Q&A with Donna Jones Alward

  

Photo by Snickerdoodle Photography

 

 

Donna Jones Alward is the author of the new novel Ship of Dreams. Her many other books include When the World Fell Silent. She lives in Nova Scotia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Ship of Dreams, and how did you create your characters Hannah and Louisa?

 

A: I really loved writing my first historical fiction, When the World Fell Silent, which is set during the Halifax Explosion of 1917. There is a surprising amount of crossover with the Titanic tragedy in Halifax, especially since the bodies that were retrieved after the sinking were brought here and many are buried here.

 

In addition, the method of identifying victims and cataloguing their effects (The Barnstead Method) was developed by a local registrar, and sadly that method was used only five years later during the Explosion. I always knew that my second historical fiction would use it as the historical setting.

 

The creation of Hannah and Louisa, however, was a lot more complicated. I originally started the story with two other main characters, and it just wasn’t working. I went back to the drawing board.

 

At the same time, I’d just read Kate Thompson’s The Wartime Book Club, which had two best friends as main characters. These women were very different but utterly devoted to each other.

 

I loved that aspect and used a similar dynamic in creating Hannah and Lou – friends whose differences at times complemented each other but caused a lot of friction in other ways.

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: There is a lot of information about the Titanic’s journey and sinking; I read a lot of nonfiction, some fiction titles, some primary source material, and did lots of online searches (including Encyclopedia Titanica).

 

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic here in Halifax has a permanent exhibit on the second floor, and the Titanic Cemetery is here (as well as a huge amount of material at the local archives).

 

I think something that really surprised me, however, was that the first-hand accounts I read told me very little. I had been expecting personal insights, and a glimpse into the emotions of those who boarded the lifeboats. Instead, almost all were very fact-based, short, and offered little new information.

 

It made me wonder if sticking to those very obvious points was their way of talking about it without going too deeply into the collective trauma of that horrible night.

Q: What do you think still fascinates people about the Titanic, more than a century after its sinking?

 

A: I’ve been thinking about this a lot. We tend to both memorialize and glamorize tragedies, and there are so many things about the Titanic that capture and hold our interest, mostly to do with superlatives.

 

It was the biggest ship; the grandest ship. It was unsinkable. On board, some of the richest, most successful people in the world ate the best food and stayed in the finest cabins. There was so much hype leading up to the sailing.

 

Then, to have the unthinkable happen, again in superlatives: the worst nautical disaster, loss of life, etc. including many men of note (most of the first-class women managed to get into boats). All the money in the world could not buy those men’s safety.

 

And then, when we look at second and third-class passengers, we can see ourselves in them, and that makes it personal.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Hannah and Louisa?

 

A: In a word: Loving. Hannah and Louisa have been best friends since boarding school. And while they are very different, they seem to respect and appreciate their differences – even view them with affection. For the most part, they accept each other for who they are.

 

But no one is perfect; sometimes differences can cause friction or cracks in even the strongest relationship, and it’s when they start keeping secrets from each other that they get into trouble. They have never kept things from each other before, and that wears on them both.

 

Ultimately, though, they navigate this horrible disaster together, and both are left changed. I really loved writing those transformations – letting them grow and exploring how their friendship changes as well.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am working on my next book which is set during WWII and the lead up to D-Day, with a Canadian angle and settings in three countries. Ack!

 

Good news though – if all goes well, readers will see some cameos from Ship of Dreams characters, 30 years later…

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Readers can find me at my website at www.donnajonesalward.com and on FB and Instagram. My website has a downloadable book club kit for both my historical fiction titles, and I’m available for virtual book club visits – just head to my Contact page for all the details.

 

I’m also happy to send signed book plates and bookmarks to book clubs, so please feel free to reach out!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Emily Carpenter

  

 

Emily Carpenter is the author of the new novel A Spell for Saints and Sinners. Her other novels include Gothictown. She lives outside Atlanta. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Spell for Saints and Sinners?

