Leah E. Good

July 4, 2012May 1, 2016

Author Interview: Anna Myers

Happy 4th of July! When I asked Anna Myers to do a interview on this day, I wasn’t thinking about it being Independence Day. It is really quite appropriate, though. Anna’s book, Spy!, which I reviewed last Friday is about Nathan Hale, a great patriot who gave his life for our country.

What made you decide to write Spy?
I happened to be discussing history with a young man named Nathan when I learned he had no knowledge of Nathan Hale. After the conversation, I did a little research and discovered how young he was when he died and that he had been a teacher. The story began to form in my mind almost immediately.

What gave you the inspiration for Jonah and his side of the story?
After I leaned that Hale was a teacher, a boy from his class just seemed natural. I listened to songs from that time period and that part of the country. Several of the songs were about whaling and the back story about Jonah’s father began to grow. Music always helps my imagination work.

What message would you like readers to take away from this book?
I always want my readers to realize that history is made by real people, and I want them to feel connected to the past. In this particular story, I also hoped that they would see the British side of the conflict also.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?
When I write a story, the characters become very real to me even the ones that are totally fiction. I once had my hand on a Christmas gift I intended to buy for a character in the book on which I was writing. It was a book about marble collecting, and the character had a marble collection. Nathan Hale was buried in New York. No one knows exactly where. Now when I walk the streets of that city, I often wonder if he is buried beneath my feet.

Thanks so much for the interview, Anna!

Changing Seasons

I raise my head and sniff the air,
There’s something different lurking there;
A smell that speaks of coming change,
The smell of something God arranged.

The tingling cold of coming snow,
The earthy scent of things that grow,
The warmth of sunshine, skies of blue,
The smell that comes with brilliant hues.

Creation greets with willing heart,
The changes that each season starts;
Never doubting Him who made them,
To be faithful to sustain them.

My God who made the sea and land,
Will gently guide me by His hand.
Though waves of change may crash and roar,
Upon the eagle’s wings I’ll soar.

June 29, 2012June 28, 2012

Book Review: Spy!

The young man looked down from the cart at the people in front of him. Jonah felt his teacher’s eyes meet his own, and for a fraction of a second a smile played on the prisoner’s lips. Then he glanced toward heaven and spoke. “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Twelve year old Jonah has an obligation to remain loyal to the King of England, but it’s hard to be a loyalist in 1774. The fact that his beloved school teacher is leaning toward the rebels doesn’t make matters easier for Jonah. For a time he determines to remain neutral, but eventually he will have to make up his mind. What impact will his decision make?

I highly recommend this book. I was crying my eyes out by page six and read the book as much with my heart as my eyes. If you read Spy!, you’ll finish it feeling like you were personally acquainted with Nathan Hale. As John Adams once said,

Posterity! you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it.

Author: Anna Myers
Audience: 9 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 211
Publisher: Walker Publishing Company

Join me on Wednesday for an interview with author Anna Myers.

Author Interview: Pat Hughes

Last Friday I posted a review of Breaker Boys. There are two reasons I think I enjoyed Breaker Boys so much. Nate and Johnny (the main characters) are interesting and easy to root for. The second reason I liked it so much was it introduced me to a world I had never considered before–coal mining. The history of coal mining is amazingly interesting. Today Pat Hughes, the author of Breaker Boys, is here to answer a few questions. Thank you, Pat!

What gave you the idea for this story?
After I had been married to my husband, Sam, for a few years, I learned that his family had owned coal mines in the Hazleton, Pa., area back in the 1800s and early 1900s. It seemed to be something that the family was almost ashamed of in the present day, because of the stereotype that the coal operators had exploited the poor immigrants. As I began to research, I found that there was a lot more to it than that. The more I learned about the miners and the owners, the more I needed to write the story. It became important to me to tell all three sides – “yours, mine, and the truth,” as Mary tells Nate in the book.

What are some of the challenges you face being an author?
The biggest challenge for me as an author continues to be how to get my books into the public eye. I’m not a self-promoter; never have been. I love to sit alone in a room and write. I hate to go to conferences and shmooze, I hate to bang my own drum all over the Internet, I hate to call/email people and beg them to write about my books. Yet it’s the writers who consistently do those things whose books get noticed. I don’t aim to be a big commercial success a la JK Rowling or the authors of the “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” series. I would hate being famous! But I would like my books to be better known. And that is very hard to do.

What advice would you give to a person trying to become a fiction writer?
1) Read a lot and write a lot. That’s how you develop a style and it’s how you improve.
2) Only write a story because you have to, not because you merely want to, or think you should for some reason. When I write it’s never “I want to write a book about a boy whose family owns coal mines,” it’s “OMG, I have no choice but to write a book about a boy whose family owns coal mines.”
3) View self-publishing options as your last resort. I think too many people today just want to see themselves published any way they can without working hard enough to be really good. Your goal should be to get so good that somebody pays YOU for the stuff you write … not that you pay somebody else to publish you.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?
I love historical fiction so much, and I just wish more people, especially young people, shared this passion. It’s distressing to me that most young people only seem to want to read about wizards, fairies, elves, vampires, werewolves … and depressing dystopian future societies! But there are so many rich, colorful, fascinating stories in the past. That’s why it’s especially exciting to me when a young person like you contacts me about one of my books. It’s great to know there are some kids out there who keep their minds open to historical novels. So thank you for letting me know how much you like “The Breaker Boys,” and thanks for having me on your blog.

