Spilling Ink Writing Contest for Young Authors

It's The 2nd Annual SPILLING INK WRITING CONTEST for Grades 4-8

It's spring and we're jumping right into a writing extravaganza  using  the fabulous book SPILLING INK co-authored by the dynamic writing team, Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. SPILLING INK is a humorous and inspiring book of advice, questions, and writing prompts for young writers. I'm holding a copy in my hand right now that's been donated by Anne and will be sent to the 1st place WINNER of the Contest (along with other prizes). YOUNG AUTHORS can purchase a copy of their own through Scholastic at a very affordable price!
You'll definitely want to check out the web-site for the book. Here's the link: http://spillinginkthebook.com/   Just click and go! By the way, even if you're not a teen or tween, you'll find a lot of good advice in Spilling Ink that will inspire you. Ever have trouble with sub-plots? Need I say more?

First, you'll read about the authors who are participating, and then you'll learn all the prizes and how to enter this fabulous contest!
Just in case you don't already know the FANTASTIC authors who have donated books for the contest, here's a little bit about them:

Anne Mazer is the author of over forty books for young readers, including the award-winning The Salamander Room, the Sister Magic series, and the bestselling The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series. Her favorite thing about being a writer is being able to write in the middle of the night in her pajamas. I've known Anne for twenty years, and she is amazing and lots of fun. She sparkles!

Learn more about Anne here: www.annemazerbooks.com

Ellen Potter is the author of the award-winning middle-grade Olivia Kidney series, as well as the middle-grade novels Pish Posh and Slob. Ellen's favorite thing about being a writer is that she gets to spend the day with Mongolian yak herders, psychics, and bank-robbing wood sprites without ever leaving her house.

Learn more about Ellen here: http://www.ellenpotter.com/

K.L. Going is the award winning author of numerous books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World was named a Michael Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association, and was included on YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults list and their list of Best Books for the Past Decade.  K.L. began her career working at one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She lives in Glen Spey, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. She’s also a mom to the world’s cutest child.

To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com

Wendy Townsend, a graduate of the Vermont College MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program, teaches workshops for children’s writing at Empire State College and at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. She is a lifelong lover of animals and nature and has shared her home with many large lizards since she was eight years old. In 1993 she co-authored and illustrated Iguanas: A Guide to Their Biology and Captive Care. Her first novel, Lizard Love was published by Front Street Books in 2008. Her latest title, The Sundown Rule, was published by namelos this spring!

Clara Gillow Clark--That's me! I write, teach, blog, and make cloth dolls. I studied writing at New School for Social Research in Greenwich Village and SUNY Binghamton. I'm the recipient of  International Reading Young Adult Choice Award and Bank Street College Best Books 2004. Read my bio here: http://www.claragillowclark.net/biography.html  It's a little out of date, but some things don't change! In case you didn't guess, I LOVE kids!

 Now, onto the SPILLING INK CONTEST!!!


To celebrate young authors, I'm sponsoring a Writing Contest for grades 4-8. If you know of a young writer or if you are a teacher, librarian or interested parent, please pass this information along.  Thank you!

The contest will run from April 15th until May 1st. The winner will be announced on May 7th. Anne Mazer and Wendy Townsend are acting as judges this year.All cash prizes are donated by me!

First prize: $25 Cash prize and autographed books by Anne Mazer, Ellen Potter, and Wendy Townsend, plus publication on my blog.

2nd prize: $15  Cash Prize, and autographed books by Anne Mazer, K.L.Going, and Clara Gillow Clark, plus publication on my blog.

3rd prize:  $10 Cash  Cash Prize, an autographed book by Clara Gillow Clark (that's me), and publication on my blog.

All entries must be sent directly to me claragillowclark@gmail.com  If you attend a private/public school,

the entry must include the name of your school and your Librarian or English Teacher or Reading Specialist or Writing Teacher. (They may enter for you if your school computers don't allow access) You may enter more than once, but your entry must use one of the writing prompts below in about 200-300 words. Longer entries will be automatically disqualified.

Writing Prompts from SPILLING INK the Book:

Writing Prompt #1: I DARE YOU Rewrite a scene from your life. Think of something that happened today. Something that wasn't perfect--maybe something that was even downright mortifying--and rewrite it as you would have wanted it to happen. (Tip from me: Remember that scenes have a beginning, middle, and end!)

