Q&A with Creator JJ

 

 

 

Creator JJ is the author of the children's picture book Tiki Time: It's My Turn!, the first in a new series.  

 

Q: What inspired you to create this book, and how did you come up with the idea for your character Tiki?

 

A: Most of my writings start around a central character. So this book really all started with the main character, Tiki. I initially dreamt up the Tiki character when I was looking at some tiki statue art one day, and the character started popping into my head.

 

Tiki was a character I was creating who was a fun, rambunctious boy from a magical island in a tiki culture setting whose behavior was a little off and who just needed a little guidance to help him correct his behavior. But one day I wrote down the main character, the supporting cast of fun characters, and the world of TikiTown.

 

When I presented the idea to Fates, he and his animation studio team really liked the idea. We further developed the story around the time-traveling adventure that Tiki goes on and the supporting antagonists.

 

And the story really came together when we added in the underlying themes of the book about building self-confidence, friendship, the true meaning of character and integrity, and teaching kids to think about their own behavior and how it affects others.

 

What I think really makes this book unique too is that this is an adventure series for young readers in grades 1-3. Most series books can be for more advanced readers in the middle grade range. But this is a unique series that is really designed for early readers that gives them a chance to develop their reading skills while also diving into a magical adventure series!

 

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

 

A: Yes, when I went to write the story, I had an outline of how the story went from beginning to end. There were some changes as I made some tweaks to the overall outline. But once I was satisfied with the outline, I got down to writing the first book. And at the end of the day, I am really pleased with the initial story, plot, and the overall concept of the series.

 

Tiki Time: It’s My Turn is actually the first book in the Tiki Time series that leads up to a really exciting ending! So, there is more to come very soon.

 

Q: How were the illustrations for the book created, and can you say more about the video version?

 

A: I worked with Fates and the Humouring the Fates animation studio team to create the artwork. I had some initial ideas on how the characters looked, and they were able to take my writing and bring it to life in beautiful artwork.

 

What is funny is what they developed matched exactly how I envisioned the characters in my head as I creatively developed them. But when you look at the artwork, you can see that it is absolutely visually stunning. I couldn’t be more satisfied with how the artwork came out for the project.

 

The read-along video was created using the artwork from the original book by Fates. The video itself was produced by Wolf Design & Marketing. The audio track was engineered by Robin Smith at Frederick Studios.

 

I really had an incredible team help me put together the read-along video. It was a really fun and creative process putting this together.

 

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

 

A: I hope that kids really enjoy this story and that it takes them on a fun adventure as they read the book and follow the story in the series. My hope is that they enjoy this book so much that it also encourages them to read other books in similar or different genres to encourage them to read in general more. Reading is such an important skill for kids.

 

And most importantly, I hope that they comprehend the underlying themes of the book about building self-confidence, friendship, the true meaning of character and integrity, and thinking about their own behavior and how it affects others.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am working on the second book of the Tiki Time series, Tiki Time: T-Rex Tiki. This book picks up where the first book left off as Tiki and his friend travel back in time to prehistoric times to find King Lauia, retrieve the magical toku mask, and bring it back to the TikiTown in present time to unfreeze the town.

 

It’s already written; I am just going through the editing process now. I am hoping to have this released by late summer/fall. Tiki fans are going to love this second book! There is even more action, adventure, and valuable lessons for kids to be learned in this book.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: There are a lot of fun resources to accompany the Tiki Time: It’s My Turn book. We have the read-along video version on YouTube. The Children’s Book Review also put together an incredible activity kit that parents are able to download for their kids.

 

Additionally, The Children’s Book Review helped develop an amazing educator's guide for any educators or teachers out there that are interested in using the book in a classroom setting. The links for these fun resources can be found below.

 

Read-Along Video: https://www.youtube.com/@CreatorJJ-d2k

 

Activity Kit:  https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tiki-Time-Activity-Kit.pdf

 

Educator’s Guide: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TikiTimeEducatorGuide25.pdf

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This post was created in partnership with Creator JJ. Enter this giveaway for your chance to win one of three copies of Tiki Time: It's My Turn!. Plus, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a signed copy of the book along with a $200 Amazon gift card to fuel even more adventures.

Q&A with Charlotte Cheng

 

 

 

Charlotte Cheng is the author of the new children's picture book Icy Fruit: How My Grandfather Spread the Joy of Ice Pops Across Taiwan. Her other books include Roar-Choo!. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

 

Q: Why did you decide to write a book about your grandfather?

