so they could live away from the chaos of governing the country.  No one was allowed in to see them without permission.  They didn’t go out.   I assumed the palace in which they’d chose to live was smack dab in the middle of this vast estate where they remained physically isolated.  

But when I got to TS, I discovered that the Romanov’s palace was butt up against the wrought-iron fence.  And on the other side of that fence was the town.  In fact, the family’s private rooms were on the same side as the fence.  That meant that the Romanovs, who had removed themselves from the Russian people, could see them every time they looked out their windows.  They could hear those peasants talking and singing; could hear their babies crying; could smell their dinners cooking.  

I remember standing there, and thinking, “This isn’t physical isolation, this is a psychological isolation.  They’ve chosen NOT to see.”  Discovering that changed the entire book.  Suddenly, I knew I couldn’t write this story without the inclusion of peasants and workers and soldiers.  They were integral to the Romanov story, but I hadn’t seen that until my research took me there… literally.   

And that led to the book’s interstitials called “Beyond the Palace Gates,” because I had seen beyond those real live gates, and I’d discovered a newer, far richer, more honest telling. 

You weren’t interested in doing a book about Buffalo Bill (even though premier editor Neal Porter asked you to).  Likewise, P.T. Barnum wasn’t on your interest radar. But you found the hook in each life that opened the door for a book on each. You had your disinterest in each, and yet you persisted until you found something that spoke to you. You said you need the “vital idea.” What is that?

Vital idea is basically this question: What do I have to say to readers of the 21^st century with this piece of history?  After all, my purpose it not to write an informational book about historical events and people.  I’m not writing so kids can use my book for their reports. 

I’m writing to show them something about how we live today.  I’m asking them to see the hooks and echoes between the past, present and future.  I’m illuminating connections.  I’m fleshing out context.  

I always say that if a nonfiction book is only about what it seems to be about, then somehow the author has failed. So what is Buffalo Bill really about?  It’s about how the myth of the American west was created by one man; how we have to remember that the pony express, wagons train circling for protection, the bugle playing infantry galloping to the rescue (among other tropes) were all invented by a showman.   None of it was true.  None of it happened. 

Truth can be very elusive.   

When doing research for a non-fiction piece, you keep a running list of questions you’d like to answer: “What was his favorite color?  Did she sleep on her back?  Believe in God?  What did she carry in her purse?  Who gave him his first kiss?” Curiosity might have killed the cat, but you thrive on it. What do the minute details of a life have to do with the Big Picture?

History is found in what I call “small moments.” It’s those dinner table conversations and shopping receipts that draw young readers directly into the lives of people from the past.  Intimate and authentic, these small moments allow us to peek into a person’s soul, and in so doing, change what we know about history.

You said you like to take your non-fiction readers to the “gray areas.” Please explain.

I mean, those places in history (and there are lots of them) where one doesn’t know what to make of the truth.  Ben Franklin owned slaves.  What do you make of that?  Charles Lindbergh was a white supremacist, a nazi and avid eugenicist.  What do you make of that?  Nicholas Romanov, despite his modern-day reputation as a loving father, was a virulent anti-Semite who ordered pograms killing thousands of Russian Jews.  What do you make of that?  

These are all “gray” areas where, through my narrative, I hand it to the reader and ask them to grapple with the morality of it.  I don’t connect the dots for them.  I don’t provide the answers.  I trust young readers to draw the right conclusions.  

But it is in those gray areas that readers will make the connection between themselves and people from the past.  It’s here that they will discover something about themselves in the present. 

You wrote three books on Benjamin Franklin. Ben Franklin's Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman's Life (2003), Ben Franklin's in My Bathroom! (2017), and The Hatmaker's Sign (1998). Of course, you said, just about anyone would be fascinated by Ben Franklin. Sure: inventor, statesman, writer, philosopher, wit, ladies’ man. Why not? What fascinated you about him?

His charm, his genius, his humor, his deep curiosity and independence, his resolve, and his ability to learn and evolve as a human being.  

