Saturday, February 8, 2025

Q&A with Teri M. Brown

 


 

 

Teri M. Brown is the author of the new book 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure. Her other books include the novel Daughters of Green Mountain Gap.

 

Q: What inspired you to write 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure?

 

A: During the summer of 2020, my husband, Bruce, and I rode across the United States on a tandem bicycle to raise money for Toys for Tots. Along the way, we not only successfully raised money, but I learned a lot about myself, others, and God, as well as healed from a 14-year emotionally abusive relationship.

 

The lessons I learned are not just for those cycling across the US, but for anyone who wants to live an adventurous life. And how do I define adventure? Doing anything that puts you outside your comfort zone. It could be something huge like a 3,102-mile bicycle ride, but it can also be changing jobs, starting (or ending) a relationship, or figuring out what you are going to do now that you have an empty nest.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: Part of one of my chapters in the book talks about the title, which shows how important it is! I called our journey from coast to coast our Double-Butted Adventures. I did it because we rode on a tandem – two seats and one adventure.

 

My husband loved the name for a different reason. The process for creating the steel tubing needed to make a tandem bicycle is called double butting. I love how my creative side and his engineering side blended so beautifully and allowed us each to be happy with the name.

 

The 10 Little Rules portion of the title is because of my publisher Little Rules Publishing. Each book published by LRP consists of 10 rules around a topic and provides guided journaling questions at the end of each rule to allow the reader to define their own rules.

 

Q: You’ve written both fiction and nonfiction--do you have a preference?

 

A: I’ve actually written fiction, nonfiction, and creative nonfiction. My nonfiction works were how-to books revolving around finance and real estate. They didn’t require too much creativity on my part.

 

My fiction novels and this new book, a creative nonfiction, are more than just facts laid out in an easy-to-read manner. I enjoy being creative, so both types of writing have been fun.

 

In general, I think I prefer writing novels, but mostly because I can’t see myself doing anything as grand as another double-butted adventure. Without something like that, I don’t see myself writing more creative nonfiction!

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I want readers to walk away understanding that they have within themselves everything they need to lead an adventurous life. Throw away limiting beliefs. Eliminate fear. Get rid of the bucket list. Instead, start today working toward the thing or things that make you hum inside.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m finishing up a children’s book called Little Lola and the Big Dream with illustrations by Lorri D. Perini. I hope to have it available by early summer.

 

I’m also working on a humorous contemporary novel about a woman going through menopause.

 

Finally, I have an idea for another historical fiction, though I’m leaning toward a historical suspense or mystery!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m so grateful to everyone who has ever read one of my books – and I’d love to keep in touch.

 

Feel free to head to my website (www.terimbrown.com). There, you can follow me on social media, listen to my podcast Online for Authors (a great place to find the next book on your TBR), sign up for my twice-monthly newsletter, purchase signed copies of my books, and/or reach out to me via my contact page.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Teri M. Brown.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Q&A with Hayley Rocco

 


 

 

Hayley Rocco is the author of the new children's picture book All the Books. Her other books include the picture book How to Send a Hug. She lives in Rhode Island.

 

Q: What inspired you to write All the Books, and how did you create your character Piper Waterstone?

 

A: Back when my husband and I were living in Los Angeles, nearly seven years ago now, John and I were discussing embarrassing and/or powerful moments that stayed with us from our respective childhoods.

 

It was writing prompt exercise which unlocked a particularly embarrassing moment in my childhood. I can’t recall how old I was, but every week my mom would bring my three brothers and me to the library where I’d bring home a large stack of books. (This was always an exciting day to look forward to!).

 

On one particular day, as I was sorting through that week’s collection of books on my bed, I remember very vividly asking my mom a ridiculous question… “Mom, how old will I be when I’ve read ALL the books?” She laughed and said something to the effect of, “Well, you can certainly give it a try, but I’m sorry honey, there are just too many books that have ever been and ever will continue to be written.”

 

John and I laughed…and that was what inspired me to write the first draft for All the Books.

 

As for the development of Piper, she was very much inspired by a very brave and plucky chipmunk that lives in our rock walls. Because chipmunks collect and store/hoard their food in their cheeks, that natural instinct made her the perfect animal for hoarding books, like so many of us fellow book lovers do!

 

Her last name was easy, as we wanted to have it be a nod to nature, but also to the famous English bookstore chain of the same name. :)

 

Q: What do you think John Rocco (your husband)’s illustrations add to the book? Do you see any of the art before he's finished, or is it a surprise?

 

A: Our books simply would not be what they are without John’s enchanting illustrations, and I consider myself very fortunate that we are able to work so closely together on each project we develop together.

