Happy Monday Everyone! In case you missed my post on Friday, I was interviewed at The Mitten, Michigan's SCBWI blog if you want to stop by. Thanks to everyone who left sweet messages for me.
Follower News
Angela Brown's new MG FABLE RANGER: SUMMONS is being released. Here's a blurb:
Today I’m thrilled to have debut author Janet Taylor here to share about her new YA time travel book INTO THE DIM that releases in early March. I really enjoy historical fiction and this got a fantastic blurb from Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, so I’m super excited to read it.
Follower News
Angela Brown's new MG FABLE RANGER: SUMMONS is being released. Here's a blurb:
Take care of what you wish for. You just might get it
Follow
twelve-year-old Casey into a fairy tale mashed up world where she's
been summoned to be their hero. But how can she when, in the land of
Lorealia, damsels aren't exactly allowed to save the day?
Here are a few links:
Author page at the publisher site - http://dingbatpublishing. weebly.com/al-brown.html
My blog - http://publishness.blogspot. com/
Today I’m thrilled to have debut author Janet Taylor here to share about her new YA time travel book INTO THE DIM that releases in early March. I really enjoy historical fiction and this got a fantastic blurb from Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, so I’m super excited to read it.
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:
When fragile,
sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas,
her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland,
Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but
also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the
twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two
hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the
way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital
to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing. Addictive,
romantic, and rich with historical detail, Into the Dim is an Outlander for teens.
Hi Janet! Thanks so
much for joining us.
Thank you so much for having me,
Natalie! I’m a huge fan of Literary Rambles! I think it’s one of the very best
writing sites out there. I read it all the time, and think it’s a truly great
resource for writers. Any of you guys who are querying or readying to seek an
agent need to scour this site!
- Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
It’s funny, because I see all
these brilliant, talented new authors with their MFAs in literature and
creative writing. And then there’s me, with a degree in biology, which is about
far as you can get from the writing world. But I think it goes to show
that--with a little skill and a lot of hard work—anyone can become an author.
As for me: The day after our
youngest went to college, I just walked into the living room and said to my
husband, “You know what? I think I’m going to write a book.”
His response? “Well, of course you
are. What can I do to help?” (Yeah, I got
a good one!)
- I don't think you're alone in coming to writing from another unrelated career. Where did you get the idea for your story?
I’ve always been a total history
nerd. At first, I thought I wanted to write straight historical fiction. I quickly
learned, however, that my “voice” was a bit too YA and a lot too modern. (My maturity level and tendency to use words
like ‘dude’ and ‘freaking’ didn’t really lend itself to a lot of high-brow, queenly
fiction.) So, I got to thinking…What are my two favorite things in the
world? Travelling and history. I combined those two loves and ended up
with…Time Travel!
- INTO THE DIM is a time travel novel set in 12th century England. What research did you do to get the time period right? Some of your reviews said you did a really good job with this.
Oh, I’d been reading about and
studying that time period for years. It’s my favorite. Knights and fair
maidens. Kings and Queens who held the lives of entire populations in the palm
of their hands. That kind of power has always been fascinating to me. Plus…it’s
sexy as hell!
Also, I was fortunate enough to
get to travel to a lot of the places where the events in Into The Dim take
place. I even got to spend the night at Fontevrauld Abbey, where Eleanor of
Aquitaine and Henry II are buried. That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever
done.
- That's so cool that you got to travel where your book is set and stay at the Abby! Share a bit about Hope as a character and her growth through the story as she had to confront her fears.
Though I love all those fantastic,
badass female characters out there, I knew from day
one that Hope would not be one of them. Oh man…from the very beginning, she was just a mess. A phobia-ridden klutz, her only superpower was her brain. As the story progresses, she’s forced to endure some of her worst nightmares, which—in the end—definitely make her stronger.
one that Hope would not be one of them. Oh man…from the very beginning, she was just a mess. A phobia-ridden klutz, her only superpower was her brain. As the story progresses, she’s forced to endure some of her worst nightmares, which—in the end—definitely make her stronger.
But I’ll let you in on a little
secret: “Hope is never going to reach badass status.”
- Hope sounds like a character we can relate to since she has more weaknesses like us. Your agent is Mollie Glick. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?
