Q&A with Barbara Dee

  

Photo by doublevisionphotography

 

 

Barbara Dee is the author of the new middle grade novel Nothing to See Here. Her many other books include Tear This Down. She lives in Westchester County, New York.

 

Q: In your new book’s acknowledgments, you note that Nothing to See Here was loosely inspired by a group of kids in Texas--can you say more about that?

 

A: A few years ago, I heard a story on NPR about some eighth graders in Texas who posted fake gossip and rumors to show their classmates how misinformation spreads on social media.

 

I couldn’t stop thinking about these kids, wondering what motivated them, what challenges they faced, what sort of reaction they got, and what they learned from their project. I was so intrigued by the implications of this story that I decided to write a novel about it!  

 

Q: How did you create your four protagonists, and how would you describe the dynamic among them?

 

A: Nothing to See Here is told from the perspectives of four very different kids—two boys and two girls.

 

Mateo and Levi are best friends, but also opposites; Mateo is a popular, kind, but somewhat self-absorbed jock, while Levi is an unathletic introvert with family issues. Gia is a bright, driven student whose mom podcasts about her “genius” daughter—much to Gia’s chagrin. And Winnie is a talented fanfiction writer dealing with two challenges: the loss of a best friend and her parents’ confiscation of her phone.

 

These kids aren’t a natural friend group, but over the course of the story, they come together to right a wrong—until their project gets away from them.

 

Q: The librarian and author Amanda Jones said of the book, “Nothing to See Here will make readers think, feel, and look at online behavior in a whole new way, long after they turn the final page.” What do you think of that assessment?

 

A: It’s exactly what I was going for, because I think it’s so important to discuss digital literacy in an entertaining, kid-friendly way.

 

My hope is that Nothing to See Here will get readers thinking about the way certain stories grab their attention online—even when these stories are posted anonymously, and present little or no evidence.

 

I’m also hoping it gets them thinking about how they’re being manipulated by these stories, including by AI.

 

And I hope it gets them to pause before posting stories themselves, asking questions like: Am I sure this story is true? Even if it is, will it hurt anybody? Is this something that needs to be shared online--potentially forever?

 

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

 

A: The title has various meanings for the story. What incites the action is an anonymous post listing which kids in eighth grade are “hot” and which are “not.” Mateo and Gia find their names on the “hot” list; Levi and Winnie find themselves decreed “not.” Next to Winnie’s name, the anonymous poster has written “Nothing to see here”—which Winnie finds deeply humiliating.

 

I was also thinking about how when there’s a disaster like a car crash, police will say “Nothing to see here,” to get passersby to keep moving instead of gawking. Of course, telling them that there’s “nothing to see” only entices them to stare even more.

 

Finally, by “nothing to see here,” I wanted to suggest that a lot of what’s on social media is empty, unsubstantiated nonsense—literally nothing worth seeing.  

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently revising my next middle grade novel for Scholastic, a multi-POV hybrid verse novel about ChatGPT. It’s called Lost for Words, and I can’t wait for it to publish Fall 2027!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m delighted that Nothing to See Here will have an audiobook edition with four different voice actors. Also, the lovely folks at Scholastic have prepared an excellent discussion guide that I hope teachers and librarians will check out!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Barbara Dee. 

Q&A with John Degen

  

 

 

John Degen is the author of the new novel Seldom Seen Road, the first in a series. His other books include The Uninvited Guest. He is the chief executive officer of the Writers' Union of Canada, and he's based in Etobicoke and Thessalon, Canada.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Seldom Seen Road, and how did you create your characters Mark, Jeremy, and Stephanie?

 

A: I have long thought I would turn to crime or detective fiction at some point in my writing career. I used to grab books off my parents’ paperback shelf at the cottage when I was way too young for the subject matter… but it was the 1970s, so, you know, not a lot of supervision. Crime and spy novels were my entry into reading, and they are still where I am happiest as a reader.

 

I very quickly hit on the idea of a detective trio, all related to each other. Northern Ontarians are very familiar with the experience of bumping into relatives wherever you go, so I wanted to capture a bit of that cultural element. But also, I think family dynamics lend so much to character development. They are relatable connections and conflicts.