Writing Prompt #2:  I DARE YOU Think of two people you admire. Now think of the thing you admire most about each of them. Combine those two qualities into one person and write about that person in the following situation: She or he is walking down the street and a strange man hands your character a small sealed carton and says, "Don't let anything happen to this!" Then the man sprints away. What does your character do next?

Writing Prompt #3 from Wendy Townsend and ME: Is there a pet you wish you could have? Is it a wild animal? Maybe a goldfish, cat, dog, white mouse, a lizard or a snake? Perhaps, your pet is imaginary? You really really want this pet. Write about all the ways you might go about getting this pet. Now write a scene where you put that plan into action.

ALL READERS: Leave a comment here to win an autographed copy of any one of my books--your choice!
YOUNG AUTHORS: Enter the writing contest for a chance to win a $$CASH PRIZE, autographed books by the featured authors above, and a GUEST SPOT on my blog by submitting your writing here: claragillowclark@gmail.com  Good luck writers! I look forward to hearing from you soon. Remember the deadline is May 1st!

Interview with SPILLING INK CONTEST judge, Wendy Townsend

Dear Readers,

Please join me in welcoming one of the judge's for the contest, my good friend and esteemed colleague, Wendy Townsend. Wendy was recently featured in Kirkus Book Review Journal. Her book garnered a starred review, a personal interview, and her book jacket on the cover of the journal! Congratulations, Wendy! You'll learn more about Wendy in the SPILLING INK WRITING CONTEST coming up right here on Friday! Wendy is donating an autographed copy of her book, SUNDOWN RULES for the Spilling Ink Writing Young Author Writing Contest for grades 4-8.

Your comments are always appreciated! Thanks so much for joining us for this mid-week post!

The Lure of Bare Feet in Mud

by Jenny Brown on March 25, 2011 | Children's

Wendy Townsend spent her childhood summers near Michigan’s Marl Lake, home to 12-year-old Louise, the narrator of her latest novel, The Sundown Rule. Louise is inseparable from her cat, Cash. She also provides food to the nearby crows and rescues baby animals. When her father leaves Brazil on a nature-writing assignment, Louise must spend the summer with her highly allergic Aunt Kay and Uncle Jack in the suburbs—and leave Cash behind. Like Louise, Townsend finds solace in nature. Here the author discusses nature’s profound effect on humans and the dangers of severing that connection.
Check out more books about children and the wild world.
Louise tells readers what she’s thinking through her observations and her senses. Do you naturally write in such a spare way?
I haven’t always liked to write. I started out writing articles for nature magazines and co-authored a care guide [for iguanas] with a veterinarian. I’ve kept large iguanas since I was 8 years old. I thought fiction would be a better way to say what I wanted to say about the value of animals to us as human beings. [My editor] Stephen Roxburgh is a great teacher in terms of economy of language. I wanted to step inside the child character and write as a witness of what was going on—to get out of my head, into a place of seeing and smelling and hearing.
You’re also nonjudgmental when it comes to animals. Louise knows, for instance, that crows steal other birds’ hatchlings but “loved the crows anyway.”
I want people to rethink how they look at animals, especially crows, snakes, bugs and spiders, as if there’s no sentience there and no society. They do have society. They have a lot to teach us. I found my grounding and my security at a very early age with those animals and in nature. When you’re standing in a pond with your bare feet in mud, that’s about as good as it gets and as safe as you can feel.
When Louise becomes friends with Sarah, Sarah’s father also becomes an important ally for Louise. He has that insightful response when Louise describes missing Cash: “Animals give us something special, don’t they? Something people can’t.”
It is an inchoate thing. The word that comes to mind is “wonder.” Animals do look at us as much as we look at them. Maybe even more. As a species, we are alone on the planet in many ways. We’ve put ourselves there. People who have pets or working farms do have companionship with nature. John Berger wrote an essay called, “Why look at animals?” He says that “With their parallel lives, animals offer companionship… to the loneliness of man as a species.” That has always resonated with me.
Louise hints at the spirituality that grows out of her love of nature. One of the great moments in the book is her conversation with Sarah about whether animals have a soul.
When I had the relationship with the real friend [who inspired Sarah], the wonderful thing about this person is that she was able to manage her mother’s extreme religious fanaticism and still go on these turtle walks and frog hunts with me. In my family we weren’t churchgoers. My grandmother was a bird-watcher and gardener, and believed in Mother Nature. I think that what I was pondering was, I was seeing what Sarah gives to Louise in terms of companionship, but what does Louise give to Sarah? I feel like Louise gives Sarah this window into nature.
Louise is as comfortable in solitude as she is in the company of those she loves. Do you think that’s something our society is giving up? Is it a challenge to seek out those stretches of solitude?
Children are used to stimuli, and what happens if they don’t get that stimulus? They have to learn how to be quiet and still and alone. I don’t know how else you can feel grounded and steady with yourself. Nature has that to offer us. It’s emotional safety to be still and quiet, and feeling everything and seeing everything is calming. It’s very hard to find that today.
What’s next for you?
My third novel will center around an incident in May 2008 in the Grand Cayman Islands: people broke into the Blue Iguana Recovery Program and brutally murdered eight of the primary breeding adults. They haven’t caught them yet and they don’t know why. Blue Iguanas are incredible, they’re in the same genus as the [West Indian rhino iguanas] my husband and I have. Blue iguanas are functionally extinct, and there’s been an effort to keep them alive. For me it tipped it, I see snapping turtles who’ve been run over, and I’m heartbroken when an animal is hit and didn’t need to be. I needed to write a book about coming to terms with cruelty to animals. It’s also a road not taken, because I almost became a marine biologist, but realized I’m more of an artist than a scientist. It feels like an important story for me to tell.
Pub info:
The Sundown Rule
Wendy Townsend
Namelos / March / 9781608980994 / $18.95
(Ages 8-12)

