Author Interview: Mary Averling and The Curse of Eelgrass Bog Giveaway and IWSG Post

Happy New Year and Happy Wednesday! Today I’m excited to start out 2024 with an interview with debut author Mary Averling about her MG fantasy The Curse of Eelgrass Bog. It sounds like it has great world building and memorable characters. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

Dark secrets and unnatural magic abound when a twelve-year-old girl ventures into a bog full of monsters to break a mysterious curse.

Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim).

But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.

Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late..

 

Before I get to Mary's interview, I have my IWSG post.

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Olga Godim, Diedre Knight, and me!

Optional Question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?

I’m not published and not on BookBub so I can’t answer this question. Sorry.

I don’t have much else to talk about this month. I haven’t been on a good writing schedule for months because of other commitments and some lack of discipline. I hope I get into a better writing groove this year. I just started writing regularly last week. So far, I'm doing good.

Interview With Mary Averling

Hi Mary! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

Thank you for having me! I currently daylight as a PhD student in Ontario, though I’ve lived across Canada and England. It might sound clichéd, but writing isn’t something I chose—it’s something I’ve always loved, and I couldn’t tell you exactly where it started. I wrote my first middle grade novel during my undergrad at the University of Victoria, and was fortunate enough to be chosen as an Author Mentor Match (AMM) mentee by the fantabulous Heather Kassner. Even though that book never sold, it connected me to me wonderful agent, Kelly Sonnack. And the rest is history!

2. That’s awesome that you were chosen for the author mentor match program. Where did you get the idea for The Curse of Eelgrass Bog?

I was always a “look at this!” kind of kid, and was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by wild places: forests, muddy fields, sluggish old rivers. I remember pretending I’d found unicorn horns and unnatural creatures in the field behind our house. I knew I wanted to write a story about a “look at this!” girl, but in this case, I wanted the strange things she discovered to be real. The rest was stitched together from some of my other favourite things—museums, secret societies, mysteries, hidden worlds—then I added a talking head sidekick (for good measure), and the book unspooled from there!

About Your Writing Process

3. You’re also working towards your PhD, which I’ve heard is a very time-consuming process. What is your writing schedule like? How do you stay productive, especially now that you most likely have to write a manuscript on contract?

It does often feel like juggling eggs! My schedule tends to shift depending on uni deadlines—often, I’ll do school work during mornings and early afternoons, then write as much as I can in the evenings. Perhaps counterintuitively, I think the best thing for my productivity has been giving myself permission to be more flexible. My second contracted book was written on deadline, and as a chronic snail writer, I was petrified by the prospect of having a ticking clock behind me. Luckily I have a very understanding editor! But I realized that some weeks I’d have a “school brain” where I didn’t want to write, and other weeks I’d be head-over-heels for my creative projects—so instead of trying to squash myself into a strict schedule, I listened to those feelings and let myself work wherever the passion was! Of course, I still need to be aware of deadlines and expectations, but trusting the process helps keep my love of writing alive instead of turning it into a chore.

4. It’s reassuring to know you were able to juggle it all, especially since I’m a slow writer too. Share about your world-building process. What tips do you have for other writers creating a new world or new town as the setting of their story?

Always, above all, have fun with it! My worlds are inevitably stitched together from things that make me excited or curious—bogs, museums, wild places, in-between spaces. Readers are remarkably attuned to an author’s passion for certain settings, no matter how familiar or strange. If you write what you find fascinating, readers will latch onto that excitement too! Especially when writing for children, I think it’s also important to consider how your character might view their surroundings. What might draw their attention? And what would they likely not pay attention to at all? My protagonist, Kess, is forever keeping any eye out for unnatural objects like bones or magical fossils—she loves worms and crawly things, but she probably wouldn’t notice more mundane details like car models or out-of-date kitchen appliances. Keeping this perspective in mind definitely helped me ensure my world-building felt cohesive!

5. What was a challenge you faced in writing The Curse of Eelgrass Bog when you were working on it with your agent or editor? What did you learn from it?

