Category Archives: Author Interview

Author Q&A with Isabelle Knight

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Author Q&A with Enchantria Series Author Isabelle Knight

Author Q&A with Isabelle Knight

Hosting an author for a Q&A is one of the things I wish I did more on The Story Sanctuary. I love getting to know how an author comes up with ideas and brings their vision to the page. Today, I’ve got prolific young author Isabelle Knight here to talk about not one book but FOUR that make up her “Enchantria” series.

I’ve known Isabelle a bit through a weekly meme called Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays, where bloggers share bookish news and reviews of middle grade books on Always in the Middle. Her reviews are so enthusiastic, and I enjoy the way she relates … Continue reading →

Q&A with Heather M. Herrman

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Q&A with Heather M. Herrman

Q&A with Heather M. Herrman

You might remember the short story, “The Lady or the Tiger” from your reading in school, but this YA author brings a fresh take on that concept. Lady or the Tiger author Heather M. Herrman is here via Q&A to talk about what inspired her to create this gritty, Wild West murder mystery.

We’ll talk about misconceptions about the Wild West time period and why we need stories beyond romance in YA. We’ll also discuss the importance of telling stories with complex heroines and challenging tropes. It’s awesome stuff!

Let’s get right into it, shall we? Here are some details about the book for some context before we … Continue reading →

Author Q&A with Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow

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Author Q&A with Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow

Author Q&A with Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow

It’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday again, and I’ve got middle grade authors Alechia Dow and Tracy Badua here for a double Q&A.

I’ve read almost everything Alechia Dow has published in middle grade and young adult so far (I missed one short story in an anthology), and I am really excited to read more of Tracy Badua’s books, so getting to chat with both of them about the second book in their middle grade series about baking and solving mysteries was an extra special treat!

I loved the first book in this series, The Cookie Crumbles, which came out last … Continue reading →

Author Q&A with Callie C. Miller

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Author Q&A with Callie C. Miller

Q&A with The Hunt for the Hollower Author Callie C. Miller

Today, I have the awesome privilege to host a Q&A with THE HUNT FOR THE HOLLOWER author Callie C. Miller. I loved all the playful elements of this middle grade fantasy novel, so I was really excited to have the chance to chat with the author about the inspiration behind some of her characters and what might be coming next fall in the sequel, THE SEARCH FOR THE SHADOWSOUL.

Let’s get to it!

I find that a story is often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write THE HUNT FOR THE HOLLOWER?

HOLLOWER was … Continue reading →

Author Q&A with Samantha Picaro

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Author Q&A with Samantha Picaro

Author Q&A with Limitless Roads Café Author Samantha Picaro

I’m excited to host a Q&A with contemporary YA author Samantha Picaro here today. She’s the author of one of the contemporary YA books I really wanted to read. I will be reviewing LIMITLESS ROADS CAFE later this week. For now, check out the inspiration and some behind-the-scenes thoughts from the author about writing the book.

I find that a story is often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write this story?

The question that inspired me: “Why do most books only have one or two characters with disabilities?” Then I asked myself, “Why don’t I write a book with a cast diverse in ability?”

Which … Continue reading →

Author Q&A with Maybe There Are Witches Author Jude Atwood

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Author Q&A with Jude Atwood

I recently learned about a middle grade book called MAYBE THERE ARE WITCHES. In the book, a girl learns an ancestor of hers was hanged for being a witch. She finds her great-great-great-grandmother’s diary in the basement. Bad things start happening around her, things predicted in the diary. I’m generally a fan of intergenerational stories, so I’m super intrigued by this setup. When I learned author Jude Atwood was available to answer some questions about the book, I couldn’t resist hosting a Q&A. Here’s what I learned.

I find that a story was often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write MAYBE THERE ARE WITCHES?

I think a lot of writing decisions are … Continue reading →