Thank you for joining me on my blog!

Book Review: Breaker Boys

More laughter. No surprise. Among all the boys, Nate didn’t have a single friend.

Expelled from school, Nate Tanner has no friends to leave behind and doesn’t expect to find any friends when he arrives home in disgrace. Even his father seems to be against him. Then Nate meets Johnny. Johnny and his family work in the coal mine Nate’s family owns. An unlikely friendship springs up between the two boys, but Nate doesn’t dare reveal his true identity. When Johnny finally finds out, Nate fears their friendship is over for good. Can he do anything to make things right?

I read this book quite a while ago. It caught my imagination and still hasn’t let go. Reading Breaker Boys will introduce you to the fascinating but heart-rending world of coal mining 1890s. A lot of facts and historical events are mixed into this gripping story. The one downside is Nate’s penchant for lying, but he learns the consequences of his actions and owns up by the end of the book. definitely recommend Breaker Boys.

Author: Pat Hughes
Audience: 10 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 256
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Join me Wednesday for an interview with Pat Hughes!

Author Interview: Rachel Coker

Please join me in welcoming Rachel Coker, author of Interrupted.

1. What is one of the most challenging and/or the most rewarding aspect of being a teen author?
I think the most challenging part of being a teen writer is balancing writing with all of my other responsibilities. I’m still in high school! It can be very difficult sometimes to meet deadlines, do interviews, and arrange speaking events when I’m worried about science and Spanish homework. 🙂 One of the blessings of being a homeschooler, though, is that I can arrange my schoolwork around everything else. It all works out in the end, but it can be a struggle sometimes!

The most rewarding part of my experience as a teen writer has definitely been all the wonderful people I have gotten to know, in person and through emails and letters. It is such an encouragement to me to receive notes from teens all over the world who have been inspired by my story. I’ve kept every email and letter that I’ve received, and I read through them whenever I feel discouraged. They always bring a smile to my face! 🙂

2. Who is the person (besides God!) that influences you most in your
writing. Why?
I think I’m heavily influenced by the people that I know will read my writing. I try very hard to write books that are meaningful and touching, and will help young people to think about difficult topics, like death, faith, and love. But I always keep in mind that there may be children or non-Christians reading my works. So I’m very conscious to keep everything clean and Christ-centered. I never want to write something that my nine-year-old sister wouldn’t be allowed to read!

3. Tell us a little bit about your next project.
My next book is due to come out in March 2013! I haven’t announced the title yet (I will soon on my blog, though!), but I really hope that it will be as widely received as “Interrupted.” No, it’s not a sequel, but it is a historical YA novel set in 1969. It tells the story of Scarlett Blaine, growing up in Georgia with her big, dysfunctional family. Her younger brother, Cliff, is mildly autistic, but since autism wasn’t diagnosed in the 60’s, he is thought of as a freak and an outcast of society. Scarlett has to struggle with the normal pressures of growing up and discovering who she is, along with protecting her younger brother and keeping her family together. Despite all the outside influences that threaten to keep her family apart, she has to figure out for herself what is really important in life.

(Me: This sounds just as good, if not better than, Interrupted! Can’t wait to read it.)

4. Do you have a favorite scene in Interrupted?
I always loved the scene where Allie professes her love to Sam! I don’t want to spoil the scene for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but a thrown shoe is involved, and it just tickled me to write that part. I hate writing overly sentimental, gushy scenes, so it was refreshing to make the one “love scene” of the book a little humorous.

5. Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?
I would love to send out a big “thank you!” to everyone who has read or bought my book “Interrupted”! It means so much to me that you would give my book a chance. I really hope you enjoyed it! To anyone who is interested, I would love it if you followed my blog (www.rachelcoker.wordpress.com) or “liked” me on Facebook!

Thanks for joining us, Rachel!

June 15, 2012June 14, 2012

Book Review: Interrupted

Mama stood by my bed, clad in a milky-white nightgown, her long, dark hair falling down her shoulders. She held a finger up to her lips.

When Allie’s mother dies, she blames one of the few people who really cares for her. When she leaves her home (against her will) and is taken to Maine to live with an adoptive mother, Allie assumes she will never see Sam Carroll again. In Maine, Allie pulls inside of herself, blocking out her Miss Beatrice Lovell, her adoptive mother, and Miss Beatrice’s faith. Her heart seems impenetrable…until Sam shows up. Will his example of unconditional love help Allie to live again?

I definitely recommend this book. It does have a slight love element, but it was tastefully handled. As a homeschool graduate, I was thrilled to read such a well written book from a homeschooler.

Author: Rachel Coker
Audience: 12 and up
Genre: Inspirational Fiction
Pages: 256
Publisher: Zondervan

Join me Wednesday for an interview with Rachel Coker!