Endings are the bane of my existence. Even when the rest of the book was in submission-ready shape, I had to work through several extra rounds with my agent to stick the landing. One day, I’ll know how to end something without wanting to throw my laptop out the window! Another challenge was ironing out the magic system—both my agent and editor encouraged me to really think about how the eponymous curse functioned. It made me realize that “just because” is never the most interesting answer when thinking about why magic and supernatural elements work the way they do. There’s so much possibility for thematic tie-ins! When all the pieces click into place, it really does feel like magic.

Your Road to Publication

6. Kelly Sonnack is your agent. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?

Kelly! My superstar! I first started querying in 2018 after working through AMM; the landscape was very different back then, but I was lucky enough that after six months, I found myself with four offers of representation. I’d initially queried a different agent at Andrea Brown Literary after a referral from one of my professors, who was also represented by ABLA. That agent wasn’t looking to sign more novelists at the time, so she graciously passed my materials to Kelly—and I’m so glad she did! All four agents were brilliant and it was a difficult decision, but ultimately, Kelly’s enthusiasm, business acumen, and vision made me certain that she was the perfect partner.

Unfortunately, that first book never sold. We made it to acquisitions and received an R&R that fell through after the editor left the industry, but after a year, we decided to pull it from submission and focus on EELGRASS BOG. That book was a whole other story! We received a pre-empt after six weeks, which ended up turning into an auction. I’m still pinching myself that multiple editors wanted my weird little bog book!! In July 2023 we officially sold to Gretchen Durning at Razorbill, and I haven’t stopped smiling since.

7. What an awesome road to publication story. Share a few tips on how to get through going on submission from your own experience getting a publishing contract.

I think this is the default advice, but seriously—keep working on something else. Drafting EELGRASS BOG while on sub with my first book was a lifesaver, and it meant we could immediately switch focus after it became clear that my first book wouldn’t be my debut. It’s also important to surround yourself with people you trust, so you can share commiserations and celebrations throughout the trenches. It’s a lonely process—and it can be hard to remember to keep your eyes on your own paper sometimes—but community is so, so precious and important. We’re all in this together!

Promoting Your Book

8. What are doing to celebrate the release of your book and to promote it in general?

Since release day is happening over the holidays, I’m lucky enough to be at home with my family. My lifelong dream is to walk into a bookstore and see my story on a shelf—and that’s the plan for release day! I’m hoping to visit a few of my favourite local indies (followed by a ridiculously decadent dessert somewhere, of course). My university department is also planning a launch party later in the month—should be exciting!! Apart from that, I’ve been reaching out to schools, libraries, and festivals in my area, and doing the usual social media trumpeting. Oof, and I’ve got a couple of podcast interviews scheduled in a few weeks … we shall see how they turn out!

9. What’s your advice to aspiring authors and those who have their first publishing contract on building their social media platform and getting ready for the release of their first book?

Do whatever makes you happy. Seriously. Except in very select cases, social media won’t “move the needle” and it isn’t worth burning yourself out for those extra clicks and views—unless you enjoy it, of course. It’s also so, so important to support your fellow authors. If you want boosts, boost your colleagues! Shout about the books that make you excited! Social media is a much more joyful place when we uplift each other, and ultimately, it’s the best way to get people excited for your story, too.

10. What are you working on now?

I was fortunate enough to have a two-book deal with Penguin Kids, so I’ve been working with my editor on my next middle grade (slated for release Spring 2025)! I can’t share much yet, except that it’s a dreamy, surreal, spooky ghost story about doorways and endless summertimes and unspoken things. I can’t wait to share more soon!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Mary. You can find Mary at: @maryaverling on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram, or at maryaverling.com.

Giveaway Details

Mary is generously offering a hardback of The Curse of Eelgrass Bog or a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by January 13th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or Mary on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S. ad Canada

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, January 8th I have an agent spotlight interview with Leah Moss and a query critique giveaway

Tuesday, January 16th I’m participating in the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop

Monday, January 22nd I have an interview with debut author Anthony Nerada and a giveaway of his YA contemporary Skater Boy

Monday, January 29th I have a guest post by author Shutta Crum

Wednesday, January 31st I have an agent spotlight interview with Laura Gruszka and a query critique giveaway

I hope to see you on Monday!