 

A: Honestly, it was such a fluke, how this book came to be. When Kensington was looking to buy my first novel, I had pitched a totally different second book to my editor.

 

But then, when it came time to write that book, I had this wild inspiration--an idea about a psychic witch working in Savannah who gets carried away with her brush with a very wealthy, powerful family.

 

The germ of the story came to me after randomly watching the movie Taxi Driver for the first time. Something hit me hard with that film, watching the Robert DeNiro character grapple with his outsider status, his lack of power.

 

Of course, his solution was to puff himself up in this hyper-masculine way, start collecting guns and stalking a politician which, as a viewer, you're just consumed with dread watching this disaster snowballing right before your eyes.

 

It got me to thinking about how women are so different in our reaction to feeling powerless and left behind by society. How we turn inward or to the natural world and more pagan traditions to find our power.

 

I love Stephen King's Carrie--it's one of my favorite books, but again, there's this theme of female rage and powerlessness (or a shocking level of telekinetic power).

 

It was such an odd thing, how these two pieces of art combined in my mind, but that's exactly what happened...and I got this picture of an isolated, awkward young woman who's at such an economic and social disadvantage in her life for all these reasons and what she does to grab onto the power she truly believes can save her. She's like the female Travis Bickel, and that's how I pitched it to my editor.

 

Thankfully, everybody was on board and excited about the idea, even though Ingrid turned out to be more of a morally gray character rather than a full-blown sociopath like Travis. 

 

Q: The novel is set in Savannah, and you’ve said you’ve always been fascinated by that city--can you say more about why you chose to set the book there?

 

A: When I came up with the character of Ingrid, I automatically knew she would live in Savannah. I set most all of my books in either Georgia or Alabama, and I knew the city pretty well from going to the SCAD Film Festival for many years.

 

It's also a city, like Charleston and New Orleans, that's a very haunted, witchy kind of place.

 

And, like so many cities, there's a big divide between the folks who keep the tourist industry going--the workers in the service industry, etc.--and the people with generational wealth.

 

I also will give myself any excuse to spend time in Savannah, as it's just gorgeous and filled with beautiful old buildings and squares, but, like the rest of the South, has such a dark past. This is not some quaint little beach town. There's heavy, heavy energy there, in certain places.

 

Q: How did you create your character Ingrid?

 

A: I say she's Travis Bickel crossed with Carrie White--in fact I gave her the last name White in tribute to Stephen King's character. In fact, she has a lot in common with Carrie.

 

I knew she would have been abandoned by her mother, raised by an eccentric, but loving, grandmother which leads some of her schoolmates to bully her.

 

I knew she would be struggling to pay her bills, feeling desperate and panicked and maybe also being willing to use some questionable spellcraft her grandmother taught her to ensure her survival.

 

I fell instantly in love with her, in spite of her insecurity, in spite of her occasional unwise decisions. I just instantly wanted her to know she was loved and to win. 

 

Q: The writer Susan Crawford said of the book, “With lush writing and colorful characters, Carpenter creates a solid stage and then deftly peels back the layers to reveal a different world entirely, one that will stay with you long after the last page.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: First of all, I have a huge amount of admiration for Susan's writing, so I'm humbled by her quote. I really try to write thrillers that are both page-turners but also about something deeper and meaningful. Something about what it means to be human in this world.

 

For example, this book really gave me a chance to play around with class issues and wealth inequality and basically just how damn hard it is to pay your bills these days.

 

Meanwhile, wealthy people are entertaining themselves with yacht cruises and staged war games and how frustrating it is for the people living right next door to them and serving them at restaurants or catering their parties.

 

But don't get me wrong--I'm thrilled if readers zip through my books and have a hell of a good time, but I'm always gratified if they see more and the story makes them think in a deeper way about things. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm super excited to have another book with Kensington in 2027. It's a Southern Gothic twist on Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca set in the world of Alabama's legendary Muscle Shoals roots music scene, following an aspiring musician and an infamous producer as the lines between fame, art, love, and murder blur.