Early on, Franklin owned enslaved persons. By the time he was an old man he’d changed his mind.  In 1790, as head of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery, he petitioned Congress to abolish slavery.  

Since his was a revered name (having helped establish the Constitution) the representatives had to take up the matter on the floor.  Too bad they didn’t listen to the sage old politician.

What’s next?

I’ve got a few irons in the fire.  In March you’ll see Death in The Jungle, YA nonfiction that follows (for the most part) a handful of teens and young people who were members of Peoples Temple.  Some survived the massacre at Jonestown.  Some didn’t.  

I’m a firm believer in the idea that if a book is only about what it seems to be about, then somehow the author has failed.  In this case, the book is far more than a “cult” story.  It’s about undue influence, peer pressure and personal agency.  

Why do we choose to believe the patently false?  Why do follow charismatic leaders?  Why is everyone -- and I mean everyone -- susceptible?  I had the honor of interviewing several survivors of Peoples Temple, all of whom spoke to me because they had something they wanted to say to today’s teenagers. 

Next spring also sees the start of a middle-school series called “IS IT REAL?” It might look like a series about cryptids.  In truth, it’s about critical thinking, “good” research, and reasoning.   

Readers get the chance to delve into the evidence for, say, the Loch Ness Monster, ask questions, find answers and draw conclusions.  They then get to pit their conclusions against the scientific community’s.  Fun!

October 2024 research
in South Africa

In October I head off for a month-long research trip in South Africa.  I’ll be taking a weeklong, wildlife forensics class with South African park rangers, then walking the park with the anti-poaching K-9 unit and helping to release a young rhino from the orphanage where it was raised after poachers killed its mother.  All this will result in a middle school, nonfiction book tentatively called Rhino Country.

In Rhino Country

And I’ve got a few picture books in the works.  Stay tuned…     

 

Please include any socials you’d care to share:

Website: www.candacefleming.com

Facebook: candacefleming

Instagram: @candaceflemingbooks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with Amy Dua

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Amy Dua on the release of Woe is Me...It's Winter!

 

 

What was the inspiration for your book?

My inspiration for this book was my love of children, nature, art and rhyme! With the publication of Woe is Me…It’s Autumn!, I was overwhelmed with joy seeing children’s smiling faces after reading the book to them, and their surprise at some of the new facts that they learned about the creatures we see every day. I knew right then that I had to keep going! Woe is Me…It’s Winter! is a beautiful continuation of the Woe is Me: The Seasons series, with adorable new woodland creatures to learn about. Kids discover interesting facts as to how each creature prepares for winter, and their life cycle throughout the seasons.  I absolutely love being able to teach kids about nature in a fun, colorful, rhyming way. 

You wrote and illustrated the book. What was the most difficult part?

With this book the most difficult part was deciding which facts I wanted to include and which ones to leave out.  I put a great deal of time into researching each character and in turn I myself learn so many interesting things that I want to share, that this book started out about 100 words longer than the other two. So trimming it down was the difficult part.  

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

I hope that children learn fun new facts about the creatures we see every day and what each new season brings.  Nature is fascinating, so for children to have fun learning all about it is truly accomplishing my goal.  

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

Woe is Me…It’s Winter! will be available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com, Walmart.com and everywhere books are sold on December 1st, 2024. These books are sold at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan, as they are also used in the educational programming at the zoo.  Additionally, they are available for purchase on my website along with free downloadable activity pages that coincide with the Woe is Me series. www.aftermanyyearsllc.com. 

What's next for you? 

This is the third book in the series, so I will be diligently working on Woe is Me…It’s Summer! next to complete the series. I am already looking forward to learning all about the next set of characters in the book. 

More about the book . . . 

Did you ever wonder what the woodland animals do when the cold winds start to blow and the snow begins to fall? Do they hibernate? Do they frolic in the snow? Find out in this fun and informative book about what animals, insects, and even humans do when the ground begins to freeze, the snow starts to fall, and winter arrives. 

Publisher: After Many Years Publishing

More about the author/illustrator . . .  