 

A: My grandfather started a popular popsicle company in Taiwan called Dong Dong Guo or “Icy Fruit.” When my grandfather passed away, the entire family learned the jingle for his Icy Fruit company so that we could sing the song at his funeral.

 

As we were learning the jingle, my father, aunts, and uncles started sharing stories about my grandfather’s popsicle business. One of them even brought out an old uniform worn by the Icy Fruit employees. They would play the jingle on their bikes and sell delicious popsicle treats throughout the streets of Taipei, Taiwan.

 

When we finally performed the jingle at my grandfather’s funeral, the room was filled with tears and laughter.

 

Later on, the song lingered in my mind for many years and so did the story of Icy Fruit. I brought up the idea with my editor, Lauri Hornik, and I was able to write Icy Fruit with her encouragement and guidance.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Cheng’s affectionate narrative flows naturally, marked by alliterative, elegant language.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I was so grateful that Kirkus appreciated the affection for my grandfather that I integrated into my storytelling and how I put a lot of thought into my word choices so that the story is fun to read aloud.

 

I'm always thinking of the final experience -- of parents reading to their kids at bedtime, educators reading to their classes, and librarians reading aloud at story times. I want the language to bring in different senses and in this book specifically, I would even teach the kids how to sing the jingle with me. 

 

Q: Did you need to do additional research to write the book, or did you already know the information before you started?

 

A: As a child, my grandfather would always have a plastic bag in his pocket, where he would carry all of his coins. I remember asking him why he used the bag instead of a regular coin purse.

 

It turned out the bag was the packaging used for his popsicle company. Instead of popsicle sticks, they would place crushed fruit into small plastic bags that were perfect for the size of kids’ hands.

 

My grandfather didn’t share many details about his popsicle business but when he did, he always spoke about Icy Fruit with great pride.

 

Thus, when I started researching for the story, I needed to rely on support from my relatives. My father interviewed old acquaintances who used to work at the Icy Fruit company. My aunt shared a report she once wrote about Icy Fruit and many relatives shared photos that the talented artist, Vivian Mineker, referenced when illustrating the book.

 

Many of my cousins hadn’t heard about the details of the Icy Fruit company so they were excited to learn more about our grandfather’s past. I’ll definitely make sure they receive copies of the book when it comes out!

 

Q: What do you think Vivian Mineker’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Vivian Mineker is a talented Taiwanese artist who brought so much colorful fun to Icy Fruit. In the story, we follow my grandfather through different stages of his life – from when he was a young businessman to the year he passed away.

 

With the help of my relatives, I gathered several photos of my grandfather across the different decades of his life so that Vivian had references to illustrate his likeness. Furthermore, I shared photos of the packaging, the uniforms, and even the sheet music for Icy Fruit! 

 

Vivian was able to integrate details from the photos and our revision notes to truly capture the essence of my grandfather’s spirit in her illustrations. I know my grandfather would be so proud. She also made the popsicles look absolutely delicious – you want to grab them straight off the page!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have two more books coming out soon! 

 

Later in 2025, Rocky Pond Books will be publishing Ama’s Purse, illustrated by Xindi Yan, where a girl discovers the magic inside her grandmother’s purse during their family road trip.

 

In 2026, I also have a book coming out with Harper Kids called A Name for Sister, illustrated by Sophia Diao. It’s a magical new sister story inspired by a centuries old naming tradition from China. 

 

Additionally, I've been working on a few stories that involve pirates, islands, paintings, and more. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: You can learn more about my work at: www.charlotte.art. There, you can sign up for my newsletter where I send a few updates a year about my upcoming events and books along with free resources/activities.

 

I also love doing visits at schools, conferences, and events so you can contact me on the website to explore how we can collaborate together!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Charlotte Cheng. 

Q&A with Liz Montague

 

 

 

Liz Montague is the author and illustrator of the new middle grade graphic novel Camp Frenemies. Her other books include School for Unusual Magic: The Equinox Test. She lives in New Jersey. 

 

Q: What inspired you to create Camp Frenemies, and how did you come up with the ideas for your characters Beatrice, Roxy, and Virginia?

 

A: I’d wanted to write a story about a girl with a stuffed rabbit for a while but I knew I wanted to set it at summer camp after a conversation I had with my husband.