Congratulations, Wendy,on all the great reviews for your new book, SUNDOWN RULES!

---

Who is the Lucky Winner of BLUE -- Plus Upcoming Spilling INK Writing Contest

Dear Readers, 

Announcing the winner is always an exciting moment for me, but first I'm announcing the long awaited for news of the 2nd Annual Spilling Ink Creative Writing Contest for grades 4-8. Last year was such a successful and satisfying event, that we're doing it again. All details about the contest, the judges, and the MANY prizes will be announced on Friday, April 15th, right here on my blog. Hope you'll spread the word to the budding authors in your life!

And now, announcing the winner of BLUE by  Award Winning Joyce Moyer Hostetter:

BLUE

Joyce Moyer Hostetter

The LUCKY Winner is:
***Lorrie Ziemba***

 **Congratulations**

Lorrie, Please e-mail me: claragillowclark(@)gmail(.) com with your mailing address ASAP, and Joyce will have your book in the mail to you this week!

Be sure to check out Joyce's wonderful blog and web-site if you haven't already!
http://joycemoyerhostetter.com http://www.joycemoyerhostetter.blogspot.com


Watch for the details of  the Spilling Ink Writing Contest coming your way on FRIDAY, April 15th! 
Please take a moment to congratulate the WINNER of BLUE.  THANK YOU!  

Part VIII Interview -- Discovering America's Past through Historical Fiction

Dear Readers,

Wasn't Joyce's confession of  her research feeling deliciously sinful a treat? She's back now with more delicious insights about her writing and research process. Joyce learned this past week that her book, Comfort, is being released in paperback this fall! Congratulations, Joyce!

Be sure to check out her links and books at the end of the interview, and please take a moment to post a comment about her interview or to congratulate her on Comfort going to paperback this fall. I know that a lot of you are history lovers, so we'd also love to learn what children's book written or set in the 1940's is a favorite with you!  Thanks so much! The WINNER of  the autographed copy of BLUE will be announced next week along with details for the "2nd Annual Spilling Ink Writing Contest". Now, here's Joyce . . .

Joyce Moyer Hostetter

1.  What drew you to this time period—WWII on the home front? In the American South?  

 I was raised in the American south so I think it was inevitable that I would eventually write a story set here. But I was actually working on a 19^th century Hawaii story when I met Editor, Carolyn Yoder at a writing conference. After getting her feedback on that manuscript, I signed up for a history writing workshop with her (one of those fabulous Highlights Foundation Founders Workshops!). Before going, I received an assignment to research and begin writing about local history.  I contacted my county’s history museum for some ideas, discovered the polio epidemic, and as a result, BLUE was born.