 

Mark is a bumbling, emotionally vulnerable widower with little to no skills in crime solving — and he is my own emotional starting point with this series. I have always been more interested in bit players, extras, and tertiary characters than in the classic main characters. Competent, tough detectives are a dime a dozen. Give me someone who trips over solutions any day.

 

Mark’s daughter Stephanie is the brains of the operation, even as she works out her own challenges and disappointments. Jeremy joins Stephanie in keeping Mark mostly unharmed, and provides a connection to the actual police and the various layers of criminality in the community.

 

And really, that’s what it’s like where I live in Northern Ontario. The chief of the Volunteer Fire Department is also my plumber, and used to play in the basement of my house as a child because his aunt used to rent it. If there was a mystery to solve in my town, I’d be asking that guy a lot of questions.

 

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

 

A: Just outside of the small town of Massey, Ontario, on Lake Huron’s north shore, drivers on the TransCanada Highway pass a road sign saying “Seldom Seen Road.” The first time I notice that sign, I thought “That’s a book title for a mystery.” And so it now is.

 

I mean, what is more mysterious than a remote cabin in the woods at the end of Seldom Seen Road?

 

Northern Ontario is filled with atmospheric place names, so I feel confident I won’t be running out of book titles for this series anytime soon.

 

Q: The author Shane Peacock said of the book, "Seldom Seen Road tells a compelling story of murder and intrigue, with the north shore of Lake Huron and rugged northern Ontario as such an interesting and well-drawn backdrop that it almost seems like one of the characters." What do you think of that description, and how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: Shane was very generous with his assessment, and I’m so pleased he focused on the landscape and setting. Canada’s more sparsely populated northern regions are at once spectacularly beautiful and undeniably life-threatening. Those who live here take weather, road conditions, isolation, and nature a lot more seriously than do urban dwellers. These elements are naturally going to be foreground for a crime or mystery plot.

 

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

 

A: Because I’m writing a series, what I did was build a character map detailing all the connections I understood between the folks with which I planned to populate my fictional north shore. 

 

But that map was not set in stone, and some folks I hadn’t initially conceived of just sort of showed up on their own. I work on the theory that life does not follow a perfectly planned, linear plot. Leaving room to be surprised as the author helps me surprise the reader.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Two things simultaneously. I’m building myself a dedicated writing shed on my property on the north shore. I might have to call it the Seldom Seen Shed. And I’m well into the writing of Book Two in the Burnt River Series (working title — Crooked Lake). Favourite characters return, mystery abounds, and this story will delve deeper into the history of the region.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’ve been asked how I come up with full plots and character elements. So, here’s a little secret. I publish a Substack newsletter for my northern neighbours focussed on local town and city council proceedings. It’s called Shore Report. Very newsy, and a bit nerdy. Really taking a granular approach to what it takes to live remote from the power and wealth to the south, and in such a beautiful place with a complex history.

 

What a window into the lives of my fictional characters! All their challenges, conflicts, losses and victories. I like to say there’s a mystery plot buried in every single Northern Ontario council meeting. I will literally never run out of material.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Oct. 30

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Oct. 30, 1735: John Adams born.

Q&A with D.M. Pulley

  

Photo by Gary Adams

 

 

D.M. Pulley is the author of the new novel Stone Mad. Her other books include The Dead Key. She lives in Ohio. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Stone Mad, and how did you create your character Mannie?

 

A: I've always wanted to write a story inspired by the rumors and lore surrounding Cleveland's most notorious haunted house, Franklin Castle, and this particular moment just felt right.

 

The extreme wealth inequality we're experiencing today combined with rampant moral corruption and the rollback of human rights all scream for a classic Gothic thriller.

 

The oldest haunted house stories were all about the rich and powerful doing terrible things to hold onto their crumbling fortunes, and I wanted to tell a version of that story set in the Rust Belt today. 

 

My main character, Mannie Wallace, came out of my own experiences working as a forensic engineer and historic preservationist. I've been an insurance investigator and a building inspector, and I've had to manage being a woman in construction for over 25 years.