 

He had a stay-at-home mom growing up so he always spent his summers at home with her but both of my parents worked full-time so I spent my summers at camp. It wasn’t until we were talking about it that I realized how much I appreciated camp and that I actually got a lot out of my time there.

 

Camp was really my first taste of independence as a child and I wanted to give that experience to these characters. It’s not like school where there are a lot of other variables at play with teachers, grades, sports, pre-existing friend groups, etc.—camp is its own world and ecosystem unlike anything else.

When I sat down and actually started creating this story, Beatrice became the girl with the stuffed rabbit who all of a sudden was expected to grow up and leave her security blanket behind.

 

Camp was the natural place for her to start being challenged and asking herself hard questions and, in the midst of that, her cabin-mates Roxy and Virginia really organically emerged.

 

They each have independent journeys of trying to make sense of how they fit in their respective worlds now that, as they go into 7th grade, expectations are starting to change.

 

Roxy and Virginia ended up becoming much more central to the story than I’d initially intended; they went from side characters to main characters right along with Beatrice!

Q: How would you describe the dynamic among the three characters?

A: I wanted them to all be really different but without anyone being the “bad guy.” In life there are so many situations where you’re thrown together with people and have to just figure it out and I really wanted to explore that.

 

Beatrice is used to keeping to herself and doing her own thing, whereas Virginia is very loud and outspoken, and Roxy tends to be mild and just wants to keep the peace. I have two older sisters so this is a dynamic I know well and was really excited to dig into.

 

At the heart of it they’re three very different kids who have their own separate things going on. They all come into the summer with very different perspectives and those clashes are really what ends up creating the drama.

 

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

A: I hope that readers are willing to give people more of a chance. Maybe someone isn’t the worst person ever to exist, maybe you just caught them on a bad day or they have things going on that you don’t know anything about. People are complicated and nuanced and I hope exploring these characters helps kids to allow space for that in real life.

 

I also hope they don’t feel as pressured to instantly change or “grow up” in ways that don’t feel genuine. To this day I still have all my Build-A-Bears and American Girl Dolls. I keep them on a bookshelf in my office and I’m really glad I kept them.

Q: What are some of your other favorite novels set at summer camp?

A: It’s not a novel but the beginning of the movie The Parent Trap when they’re at summer camp is one of my favorite things ever. I think I read a Babysitters Club book that took place at camp forever ago.

 

I can think of a lot of summer books, like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—which I was obsessed with, but I can’t think of any other camp books that I’ve read (though I admittedly was not a huge reader as a kid!).

Q: What are you working on now?

A: Right now I’m working on what will happen next summer but I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say about it :). I’m also finishing up the final touches for my final School For Unusual Magic book that comes out in November!

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I hope everyone has a lovely summer and spends some time in the sun doing something fun. Maybe go in the attic and dust off a cherished Beanie Baby, Barbie, or American Girl Doll so they can join you. :)

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Liz Montague. 

Q&A with Judith Rossell

 

Photo credit: On Jackson Street

 

 

 

Judith Rossell is the author and illustrator of the new middle grade novel The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls. Her other books include the Stella Montgomery series. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls, and how did you create your character Maggie?

 

A: I wanted to write a story about a team of girls who learn useful skills and then work together to solve crimes. When I was young, I was a Girl Guide (like a Girl Scout in the US) and we learned bandaging and knot-tying and Morse code, and I felt totally ready to solve crimes or save a baby from bandits, or from a runaway train, or something like that.

 

Unfortunately, I grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, and I never got the chance to be the heroine of any kind of adventure, which was a bit frustrating. So it was very satisfying to send the girls of the Midwatch Institute into danger, and see how brave and smart they could be.

 

At the start of the story, Maggie is in disgrace. She has been thrown out of one orphanage, and sent away to another one. She’s not especially good at anything, and she feels unwanted and useless and grumpy.

 

During the story, she learns new skills, and makes friends, and learns a bit about courage and confidence and leadership.

 

Maggie is probably a version of me. I was – at times – a very grumpy child.

 

Q: The book also includes many of your illustrations--how did you decide where to incorporate the illustrations into the story?

 

A: I wanted there to be lots of pictures, from full-page illustrations of city buildings, to tiny details of pins and subway tokens. The story is set in the 1920s, and so it was a pleasure to include lots of historical details in the illustrations.