 

I started banjo lessons for research and am having so much fun with it even though I'm pretty terrible. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Just that I'm more thankful than ever for readers. We are all a community and I couldn't be more convinced that books bring people together. So if I'm in your town at a local indie bookstore, I'd love to meet you. I should have my tour schedule on Instagram and Facebook as well as my website: www.emilycarpenterauthor.com. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Emily Carpenter. 

Q&A with Elizabeth L. Block

  

 

 

Elizabeth L. Block is the author of the new book Gilded Age Fashion. Her other books include Beyond Vanity. She is an art historian and is senior editor at the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Gilded Age Fashion?

A: I wanted to write a beautifully illustrated and accessible gift book for readers who love the Gilded Age, fashion history, and period dramas.

Q: How did you choose the items to highlight in the book, and do you have any particular favorites?

 

A: I made a point of choosing gowns and accessories that are true standouts, whether they are gowns by the House of Worth in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or by lesser known designers in historical societies around the country.

 

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

 

A: I took the opportunity to reach out to colleagues at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland History Center, and learn more about their holdings of 19th-century women's fashion. I was pleased to be able to reproduce five gowns from their collection in the book.

 

Q: What accounts for the current fascination with this period--The Gilded Age TV series and now your book? Do you see any parallels with today’s world?

A: I think the era of massive wealth for only a tiny percentage of the US population in the late 19th century is resonating now because we are experiencing a similar, pronounced divide between the over-the-top lives of the few billionaires and the daily experiences of the majority of the population of regular, working citizens.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am deep into researching women's underclothing and will venture into writing about 20th-century styles. I really love the fashion trends of the 1950s and ‘60s.

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: It is so rewarding to hear questions and comments from readers. I enjoy learning which women's fashion history topics are top of mind, so please stay in touch through my Gilded Age Fashion newsletter and/or my Instagram page.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Elizabeth L. Block. 

Q&A with Lynn C. Miller

  

 

 

Lynn C. Miller is the author of the new novel The Surrogate. Her other books include the story collection The Lost Archive. She is also a playwright, performer, and educator, and she lives in Albuquerque. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Surrogate, and how did you create your character Alex?

 

A: The Surrogate came out of a family situation where my mother became close to a young man she worked with after the loss of her son, my younger brother. They developed into fast friends over the years, truly family. Somehow that situation re-emerged for me after my mother died.

 

I didn’t get a handle on what the plot of this novel might be until I decided to set the story during the Great Recession of 2008-09. Somehow the losses people were experiencing—of houses and jobs and self-respect as well as their life savings in some cases––resonated as a backdrop with the terrible loss of a much-loved family member.

 

Alex is an only child who is nestled into a solid family unit of seven. Her mother and her aunt are twins who married best friends, and she has two male cousins whom she regards as brothers. The three children are raised together by the two sets of parents. We find out on the first page that her favorite cousin dies in a car accident.

 

Alex, who becomes a psychologist, seemed to me like the logical protagonist and narrator of the story as she observes others very closely. She herself is completely shattered by her cousin’s death. She is our point of view character; we see her navigate her own coming of age in the face of this loss. We trust her to lead us through the complex set of emotions and events in the story.

 

Once the young stranger, Nathaniel, wanders into her aunt’s bookstore and they become friends, the story took on a life of its own, which as an author, you always hope for!

 

Other crises emerge along the way like Alex’s confusion about her sexuality––she’s uncertain about her past relationship with a woman when she meets and is attracted to Nathaniel; her other cousin Stephen, a stockbroker, immediately dislikes Nathaniel and questions his intentions.

 

He invests his family’s money and loses it when Lehman Brothers goes under as the financial crash gains steam.

 

Central concerns are the motives of each character and who is worthy of trust.

 

Q: Can you say more about the dynamics in Alex’s family?