 

Mannie and I are quite different people, but we both share a passion for old buildings and we'd both jump at the chance to investigate a Gilded Age ruin like Stone Mad. 

 

Q: Readers have compared the novel to the work of Shirley Jackson--what do you think of that comparison?

 

A: I think I must be dreaming to be mentioned in the same sentence as Shirley Jackson. Her novels The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle were great inspirations to me throughout my career and for this novel in particular. She is and will always be the queen. 

 

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 never know exactly how a story will end until I finish writing it. I used to write exclusively by the seat of my pants, but these last seven years working to publish a new novel have taught me the value of planning a simple three-point arc for each character.

 

I need a vague concept of their beginning, middle, and end to build a rough map of the journey so I don't get lost along the way with them. I knew I wanted Mannie to start out troubled and to go through hell. You'll have to read story to see if she makes it out again. 

 

Q: The novel is set in an abandoned castle--how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: My writing process usually begins with an abandoned building or haunted house. I've spent my engineering career crawling around attics, creeping through basements, and hanging from the rooftops of old buildings, and each one has so many stories it could tell.

 

I fall in love and become obsessed with a certain place and time and start reading everything I can find--books, journals, articles--going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole about it until a story starts to emerge.

 

In the case of Stone Mad, I became fixated on Franklin Castle near downtown Cleveland and the lost mansions of Millionaire's Row. In my historical research, I got pulled deep into the connections between the German Nazis and the occult. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am finishing up a psychological thriller due out in 2027 about suburban isolation and inner demons where the haunted house is a woman's mind.

 

In this story, a middle-aged mom's "perfect" life shatters when a party guest lands in the hospital and she's left searching for the terrifying truth behind the mysterious woman's fall, a neighbor's murder, and her own faltering memory of what happened that night.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Gothic thrillers like Stone Mad combine all the mystery of a crime novel with the spiritual intrigue of the unknown and even supernatural. This story is for anyone that's ever walked through an old house or building and felt the walls listening and history whispering over their shoulder.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Mike Lawson

  

Photo by Tara Gimmer

 

 

 

Mike Lawson is the author of the new novel McKenna's Guy. His many other books include the Joe DeMarco series. He lives in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write McKenna’s Guy, and how did you create your characters Roger and Grace? 

 

A: The inspiration was one of those silly things. I had to look at my passport one day to see when it expired because I was planning to take a trip to Canada, and when I looked at it, I had the stupid thought: I’ll bet this would really be hard to forge. Duh. 

 

My next thought was: What if a guy who makes passports decides to sell a few to criminals who needed fake IDs? No forging required. And that’s how I ended up with Roger Smith, an employee of the Government Publishing Office, and his accomplice, McKenna.  

 

I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want Roger to come off as a slick character like Pierce Brosnan in The Thomas Crown Affair. I wanted him to be a mild-mannered civil servant, an older person, one close to retirement—not your typical protagonist—and I wanted him to be perceived as a good guy—or as good as he could be perceived considering that he’s a criminal.  

 

The McKenna character was necessary because a man like Roger wouldn’t know any criminals who needed fake passports, but being the old rogue that he is, McKenna knows many.  

 

As for Grace Lillinthal . . . Well, I needed someone whose job it was to catch Roger and McKenna, someone as smart and relentless as Grace. Which makes it even more fun when Roger beats her in the end.  

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the novel says, “Lawson’s stand-alone strips plot, characters, and prose down to exceptional efficiency, producing maximum thrills without a wasted word.” What do you think of that assessment?

 

A: Twenty-plus years ago, when I was trying to find an agent, one of the many agents who rejected my first novel said: A lot of what you’ve written doesn't advance the plot. 

 

Another piece of advice came from Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing, which says don’t write things that readers tend to skip over, like long-winded descriptions of characters and settings. 

 

And in my novels, I’ve always tried my best to continually advance the plot, to keep the reader engaged, and not to get sidetracked by philosophical musings or elaborate commentary on things that don’t really matter to the plot. So, I wouldn’t say that I’m consciously trying to be efficient because I’m not. I’m just trying to keep the book moving.  