Amy grew up in Buffalo, New York and later moved to East Lansing, Michigan for law school at Michigan State University where she met her husband.  The majority of her legal career has been in child advocacy, as she has always had a great love of children.  Amy has four children with her husband, and it was with their love and support that she was able to follow her dream, to combine her love of teaching children, the beauty of nature and gift of rhyme and create the Woe is Me: The Seasons series.  

Facebook: After Many Years Publishing

Insta: @aftermanyyearspublishing

TikTok: After Many Years Publishing

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with Natalie Ann Andrus

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Natalie Ann Andrus on the release of Natelf and Her Magical Doll Share Christmas Around the World

 

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

I started writing this story in 1975 when I was in 5th grade and ten years old. It was a  Michigan winter day, and I was stuck in the house with nothing to do. After writing the first draft I showed it to my teacher and he asked me to choose a cast from our class and  produce it in front of other classrooms. The story stuck with me and I re-wrote it for a  Creative Writing course at the University of Michigan in 1989. Thereafter, my life got busy with a family and career. 

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

The joy in celebrating the birth of Jesus at Christmas.

The joy in a magical doll that changes with belief and hug of a child.

The joy in learning about different Christmas cultures around the world.

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

Deciding on whether it would be a Children’s Book or Early Reader and editing the word count down. Also, deciding which countries to use in the book. I tried to include various continents. 

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

The book should be up on Amazon KDP no later than 12/1/2024. I have been accepted to exhibit at a few Christmas Craft Shows/Bazaars to sell my book. I will be selling and signing my book at local bookstores and children’s toy stores. 

What's next for you?

I have left the last sentence of the book open for a sequel or many to come.  “See you next year” (with the wink of an eye).

More about the book . . .

A little girl opens her present from Santa on Christmas morning to find an elf inside. The elf had mistakenly fallen asleep in the box with the magical doll she made for the child. The two of them discover they both share a Christmas birthday and name. As the child embraces her new doll, it magically changes and teaches her about Christmas around the world. 

Publisher: Self with help of EABooks Publishing

More about the author . . .

NATALIE ANN (ELENBAAS) ANDRUS lives in Rockford, Michigan with her husband  (Robert) of thirty-four years. They have two adult children: Forrest (wife Carley) and Spencer. Natalie is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been a contract litigation paralegal for twenty-five years. She has earned the American Association for Justice Paralegal of the Year award. Natalie started this story when she was ten years old. The story grew over time with her love of FAITH, travel throughout over twenty countries, and meeting people of various cultural backgrounds. 

 

Ask the Editor

Hi everyone! A heartfelt thank-you as always to all the people who sent me their questions! I hope everyone, whether you asked me a question or not, finds this post helpful and informative.

As with my other Ask the Editor posts, I humbly ask that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful; I sincerely hope no one finishes this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged.

And of course, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of my publisher or the publishing industry in general. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that you’ve heard an editor or agent say something that directly conflicts with my perspective. Everyone in publishing has their own views and preferences, and I can only represent my own.

Thanks so much, and happy writing!

I’ve heard that sales are slow right now, especially for picture books. Is it true? And if so, why? 

From an overall industry perspective, children’s and YA book sales are actually performing pretty consistently compared to recent years. The issue is when you start comparing frontlist books (books that have been published in the last 12 months) to backlist titles (all books that have been out for at least a year). 

When I started working in publishing, publishers’ revenue was generally split 50/50 between frontlist and backlist—meaning your new releases were bringing in just as much as all your older titles combined. That’s been shifting over the past ten years, exacerbated by the pandemic and the rise of online shopping, so that now it’s more like 20/80 frontlist vs. backlist. Which is to say, it’s harder for people to discover new books when they’re not actively going out to bookstores and instead relying on sites such as Amazon, whose algorithms favor backlist books that have proven sales tracks. So every new book that gets published is automatically facing those headwinds. 