 

I particularly adore the world he’s created for Piper and her woodland creature friends—it’s the kind of place I dreamed of when reading books as a young girl, complete with a beautiful library with sliding ladders, and special nooks to read.

 

He’ll show me all the sketches he creates and then we discuss what is working in both the art and in the text. We look at it as a creative dance of sorts.

 

In the first draft of the book, much like in our first book together, How to Send a Hug, we were initially planning on setting the characters as humans in a different time period…but I just couldn’t make it work and it didn’t seem as magical. With animals, there are so many opportunities for creative world building! 

 

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: This book was definitely a labor of love. It took a while to figure out exactly how it would end, but I knew I wanted to showcase Piper’s obsession with books, the magic of the library and the important role librarians play in our communities/culture, and somehow make it about sharing.

 

Of course, there were a lot of revisions along the way and sometimes just setting a manuscript on a shelf to simmer for a while can help with the problem of solving a story that just isn’t quite there yet. Fresh eyes and a new perspective can be all it needs sometimes!

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: My hope is that this book will help children understand that they actually do—and should—have access to all the books and knowledge that is afforded to them in their local library.

 

It’s pretty incredible that these institutions provide access to anyone, rich or poor, young or old, and those who identify as LGBTQ+, BIPOC to not only access all the books for free, but also access to free programming, community-focused events, and more.

 

I hope that they understand the sense of pride that comes through sharing, whether through their books, or simply with their time. I could go on and on about how critical libraries are to our communities and culture in general, but I hope the book conveys just that! :)

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: John and I just completed the fifth and sixth books in our Meet the Wild Things series which aims to introduce the youngest readers to unique animals, why they’re endangered, why they matter, and what people are doing to help them, including Hello, I’m a Toucan and Hello, I’m a Loris—both of which are publishing this year.

 

John has also begun illustrating the follow-up to All the Books, with A Book for Everyone, which centers around Piper and Gregory and the Great Reading Challenge! 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Thank you so much for having me, Deborah. It’s been a wonderful time! I’m so grateful after spending so much of my career working in children’s publishing to now be able to work on my own books—a true dream come true—and I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Alison Goldberg

 

Photo by Mabel Lewis

 

 

 

 

Alison Goldberg is the author of the new children's picture book Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai. Her other books include I Love You for Miles and Miles. She is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

Q: You've noted that your own grandmother, Eva Dersofi, inspired Eighteen Flowers for Grandma--can you say more about that?

 

A: I’ve always been inspired by her lifelong commitment to learning, and I wrote this story about a girl whose grandmother is graduating from college with Eva in mind. Her example—and what I hope this story conveys—is that it’s possible to pursue our dreams at any age.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between your character Sadie and her grandma?

 

A: Sadie and Grandma have a close granddaughter-grandmother relationship. In addition, each week they make art together, side-by-side, and learn from each other. Grandma provides many art materials and shares her creative process. She tells Sadie, “May our lives be filled with art and our art be filled with life.”

 

Sadie feels free to experiment in her own artmaking, and Grandma admires how she tries new things. As a result of their creative exchange, Sadie finds a way to make a unique graduation gift that reminds her of Grandma.

 

Q: What do you think Jesse White’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: I love Jesse’s illustrations! They show Sadie’s emotional journey in her artistic process and the warmth of her relationship with Grandma. The art materials are rendered with detail and personality, inviting exploration. Throughout the book, Jesse’s illustrations are full of wonder. 

 

And the Jewish papercut-inspired elements add another layer to the book’s images, as this is a form of artwork used for festive occasions. 

 

Q: The book’s title focuses on the number 18, which signifies life in the Jewish tradition--how was this title chosen?

 

A: From the start, I knew I wanted to focus this story on a gift of chai, a symbolic gift of life that is represented by the number 18. This Jewish cultural tradition sends the recipient a wish for good things to come.

 

It’s something my own family does to celebrate milestones like graduations, and I thought that highlighting this tradition would be a way to honor a lifelong commitment to learning in the story.

 

The title, Eighteen Flowers for Grandma, describes the creative way that Sadie interprets this tradition.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My next picture book will be released later this year from Barefoot Books. In The Remembering Candle, illustrated by Selina Alko, a child lights a yahrzeit candle on the anniversary of his grandfather’s death, in the Jewish tradition of remembrance, and discovers how old memories can bring new blessings.

 

I wrote this story because yahrzeit is another Jewish cultural tradition that I’ve connected with personally, and one that can be meaningful for families who have experienced loss. Selina’s illustrations are beautiful and moving. I'm looking forward to sharing this book soon.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: You can visit me online at www.alisongoldberg.com.