 

I love that you can flip through the book and see a picture on almost every page. Particularly for young readers, illustrations can make a story feel more exciting and more approachable.

 

I really wanted to include some big, double-page illustrations at certain points in the story. For example, when the girls first climb up onto the lookout on the roof of The Midwatch Institute and look out at the skyscrapers all around, that’s a double-page picture, which (hopefully!) gives the readers the sense of being immersed in the world of the huge, exciting city.

 

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book called it a “subversive and captivating examination of adventure, lifelong learning, and sisterhood.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it’s fabulous! What a lovely review.

 

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 made many changes along the way. At one point, I turned half of the girls in The Midwatch Institute into boys, and then a bit later, I turned them back into girls again.

 

I don’t find it easy to plan the story, I write it scene by scene and make it up as I go. It’s definitely a longer and more stressful process, but it feels like I’m discovering the story as I write, which is more interesting, I think, and perhaps more unexpected for the reader.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m writing a story for younger readers about two cats, and what they get up to when the people go out. (Mainly, they watch TV and try to order cat food on the internet, which doesn’t work out exactly as they expect.)

 

The title is Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish and it will be published in Australia later this year.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m so happy and excited for kids in the US and Canada to be reading The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls. I hope they enjoy it!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Michele C. Hollow

 

 

 

Michele C. Hollow is the author of the new middle grade biography Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning. Her other books include The Everything Guide to Working with Animals. She is also a journalist.

 

Q: What inspired you to write a biography for kids about paleontologist Mary Anning (1799-1847)?

 

A: I work as a journalist often covering people in the fields of health and animal rescue. I love writing about people who help others. A few of my readers told me about Mary Anning. I did some research and found out at 12 years old in 1811, Anning made a remarkable discovery. She unearthed a rare 17-foot fossil.

 

Extinction was a new concept. The men in the scientific community didn’t believe a girl could make such a find. I thought children would find her story as fascinating as I did.

 

Q: How did you research Anning’s life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I read two books about her life: The Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling and Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. Remarkable Creatures follows the friendship between Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, an amateur fossil hunter. Emling’s book talks about the Lyme Regis Museum.

 

Anning lived in Lyme Regis, which is part of the Jurassic Coast in the U.K. Last year, the Lyme Regis Museum opened a Mary Anning wing. The research team at the museum answered many emails that I sent to them.

 

I work as a journalist and wanted to find out as much as possible about Anning, her family, her friends, and about paleontology. I also watched many YouTube videos on paleontology.

 

What stood out was that when she was challenged by men two and three times her age, she didn’t back down.

 

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

 

A: I want readers to know when they are up against something that seems impossible, if they look at the situation, they can come up with a solution. Young readers should know they can triumph when life becomes difficult.

 

Q: How would you describe Anning’s legacy today?

 

A: Mary Anning found many significant fossils at a time when no one had ever seen such creatures. With extinction being a new concept, many people didn’t believe entire species died out. Her work taught people in the scientific community new ideas about prehistoric life.

 

Plus, she paved the way for girls and women to take an interest in paleontology. Today, she’s known as the “Mother of Paleontology.”

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m finishing up a middle grade book about one of the first WWI service dogs and the soldiers he saved.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m available to talk about Mary Anning, dinosaurs, paleontology, and my book at elementary and middle schools and libraries.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Gerri Willis

 

 

Gerri Willis is the author of the new biography Lincoln's Lady Spymaster: The Untold Story of the Abolitionist Southern Belle Who Helped Win the Civil War. A longtime journalist, she lives in New York, Massachusetts, and South Carolina.

 

Q: What inspired you to write a biography of Civil War spy Elizabeth Van Lew (1818-1900)?

 

A: Well, I started research for the book during the COVID pandemic. Many of the young women I worked with were terrified. For them, the pandemic lockdowns felt like a death sentence. Their social lives abruptly ended. They were isolated.

 

I wanted to introduce them to women who had beaten back challenges and defied the odds. American history is full of women like that. I found Elizabeth Van Lew's name during that period. And, she was a natural. Bold, brilliant and persistent, she was the perfect role model and trailblazer.

 

Q: How did you research her life, and what did you learn that particularly surprised you?

 

A: The research took me to libraries in New York City and Richmond, Virginia, her hometown. I walked the streets she walked as a spy, and visited the prison sites where she assisted Union officers, helping some of them escape. I read scores of Civil War histories and packed my head as full of regional knowledge as I could.

