The Alison Dare Double Blog Dare Tour and Contest

Alison Dare has been seen in pursuit of Baron

von Baron is Ashland,Oregon (note Mount Ashland

in the background)

Tundra books has released two graphic novels about Alison Dare, a young teen who has unusual parents and who has tends to have rather extraordinary adventures involving dastardly villains, lamps with genies in them, walking mummies and more. Here is my review of one of the titles.

Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures

J. Torres

Illustrated by J. Bone

Graphic Novel

Ages 8 to 11

Tundra Books, 2010, 978-0-99776-934-4

   Alison Dare has a very unusual family. Her mother is a world famous archeologist, and her father is a librarian who is secretly the Blue Scarab, an honest to goodness super-hero. Most of the time Alison is in school, but every so often she gets to go on special trips with her mother, Dr. Alice Dare.

   In the first adventure in this collection, Alison is on an expedition with her mother in the Sultanate of Shahrazad and she is bored to tears. Alison’s mother is busy working so Alison decides to take a peek at some of the things her mother has stashed on one of the tents. Inside a crate she finds a lamp which she rubs, thus summoning a genie. Alison knows that she has three wishes - as per tradition - and her first wish is to summon her friends Wendy and Dot. The girls are not, for some bizarre reason, delighted to be whisked away from the lives to join Alison in an adventure. They do warm up to the idea though when Alison accidentally summons 1001 knights. The knights lavish Alison and the girls with lovely clothes, fantastic foods, and other delights. Things are looking up, until the knights decide that Alison’s mother is an “interloper” who should be removed.

   In the second adventure we find out how Alison’s parents met and how her father, who was a scholarly librarian, was turned into the Blue Scarab, a superhero with all kinds of fantastic powers.

   Finally, there is the story of “Alison Dare and the mummy child.” In this thrilling adventure, Alison goes to the museum to see her mother’s new exhibit and to set up a family picnic there – she is hoping to bring her estranged parents together. Instead Alison finds herself in a power struggle between her parents and Baron Von Baron, a ‘bad guy’ who wants to take over the world (isn’t that what most of them want to do?).

   Readers who like an exciting story that is full of evil doers, superheroes, and a sprinkling of magic and archeology, will greatly enjoy this book. With tongue-in-cheek jokes and completely outrageous plots, the three stories in this book are highly entertaining and enjoyable.

You are invited to enter the Alison Dare contest hosted by Tundra books. This is what you have to do to enter:

1. Save the image above to your computer and then print it out.

2. There are two different poses for Alison Dare, but you only need to choose one (although if you wanted to do both, go for it!).

3. Please cut out the Alison Dare figure you have chosen. Feel free to colour and decorate.

4. Put Alison Dare in front of a famous landmark, in an exotic location, or in the face of danger. You can also be creative with common everyday objects.

5. Take a photo (or photos) of Alison Dare! There is no limit.

6. Send your photo of Alison Dare and witty caption to tundra@mcclelland.com before June 30, 2010.

You can see my Alison Dare photo at the beginning of this post!

Please visit the Blog Tour webpage to see what other bloggers are doing.

Here is some information about the author and illustrator of this exciting series:

J. TORRES is a Shuster Award-winning, Eisner Award-nominated writer whose credits include adaptations of Disney/Pixar’s WALL-E and CTV’s Degrassi: The Next Generation, the comic book series Teen Titans Go and Wonder Girl for DC Comics, as well as the graphic novels Lola: A Ghost Story and the YALSA-listed Days Like This for Oni Press. He has also written for children’s magazines, books, and television. The author lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario.

J. BONE is an Eisner Award-nominated illustrator of several critically acclaimed comic books and graphic novels, including Spiderman: Tangled Web, Batman / The Spirit, and Paul Dini’s Mutant, Texas. J. Bone lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Blog Book Tour - Calamity Jack

Not long ago I reviewed a superb graphic novel called Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale. Shannon has written many splendid books including Enna Burning, The Princess Academy and The Goose Girl. Now some of the characters whom we met in Rapunzel's Revenge are back in a new graphic novel adventure called Calamity Jack. Here is my review of this new title.