 

Thank you, Deborah!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Rebecca Gardyn Levington

 


 

Rebecca Gardyn Levington is the author of the new children's picture book Write Here, Write Now. Her other books include Afikoman, Where'd You Go?. She lives in New Jersey.

 

Q: How was Write Here, Write Now’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I love wordplay and often use puns and idioms to spark initial ideas for my stories. Write Here, Wright Now’s original title was actually Write On!, which came from a t-shirt I own and love.

 

I looked back at my drafts and it seems at some point I decided to change the title to Write Now! I can’t remember why, but my guess is that I probably was concerned that younger kids wouldn’t know the ‘60s-esque saying “right on!” and wouldn’t get the pun. Also, I liked the energy of “Write Now!” as an immediate directive to the reader.

 

Then I think while I was drafting, the hit early-‘90s song “Right Here, Right Now,” by Jesus Jones, popped into my head. I thought that would be a fun title and I guess my publisher liked it too because it stuck!  

 

For me, the title is a great reminder that (as I say in the book): “anytime is right to write!” So, why not start right HERE, right NOW?!

 

Q: Did you like to write as a child?

 

A: Oh, yes! I was constantly writing (and reading!) and I always loved poetry.

 

In fact, I still have a notebook I started when I was a tween, where I’d copy in longhand, poems and quotes from poets like Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, e.e. cummings, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, Dorothy Parker, etc., and then I’d try my hand at creating new poems in a similar structure or theme.


Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am so lucky to have a bunch of projects in various stages of development right now, so I’m currently working a bunch of things – making edits and writing back matter, giving feedback on art, negotiating new contracts. All super exciting!

 

I do have four more books coming out in 2025, and I’d love to share a little about the next two…

 

I Will Always Be…, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell, will release from HarperCollins on April 15, 2025. It is an inspirational rhyming concept picture book that encourages kids to celebrate their passions — whether or not they ever make it to Broadway or the big leagues.

 

Finding Forgiveness, illustrated by Diana Mayo, will release from Farrar, Straus & Giroux on Aug. 5, 2025. It is a story about two sisters making amends after an awful fight, set against the backdrop of Tashlich, a special atonement ceremony that takes place during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I’d love to connect with all your readers! I have a monthly newsletter where I share updates, book recommendations, and tips that have helped (and continue to help) me navigate my writing journey. I also answer questions from readers.

 

To learn more about me and my books or to sign up for the newsletter, please visit my website: https://rebeccagardynlevington.com. I also have an archive of past newsletters on my “Resources For Writers” page, so folks can get a feel for the content before subscribing.

 

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Deborah!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Rebecca Gardyn Levington.

Q&A with Scott Metzger

 

 


 

 

Scott Metzger is the creator of Only Birders in the Building, a new collection of cat cartoons. His other books include 50 Ways to Wake Your Human. He lives in Northern California.

 

Q: How did you end up focusing on cats (and dogs) in your cartoons?

 

A: I love cats and dogs. They're great fodder for humor. I used to draw cat cartoons only occasionally — for every 10 cartoons I’d draw, maybe one would be about cats.

 

Then one day, a friend of mine said to me, “You should focus on cat cartoons.” I wasn't sure about doing that because I thought it would be too limiting.

 

But he kept suggesting it and I soon realized he was right. The cat (and dog) cartoons were the ones that readers liked the most. And they were the ones I enjoyed drawing the most. I actually dedicated Only Birders in the Building to my friend because he was spot-on. 

 

Q: Were you inspired by any particular cartoonists?

 

A: The cartoonists I admired growing up were Charles Schulz (Peanuts), Gary Larson (The Far Side), Jim Davis (Garfield), Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes), and Berkeley Breathed (Bloom County). I was particularly inspired by Schulz and Larson. 

 

Q: Do you usually come up with the image first or the text first--or both simultaneously?

 

A: Most of the time, the text comes first. Occasionally I'll start drawing a cat or dog (or another character) in a certain situation or with a funny facial expression and an idea can come from that. This comic is one of my favorites where the illustration came first. 

 

Q: Of the various cartoons in your new collection, do you have a couple of favorites?

 

A: These are three of my favorites from Only Birders in the Building:

 


 



 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm working on an idea for a children’s book and I plan to put out a collection of dog cartoons next year.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I have a Patreon page, which gives people access to behind-the-scenes content and other perks. It’s a great way to support my comics and we have a nice community there. I also have a store where people can get my comics on T-shirts, stickers, mugs, and other merch. 

 

People can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Daisy Dunn

 


 

 

Daisy Dunn is the author of the new book The Missing Thread: A Women's History of the Ancient World. Her other books include The Shadow of Vesuvius. She lives in London.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Missing Thread, and how was the book’s title chosen?