I also have an affinity for the ‘40s.  I think that’s because it is the era of my parent’s marriage and the establishment of our family so even though I wasn’t born in the 40’s I do feel rooted in them.

 

2. What were some of the challenges you encountered when researching and/or writing about a time period that encompassed a World War, a polio epidemic, and racism?

I think my biggest challenge was getting past my own fear of the process.  It takes a certain amount of courage to contact total strangers and probe into their painful life experiences.  And at that point I didn’t have a strong book to put into people’s hands to demonstrate that I could actually write.  I believed I could do it but I wasn’t sure they would have reason to bother with me. From researching BLUE, I learned that people are typically eager to share their experience and knowledge with anyone who will listen. I realized that my interest in their stories is validating for them.  Since then, I have practiced probing more deeply and casting my research net more widely.  The research trail is endless and I could travel it forever!

3. How did you find your emotional connection (13 years old?) to Ann Fay and the story of polio?

I think it is called Arrested Development! Remembering how I felt at 13 is not all that hard for me. Like Ann Fay, I faced things that were bigger than I was. I felt some of the same social pressures she did. I worked in the family garden.  I was part of a strong family and caring rural community and church group. Those are the things I brought to the story.

While working on BLUE and thinking about whom my character would be, I remembered that a friend told me that when he was 14 years old his father died.  At his father’s funeral a woman told him, “I guess you’ll have to be the man of the house now.”  This friend told me “I didn’t want to be the man of the house. I wasn’t ready for that responsibility.”

So you see I also drew on my friend’s emotion.  I wanted to create a character who faced incredible challenges and discovered unexpected inner strength. Maybe that is the part of me that is still like Ann Fay.  I want to know if I can do hard things. She now inspires me!

4. Can you offer any research tips or insights into your writing process?

I begin my research by reading as much as I can on my topic and all related areas that might influence my story. This gives me ideas for possible plot points.  It also leads me to much more research as one resource tends to lead to another.  It’s very much like going down a trail. I just follow along totally delighted by each new discovery. I meet great people who know things I want to know and are pleased to share them with me. I visit fun places, read great books, and watch fascinating movies. I visit museums and dusty archives. If possible, I walk the land where my story takes place. I try to get as close to the subject of my story as I can. I want to feel that I am there and I always find amazing spiritual connections that take me there.

5. What was your favorite book as a child?  Hmmmm- I really have trouble choosing one favorite anything. When I was younger I loved Heidi.  A few years later I read Anne Frank’s diary and it has remained a very strong favorite.  I believe Anne is why I explore tragic themes and why I write historical novels today.

6. What can you share about your current project? I can tell you that it is the story of a German immigrant family to America.  That it takes place over a long period of time and that I am going to Germany in a few weeks to get up close and personal with parts of the story that take place over there.  Oh, and I’m learning German! I forgot to mention language study in that question about research. 

Thanks for leaving a comment! 

www.joycemoyerhostetter.com

www.joycemoyerhostetter.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/joycemoyerhostetter

http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Moyer-Hostetter/e/B000APM03A/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1301761299&sr=1-2-ent 

Part VII -- Discovering America's Past through Historical Fiction

Dear Readers,

BLUE

Thank you for joining us for this new installment in the Historical Fiction series which features Award winning author, Joyce Moyer Hostetter. Joyce will be featured the next couple of weeks, and she's graciously donating an autographed copy of her award winning book, BLUE, and will personalize and mail it directly to the winner! For a chance to win all you have to do is leave a comment about this post or the interview coming up next week.

Joyce grew up in rural North Carolina. After a brief struggle with Dick, Jane, and Sally in first grade, she became an avid reader. Her middle grade Language Arts teacher told her she's be a great writer some day so she began working hard to live up to that challenge. She is the author of four historical novels with several in progress. Her book BLUE about a North Carolina polio epidemic won the International Reading Association Children's Book Award in addition to other honors. Joyce has always loved history and she's crazy about research. Now,  Joyce shares a brief but warm and engaging essay about her research . . .

Joyce Moyer Hostetter

WHEN RESEARCH FEELS SINFULLY DELICIOUS

By Joyce Moyer Hostetter

I sometimes say that my favorite sin is trespassing. You know, poking around abandoned houses, old barns, and vacated mill villages. I love sniffing out history while entertaining the notion that I’m not really supposed to be there. The place I’m entering belongs to someone else.  And I don’t just mean who owns that particular bit of real estate (although a certain rush comes with the knowledge that an owner might be watching.)