 

A: The story plays out within the two generations: all four of the parents are in their early 60s and Alex, Stephen, and Nathaniel in their early 30s. I really enjoyed the interplay of these two time periods.

 

The parents all remember hearing stories about the Great Depression from their parents and grandparents and they are more conservative about money.

 

The younger generation, buoyed by the hopeful tenor of the Obama years, even while aware of the dominoes falling around them financially, feel free to take risks––they are young enough to weather the financial storm and have at this point in their lives little to lose.

 

Stephen, who has a mercurial personality, causes disruptions in the close-knit family dynamic. Yet Alex cares for him and tries to back him up, all the while running interference between her growing interest in Nathaniel and Stephen’s distrust of him.

 

Stephen is protective of his mother and of Alex too and doesn’t want either of them taken advantage of by this attractive “stranger.”

 

The family, particularly Alex’s parents and her aunt and uncle, is a bulwark against the conflicting emotions and the turmoil of the nation’s financial cratering.

     

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

 

A: Originally, I saw that Nathaniel’s emergence in the lives of this grieving family after Alex's cousin Rolf dies made him a surrogate family member and hence the surrogate of the title.

 

The word itself suggests a substitute, but to me it refers to someone who fulfills an important position in someone’s life. In the novel, everyone has to realign after Rolf dies. Along the way, many characters in this novel assume other crucial roles for each other and can be seen as surrogates as well.

 

In a larger sense, I asked myself the question, What happens to a family when a huge loss creates an opening to be filled?

 

The surrogate carries the hopes and dreams of those who find solace in him or her. The surrogate can become a permanent fixture in someone’s life in what we call “chosen family,” or satisfy a role that is more limited like that of a mentor figure in the early stages of a career.

 

I see connecting with these key people as a natural outgrowth of how we build a satisfying community as we mature and age.

 

Q: The author Elizabeth Sharp McKetta called the book a “satisfying, psychologically rich novel about filling the holes in our hearts.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love that description because we all go through situations that shake us to our core, and what do we reach for when that happens? How do we find a way to go on, to get through a difficult time? 

 

Alex loses her cousin Rolf, whom she counts on, and then her relationship with her female lover falls apart because she is too grief-stricken to be present. Her lover moves on and Alex meets Nathaniel, who appears to be the person who can make her whole again.

 

The people in the novel have flaws, make mistakes, but basically try to find their way to authentic connections.

 

Alex’s best friend Emma and her supervising therapist, Alice, help her to come to terms with her unusually close feelings about her cousin Rolf and how she can go on after losing him.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m writing a novel with two timelines. The American writer Edith Wharton (1862-1937) writes a memoir about writing her first great novel, The House of Mirth (1905), while Edie Jones, a playwright in Chicago in 2024, adapts that novel for the stage for our time.

 

We discover much about how the struggles of women and men during the first Gilded Age resonate with our time now.

 

Edie Jones experiences a betrayal in her theater company that reflects the downfall of Wharton’s protagonist Lily Bart in the marriage market at the turn of the last century. The power of stories to change our world is a major theme in the book.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I set The Surrogate in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I think the landscape and history of the setting act as anchors to the turmoil of the novel’s present. Place is very much a character in the novel.

 

Thank you for these great questions. I invite readers to enjoy this exploration into the bonds of family and of friendship, and how we find out what we’re made of when we have to meet a moment of great consequence. I love family dramas. My wish is that I’ve written a satisfying one.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Fartumo Kusow

  

 

 

 

Fartumo Kusow is the author of the new novel Winter of My Spring. Her other books include the novel Tale of a Boon's Wife. She was born in Somalia, and she lives in Windsor, Ontario. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Winter of My Spring, and how did you create your character Rada?

 

A: The idea came after watching the news about the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram. Like the rest of the world, I watched in horror. From Michelle Obama to Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and many others, people joined the rallying cry under the #BringBackOurGirls banner. It was remarkable to see global solidarity.