 

A: I was struck by the fact that all of the existing histories of the ancient world on my bookshelves were populated by men with just a few women sprinkled in here and there.

 

I thought to myself, surely women contributed to the creation of ancient history as we know it! What were they doing for those thousands of years? I was eager to put them back into the narrative.

 

After I’d started researching the book I observed a proliferation of publications about fictional women in the ancient world. Bookshop tables are still piled high with feminist retellings.

 

It seemed strange to me that there should be so many novels about mythological women and so few works of nonfiction placing real, historical women at their heart. I realised that these women were the thread that was missing from traditional histories of the ancient world.

 

And what did these women have in common? They all learned to weave. Many of them were as talented at weaving stories as they were tapestries and clothes.  

 

Q: Of the various women you write about, are there some that particularly intrigued you?

 

A: There were so many women who intrigued me.

 

I was fascinated by Telesilla, a poet who leapt to the defence of her native city of Argos in Greece when it was invaded. It wasn’t usually the done thing for women to go about picking up weapons and arming each other, but Telesilla was so admired for doing so that she was commemorated with statuary – a rare thing for a woman in the ancient world.

 

Another woman who was commemorated with the same was Cornelia, who lived in the Roman Republic. Her immense learning and status as the mother of two seminal politicians, the Gracchi brothers, brought her fame. But there was clearly something else about her personality that endeared her to the broader Roman people, by no means all of whom supported her sons.   

 

Q: The Independent’s review of the book says, “Dunn’s spirited work not only puts the overlooked women at the core of the narrative, but it also reminds us that the past, particularly with sexism and misogyny, has vital lessons for the 21st-century present.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I was delighted to learn that The Independent newspaper chose The Missing Thread as one of the 20 best books of 2024.

 

I think the reviewer really captured the fact that many of the problems that plagued the past are still alive today. The contributions of women in the ancient world were routinely overlooked and underplayed. Women may be more visible today but they are often similarly sidelined.

 

For example, in my own world, studies routinely show that male shoppers tend to shun books written by women in favour of buying books written by other men. This may not be intentional but it’s a fact. This is just one of many areas in which we’ve failed to move forward as much as we sometimes think we have.  

 

Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I’ve distilled about 15 years of research into the book. Of course I’ve written other books in the meantime, but the idea for this book had been swirling in my mind for ages.

 

The first thing I did when I finally sat down to work on The Missing Thread was to go back and reread every ancient Greek and Latin text I’d ever read. I was surprised by how many fleeting references to women in works of history and literature had passed by me by in spite of multiple re-reads over the years.

 

I did the same thing by poring over other types of evidence, especially archaeological, so as to come at the subject from multiple angles. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve had a busy season of book festivals and talks for The Missing Thread, with some more events to come this spring, but I shall be focussing on editing the May issue of ARGO: A Hellenic Review, the Greek culture magazine I edit for the Hellenic Society, and working on a new book I have in the pipeline…

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: While I spend a lot of time reading Greek and Latin texts and books about the ancient world, I also have a keen interest in art. I did a Masters in Titian and Italian Renaissance art some years ago.

 

As for my personal reading, it’s as far away from both as you can imagine. I can’t read anything remotely related to the ancient world in bed – it’s the opposite of switching off for me. Instead I read a lot of Modernist literature, and also poetry.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Susan Minot

 




 

Susan Minot is the author of the new novel Don't Be a Stranger. Her other books include the story collection Why I Don't Write. She lives in New York City and in Maine.

 

 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Don’t Be a Stranger, and how did you create your characters Ivy and Ansel?

 

A: I decided to write the book because I wanted to explore motherhood alongside eroticism alongside obsession alongside the struggle to live with oneself.

 

Characters were created—I don’t mean to be coy—one sentence at a time. One tries of course to make them believable each in his or her own experience. 

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between them? 

 

A: It really did take a book to describe it. Complicated? Mysterious? Powerful and elusive?

Q: The Booklist review of the novel says, “Minot exquisitely explores desire and denial, intimacy and illusion in a ravishing, haunting, and insightful tale of sexual ecstasy and emotional torment, integrity and creativity, self and motherhood.” What do you think of that description?  

 

A: I appreciate the description and think it fits the book.


Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I did not know how the novel would end. At one point I thought it would end earlier, when the relationship changed…but there seemed to be more on Ivy’s side to discover. 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am writing a road trip love story about a traveler who visits Lesotho in the late 1990s with a group of fellow travelers from different countries on the occasion of the coronation of the king. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Always the less said, the better. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb