Dusti Bowling is the author of the new middle grade novel Sir Edmund of the Wild West: Mystery in the Grand Canyon. Her other books include Holding On for Dear Life. She lives in Eagar, Arizona.
Q: What inspired you to write Sir Edmund of the Wild West: Mystery in the Grand Canyon?
A: It really started with the idea to write a story told from the perspective of a dog that could see the ghosts and monsters that people can't see.
The first version of this story was actually quite dark and scary and didn't really work because for some reason the dog ended up coming out British (I must've been watching a lot of British movies at the time!) and really funny.
My editor loved the silly British dog, though, and asked if I'd be willing to give him a new story. I decided it would be fun to explore real Western mysteries. And, of course, make the ghosts far less scary. :)
Q: What do you think Beth Hughes’ illustrations add to the book?
A: Beth did such a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I love the silliness and humor in the illustrations like the ones for King Ruler of the Grand Canyon, the goofy Texan Chihuahua Edmund meets at the Grand Canyon. And Beth really captures the tenderness between Edmund and Willy as they begin forming their loving bond.
Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I relied a lot on as much reading material as I could get my hands on for this book.
A lot of my research was done about service dogs and the mystery Willy and Edmund are investigating in the book--the disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde in the Grand Canyon when they attempted to run the Colorado River through the whole canyon on a wooden sweep scow ( a kind of boat).
I wanted to incorporate as much interesting Grand Canyon history as I could throughout the book, and the plane crash that occurred over the Grand Canyon in 1956 was especially shocking. It's still hard to believe that actually happened.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: More than anything, I want readers to have fun! I hope the silly, lovable characters make them laugh. I also hope they learn some interesting history about the Grand Canyon without realizing how much they're actually learning. I've always enjoyed learning history from novels, and I hope they feel the same.
Q: This is the first in a series--can you tell us what's coming next?
A: The next book in the series will be Mystery in Roswell. I've already started talking to kids already all over the country about these books, and it amazes me how few of them know why Roswell, New Mexico is so famous. Hint: it's aliens.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I do want readers and educators to know that these books are full of jokes and silliness, but they are truly educational as well. So much of the information in the books is based on real history. I made it my mission to find the most bizarre and exciting history I could find and to bring it to life in the most entertaining way I could. I hope everyone enjoys the stories, and learns a little bit too. :)
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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