Calamity Jack

Shannon and Dean Hale

Illustrated by Nathan Hale

Graphic Novel

Ages 10 and up

Bloomsbury, 2010, 978-1-59990-076-6

Jack is the kind of fellow who fancies himself to be a bit of a “criminal mastermind.” He tries not to think to much about the wrongness of the things that he does, until they miscarry, which they often do. Then one day Jack decides to take on Blunderboar, a local businessman who just happens to be mean, powerful, and a giant. Blunderboar is a bully, and Jack decides to make him pay for his cruel behavior – by using some magical beans. Jack doesn’t think for a moment that tackling Blunderboar might not be such a good idea.

   Unfortunately, Jack’s plan backfires in a big way and Jack has to leave town. He goes out west and he has a fantastic adventure with a girl called Rapunzel. When the adventure is over and Jack is flush with success – and gold eggs – he decides to head back to his home town to redeem himself and help his mother. When he arrives in Shyport, he discovers that the city has changed dramatically, and for the worse.

   By combining fairytale, fantasy, and much more, Shannon and Dean Hale have once again created a memorable graphic novel that fans of this genre will greatly enjoy. Nathan Hale’s wonderful illustrations beautifully compliment the gripping and often amusing tale. You can read about Jack’s adventures with Rapunzel in Rapunzel’s Revenge. 

Please visit the other bloggers who are participating in the book tour:

Sally Apokedak, Reading is my Superpower, firesidemusings.blogspot.com, Through the Looking Glass Book Review , Booking Mama, Cafe of Dreams, Becky’s Book Reviews, The Hungry Readers, The Friendly Book Book, My Own Little Corner of the World, Book Blather, GreenBeanTeenQueen, Book Crumbs , Abby (the) Librarian, Dolce Bellezza, Homeschoolbuzz.com, The Book Cellar, Carrie’s YA Bookshelf, Bookshelf Monstrosity, Everyday Reading, Frenetic Reader, KidzBookBuzz.com, Maw Books

Blog Book Tour - The Listeners by Gloria Whelan

Yesterday I read and reviewed a wonderful picture book called The Listeners. The author, Gloria Whelan, has written numerous books for young readers of all ages. Her books have won numerous awards, and she frequently uses her considerable writing skills to bring the past alive, weaving together fact and fiction to give her readers a compelling story.

Here is my review of The Listeners:

The Listeners

Gloria Whelan

Illustrated by Mike Benny

Picture Book

Ages 6 to 10

Sleeping Bear Press, 2009, 1585364193

Ella May has to work in the cotton fields all day and it is hard work for a child. In the evenings she has another important job to do, she goes to the great house where the Master lives and she sits under one of the windows to listen. None of the white folks bother to tell the slaves what is happening on the plantation, so they send the young children to listen under the windows. Then the children report back to the adults about what they have heard.

One night Ella May and her two friends Bobby and Sue hear that the Master is going to hire a new overseer “to boss” them. This is good news because the current overseer is a cruel man. On another night Ella May’s father gets a feeling that change is in the air. He tells Ella May that “dangerous times are coming,” and he needs Ella May to listen extra carefully. The news that she brings home that evening is joyous, and everyone has high hopes that real change lies ahead of them.

In this powerful and moving book, Gloria Whelan helps her young readers to see what it was like to be slave child on a southern plantation. She also shows readers that sometimes it pays to listen to what is being said around you, because information can be empowering.

With a simple text and rich illustrations, this picture book will take readers back in time, opening a window to the past.

This is one of the titles in the excellent Tales of Young Americans series.

Blog Book Tour: An Inteview with Joy Preble, author of Dreaming Anastasia

Today I will be interviewing Joy Preble, the author of Dreaming Anastasia.

Marya: Where did the idea for your remarkable book come from?

Joy: Dreaming Anastasia began with Anne. Or more precisely, Anne’s voice. I had this idea about a girl who was in history class and she was bored and her teacher wasn’t really doing a good job of teaching about the Russian Revolution. I didn’t even have a name for this girl yet, but she was smart and kind of snarky and possibly – in that original version – a bit of a trouble maker. Mostly what came to me was this girl who wanted something exciting to happen to her. So I suppose she got her wish

Marya: Why did you decide to bring Baba Yaga, the Russian fairytale witch, into the story?

