Monday Meeting: Anna's Awesome Interview Answers and WINNER

Thanks to everyone who played my crazy book giveaway!

I can't wait to give away (at the end of this post) a copy of Anna's book, MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE. In the meantime, here is Anna, with answers to my questions:

 

Q1: Before the book's cover art was completed, what did Anna think the girl was doing on it? Hint: The frog was not on top of the girl's head.

When I first saw the cover for My Very UnFairy Tale Life, I thought it was definitely on the right track, but I couldn't figure out what the girl was looking at. I knew she was supposed to be rolling her eyes, but the more I looked at it, the more confused I got. Was she having a seizure? Was she wondering how to pronounce my last name? After some brainstorming, I came up with the idea of putting a frog on her head, and I was thrilled when my publisher went with it. After all, a girl with a frog on her head is much more interesting than a girl without a frog on her head.

Q2: Anna has a room dedicated to a specific movie series in her house. What is it?

Okay fine, I'm a Star Wars geek. The sun room in our house has slowly become the Star Wars room. 

It started with this Lego Star Destroyer. My husband and I gave that to each other as a wedding present, and it's been the crowning jewel of our house ever since. We also have a Star Wars pop-up book, a Polish movie poster for The Empire Strikes Back, and, of course, a Star Wars throw pillow. (To be fair, the last two were gifts. Once people know you like something, they help feed your obsession.)

I love that obsession! 

Q3. Anna’s main character, Jenny, travels to a world where the inhabitants are missing one key feature. What do you think that key feature is?

I was just surprised as Jenny was when I realized the characters she was helping didn't have mouths. As I was writing the story, I wasn't thinking of it as a serious project that I wanted to have published one day. It was just the funny little story that I came back to when I needed a break from other things. I loved playing with the wacky ideas that came into my head, and one of those ideas, apparently, was mouthless creatures.

Q4. A conversation with Anna’s sister-in-law inspired a part of the book. It has to do with losing a part of the body and hot liquid. Guess what those elements are.

Before I even started writing the book, I had a conversation with my sister-in-law that I knew I had to use in a writing project one day. She and I were talking about my theory that tea is the cure for everything. Soon we were coming up with odd things that tea might not be able to fix. Finally she asked me; "What if my head fell off? Would you still tell me to drink tea?" To which I answered: "Yup. I'd just tell you to pour it down your neckhole." 

Okay, that's pretty gruesome. :) In a funny kind of way!

Q5. In the style of Clue, fill in the blanks. Jenny fights ______ (who), in the ____(location), with a _____ (object).

Jenny fights a crazy clown sorcerer in the kingdom of Speak, with a pink mini-golf ball.

I love Anna's answers! I think they really highlight some of the creative elements in this adventurous book. 

You know what I also loved? All of your answers. Some of them had me down right laughing.

If you want to hear more about Anna's journey with this book, please click over to this interview at Adventures in Children's Publishing. 

And, check out this review by a middle grader book blogger, Rubix Boy.

For all of you who live in the North East, and want to come support Anna and her book, here are her in real life book tour dates:

November 6 – Book launch party at the Children’s Book Shop in Brookline, Mass. 5pm

November 19 – Book signing/event at the Ames Free Library in Easton, Mass.

Let me know if you need a ride--we can carpool!


And, now, for the winner: 

DRUMROLL PLEASE

The winner is.....

LYNN!!

Anna thought her use of onion rings was superbly funny!

Congrats all! We'll do another fun giveaway sometime soon!

 

Now tell me, how is your writing life on this fantastic Monday?