 

That information turned many of my assumptions of the era on their head. I had assumed that it was a foregone conclusion that the North would win the war, because Lincoln had a bigger population and a more industrialized economic base.

 

What I learned, though, was that to win Lincoln had to subdue an era the size of Czarist Russia, a high hurdle. What's more, secessionist sentiment wasn't universal in the South. There were plenty of objectors, most of whom kept their political views quiet, some of whom assisted Elizabeth. 

 

Q: The writer William B. Feis said of the book, “With a keen eye for historical detail, Willis spins a yarn with enough real-life colorful characters and cloak-and-dagger twists to make even Ian Fleming blush.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it's true! Every time I thought I had her figured out, she would do something that surprised me. Elizabeth kept me on my toes.

 

I had expected her to be a quaint Southern belle, but what I got was far different. She fended off Confederate investigators, assembled a spy network, bribed Confederate officers, sheltered Union officers on the run, and placed a black female agent inside the Confederate White House. 

 

Q: What do you see as Elizabeth Van Lew’s legacy today?

 

A: Elizabeth was a daring and bold patriot who refused to back down even when threatened. She despised slavery and used her position in Southern aristocracy to aid the Union cause. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am looking for my next subject! Please suggest a woman you found inspirational!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Some stories take a long time to surface. Elizabeth's story was nearly lost to history.

 

Not until nearly 100 years after the war was her story recovered when an NSA analyst found an abandoned storeroom full of the reports produced by the Bureau of Military Intelligence, the spooks of the Union. Elizabeth's name popped up again and again in those documents.

 

The analyst later described Elizabeth's Richmond spy ring as the most productive on either side, North or South, during the Civil War. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Greta Lynn Uehling

 

 

 

Greta Lynn Uehling is the author of the new book Decolonizing Ukraine: The Indigenous People of Crimea and Pathways to Freedom. Her other books include Everyday War. She is teaching professor at the University of Michigan. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Decolonizing Ukraine?

 

A: As a cultural anthropologist who has worked on Crimea for three decades, I have been acutely conscious of the ways that Crimea’s Indigenous people, the Crimean Tatars, tend to be left out of the discussion of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

 

This is unfortunate because they have been disproportionately affected by the war and because their experiences offer an important vantage point on the region as a whole.

 

When Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, they began targeting Crimean Tatars, who have traditionally been pro-Ukrainian, for arrest and imprisonment. Journalists, academics, and political leaders were especially affected. An estimated 20 percent of the Indigenous Crimean Tatar population has fled for government-controlled parts of Ukraine and Western Europe.

 

From the Crimean Tatar perspective, the Russian 2014 occupation is a continuation of policies that date back centuries. They comprised over 90 percent of the peninsula’s population before the first wave of Russian imperial colonization in the 18th century.

 

By 1944, however, they had been entirely removed through forced deportations carried out by Soviet authorities, an act of ethnic cleansing that reduced their presence to zero. Today, Crimean Tatars make up only about 12 to 13 percent of Crimea’s population.

 

The dramatic demographic and cultural shifts driven by Russian imperial, Soviet, and later Ukrainian state policies reveal a pattern of resource extraction, dispossession, and population replacement that spans multiple centuries.

 

The population displacement sparked by the 2014 occupation of Crimea afforded Ukraine an opportunity to reconsider Crimea and Crimean Tatars’ place in Ukraine. Among the outcomes of the war is greater recognition of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine. Although most Ukrainians learned about Crimean Tatars as historic archenemies, they came to be seen as valuable partners in resisting Russian aggression. 

 

As a whole, Decolonizing Ukraine tells the story of a historically oppressed group – the Crimean Tatars – that not only survives repeated episodes of dispossession but succeeds in reconfiguring how they are perceived by others, thereby gaining more meaningful social inclusion in Ukraine.

 

In answer to your question, I was inspired both by their conspicuous absence in discussions of the war on Ukraine, and their striking resilience. Moreover, their non-expropriative, reciprocal relationship to the land stands in sharp contrast to the colonial logic that displaced them, making their ongoing presence and revival all the more powerful.

 

Q: What do you think are some of the most common perceptions and misconceptions about Crimea?

 

A: One of the most persistent misconceptions about Crimea is the idea that it is “historically Russian.” In fact, prior to Russia’s first colonization of the peninsula in 1783, the region was home to the Crimean Tatar state—a sophisticated and enduring polity that lasted for over 300 years.