I’d been querying off and on for nearly
two years when I signed with Mollie, shortly after ‘winning’ #pitchwars in
2013. She’d always been on the very top of my list, and the day I signed with
her was one of the best days of my life.
Not only does Mollie know the business of publishing
inside and out, she’s also an incredible editor. We both worked our butts off
for about six months.
It. Was. Grueling. It was also totally worth it. Two weeks after
going on sub, we sold to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt at auction. Boom.
I adore Mollie! She’s funny and ferocious and so, SO
smart. If you’re interested in querying her…you should know two things.
1) Mollie
is a mama tiger when it comes to taking care of her clients. You always feel
safe knowing she’s got your back.
2) ‘Mollie
don’t gush.’ If you want an agent who will constantly tell you how great you
are…she’s not for you. But if you want to work with a talented, savvy agent who
will help you become the best writer you can be, and who will make sure you get
the best of everything…She is your girl.
- Thanks for giving us the inside scoop on Mollie. You are part of the Sweet Sixteens, a 2016 debut group. How did you find out about the group and join? How has it helped you go through the time leading up to your debut?
Oh!! In all honesty, I would not
have kept my sanity without my Sweet Sixteens. Shortly after I signed with HMH,
I saw a Tweet, calling for 2016 authors, and joining the group remains one of
the best decisions I’ve ever made. Surrounding yourself with a peer group of
fellow debut authors is absolutely essential. They’re the only ones who can
completely understand what you’re going through. We’re a very close-knit group.
We cheer for each other, support and console one another. And lots of times, we
just have fun and act like complete and utter dingdongs! But I could not…would
not go through this without them. They are some of my very, VERY best friends
in the world, now, and I love them with my whole heart!
- How are you planning to spread the word about your book? Are you doing any events that you might not have thought about but saw other debut authors doing?
Aw dude! My folks at Houghton
Mifflin have been amazing! They work so hard doing all that publicity and
marketing…sending me to a whole slew of Teen Festivals and Conferences. Of
course, as an author in this day and age, I also make sure to keep up my side
with Twitter, FB, Instagram, and doing fun interviews like this! :D
- That's awesome how supportive your publisher is. What are you working on now?
I’m currently finishing up edits
on Book II of ‘The Dim Series’! I won’t tell you where Hope and the gang are
going next…But here’s a hint…It ‘gleams’ and it’s going to be quite (ahem) ‘shocking.’
*wink*
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Janet. You can find
Janet at:
HMH WEBSITE
FOR ITD: http://www.hmhbooks.com/intothedim/
MY WEBSITE:
http://janetbtaylor.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Janet_B_Taylor
FACEBOOK:
Author: https://www.facebook.com/JanetBTaylor.author/?ref=hl
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/janet_b_taylor/
Janet is generously offering an ARC of INTO THE DIM for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower and leave a comment through February 27h. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest.
If you mention this contest on Twitter Facebook, or your blog, let me know in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is for U.S. and Canada.
Here's what's coming up:
On Monday I have a guest post by debut author Kim Savage and a giveaway of her YA thriller AFTER THE WOODS.
The following Monday I have a guest post by debut author Melanie Conklin and her
agent Peter Knapp and a giveaway of her MG contemporary COUNTING TIME.
Friday that week I'm participating in the Lucky Is Reading Book Giveaway Hop.
The
following Monday I have an interview with debut author Janet Summer
Johnson and a giveaway of her MG contemporary THE LAST GREAT ADVENTURE
OF THE PB&J SOCIETY.
Wednesday that week I have an Agent Spotlight Interview with agent Patricia Nelson and a query critique giveaway.
Hope to see you on Monday!
This book sounds wonderful! Congratulations to Janet.
ReplyDeleteAlways so interesting to hear about how a book comes to be! Thanks for the interview!
ReplyDeleteHope sounds very relatable. Congrats to Janet.
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview. This book sounds quite intriguing, but let someone else win as my stack of books to read is nearing the ceiling.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to read this book. I don't often read time-travel fiction but it just sounds so good! :D
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. I love the idea of time travel, and I like the sound of Hope. (To be honest, sometimes I get tired of "badass" protagonists.) Hope does sound more relatable. How lovely that Janet has such a supportive agent and publisher, and the Sweet Sixteens sound like a great group.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of this one - and I know several students who will love it too. Thanks for the rec! :)
ReplyDeleteInto the Dim sounds great! How wonderful that you were able to combine your favorites - history and time travel - and enjoy the research process.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Angela Brown on her new MG, too!