That means it can be tricky to break out with a new picture book if, for example, you’re a debut author without a platform, or the book isn’t focused on something that people will specifically be searching for (such as a Valentine’s Day book or a potty-training book). Even more so than picture books though, we’ve been seeing middle grade titles struggle for a few years now. There’s reason to believe that’s improving, but it’s been an especially tricky space to publish in lately; the most common theory for that is pandemic-related drops in reading levels and increased time spent playing video games for that age cohort. 

That all might sound a bit doom and gloom, but the publishing industry is both resilient and adaptable, so please don’t let any of that discourage you from writing exactly the book you want to write! 

How can I know what agents are trustworthy? Would you recommend any reputable agents and/or publishers for those of us with little experience? 

I believe SCBWI keeps a list of reputable agents and publishers in The Book, which should be available on their website. It’s hard for me to recommend a specific agency or publisher without knowing what genre you’re writing in, but I think it’s a great practice to note the agent and publisher whenever you finish reading a book that you really love, as they’ve clearly been vetted (and it likely means your tastes will be aligned!). 

I do think that most of the agents and editors you find in your research will be trustworthy, but of course it’s always good to be on the lookout for red flags. Reputable agents and publishers will not ask you to pay them for representing or publishing your book; agents make 15% of what their authors make on a book deal, meaning they don’t make any money unless and until they sell your book. And while publishers may ask you to foot the bill for promoting your book, they should be paying you, whether through an advance, royalties, or a flat fee. 

It probably goes without saying, but it’s also good practice to have a meeting with your agent and/or publisher before signing a contract with them (and have a professional look over any contract before you sign). That will also help to give you a sense of their style and whether they’re a good fit for you. Ideally, this is someone you’ll be working with for years to come, so even though it can be tempting to take the first “yes” you get, take the time to make sure the vibes are right and that this is someone you’ll enjoy partnering with.

What kind of books and topics are you looking for at the moment?

I’m always on the lookout for Christian picture books and clean teen novels (I especially love romances and mysteries!). Beyond that though, I don’t have anything too specific on my wish list; I prefer to just take each submission as it comes. I will say that the things that get me (and probably every other editor out there) excited about a project are really strong writing and a great topic or premise. If you’ve got those things, you’ve got my interest! 

Katherine Gibson Easter is an editor for Zonderkidz, having previously worked for Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She graduated from the University of Denver Publishing Institute in 2013 and has spent the last eight years editing and publishing award-winning children’s books, including Sibert Medal and Caldecott Honor book The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus and Plume, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book.

Thank you, Katherine!

To submit a publishing question, email Mitten blog editor Sarah LoCascio with "Ask the Editor" in the subject line, and she'll forward your question to Katherine. Or, stay tuned on the SCBWI-MI MichKids listserv – Katherine will ask for questions a few weeks before her next post.

If you missed any of Katherine's previous Ask the Editor posts, go HERE to browse through all the questions and answers.

Book Birthday Blog with Martha Johnston

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Martha Johnston on the release of Iki and the Ocean Protectors

 

 

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

We knew we wanted to do another book in the Iki series, and as a board member of Regenerative Education Centers, which is a Hawaii based nonprofit, we’ve been working with the sea trees program for seven years, and it's been a really wonderful organization to partner with. Sea trees are native and restorative plants that can be planted along waterways and coastlines to protect the oceans and reefs from erosion, soot runoff and chemicals, so that we can keep our marine life safe and our ocean ecosystem safe.
 
With our regenerative agriculture projects on Maui, we've been planting 10s of 1000s of square feet of sea trees.  Which includes Our Mighty Ocean Protectors, mentioned in the book, Milo, Naupaka, and Vetiver and also coconut and other native plants. We wanted to teach families about how we can keep our oceans safe.

 

 

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

Readers will take away inspiration and hope that we can protect our planet and ally with plants and animals to make the world a better place, and even little kids can play a part in this, and this can be an adventure for the entire family to bond and get closer and take part in a bigger mission. Also that many kids may not see underneath the ocean, they'll just see the surface and they don't realize there's a whole other world underneath the water. We think about trees on the land, and we are taught to plant trees. And under the water, there's a forest of seaweed and coral a variety of sea life. So the awareness hopefully builds empathy.