But in addition, I know that people have lived out entire lives in these places.  They woke up in the dark and walked to work and ate off of that chipped plate lying in the corner. A mother drew water out of that well every day, welcomed babies in the upstairs room, and buried loved ones out back.

Old Photo of 1940 vintage

Figuratively and physically, research for my historical novels involves this sort of snooping around. Even when I call people to ask for interviews, I have a certain sense that I’m trampling in personal space.  I recognize that anyone who shares pain or even joy with me willingly gives up some privacy.As I glean more and more of the story, the atmosphere around it takes on a sacred quality.

I have in my possession the memoir and letters (copies) of Jim, a WWII draftee who served his country by working in a mental hospital.  The letters, written home to his wife, are deeply personal and filled with longing for her and also with much sadness for the confused and often violent patients he worked with. I know precisely how these letters came into my possession but I still wonder sometimes how it happened that a perfect stranger would trust me with personal expressions of his life and love in 1943.

And if he hadn’t?

If he hadn’t, there would be certain informational gaps in the landscape of my story but more important – there would be emotional gaps. This man is one of several great spirits who shape my character for my work-in-progress. Reading and rereading his letters is a huge gift to my story.  But doing so, also feels like an invasion of privacy.

Now, I’m working on an East German story – a fictional account of life behind the iron curtain.  I’ll soon be going to Germany to do research.  I’ll explore a world that no longer exists except in museums, diaries, documents, and people’s memories. 

I don’t even know yet, who will share their stories with me. But I am in awe of the idea that some people will. It’s a little scary to think about probing those memories. I go with the sure knowledge that to some (even to me) it may feel as if I’m entering private property.

It’s frightening. But it’s also a thrill. Because, as I said, I do love trespassing!

Readers, I know you'll want to learn more about Joyce and her books and her blog. Check out her links below, and then please leave a comment to share a memory of your own or to tell us what in Joyce's essay spoke to you! 

www.joycemoyerhostetter.com

www.joycemoyerhostetter.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/joycemoyerhostetter 

and one more link for BLUE, the book: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Joyce-Moyer-Hostetter/dp/1590788354/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301526398&sr=1-3

We'll be back soon! Thanks so much for joining us!

Laurie's Writing Meditation and Winners Announced

Dear Readers,

A special treat is in store for you today, even if your name wasn't chosen by random.org! In addition to the two autographed books Laurie donated as a giveaway, she's graciously shared her writing meditation, because so many of you asked about it! Here it is:

Author Laurie Calkhoven

Laurie says . . .  Thanks for the interest in my meditations. I'm putting together a workshop and would love to present it at SCBWI retreats. The meditations themselves are pretty simple -- I relax, breathe deeply, and envision my character coming near me and eventually taking over.

Then I turn over a card on my desk and freewrite to prompts like -- who named your character and how does he/she feel about the name? Your character is having a strong memory involving a parent--what is it? Your character can't sleep because he's obsessing about something -- what?

The element of surprise is important, so the prompts are face down. The first few are based on the Stanislavsky acting method, and I've added more over the years -- like what's in your character's treasure box? Read more about Laurie and her books: www.lauriecalkhoven.com

 You'll also want to check out Laurie's excellent biography of George Washington. It's perfect for middle grade readers and the paperback sells for a mere $5.95!  Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Biographies-George-Washington-American/dp/1402735464/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300794895&sr=1-4 
 Book description from amazon.com

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”—and first in the minds of schoolchildren, who learn about George Washington as soon as they begin studying American history. From Washington’s Virginia childhood, through his days as a soldier and general, to his inauguration as the first President of the brand-new United States, and into retirement, this biography captures the full breadth and achievements of his life. It covers both the personal and the private, reveals his views on everything from governmental power to the abolition of slavery, and separates fascinating truth from well-worn legend—including that infamous, but false, tale about chopping down the cherry tree.