 

As for my revision process, I probably read my books 30 or 40 times before I send them to my agent and mostly what I’m doing when I’m editing is trying to make sure the story holds together and to make it “sound” better—and then when I hear the audio version of the book, unfortunately I often hear that I could have done better. 

 

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

 

A: McKenna’s Guy was one of the few books I’ve written where I knew the ending before I started.

 

This is extremely rare for me. I always know how I’m going to start a novel—hopefully in a manner that immediately engages the reader—but I don’t usually have a clue as to how I’m going to end it. Which results, as you’ve indicated, in a lot of rewriting, going down one dead-end after another and having to backtrack until I’ve figure it out.  

 

But like I said, McKenna was a rare exception.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Roger and Grace?

 

A: Cat and mouse, with Roger definitely being the mouse. Roger knows, right from the get-go, that Grace is coming after him and that she won’t stop until she gets him. But then Grace is almost the least of his problems because people are trying to kill him.  

 

So most of Roger’s energy is devoted to finding out who’s trying to kill him and why, while knowing that it’s almost inevitable that Grace will arrest him—which is why he decides to flee the country. And when that plan fails—that is, fleeing—and Grace does arrests him, he falls back on what I called Plan B in the book.  

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently working on Books 21 and 22 of my long-running Joe DeMarco series. DeMarco’s a fixer for a vaguely corrupt politician named John Mahoney, and one book involves Mahoney being framed for murder. The other one is about some seemingly small-time thieves ripping off the government.  

 

I’ll do that sometimes: work on one book for a while, then set it aside, then come back to it later hoping for some fresh insight on how to improve it. 

 

I also have another standalone in my laptop, one that was sort of inspired by the Harvey Weinstein saga. I made a good start on that one, but then, and as noted above, ran into a brick wall and haven’t figured out how to end it.  

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: About the only other thing I can think of to tell your readers is that I enjoy writing. I used to have a real job—I worked as an engineer on the reactors in navy submarines and aircraft carriers—and writing novels has never felt like a job.

 

It’s a pleasure and I hope that the enjoyment I get out of writing comes across in my books. My only objective is to entertain, and not to preach or push a particular view. And I think a book like McKenna’s Guy met that objective: It’s a quick, fun read—definitely, a beach read—and I hope some of your readers will take a chance on it.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Tammar Stein

  

 

 

Tammar Stein is the author of the new children's board book Cats in Jerusalem. Her other books include The Treasure of Tel Maresha. She is a former school librarian. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Cats in Jerusalem?

 

A: If you’ve ever been to Jerusalem, then you know…there are cats everywhere. I was on an incredible trip sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation for authors and illustrators to discover a deeper connection to Israel. 

 

The guide took us through some of the old neighborhoods and I saw bowls of cat food left out for visiting felines. I loved that casual hospitality. It’s like the residents were saying, “Hungry? Nu, eat already.”

 

And then I thought, these cats must know all the best spots in the city. Why don’t we see Jerusalem through a cat tour guide? 

 

Q: What do you think Menahem Halberstadt’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I love that there’s an Israeli author illustrating a book set in Israel. The bright, zany energy is perfect for the story. The art is confident because he’s a great illustrator, but also because he’s drawing something he’s really familiar with.

 

Q: How did you choose the locations for the story?

 

A: I wanted to write a guidebook for tiny kids. I thought it would be fun to hit major sights in an accessible, tot-centered way. I would love hearing from a reader that they brought the book with them on their visit to Israel to help their young child connect with the landmarks. 

 

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

 

A: I hope the book makes them giggle. I hope they search for the fun details scattered through the story and that this joyful exposure to Jerusalem helps lay the foundations for a sense of connection.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m thrilled to say that we are working on more books in this series! Dogs of Tel Aviv will be up next and more cities with furry guides are in the pipeline. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Joyful Jewish children’s books can’t fix everything, but they help inoculate our kids (and adults!) from a lot of the doom and gloom that floats around us. There is so much to celebrate and be proud of as Jewish families, and I’m really glad to be a small part of that. Thanks so much!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Tammar Stein. 

Oct. 29

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Oct. 29, 1925: Dominick Dunne born.