 

 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

The most difficult part of writing this book was making a more complex scientific process friendly for our littlest little ones, and to also frame something that can be sad with the things happening on our planet and show that there are actually solutions, so that we don't lose hope for the future. 


For illustrating the book, at first I was thinking the dogs would need snorkels and oxygen tanks, but because it's a children's book I took a little artistic license and pretended the pups were able to breathe underwater. I wanted to include animals that were both land animals and sea animals to transition the pups into the water. We chose playful mudskippers and puppy-like baby seal that could play on the land and ocean with the pups.  The baby seal was shy so the mother nudged the baby other to meet Ulu. Iki was acting a little shy too, hanging back behind the surfboard. The Coral reef needed to be highlighted since they are dying off due to global warming. So we created a queen ending with a celebration ala Esther Williams water ballet. 

 

 

 

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

One of our big marketing plans for the book, from the beginning, was partnering with a larger organization to help with the marketing for every book sold of Iki and the Ocean Protectors, we are planting one square foot of Sea Trees. And having an established relationship with this organization definitely made things easier. And we are really excited to be able to have this book be a way that the organization can get even more donations and be supported by a new group of people, because we are mentioning them directly, and because we're donating with every book, we're going to be included on their website and in their holiday guide that is sent out to their email list, which is much larger than ours. We're also publishing it on Amazon and sharing on our social media so that more people can be reached. You can find it here: https://shop.thedirtyalchemy.com/collections/iki-and-his-mighty-friends

What's next for you?

We plan on continuing our Iki and his Mighty friends. There's talk of Maui land mammals. Or a kid’s cookbook. Since the character Ulu is named after an Ulu tree, which we plant here on Maui, produces breadfruit. There are many Hawaiin culture breadfruit recipes.
 
And  if luck will have it, our little dogs will have puppies, and then there'll be a whole new cast of characters.

More about the book . . .

When pollution threatens the sea, it’s time for Iki and his friends to step up and protect their ocean home!
 
Iki the curious little dog, his friend Ulu, and regenerative farmer Eddy embark on an underwater adventure. As they explore the magical world of sea creatures, from playful pufferfish to gentle whales, they discover a big problem: pollution is harming their ocean friends!
 
With the help of Milo Tree, Naupaka Shrub, and Vetiver Grass—strong and heroic plants called "SeaTrees"—Iki and his friends learn how to protect the ocean. From planting SeaTrees to making eco-friendly choices on land, they show us that even small actions can make a big difference.
 
Through this beautifully illustrated story, children will discover the magic of the ocean and how they can help keep it safe and healthy for all its inhabitants. Join Iki and his mighty friends as they become Ocean Protectors!
 
Dive into a magical underwater world where tiny actions make a big difference.
 
This book supports SeaTrees, a program of Sustainable Surf, that helps protect and restore coastal ecosystems. SeaTrees works with communities to plant mangroves, restore kelp forests, and more, helping reverse climate change by protecting our oceans. Learn more about the power of SeaTrees, visit their website: https://seatrees.org/
 
For every book purchased, 1 square foot of SeaTrees will be planted, helping restore these critical ecosystems and safeguard the ocean for future generations.

Publisher: Dirty Alchemy Inc

More about the author and illustrator . . .

Martha Johnston is an artist, graphic designer, and dog enthusiast. Inspired by her dog-grandchild, Iki, and their Maui farm, she created the Iki series to share the wonders of nature with young readers. Martha lives in Michigan with her husband and three dogs. You can find her at www.MarthaJohnstonArt.com.
 
Samantha Garcia is an author, digital marketer, and certified permaculture design specialist. She co-founded the non-profit Regenerative Education Centers with her husband, Eddy Garcia, in 2015. They live on their Maui farm with 2 dogs (Iki and Ulu), cat, sheep, peacocks, and a vibrant ecosystem of plants and animals.