 

But as powerful as the campaign was, I noticed something missing: the girls' voices—their thoughts, their fears, their futures. I asked myself, If these girls could speak, what would they say? That question became the seed for this novel. I wanted to give voice to the real victims, to imagine their inner lives with care and truth.

 

For the character Rada, I wanted her to still have the innocence of childhood, as shown in her opening line when she says, “At the age of thirteen, I saw no enemy, I knew no fear.”

 

But I also wanted her to be old enough to understand what was happening to her and her friends at the hands of the kidnappers, and to grasp how wrong the community treated them after they escaped.

 

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

 

A: What surprised me in researching this book was reading about how girls were treated by their communities after escaping their kidnappers regardless of where they were geographically. It was shocking to see how often the girls were held responsible for the harm done to them.

 

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

 

A: The title of the book, Winter of My Spring, shows how winter freezes the land, and violence halts the girls’ growth. And yet, resilience rises like spring, thawing what was buried and allowing life to return.

 

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

 

A: In Winter of My Spring, I knew how the story would end before I started. I knew the girls would regain their agency and take their lives back. However, I followed the characters’ lead and let them tell their story in the many drafts that followed.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am currently working on a new young adult novel titled Irrational Numbers.

 

The story follows a 17-year-old math genius who is trying to reconcile the gap between the working-class immigrant community he comes from and the wealth and privilege of the private school he attends.

 

As he moves between these two worlds, the novel explores identity, belonging, class, and what it means to be exceptional in a system that was not built for you.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Outside of writing, I am a storyteller, educator, speaker, podcaster, and the founder of the Sahra Bulle Foundation a not-for-profit organization that raises awareness about violence against women and girls, in memory of my daughter, who was lost to femicide.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Jennifer Ann Richter

  

 

 

 

Jennifer Ann Richter is the author of the new middle grade novel The Star of Moon Village. Her other work includes the middle grade novel Bird Nerd. She lives in Delaware. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Star of Moon Village, and how did you create your character Priscilla?

 

A: I have to dig way back into my memory for that one! But let’s start sometime in the early 2010s, when I wrote a rather ambitious short story called “Space Girl.”

 

In that case, after shaking my head at the antics of some entertainers—especially those who seemed to have the most influence over young girls—I was inspired to tell a story about celebrity culture and idol worship. I set it on the moon because…well, why not?

 

It never got published in any children’s magazines, so in 2015 I embarked on expanding it into a novel. The story went through quite a few iterations from that point on, and the themes changed, too.

 

In general, though, every manuscript I’ve written is a twist on that old and oft-misinterpreted bit of advice about writing what you know.

 

In my case, I often start with what I love—namely, my hobbies and interests. I’ve been a space nerd since childhood, and I have such fond memories of learning about celestial objects and stargazing in my backyard. I wanted to share that love with young people and use it as a framework to tell a bigger story.

 

The final version of The Star of Moon Village touches on themes such as courage, how we define ourselves, perseverance, and even faith.  

 

As for Priscilla—well, first and foremost, I feel it’s my mission and responsibility to add to the canon of stories that feature Black female protagonists. I think it’s also important to show them in ways that may not seem conventional, mainly because I was an unconventional kid. 

 

I can imagine how excited I would have been as a child to read a story about a Black girl going on a lunar adventure or taking part in a birdwatching competition, like Nyla does in my novel Bird Nerd.

 

I should note that I didn’t base Priscilla on myself, although there are pieces of me within her. In fact, that’s probably the case for most of my characters, since I often have to call upon my own experiences and feelings in order to imagine what my characters’ reactions would be.

 

But at the same time, I also spend a lot of time thinking about people who are different from me, who have different perspectives and personalities. So Priscilla is a little bit me and a little bit of everyone else I’ve encountered in my life.

 

Q: How did you create the world in which the story is set?