Joy: Interestingly, the original version did not include Baba Yaga! But my agent and I kept discussing the idea that something was missing; here was this story that was based on the Russian Revolution and the Romanov assassination but the fantasy elements didn’t have an authentic Russian nature to them. So I essentially decided to do a re-write. And I just had a feeling that Russian folklore and fairy tales would bring me what I needed, so I read and read and within a very short time, I’d found the Baba Yaga stories. Baba Yaga seemed the perfect magic foil for Anne and Ethan and Anastasia – she is strong, unpredictable, impossible to actually do away with, and no one in the fairy tales encounters her without coming away changed. It seemed right both organically and metaphorically for what was happening for all the characters in the story, especially – not to give too much away – for certain characters who crave change but can’t have it

Marya: Have you always had an interest in the Romanov story?

Joy: Yes! I think I was in junior high when I picked up a copy of Robert K. Massie’s biography, Nicholas and Alexandra. I was hooked. There’s just something so gloriously and horrendously tragic about it all. This pretty, pretty family who had everything and then lost it all in the political upheaval of the times. And that crazy Rasputin who was so strong that they poisoned him and then shot him and finally had to drown him to get him to die! Plus of course, Anastasia herself – so young and feisty and funny. I can see why so many people just continued to hope that she hadn’t died in that basement that horrible day. I guess all of the passion of that story stuck with me and eventually it came out as Dreaming Anastasia.

Marya: In this story, the power of “blood’ – as in family connections – is strong. Is this something you believe is true outside of your story?

Joy: A very interesting question! Hmmmm…. I guess my answer is both yes and no. No in the literal sense. I don’t think anyone really inherits greatness or evil or that kind of thing. I do think we’re probably a combination of both nature and nurture and that while we have certain inherent traits, we do choose what we become to most extent. That being said, I find that for me, the power of family is strong. I do like knowing the people to whom I’m connected – the ones who share things with me at the most primal level. But I don’t think it takes blood for that. Some of the people I’m closest to aren’t blood relatives; they’re the “family” I chose – close friends; my tribe so to speak. But in terms of the story – I was very much working with the idea that what we do for the people we love is a very powerful force. And certainly for the European royal families, there was always a deep sense of the importance of blood. Beyond that, I guess I could start into the whole blood is important for the feminist aspects of Dreaming Anastasia, but I think that’s another topic entirely

Marya: When you began the story did you know it was going to end the way it did?

Joy: You know, you’re the first person to ask me that! And if I’m going to be honest, I will say that I very much struggled with the ending, especially the more I got to know and love my characters. For those who’ve read, you know that there are obviously two distinct possibilities for the ending. I did work out how the story would be both ways. But ultimately I feel I chose the ending that made the most sense for the characters. That being said, I will tease you by saying that if I get to write the sequels, you may find more surprises in store. That’s all I can say right now.

Marya: You are part of 2k9, a group of writers who are bringing out their first books in the year 2009. How has the group helped you with your book?

Joy: Oh my gosh, how didn’t they, would be the better question? I am constantly telling everyone how lucky I am to have these 20 other writers all going through this journey with me. Each and every one of them has become a friend and a writing colleague. We help each other with everything from morale to promotion and all the stuff in between. And when we do get together in person – it’s crazy wonderful. (Okay, Kathryn Fitzmaurice (The Year the Swallows Came Early) may disagree because she had to drive around Chicago with me behind the wheel getting lost and blowing through some toll booths (I didn’t see it; really. That’s all I’m saying. It was dark. It was raining. I’d eaten too much dessert) but beyond that these guys are just amazing!

Marya: Are you writing a new story at the moment? If you are, are you finding that your writing process is different this time around?

Joy: I’ve just finished two other novels that I hope you will all get to see at some point and I will say that while my general creative process is still the same, I have developed a much more accurately critical internal editor after having gone through editorial revisions with Dreaming Anastasia. The copy edit process in particular was an eye-opener to me. My editor had said, “Oh, it won’t be much. Your writing is very clean.” And then I took a look at what the team had to say… You find out your weaknesses – such as my desire to use too many stylistic fragments and my copy editor’s love of adding dashes. But I did love the discussions we had in the Word comment bubbles. It got quite lively late at night!

Thank you Joy for a wonderful interview. You can visit Joy on her website to find out more about her work and her book. Please visit the other bloggers who are partcipating on this tour.