Martha Johnston Instagram: @marthajohnstonart

Samantha Garcia Instagram: @thedirty alchemy

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with Suja Sukumar

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to  Suja Sukumar on the release of When Mimi Went Missing

 

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

I started writing this book about ten years ago, stealing time between my hectic work schedule and my family. I grew up on Agatha Christie and therefore it was inevitable that I’d gravitate toward mysteries and thrillers. The fast-paced twisty plots of young adult thrillers and the complex relationships and emotions portrayed in them inspired me to write a YA thriller. 

I wanted a story based in Michigan where I live and a protagonist from the South Asian diaspora because of the dearth of YA thrillers featuring main characters of South Asian ethnicity. Small towns hide the biggest secrets and therefore I settled for a small-town mystery as the perfect setting for my story. I also wanted a complex character, an underdog who beat the odds. 

And thus, I ended up with Tanvi, a sixteen-year-old orphan who lives with her aunt and cousin after her parents died in a murder-suicide when she was eight. She and her cousin share a deep sisterly bond but that is broken when her cousin joins the popular clique led by Tanvi’s bully. This betrayal triggers the trauma Tanvi had experienced when her parents died and she embarks on the subsequent crescendo of events ending in the final climax.

What inspires you to write?

Writing instills a sense of joy and peace in me. Writing a story transports me to a world where I can create characters at will and watch them live and breathe and act. My characters, once I’ve created them, often tend to take the story over and they may take the plot on a different tangent than what I’d originally planned. Therefore, I allow myself to be surprised and for me that’s a large part of the joy of fiction writing. 

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

I wanted to portray my Brown, Indian American character as complex, flawed and insecure, someone who is traumatized by childhood trauma, deals with anxiety and PTSD and faces subsequent bullying in school. But she’s also someone who learns to trust herself and believe in her own self-worth, which in turn gives her the strength to fight for herself and her loved ones.

By writing this book, I wanted to show that intersectional identities exist within groups marginalized by race / ethnicity, and that we aren’t one cookie cutter monolith. Writing characters with intersectional identities not only helps readers find themselves represented but also creates empathy across the barriers of race and ethnicity.

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

It is being marketed by my publisher Soho Press and by PRH. It’s available to preorder at several sites, including Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc

Please visit Penguin Random House at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/726250/when-mimi-went-missing-by-suja-sukumar/

My website https://www.sujasukumar.com/

Please also consider ordering through your favorite indie bookstore and request at your libraries.

What's next for you?

My current WIP is a young adult horror based on Indian folklore. Here, an eighteen-year-old Indian American girl intent on proving her mom’s innocence in a murder that happened decades ago in India comes face-to-face with the victim who’s haunting her ancestral home and is bent on vengeance.  I’m editing it as we speak and hoping to get it out to my agent by the end of the year.

More about the book . . .

The splintered relationship between two Indian American cousins is at the center of this dark, twisty YA mystery—perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Karen McManus, and Angeline Boulley.



Shy, nerdy Tanvi has always thought of her perfect cousin Mimi as her sister. Not only did Mimi’s family raise Tanvi after the tragic death of her parents, fierce Mimi has always protected Tanvi at school. At least until Mimi fell under the spell of their flawless, rich classmate, Beth . . . Tanvi’s biggest bully.



Fearing another terrible year, Tanvi decides to take a desperate, preemptive strike—and captures an incriminating photo of Mimi and Beth at a party. When Tanvi wakes up the next day with a bump on her head, scratches on her leg, and no memory of what caused her injuries, Mimi is gone.



When the investigation for the missing girl takes a dark turn, Tanvi begins to fill the gaps in her memory, hoping to bring her cousin home alive. She questions Mimi’s friends and enemies—including Mimi’s shady boyfriend, who refuses to answer her questions, and Beth, who catalyzed the split between the once-close cousins. Meanwhile, the cops announce that they are now hunting a murderer—are they hunting Tanvi?



To preserve her family and find the truth, Tanvi must revisit the worst night of her life and the darkest parts of her past to discover if she’s capable of murder—and the truth of what happened to Mimi.