 

A: First, I tried to imagine where we’d be in terms of space exploration and technology in the year 2079. There’s a lot of guesswork involved with that, of course. Movies and books from 50 or 60 years ago predicted we’d all be traveling in flying cars by now and have sentient robot housekeepers (although with AI, that scary prediction might actually come true sooner than we think!).

 

Another challenge was that I needed to create two separate worlds—one on earth and one on the moon. Not a lot is set on earth, but because this is a hopeful book, I made it a point to show that the planet hasn’t been destroyed by an environmental catastrophe, and almost all transportation has been moved underground, making outdoor life a bit quieter and greener.

 

As for the moon, I did as much research as I could about the terrain—even downloaded a moon map app where I could pinpoint exact locations in the story. That was really fun! I also researched exact moon phases for 2079 and also what the sky would look like from the exact coordinates of Moon Village.

 

For the indoor action at the Village, in particular the main building, I thought of the shopping malls I grew up hanging out in back when I was a teen. That’s just one of the examples of the retro-futuristic elements I snuck into the story!

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, “Rich with scientifically faithful lunar details and speculation, it’s a story about strength and pursuing one’s dreams that’s sure to spark reader curiosity.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it! In general, I was so happy (and relieved) that The Star of Moon Village got such positive reviews. Quotes like this one got me particularly excited because, as I mentioned earlier,  I did put a lot of research into my story’s world to try to make it as conceivable as possible while still keeping it fun and whimsical.

 

My hope is that young readers will find it easy to immerse themselves in this spacey-quirky world that I built.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Priscilla and Starletta?

 

A: Without revealing too much of the story, I’ll begin by saying it’s complicated. The complication, however, starts off as rather one-sided, with the antagonism being purely from Priscilla, who’s been holding a grudge against Starletta for years after a rather sour meeting between the two.

 

Starletta, on the other hand, is completely oblivious. Priscilla has long dropped from the superstar’s radar (if she’d ever even been there in the first place).

 

What I wanted to explore in this relationship is how actions that might seem rather insignificant can have an impact on someone’s life down the line, and from the other perspective, how holding on to past hurts can stunt one’s growth.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now I’m rewriting a YA manuscript that had sparked some interest but didn’t quite make it to publication. It’s set in Germany, where I lived and worked back in the ‘90s.

 

The characters are basically the same, but I’m moving the action from the Frankfurt area to a small village in the Black Forest. I’m also changing the central theme to deal with a more timely issue: social media and our struggle to find our way back into the real world.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: How about two things? First, for any aspiring writers out there, especially those who want to go the traditional route, perseverance is key.  It took me four manuscripts and over a hundred rejections over the course of 20 years to get a book deal.

 

And second, I’ve finally drummed up the courage to begin doing school visits. Check out my website, jenniferannrichter.com, for more information.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Susan B. Katz

  

 

 

Susan B. Katz is the author of the children's picture book Gaudí: Architect of Imagination, which is now available in a Spanish-language edition, Gaudí: El arquitecto de la imaginación. She is also an educator and artist.

 

Q: How did the Spanish-language edition of your picture book about Gaudí come about?

 

A: I’d always wanted to publish a Spanish-language edition of Gaudí: Architect of Imagination, Gaudí: El arquitecto de la imaginación (North/South, March, 2026).

 

When living in Spain for several years—teaching at the American School of Valencia—I visited Barcelona often. After I moved back to California, a box of hand-painted ceramics broke in transit.

 

Like Gaudí, I made lemonade out of lemons and started teaching mosaic classes to both children and adults. I sold mosaic tables, mailboxes, and frames at the local farmer’s market and on commission. All of this was inspired by the work of this  iconic artist and architect whose mosaic homes, parks, basilicas, and benches bedazzle the Barcelona city streets.

 

As a Spanish-immersion teacher for more than 30 years, I had insight into the need for Spanish-language picture book biographies in the U.S. Publishing this book in Spanish means creating more mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for multilingual learners to see themselves in books; learn about various cultures, artists, and countries; and step into Gaudí’s magical world.