Teens Read Too (8/17) Through the Wardrobe (8/29) Class of 2k9 (8/29) Story Siren (8/31) EVEREAD (9/1) The Book Resort (9/1) Marta’s Meanderings (9/2) Babbling About Books (9/3) A Passion for Books (9/3) Day by Day Writer (9/4) Neverending Shelf (9/5) YA Books Central (9/6) The Book Obsessions (9/7) Dolce Bellezza (9/7) Books & Literature for Teens (9/7) Shelf Elf (9/8) The Shady Glade (9/8) Debbie’s World of Books (9/9) Bookalicio.us (9/9) Ultimate Book Hound (9/10) Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf (9/10)

Sarah’s Random Musings (9/11) Cindy’s Love of Books (9/12) Presenting Lenore (9/12) Always Riddikulus (9/12) Jenn’s Bookshelf (9/13) Carol’s Corner (9/13) A High & Hidden Place (9/14) Looking Glass Review (9/14) Karin’s Book Nook (9/14) Shooting Stars Magazine (9/15) Library Lounge Lizard (9/15) Book Journey (9/16) The Book Pixie (9/16) The Compulsive Reader (9/17) Bildungsroman (9/17) Booking Mama (9/18) BriMeetsBooks.com (9/18) The Written World (9/19) Hope’s Bookshelf (9/19) Book Nut (9/20) Hope is the Word (9/20)

Zoe’s Book Reviews (9/21) Homespun Light (9/21) Teen Scene magazine (9/21) Galleysmith (9/22) Once Upon a Bookshelf (9/22) Café of Dreams (9/23) My Friend Amy (9/23) The Brain Lair (9/24) Ms. Bookish (9/24) Lori Calabrese Writes (9/25) Mrs. Magoo Reads (9/25) Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm (9/26) Fantasy Book Critic (9/26) Into the Wardrobe (9/27) In the Pages (9/27) Beth Fish Reads (9/28) Reverie Book Reviews (9/28) BookLoons.com (9/28)

Blog Book Tour - Travels with Tarra and Just for Elephants

Recently one of the publicists at Tilbury House sent me two non fiction titles about a lady who raised a baby elephant, and who subsequently went on to found a sanctuary for captive elephants. Both books, Travels with Tarra and Just for elephants, greatly moved me because of my background. Some years ago I wrote my thesis about captive elephants in India, and I also did a personal study on elephants in various zoos. It always distressed me greatly when I saw elephants having to endure squalid conditions, loneliness, and boredom.

It was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview the author of these books, Carol Buckley. Here is a brief bio about Carol:

Carol Buckley has more than thirty-two years' experience in the care and management of elephants. For many

years she traveled the U.S., Canada, and abroad performing in a number of circuses with Tarra. Their story is told in her award-winning first book, Travels With Tarra. In 1995, with Scott Blais, Carol founded the nation's first natural-habitat refuge for sick, old, and needy elephants, the Elephant Sanctuary. As executive director, she helps care for the elephants, arranges for needy elephants to be moved to the Sanctuary, and develops and implements educational programs, both for the public and for school children, to benefit the elephants wherever they might be.

Now on to the interview:

Marya: In Travels with Tarra, you describe how you and Tarra used to travel around the country performing in shows of various kinds. What made you decide to change this way of life?

Carol: As Tarra grew and matured she required a different life style. When she was young she seemed to enjoy life on the road; new sights, surroundings, always new adventures. But as she grew she became larger and her size alone made much of our shared adventures prohibitive. As a four foot tall, thousand pound cute baby, we could run on a deserted beach or swim in a river without concern. By the time Tarra was ten she was more than 6 feet tall and weighed several thousand pounds and no longer was viewed as cute, definitely not the size creature the local police or forest ranger felt comfortable allowing to play in the forest, swim in a river or romp along the shoreline. Tarra needed more space and freedom and especially she needed to live with a family of elephants

Marya: Tarra mostly grew up around humans, and she had a hard time getting used to being around other elephants. How did you help her feel comfortable with creatures of her own kind?

Carol: Tarra got along with elephants just fine if they were not aggressive., unfortunately many captive elephants have poor social skills due to their lack of experience in a natural herd environment. Whenever Tarra was around non aggressive elephants she did great, when she was around aggressive elephants she

was extremely uncomfortable.

Marya: Why did you decide to set up an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee?