Now it's time to announce the TWO winners of the comment contest! And the winners are:

First name/number drawn: Irishoma of Donna's Book Blog. Donna, you get to choose whichever title you'd like--Daniel at the Siege of Boston, 1776 or the new, just released Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863. E-mail your chosen title along with your name and mailing address to: claragillowclark(@)gmail(dot)com and the book will be on its way asap! ***Congratulations, Donna!***

The second name/number drawn was Susie Foote. Susie please e-mail me with your home mailing address and Laurie's autographed book will be on its way soon! ***Congratulations, Susie!***


Readers, please leave a comment about the meditations or tell us if you have a special writing prompt or ritual to jump start your writing!  And don't forget--the winner might be you, next time! We love to hear from you.

Next week we'll be moving forward in time to the 1940's on the homefront. Award winning author, Joyce Moyer Hostetter will be here to talk about her books, her research, and writing process. Stay Tuned!

Interview with Laurie Calhoven -- PART VI Discovering America's Past

Dear Reader,

Thank you for joining Laurie and me for this informative interview about the writing and research of her books, Daniel at the Siege of Boston, 1776, and her hot-off-the-press, Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863.  Teachers, writers, librarians, and readers young and old will discover history coming to life for them in the pages of Laurie's books. They are especially good picks for reluctant readers, as well as filling an important gap in textbooks. Visit Laurie's website: www.lauriecalkhoven.com

Laurie just returned from hosting an American Girl tea party at the University of Arizona Bookstore and speaking on a panel about Boys of Wartime at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Daniel at the Siege of Boston, 1776: Twelve-year old Daniel watches as Redcoat soldiers close the harbor and march through the streets The British have sworn to uphold the king's law . . . and to punish the rebels of Boston. But Daniel knows those rebels: they are Patriots. His heroes have vowed to fight for freedom, whatever the cost. And Daniel is determined to help. Check out the Boys of Wartime page for more info.

INTERVIEW WITH LAURIE CALKHOVEN:

1. Can you tell us something about the historical fiction series you're writing for middle grade readers? What was the catalyst for this series?

I got the idea for the first book, Daniel at the Siege of Boston, 1776, while I was researching a biography of George Washington. If I learned about the siege in school, I had forgotten all about it. It’s a key event in the American Revolution—beginning at the end of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and ending a year later. It was during that year that we declared independence and the various colonial militias came together as an army under Washington. What I really wondered about was what life was like for the people of Boston during that year, and I wanted to find out more. The next thing I knew, a boy name Daniel started telling me about his secret spy work for General Washington.

I didn’t have time to put anything down on paper, but I mentioned my idea to Mark McVeigh at Dutton. He asked me to put together a proposal for that book and three more—each one set in a different war, and the series was born. Book two, Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 was just published. The third book, set in World War Two France, will follow in 2012.

2. What were some of the challenges you encountered when researching and/or writing in the different time periods—1776,1863, and 1943.

The biggest challenge in researching all three time periods was finding out about regular people. Historians focus on the movement of armies and the lives of generals. I’m more interested in the regular folks–the Patriot boy who is stuck in Boston surrounded by enemy soldiers, the boy who finds himself in the middle of two armies in a small town in Pennsylvania, or a boy who takes on the dangerous job of leading Allied airmen across France. It’s harder to find out about who those boys might have been. It takes some digging, and a lot of imagination.

 

3. Was there any particular reason that you chose to write about specific battles or time periods?

The Siege of Boston captured my attention immediately. When it came to the Civil War, I was kind of a blank slate. I started out with very broad histories of the war. The Battle of Gettysburg was a key turning point, so it seemed like a good battle to hone in on. It didn’t hurt that Gettysburg isn’t too far from my home in New York City. A lot of the Civil War buildings are still standing. I was able to walk the streets of the town, poke my fingers into bullet holes, and stand under the shade of trees that witnessed the battle.

I approached World War Two the same way – with very broad research into the French Resistance. American and British airmen who were shot down used secret escape routes organized by Dutch, Belgian, and French Resistance units to make their way across France, into Spain, and finally in British hands in Gibraltar. Once I read about those secret Underground Railroads, I knew I had my story. The year 1943 was their most active. It was also the year in which the Gestapo was most ferocious in trying to track them down. So that’s when I set my story.

4. How did you find your emotional connection to the historical material and to each of the protagonists—Daniel at the Siege of Boston, 1776 and Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863?