Publisher: Soho Press

More about the author . . .

Suja Sukumar loves hanging out in coffee shops and Indian restaurants, drawing inspiration from naan and malai kofta, masala chai and lassi. She is a member of SCBWI, Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, and is a senior staff physician in a major health system in suburban Detroit, where she lives with her family and an elderly cat. When Mimi Went Missing is her debut novel. 

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

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamsujas?lang=en 

 

 

Editor/Writer Spotlight: Arthur Levine

Book-lover's passion, Emmanuel Querido, Erin Murphy's Dog, and real emotion: Editor and Author Arthur Levine

Photo courtesy Arthur A. Levine

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet editor and author Arthur A. Levine, esteemed faculty member of the 2014 Mackinac Island conference.

You said, when you opened shop at Levine Querido that your mission was to be a disruptive force. Disruptive, how? And did your publishing company achieve that goal?

Disruptive? I’m not sure that was my intention. More like Restorative in the sense that I wanted to bring back a way of publishing books that gave primacy to the vision of the editor and that editor’s connection with great authors and artists.  

When I started in the industry it was commonplace for a book-lover’s passion (and editors are book lovers first and foremost) to guide an acquisition; then that editor, along with art directors and designers, would have an intense, joyful period of creative work, bringing a manuscript to fruition. THEN it would be presented to a team of sales and marketing people who could use their skills to reach the biggest market they could.  

Over my decades in publishing I saw that process flipped on its head, then put through a blender, with the company’s creative employees having among the least amount of control or power and decision-making diluted by committees. I’m happy to say that if nothing else, I have achieved my goal of restoring editorial priorities to our work flow.

LQ’s mission is to focus on authors and artists who come from communities that have been historically marginalized and under-represented. And I guess that too could be considered “disruptive” within the context of an industry dominated by corporations controlled by folks responsible only for making money, with little motivation to question what cultural, racial, social biases might be informing their ideas about what “sells”, etc.

Emanuel Querido was a Dutch publisher. In 1943, he and his wife were murdered by Nazis, but his company continued to publish works in his name. Was this legacy part of the reason you joined forces?

Yes, an important part. Querido found a way to publish German writers – Jews, Dissidents, activists – whose work was banned in Germany (sound familiar?). I wanted to honor that legacy, for sure.

But he was also a brilliant publisher, who created the first quality paperback line before Penguin got into the game. His books were known for the quality of their writing AND their production values, things I’m also proud of.  

And I had been a partner of Querido NL for years, translating many of their fine authors. So the collaboration was a natural fit (though we are still very much independent companies.)

You were almost graduated from university when you decided to cast your lot with children’s book publishing. You were a poet, but apparently realized that one doesn’t easily make a living writing poetry. With New York City as your playground and a keen appreciation for show tunes, did you ever consider the stage?

Ha! No, you’re extremely kind, but I never thought I was talented enough to make it that way, or that I had the emotional fortitude to survive the effort.

Heidi Sheffield and Arthur
Photo courtesy Heidi Sheffield

You have a melodious singing voice; many of the attendees from ten years ago still remember you belting out tunes from Broadway musicals. You joined the rag-tag group of children’s book creators of Erin Murphy’s Dog, the band, not the dog. You performed with Mike Jung, Conrad Wesselhoeft, Anne Nesbet, Deborah Underwood, Gia Gordon and Kristin Nitz, with Ruth on harmonica. I’m sure there’s a musical question in there somewhere. The question is: how big a part is music in your life?

I will say that being part of Erin Murphy’s Dog was one of the great joys of my adult life, and I’m so, so sad it’s over.  I still love to sing and will do so at the most casual of invitations. I have developed an auto-immune disease that has stopped me from playing guitar (the instrument of my adulthood) but I still hope that someday I’ll be well enough to start learning again.

While on a writer retreat, I listened in awe as you read a not-quite-final draft of WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING. There was not a dry eye in the room of hardened picture book pros when you finished reading. That story had a special significance for you. Please tell us about it.