Carol: I wanted Tarra to live in a healthy environment. My experiences with the zoo and circus industries clearly demonstrated a lack of appropriate space, herd dynamics and progressive management philosophy. I did not want Tarra to spend her life in a deprived environment and I was determined to create a healthy place for her to live.

Marya: How do you find the elephants who come to the sanctuary

Carol: There are less than 600 elephants living in zoos and circuses. We know about their lives and their treatment. It is difficult but we have to wait until the owner is ready to send the elephant to us or the federal government is wiling to step in and confiscate to end the elephant's suffering.

Marya: And how do you raise the funds to care for them?

Carol: caring people worldwide hear about our work through media exposure, word of mouth and our web site and support us by making monetary donations or providing needs from our wish list

Marya: In Just for Elephants, you describe the way in which an elephant called Jenny welcomes the newest

sanctuary resident, Shirley. Jenny has since died. How did Shirley react to losing Jenny, who was like a mother to her?

Carol: Shirley was devastated when Jenny died just as any mother might be. Shirley mourned the loss of her dear friend and for weeks. She lost her appetite and was not responsive to her caregivers for days. Fortunately one of the other elephants, Bunny who was close with Shirley and Jenny, comforted Shirley in her time of need and their bond grew deeper. Bunny's love and compassion helped Shirley recover from her loss.

Marya: Most of the elephants at the sanctuary are Asian elephants, but you also have a few African elephants. How do the two species get along?

Carol: Our African and Asian elephants are provided separate habitats so that they are not required to get along. They are two separate species with different language and behavior, providing the most natural setting possible means these two species are not mixed.

Marya: Why did you decide to write about Tarra and the sanctuary?

Carol: To help raise awareness about the plight of all elephants forced to live their life in a captive environment

Marya: Do you think the books have helped to raise awareness of the plight of elephants in captivity?

Carol: I hope they have

Marya: Many of the elephants who come to the sanctuary have had a hard life. Shirley is one of these. Have their experiences made any of these elephants permanently angry, or are they able to move on, to forgive, and to be happy?

Carol: Elephants appear to me to be the most forgiving and compassionate of any species on our planet maybe equal with Gorilla, whales, and dolphins, and perhaps other species that we have yet to acknowledge. But elephants are superior in their ability to not hold a grudge, not seek revenge, to love those who mistreat them and to show compassion even when their lives are so deprived. It is not surprising to me that in ancient Asian cultures the elephants is viewed as a god, a reincarnate of Buddha himself.

Marya: One of the wonderful things about your sanctuary is that the elephants can live in herd, which is what they would do in the wild. Has one of them taken on the role of the matriarch – which is what happens in wild herds? Carol: In the wild elephants are born into a herd and the elder is the matriarch. At the Sanctuary Shirley as served as that wise and compassionate individual since her arrival, yes she is the oldest as well. In the separate habitat occupied by the divas Lottie serves in the capacity, her calm, sure and wise ways make her a perfect leader.

Marya: How many people help you to take care of the elephants at the sanctuary

Carol: We have 24 full time staff members and 12 of them are elephants caregivers.

Marya: How can we elephant fans help you in your work?

Carol: Our goal is to raise awareness about elephants and the lives they are forced to live in captive situations. Even the best of zoos deprive elephants from their most basic needs of room to roam, compatible others, and access to year round live vegetation. The best way anyone can help is to educate themselves regarding true elephant needs and then starting in their own community to make sure any elephant that lives in their community is provided for adequately.

You can also support Carol's captive elephants by 'adopting' one of her girls or by giving the sanctuary a donation. Please visit the Elephant Sanctuary website for more information.

Tilbury House is offering some wonderful blog book tour prizes. Here is the information:

Blog Prizes

- Copy of Just for Elephants signed by Sanctuary co-founder Carol Buckley
- Copy of Travels With Tarra signed by Carol and stamped by Tarra the Elephant
- Package of Tilbury House Animal Books— The Goat Lady, Thanks to the Animals, and an advance copy of Bear-ly There
We'll draw 3 lucky winners from all of those who comment on tour posts from Sept. 1-9, and will announce the winners on Sept 10th
We are able to ship to the US/Canada

Twitter Prize
From now through Sept. 9, anyone who tweets about the tour using the hashtag #trunktour will be entered to win a copy of Travels With Tarra or Just for Elephants. US/Canada only, two winners will be announced on Sept. 10th.