Up until now I’ve been talking about history and war, but each book begins with a character—a boy who wants to make some kind of a difference in the big, world events going on around him, and who has some kind of inner journey to make at the same time. I’m rooting for my characters. I want them to succeed even when I’m throwing every obstacle I can think of in their paths. I grow to love them over the course of each book to the point where it’s hard to say goodbye.

I’m thinking about that boy the whole time I’m doing my research, waiting for him to tell me who he is and what he wants. I always panic, thinking I’m not going to get there. But at some point in my research an idea for an opening scene comes to me. And that opening scene tells me a lot about who my character is.

Daniel opens with a staring contest, one that he loses. It’s a metaphor for the entire siege, which is like a staring match between the two armies. But Daniel is also afraid in that first scene, and he has to learn how to act in the fact of that fear.

In the opening scene of Will, Will is daydreaming about the glory he’s going to win in battle—if only his parents would let him be a drummer boy. It was interesting for me to find out what he would do when he was face-to-face with a real enemy.

5. Can you offer readers any research tips or insights into your writing process?

I spent a lot of time learning about who my characters are through meditations and freewriting exercises. That’s how I learned what Will keeps in his treasure box, and that his father was involved in the Underground Railroad. I do those meditations for all of my characters. Sometimes it feels tedious, but it’s worth it in the end.

I’m also do very broad outlines before I begin. I have to know what my opening scene and my climax are going to be before I put words on paper. I usually know what the other major plot points are as well. I’m open to letting things change along the way, and often they do. I have to have some idea of where I’m going, or I flounder.

6. What or whom were the early influences that inspired you to become a writer? When did you know that you wanted to write for children?

I always loved books and reading. The first thing I wanted to be was a librarian, because I wanted to be surrounded by books. Then I learned that real people wrote those books, and I wanted to be one of them. I majored in journalism in college, went to work in book publishing, and promised myself I would write “one day.”

Twenty years later, I realized that one day wasn’t going to come along by magic. I had to make it happen. I started writing every morning before I went to work. It surprised me that all of my ideas were best suited to children’s books—I expected to write the Great American Novel. But I went with it. I switched my career from adult publishing to children’s publishing, read a huge number of books, took some classes, and kept writing.

7. I believe that you worked in publishing as well as being a writer. Can you share about your writing background and the different kinds of writing and publishing in which you were involved?

I spent most of my career working for Book-of-the-Month Club. I helped select books for the club, negotiated for book club rights, and helped plan the catalogs. I mostly worked on the main, general interest club. When I started writing, I was Editorial Director of a personal finance and investing book club. Then I talked BOMC into letting me start the Teen People Book Club. It was the most fun I ever had in the corporate world, but it wasn’t a financial success. I later went to the Scholastic Book Clubs, where I probably read a book a day and saw first hand what books kids and teachers wanted in their own libraries. It was a great learning experience.

8. What was your favorite book as a child?

I had lots of favorites. I remember loving Dr. Seuss and the Wizard of Oz before I could read. The Bobbsey Twins series and Nancy Drew followed. I read every Marilyn Sachs book in my school library, and all the Little House novels. One series I read over and over again was the Borrowers by Mary Norton. I still read them every couple of years. I love the world she created. I sat by a heating duct for hours, convinced that I had my very own family of Borrowers living in my house. I never spied them, much to my disappointment.

9. Can you share anything about the next book in the series? Is there anything else you'd like to add about the series and the books?

I think the World War Two book, currently titled Michael at the Invasion of France, 1943 is my best book yet. The story itself is less familiar to American readers, and I think I’ve grown as a writer. But I always think the last book I wrote is the best.

My editor and I are trying to decide what the next book will be. I was originally going to set a book in World War One, but we decided against that. So I’m mulling over the War of 1812 at the moment. I’m doing a lot of reading, and waiting for a character to start whispering in my ear. I wish he would hurry!

 Learn about Laurie and her books on her  web-site: www.lauriecalkhoven.com 
A teaching guide is available for download of Daniel and the Siege of Boston, 1776, and a guide is coming soon for Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863. Check out the Boys of Wartime page for more info.
Laurie has generously donated an autographed copy of each of these titles! Simply leave a comment for a chance to win. Tell us your favorite series from American Historical Fiction or your favorite time period in American history. We love to get comments!We'll be back next week to announce the lucky **WINNERS**  Thank you, dear readers, for joining us! WELCOME member #100 and thank YOU--you know who you are!