It was a way for me to process the “long goodbye” I had with my dad who, because of dementia, gradually left behind his brilliant mind, his affability, his joie di vivre, and everything that made him who he was. 

In his last months he couldn’t converse with me, but if I sang a line from a show tune, his face would light up and he would sing the next line! It was his last hold on communication before even that lost strength.  So I did what authors do…and I wrote a book about it.

I had no idea you had written and published so many titles! But even legendary editors get rejected. You said some rejections were so ham-handed that you resolved to change the way you dealt out a “no.” What did you learn from the other side of the desk?

Well, I think over time as a writer and an editor I learned to understand the process of manuscript submissions in more depth and nuance. 

Think about it this way: A publisher’s job looks to the Present (books that are under contract, with deadlines set, that must be edited, crafted, art directed, etc) the Near Future (books about to be sold and marketed to the sales force, presented at conferences, etc) the Past (books that you’ve published, whose growth in the market you want to encourage) and the Future (books you seek in order to build the legacy and finances of your Publishing and make the world a better place.)   The only part of that concerning submissions is the “Future”. And it’s crucial! 

But the time for it is limited. So imagine how difficult it is to get the time to read, and to craft a rejection letter that says something meaningful and careful.  Nearly impossible. So I definitely don’t take it personally any more if someone just says, “Hey I was glad to read this but it's not a yes.”

The sensitivity read is now an essential publishing function. How do you use sensitivity readers at Levine/Querido?

View from the LQ office
courtesy Arthur Levine

Sensitivity readers (we now are more likely to call them “accuracy” readers) enable us to get a perspective that isn’t our own.  It’s actually more difficult to afford when you’re a small independent. But it hasn’t lost its importance.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is under fire, but that’s pretty much your company’s whole thing. You’re in liberal New York, but you have reach worldwide. Optimistic or pessimistic for the U.S. and the world as a whole?

Well, I’m not actually in New York, I’m in New Jersey. And the great thing about LQ is that “DEI” isn’t a do-goody, political statement to us. We believe in the literary power, beauty, and meaning we access by not limiting our output to what has historically been determined to be mainstream.

More than once you mention friendship as your goal in editing. How does that work in the cut throat business of publishing?

I think what you’re referring to is that I liken the necessary skills and sensitivity it takes to be a good friend, with the ones that make for being a good editor.  Real listening. Honesty. Tact. Having the other’s best interests at heart. 

I’m not sure I’d agree with an assessment of the publishing industry as “cut throat” in any case, in the sense that publishers focus on competing with each other. Truly the adversaries in this world are those who ban books and the social constructions that devalue books and reading.

How do you balance editing 8-10 books a year with all the varying schedules and challenges associated with running an indie publishing house?

It’s pretty tough, I won’t lie. But what saves me is the sense that so much more of what I spend time and effort on, as an Independent Publisher, is in the service of work I feel passionate about.

Questions from Ruth:

Arthur selfie
courtesy Arthur Levine

What do you recommend writers do to be heard and connect in these days of disjointed social media?

I’d say don’t try to be everywhere. Pick a forum that feels fun and comfortable; for instance, you, Ruth, are an artist and you like to communicate through imagery; maybe Instagram is your go-to, and you seek out others whose work you enjoy and who enjoy your work.  

Find community where the connection is genuine (as opposed to “HEY, I WROTE A BOOK, PAY ATTENTION TO ME) and grow from there.

Do you have a critique group? Who do you show your freshly-written work to?

I do not. Perhaps I should!

Ruth says you addressed illustrators national SCBWI conferences, advising them on what works and why. Do you have any advice specifically for illustrators in today’s competitive market?

First of all, I’d like to say that “today’s” is redundant. It’s always been competitive and it always will be.  

I can just say that what I look for in art is an ability to communicate real emotion that seems genuine however the style. Work on that. And please stop the Pixar imitation! LOL

From Ruth's sketchbook 2014
courtesy Ruth McNally Barshaw
http://www.ruthexpress.com