Please visit the other blogs participating in this tour:

Tuesday, Sept. 1: Reading Rumpus
Wednesday, Sept. 2: Sacred Elephants
Thursday, Sept. 3: Read These Books and Use Them!
Friday, Sept. 4: Maw Books
Saturday, Sept. 5: Shelf Elf
Sunday, Sept. 6: Bees Knees
Monday, Sept. 7: Through The Looking Glass
Tuesday, Sept. 8: Bri Meets Books

The Bran Hambric Blog Tour

A few weeks ago I read a delightful book, Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse. This is the first title in what promises to be a thrilling new series by Kaleb Nation, a young author who I believe is going to make a big splash on the children's literature scene.

You can view my review of the book here on the TTLG website.

Thanks to Kaleb's publisher, Sourcebooks, I was able to interview this exciting new author.

Marya: Where did the idea for this book come from?

Kaleb: I was up late on the night of March 3, 2003, and had a sudden idea of Bran and Sewey on their rooftop, waiting for a burglar -- exactly how Chapter 1 opens. There were many other ideas attached to the image, and questions that I had to answer. By answering those questions, I slowly formed the story.

Marya: Bran Hambric lives in a city where many people are closed minded and unwilling to consider that mages and gnomes can be perfectly nice people. Are you trying to make point here?

Kaleb: When I set Dunce as a city that banned gnomes and magic, I was trying to create the image of a people who are not intrinsically bad, but are blinded by their prejudice. They would never even try to meet a gnome or a mage, because if they did, it would shatter their prejudice, which in turn would shatter their entire identity. When someone becomes so wrapped up in hatred for people they have never met, they usually end up looking as foolish as the Duncelanders!

Marya: You have some wonderful made up names in the story. How did you come up with these?

Kaleb: Some of the names come from myths and legends. Balder is the name of a Norse god. I invented Sewey when I was very young and heard someone say something about Chop Suey in a movie. A lot of the names were used in old stories I was writing years before The Farfield Curse, so it's hard to remember their sources!

Marya: What is your writing process? Did you plan the story in advance, or did it evolve as you wrote it?

Kaleb: I wrote the book in a somewhat odd way! For the first book, I did not plan out much, and just wrote an entire 500-or-so page novel in about seven months. I then rewrote the entire book multiple times, until I got tired of all the plot issues, and only then plotted out chapters on paper. However, for the sequel I'm writing now, everything is plotted out, so I don't get stuck as easily (or take six years to write it!).

Marya: Did you read fantasy books when you were growing up? If so, which ones did you like?

Kaleb: I did read some. I enjoyed the Chronicles Of Narnia and The Lord Of The Rings especially.

Marya: I know you have plans for more Bran Hambric books. Do you have plans for other books as well?

Kaleb: I certainly hope to write more than Bran Hambric. I have ideas for another series afterwards that are still brewing. I've also been working off and on with another story that is not a fantasy, and is very different from everything I've done before. It's one of those stories I think will take a decade to write the way I want, so I'm not looking to see it in stores anytime soon!

Marya: Do you know what is going to happen to Bran in the next book?

Bran: I know what's going to happen to Bran in all the books! I know who he meets, when he meets them, and who dies, and who lives. I know exactly how even the last book is going to end. For me, it is just the journey of getting there.

Here is a little information about Kaleb Nation:

As a child, Kaleb Nation had to be forced by his mother to write one page a week in creative writing. But by the time he finished his first story, no one could make him to stop. Age twelve, Kaleb promptly telephoned the senior editor of a major publisher to pitch the book…and got to talk with security instead.

But as with most writers, not even that could stifle his dream. On the third night of the third month in 2003, age 14, Kaleb had a sudden idea that began the story of Bran Hambric, a novel which would take most of his teenage years to write. In early 2007, Kaleb finished the first book in his series (Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse) and signed with Richard Curtis Associates, a leading New York literary agency. In 2008, Kaleb’s debut novel was sold to Sourcebooks, one of the largest independent publishers in the nation, for a Fall 2009 release.

Aside from writing, Kaleb hosted his first radio show in Texas at age 13, later launching his own program in 2006 called The Top 5. Originally produced exclusively for KalebNation.com, Kaleb’s show eventually grew to be broadcast on AM, FM, Internet, and satellite radio stations across the globe, making him one of the youngest nationally syndicated hosts on the air. Kaleb was also heard daily as the lead voice-over on WZDG-FM in North Carolina.