 

Now, the gift stores at the actual Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Park Güell, Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Familia, and Casa Vicens can carry both the Spanish version, Gaudí: El arquitecto de la imaginación, and English edition, Gaudí: Architect of Imagination. Globally, children will benefit from having access to this incredibly triumphant tale.

 

Q: What was the translation process like for you?

 

A: It was an honor to translate my own work. As a bilingual author, I’ve taken on this role before for one of my titles (All Year Round/Un Año Redondo, Scholastic); however, Gaudí: Architect of Imagination/ Gaudí: El arquitecto de la imaginación is a longer, more complex, and nuanced text.

 

I am grateful for the detail-oriented support of a brilliant editor, with whom I made crucial decisions to best reflect Gaudí’s home language (Catalan, not Castilian/Spanish), his country which is like a second home to me, and the impactful art he created.

 

Everything I translated was run by a copy editor, ensuring accuracy and authenticity. I also shared the manuscript with editor/writer friends in Spain and Costa Rica to adapt the wording, so it resonates in both Latin American and Castilian Spanish.

 

Q: What are some of your favorite things about Gaudí's work?

 

A: Gaudí’s teacup benches in Park Güell are by far and away my favorite creation among his vast repertoire of work. These undulated, snake-like masterpieces sit atop a life-sized Candyland. They are filled with broken plates, glass bottle bottoms, and shards of tile; all creating a kaleidoscope of color that attracts over four million visitors annually.

 

Little known fact: My original title for this book was Broken Beauty. While the title got changed, I still inscribe each book, “Broken can be beautiful.” In fact, using broken pieces of pottery enabled Antoni to create mosaic masterpieces on a grand scale.

 

Gaudí was a pioneer, ahead of his time; however, many scholars, artists, and passersby doubted his glitzy style. They jeered, “I don’t know if we’re graduating a genius or a fool?” Decades later, Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família basilica is the most visited tourist site in all of Spain.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from this new edition of the book?

 

A: May children be inspired by his life story of struggling to walk, observing nature, and morphing his challenges into breathtaking works of art. I hope that children will learn not to be deterred by any naysayers.

 

One main take-away is that persistence, patience, and perseverance remain the key ingredients needed in accomplishing any goal.

 

Gaudí’s passion, combined with his raw talent and fearlessness, catapulted him forward. He went on to build entire homes covered with elaborate façades, parks with larger than life iguana fountains, and basilicas adorned with gargoyles and spiral staircases, all mimicking the curvy lines Gaudí observed as a boy while riding a donkey in the countryside.

 

Nature became his teacher. When I visit schools, I often tell children to look for the curvy lines in nature—be that a tree branch, a river bend, or a bird’s wing.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am co-authoring a narrative nonfiction book for adults about the brave women and men who rescued 600 Jewish children from a Dutch daycare during WWII.

 

My co-author, Esther Shaya, and I have had the honor of interviewing dozens of survivors, now in their 80s, as well as several of the rescue workers and their children and grandchildren.

 

Angels of Amsterdam (Little Brown/Hachette, January 12, 2027) is a true, largely untold story of heroism that expands the Holocaust narrative in the Netherlands. Many of the survivors we’ve met live in the U.S. and Canada.

 

On the kid lit front, I am writing the first book in a series about U.S. Government and Civics. It is aimed at middle school and high school readers and will be published by Sourcebooks.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I have written more than 80 books—one of which hit #9 among all children’s books on Amazon, and #18 among all books—and am now focused on my next goal of illustrating. As an award-winning wildlife photographer, I plan on creating a series of STEAM titles that integrate my images.

 

My first solo exhibit took place in the fall of 2025 in Tiburon, California, and my work is now on display in Corte Madera, California. A mirror gallery can be found here: https://susankatzbooks.com/gallery/

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Susan B. Katz.