And thanks again, Natalie, for being interviewed for the SCBWI-MI blog. It was fun to see such a great response and read all the nice comments for you.
I would definitely look forward to reading about a heroine who isn't perfect. Into the Dim sounds like a great book! Congratulations, Janet!
ReplyDeleteInto the Dim sounds lovely, so neat that you got to visit the settings you included in the book. I like the mix of historical and time travel. Congratulations on its release. Have a wonderful week Natalie.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Angela! That's great news about her book.
ReplyDeleteAs to having a degree in biology, I think that would be fantastic for a writer. I love the idea of time travel, so this book sounds great to me.
This sounds like a lovely, lovely book and a fresh change in the perspective of the protagonist. I'm fond of kick butt heroine's, myself, but suspect it would be super fun to read a story about a girl who was just a girl.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome interview and giveaway! Fingers crossed!
*raises hand for the biologists in the room poll*
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great story and I'm so glad the MC isn't all badass (I'm tired of hanging out with those girls). One more novel for my TBR list :)
Great interview, like always Natalie! Congrats to Janet! INTO THE DIM sounds like a fun read!
ReplyDeleteI followed you through GFC (Alice Lionel) and INTO THE DIM looks incredible! My email is alicelionel19(at)gmail(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteI've been hoping to score an ARC of this since I first heard of it. What a great premise! Congratulations, Janet. And thanks, Natalie, for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Janet! I love reading books from authors that don't come from writing backgrounds. And that's great about your agent. Another congrats to Angela! I'm excited for her book.
ReplyDeleteSo excited for this book! And Janet is a wonderful cheerleader for other authors, too.
ReplyDeleteI do love Time Travel plots especially when someone can change a traumatic event. Or kill Hitler. Best wishes to Janet Taylor and Into The Dim!
ReplyDeleteInto the Dim sounds fantastic!! I love a time traveling historic books and have read several already. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteI'm crazy about Outlander, so Into the Dim is right up my alley. Great post. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks really intriguing!
ReplyDeleteYou had me at Outlander for teens. And Eleanor of Aquitaine my favorite monarch. I'd love a chance to win Into the Dim! Camarley2001@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI tweeted and added to my goodreads TBR!
DeleteThanks for an interesting interview and for telling me about the book. I will definitely check it out. No drawing for me. I'm still packing.
ReplyDeleteI love when characters have a time pressure to accomplish a task and add romance and mystery and this sounds so exciting. Thanks for the post and chance to win a copy! I posted to my blog:http://yesreaderwriterpoetmusician.tumblr.com/post/139434949092/literary-rambles-janet-b-taylor-interview-and
ReplyDeleteHope sounds like someone I could get along with. Bada@@ characters intimidate me. And, yeah, Outlander for teens? I'm in.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to meet Janet! I enjoyed learning about her path to publication. Awesome that her publishing company is helping her get the word out. :) Into the Dim sounds interesting! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
ReplyDelete~Jess
It's nice to meet Janet. Appreciate the intro, Natalie! The stay at the Abbey sounds very cool.
ReplyDeleteI'll pass on the giveaway this week. Will hop over to check out your post. :)
This one's on my list!
ReplyDeleteYay for another Pitch Wars winner! *high five* I absolutely adore the story concept and the time period. (And I'm super jealous of Janet's travels. Seriously jealous.)
ReplyDeleteHow cool to stay in an abbey. And major congrats to the uber-talented, Angela Brown!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Angela for her MG book coming out soon! And a big congrats also to Janet! I love the cover of Into the Dim. The book sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Janet and Angela! Another awesome post :-)
ReplyDeleteI've met writers from all sorts of backgrounds. The description is amazing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview, especially the insights into Janet's path to publication and Mollie Glick. The lettering on the cover is very cool! Wishing Janet much success!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone here. The book does sound intriguing. All the luck with the book, Janet! And lucky you to find Mollie! We all need someone to believe in us.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds like a great read!!
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com