In mid-2008, Kaleb launched a second blog at TwilightGuy.com, giving chapter-by-chapter insight, from a guy and writer’s perspective, on reading the Twilight Saga, a series of popular novels. The website went on to receive over 3 million hits in its first 9 months online, and was featured in BusinessWeek and Entertainment Weekly magazines. Kaleb also began posting regular videos on his Youtube channel, with a combined total of over 3 million plays.

In his free time, Kaleb enjoys creating music and blogging at kalebnation.com. A homeschool graduate and a former black belt in taekwondo, he currently attends college in Texas and turned 20 in 2008.

Please do visit the other blogs that are participating in this tour. They are:

Sunday, August 30^th

Jenn’s Bookshelf

Homespun Light

Monday, August 31^st

StevenTill.com

Dolce Bellezza

Bobbi’s Book Nook

Tuesday, September 1^st

The Looking Glass Review

Edward-Cullen.net

Beth Fish Reads

SMS Book Reviews

James Holder’s YouTube Channel

Wednesday, September 2^nd

Bookalicio.us

Reading Rumpus

Katie’s Literature Lounge

Ultimate Bookhound

Thursday, September 3^rd

Brimful Curiosities

Charlotte’s Library

Friday, September 4^th

BriMeetsBooks.com

Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation

Saturday, September 5^th

Library Lounge Lizard

Sarah’s Random Musings

Saulchichas

GreenFyr.com

Sunday, September 6^th

Cindy’s Love of Books

Monday, September 7^th

Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf

Grasping for the Wind

Life After Twilight vlog channel

Tuesday, September 8^th

Shooting Stars Magazine

Mrs. Magoo Reads

Lori Calabrese Writes

Wednesday, September 9^th

The Brain Lair

Dulemba.com

The Children’s Book Review

TV Watch Online

Thursday, September 10^th

The Friendly Book Nook

Book Journey

Stephanie’s Written Word

Home School Buzz

Spidurmunkey.com

Friday, September 11^th

The Inside Scoop With Chandelle

Booking Mama

Saturday, September 12^th

Zoe’s Book Reviews

Lit for Kids

Sunday, September 13^th

Never Jam Today

A Bibliophile’s Reverie

Monday, September 14^th

Café of Dreams

Marta’s Meanderings

Galleysmith.com

A Book Blogger’s Diary

The Reader’s Quill

Tuesday, September 15^th

a book in hand

MistiSchindele.com

Not Just for Kids

Wednesday, September 16^th

Write for a Reader

CumpulsiveReader.com

Thursday, September 17^th

Howling Good Books

The Written World

Friday, September 18^th

Always Riddikulus

YA Books Central

Saturday, September 19^th

Ms. Bookish

Into the Wardrobe

The dragon of Trelian Blog Book Tour - Day Two

Welcome to day two of The Dragon of Trelian blog book tour. Today I am going to be interviewing the author, Michelle Knudsen. Michelle has written numerous books for children over the years. The Dragon of Trelian is her first novel for older readers.

1. Over the years, you have written many books for young children. What prompted you to write a novel for older readers?
I had always wanted to write novels -- fantasy novels in particular. I think it just took me a long time to feel ready. All of my professional experience was with younger and shorter books, and a novel seemed like such a huge undertaking. (And it was!) I had a few ideas for novels written down in notebooks, but it wasn't until I got the first glimmer of the idea for The Dragon of Trelian that I actually attempted to turn one of my novel ideas into a book.

2. Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
It's always hard for me to say where the initial inspiration for any book comes from. I think for this story, it started with an image: a boy and a girl at a window in a castle. I started thinking more and more about who they might be and why they were there, and eventually I started to imagine the characters of Meg and Calen and some of what would be happening in the plot. I also knew I would want to include some of my favorite fantasy elements, like dragons and castles and magic and romance and adventure, and so all of that ended up being worked in as I developed the story and characters.

3. Did you draw on myths and legends about dragons to create the dragon in this book?
I've loved dragons for about as long as I've been reading fantasy (which is almost as long as I've been able to read). I definitely have a lot of impressions about dragons based on all the old and new books and stories I've read over the years, including everything from fairy tales and folklore to modern fantasy novels to Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games. Dragons are presented in countless ways across different sources, and for my dragon I used what made the most sense to me for this story. I knew I wanted him to be a bit mysterious and alien -- I didn't want him to be able to speak in human languages like some dragons can, or for him to be too easy for Meg and Calen to understand or communicate with directly. He's a wild, magical creature, with a mind and way of experiencing the world that is very different from the way humans think and experience things.