 

During that time, literature, poetry, and the arts flourished, and their political influence extended well beyond the borders of the peninsula. It wasn't until much later that a significant Slavic population began to settle in Crimea.

 

Another common misunderstanding is the belief that the people of Crimea freely voted to join Russia during the 2014 occupation. In reality, the referendum was held in violation of both international and Ukrainian law, with no genuine option to remain part of Ukraine presented on the ballot. Even Russian officials later admitted that the results were artificially inflated.

 

A closely related misconception is that the people who live under Russian occupation prefer for the occupation to continue. It is objectively impossible to assess public opinion under a regime that punishes people for their opinions. There is no freedom of speech or thought, and the punishment for dissent – even saying “no to war” - is extreme.

 

Moreover, it should be clear that such repressive measures would not be necessary in a place where everyone was in favor of the authorities.

 

Considering these dynamics, Ukraine has developed a holistic plan for de-militarizing and de-occupying the peninsula that includes the addressing the emotional and cognitive dimensions of Russia occupation. In my book, I focus on the subjective aspects of decolonization.

 

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

 

A: The fieldwork for the book was carried out as a Fulbright scholar in Ukraine beginning in 2015, and ended in 2023 when I worked with Crimean Tatars who fled military conscription in Crimea and came to the United States.

 

While in Ukraine, I traveled extensively, mostly on the Ukrainian rails, in order to engage with as broad a spectrum of people as possible. As an anthropologist, participant observation is an important part my research. I attended workshops for internally displaced people as well as attending cultural events and participating in informal social gatherings. 

 

I also did extensive interviewing. The book reflects the analysis of over 90 interviews. Sixty of those interviews were with people displaced from Crimea and 30 were with people who continued to live in Crimea or were working on the challenges facing Crimea in a professional capacity.

 

One of the things that surprised me was the scope and range of Russia’s hybrid tactics.

 

Those who follow events in Ukraine will be aware Russian occupation was executed with a combination of military and non-military tactics that include hiring proxies and mercenaries, election interference, spreading disinformation, and so on. Russia occupies territory as much by influencing how people think as through military means.

 

What my research contributes to this understanding is that disrupting how people thought and felt about one another was also a hybrid tactic. The majority of the people who were displaced from occupied territories spoke of the end of friendships and new tensions in family relationships.

 

The tactic is quite explicit in encouraging students to inform on parents who may have pro-Ukrainian sentiments. The authorities have also set up a hotline for reporting on friends and neighbors who make even subtle anti-war or pro-Ukrainian statements. The accused are fined and publicly humiliated.

 

As a more specific example, a man I met sifting through clothing at a humanitarian shelter told me his father broke off all contact with him because he did not vote for joining Russia in the referendum. They had a falling out that led “Victor” to flee for Ukrainian government-controlled Ukraine.

 

Had he not experienced this rift with his father, he would have been in a position to inherit a home and property. Thus, these tactics have significant material stakes.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Since publishing Decolonizing Ukraine, I’ve been honored to receive many invitations for talks and online appearances. It’s been a meaningful experience to share my research with audiences in places like Boston; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Vienna, Austria; and soon, Tbilisi, Georgia. I'm grateful for the interest and engagement the work has received.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: This book is for readers who are interested in the lived experiences of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Grounded in a phenomenological approach, it illustrates contemporary political events with deeply personal stories that I hope will resonate.

 

I genuinely look forward to hearing readers’ thoughts, questions, and reflections. They can connect with me and explore more of my work at GretaUehling.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Greta Uehling. 

June 30

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

June 30, 1911: Czesław Miłosz born.

Q&A with Kelli Estes

 

 

 

Kelli Estes is the author of the new novel Smoke on the Wind. Her other books include the novel The Girl Who Wrote in Silk. She lives in Washington state. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Smoke on the Wind, and how did you create your characters Keaka and Sorcha?

 

A: I have always felt a deeper connection with the Scottish side of my ancestry but, about a decade ago, I realized that I knew very little about Scotland. From that moment on, I made a concerted effort to learn all that I could about the country, her people, her history, and her culture. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn.

 

Ready to go even deeper, I eventually joined Duolingo to learn the Scottish Gaelic language and started taking Scottish fiddle lessons.