4. From your website, I saw that you work on several projects at once. How does that work?
I don't really have one clear system. I worked on The Dragon of Trelian for a long time, on and off -- about seven and a half years from start to finish (that is, from the day I sat down to write the first line to the day the finished book came out in stores). In between I worked on lots of other projects. Sometimes I set the novel aside for months at a time, either because I wanted to focus on other things for a while or because I needed some time to figure out parts of the story that weren't coming together yet. Today I always seem to be working on a bunch of different projects at once. Some days I might work on a novel for a few hours and then switch to working on a picture book, some days I might only work on one thing, some days I might not do any writing at all. Different projects are also often in various stages. So I might be working on a first draft of a new picture book around the same time I'm in the middle of a first draft of a novel and working on revisions of another book or looking over copyedits for something else. It depends what else I have in the works and what stage each project is at. I also enjoy working on more than one first draft at a time and bouncing back and forth between different stories. Especially since a lot of my first drafts are exploratory drafts, and won't necessarily end up as successful manuscripts. I can worry less about whether each individual idea is going to pan out when I know I've got other ideas going at the same time. Also, sometimes it just really helps me to put one thing aside to work on another for a while.

5. How long does it take you to write a picture book?
Sometimes I can write a first draft very quickly -- maybe even in just one day (or night). Other times I might only have the first few lines, and need to come back to that beginning several times before figuring out how to go on. Other times I might finish a first draft in a few days but then need to do lots and lots of revision. I have some picture book manuscripts I have worked on for years, on and off, before figuring out the best way to tell the story.

6. Do you have any plans to write a sequel to The Dragon of Trelian?
Yes! I'm working on it right now, in fact.

7. The connection between Meg and the orphaned dragon she finds is a powerful one. Where did the idea for this come from?
This is another difficult thing to really pin down. I knew I wanted Meg to have a relationship with a dragon, but I don't think I actually planned at first what exactly that relationship would be like. I figure out a lot of the story during the actual writing of the first draft, and so a lot of the time what happens is as surprising to me as it is to my characters! When I was little, I used to desperately want to be able to communicate with animals. Especially cats. I used to try to talk to cats all the time, wishing they would talk back. I suspect part of that desire showed up in Meg's link with Jakl. Although they can't actually talk to each other in words, they share feelings and energy and sensations, and I had a lot of fun trying to imagine what that might be like.

8. Do you work on your picture book stories in your head before you start to write, or do you make notes on paper?
Both. Sometimes I get an idea and jot notes down on whatever is handy so I won't forget. The first draft of my picture book Library Lion, for example, was written on pieces of purple note paper, some post-it notes, and the back of an envelope. Other times I will carry a story idea in my head for a little while before writing anything down. If the idea seems too fragile and I'm not sure enough yet about what it will be, I might wait to write it down for fear of forcing it into tangible form before it's ready. And other times I will just start writing with no real idea of what a story is about, just to see what might happen.

9. What do you like to do when you are not writing or editing?
I love to read (of course!) and I also spend way too much time on the computer, writing email and chatting with friends and playing Scrabble on Facebook. :) When I do actually manage to pull myself away from my computer, I love going to the movies, hanging out with friends in real life instead of online, and going for walks around my neighborhood or other places in Brooklyn or Manhattan. I used to act and sing in community theater, but I haven't had as much time as I'd like for that in recent years. I'm hoping to get involved in a show again in the near future, though, if I possibly can. It's a lot of fun to be working on a production with a bunch of other people, and it's a nice counterpoint to writing, which involves a lot of sitting alone at your desk!

10. Do you have any big projects on the horizon that you are excited about?
I'm very excited about my next picture book, which is being published by Candlewick Press in spring 2011. It's called ARGUS and is being illustrated by the wonderful Andréa Wesson. I've also got some other picture books in the works, and am hard at work on the sequel to The Dragon of Trelian and another (unrelated) novel, which is a fantasy for YA readers.

Many thanks Michelle. You can find out more about Michelle on her website and on her blog.