 

I also discovered Scotland’s long-distance hiking trails. When I decided to hike one of those trails, the West Highland Way (WHW), I prepared by learning some of the history that had occurred in the areas through which the trail passes. As I read about outlaws, queens, kings, poets, and others who lived, worked, or traveled through the area, I found two new (fictional) voices talking to me.

 

Keaka, in present-day, is a mom about to leave her son at university in Glasgow and she’s spending her last week with him walking the Way, while also hiding the truth about his deceased father’s betrayal from him.

 

Sorcha, in 1801, is also a mom who, along with her son, was violently evicted from her Highland home and must walk to the city to find work while also avoiding capture by those accusing her of murder.

 

When I walked the WHW with my own son, I imagined I was one of my characters and my son her son, which resulted in some deeper insights into their experiences. Scotland is a place where the past feels close and magic shimmers just under the surface and so I made my characters experience that in a way that inexplicably connects them.

 

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

 

A: I always start with books. I dove into books on Scotland’s history and, when I focused in on setting my novel during the Highland Clearances, zeroed in on that subject.

 

I also read about mythology, folkways, food, clothing, transportation, the history of roads, the history of transhumance in Scotland, clans, second sight, and so much more. Each book had a treasure trove of resources listed in its footnotes and endnotes and I eagerly dove down the rabbit hole of all of them.

 

One thing that surprised me was that, despite what most people believe, it wasn’t the Battle of Culloden and its aftermath that killed the clan system in Scotland.

 

The seeds of destruction were planted way back in 1703 when the Scottish King James IV became the English King James I. Even though he was Scottish, he didn’t trust the people of the Highlands and he enacted laws that chipped away at the clans.

 

One example of this is that he required all land owners to educate their children in English-speaking schools in the lowlands. He also required these landowners to spend much of their time in Edinburgh and London. Their Highland estates did not provide them with the same income as English estates, yet they were expected to live the same lavish lifestyle as other elite.

 

By the time of the Clearances, the landowners (the chiefs of their clans) did not know Gaelic – the language of their people – and they did not know their tenantry by name. They no longer felt any obligation to them and saw only that the people were in the way of them turning their estates over to sheep, which promised to bring in more money.

 

So, in summary, I was surprised to learn that it was a Scot (a Stuart king) who laid the foundation for the destruction of the clans and the ultimate betrayal of the people.

 

Q: What do you think the novel says about mother-son relationships?

 

A: As a mom of two boys myself, I can’t help but believe there is something special between a mom and her sons. It’s often from moms that boys learn the softer skills of life such as communication, caring for others, and understanding emotions.

 

Society teaches a boy that he will grow into a man who provides for the safety of his family, and there comes a time in his adolescence or young adulthood when some days his mom is still caring for him, but on others, he’s caring for her. I expect that back-and-forth goes on well into late adulthood.

 

As this novel shows, and I deeply believe, to a mom, a son will always be her little boy in her heart, no matter his age.

 

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

A: If nothing else, I hope readers take away an increased interest in Scotland and, perhaps, a curiosity about her history and maybe even her hiking trails and the Scottish Gaelic language.

 

On a deeper level, I hope readers take away a more nuanced understanding of the types of horrors that drive people away from their homelands and force them to immigrate to other countries.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m in the early stages of my next fiction book idea, which means I’m reading a lot of history and trying to nail down the plots of dual storylines. I’m also working on a nonfiction proposal for a book of history along the West Highland Way.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I have lots of resources on my website (https://kelliestes.com) for readers such as a glossary of Scots and Gaelic words, a pronunciation guide, Scottish music playlists (one is presented as a soundtrack to the book with a song representing each chapter), recipes, information on the Scottish Gaelic language, and information on the West Highland Way.

 

While there, readers can sign up for my newsletter to receive freebies, giveaways, behind-the-scenes info, and more. I can also be found on Facebook and Instagram at @kelli.estes.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

 

 

 Kelli Estes is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk, which has been translated into eleven languages, was the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Nancy Pearl Book Award and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award, and is currently under option for film/TV; and Today We Go Home, a nationwide Target Book Club pick. Kelli is passionate about stories that show how history is still relevant to our lives today. Her lifelong love of Scotland has her learning the Scottish Gaelic language and the Scottish fiddle (both badly, but she’s working on it). She has walked three of Scotland’s long-distance trails (so far) and is currently planning the next. Kelli lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons. Her new novel Smoke on the Wind is available now from Lake Union.