Thanks oodles for stopping by, Kara, and  many more thanks for choosing my entry GOT ME A DADDY MAP to be on your 2018 Query Kombat team!

I'm happy to be here!

What did you enjoy about hosting the 2018 Query Kombat Kompetition along with Michelle Hauck and Michael Anthony?

I enjoyed the high level of camaraderie between Kontestants. It seemed like a lot of people made connections either through being on the same team or competing against each other. Getting into the contest is exciting for the month or so it goes on, but making connections with other writers can benefit a writer's career for years. To me, that's the real prize of Query Kombat.

I was truly surprised and delighted when my entry was chosen to compete. There were so many excellent entries across multiple genres, including queries and openings from young-adult and adult novelists. Why did you choose my middle-grade entry to be on your team of twenty-one kombatants?

I chose your entry because it absolutely dripped with voice! I think voice is more crucial in middle grade than any other age category. Others may disagree, but for me a strong narrative voice usually is what makes me pull a middle-grade book off the shelf.

How did you feel about someone from your team (yours truly!!!) being crowned 2018 Query Kombat Grand Champion?

Not gonna lie, having someone on my team win felt pretty good! I was just filling in as a host for Laura Heffernan this year, so to be honest, I didn't care too much about winning when we began. But having so many of my entries make it past the first couple rounds helped confirm to me that I do recognize good writing when I see it. Being in the publishing world for several years has helped with that, no question.

Thanks so much for chatting with me here on my blog, Kara! 

Delighted to be here, and congrats again! Don't forget to let me know when you sign with an agent!

How did you come up with the idea for BUSY-EYED DAY? Did you have any challenges while writing it?

The original idea came from the initial couplet:  Big-eyed bug/Stalk-eyed slug. I seem to remember thinking it up while driving, so I asked my son to write it down for me on a scrap of paper. I had trouble coming up with enough bug-related verses to fill a manuscript, but when I remembered the fun my family had had on a day in Central Park a number of years ago, I was inspired to broaden my thinking about different kinds of eyes into its current incarnation.

How was writing this story different from some of your others?

Well, for one thing, it’s much shorter. I think it’s only about 60 words. For another, it rhymes. I write in rhyme about a quarter of the time, but this is my first published rhymer (another is coming in 2019!). Rhyming books are so much fun to read with kids, and they’re also good for kids learning to read, since the rhyming creates a structure in which kids are more easily able to predict new words.

Do tell about the revision process for BUSY-EYED DAY.

I think I did less revision on this manuscript than I’ve ever done for any of my other books, but there was still some. I didn’t do any for my agent; we sent it out just as I sent it to her.  After Beach Lane acquired the manuscript, there were a few changes, but they were pretty minimal. My editor Andrea Welch wanted me to add a refrain every few stanzas.  And there were small changes throughout.  For example, we talked some about whether girl and squirrel rhyme. They don’t rhyme in every English or American accent, but we decided to stay with it anyway. And there was a couplet that read Bog-eyed frog/Frog-eyed dog which was revised to read Side-eyed frog/Wide-eyed dog because there wasn’t really a bog; the frog is in a pond. The biggest change was the title, which was originally BIG-EYED BUG, but some people felt that promised kids a bug book and it’s not a bug book, so we went with BUSY-EYED DAY, which does keep its promise.

When you first saw Frann’s illustrations, what did you love about them? Did the end result surprise you in a good way?

Oh, gosh, this is hard because I’m not good at describing art.  I can tell you that as soon as Andrea mentioned Frann’s name and I looked at her website, I was smitten by her style.  I love the bright natural colors and I love the way she uses brushstrokes for beautiful, interesting effects. My favorite spread in the book is the last one, which takes a bird’s-eye view of the park and we can see all the different people and animals that Sammi and her family have seen during their busy-eyed day.

Why are you excited to see this book in the hands of children? 
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Getting books into the hands of kids is the whole point and I like to see their reactions when they hear the story and see the illustrations. Hopefully, they will like it and not say, “Read a different one, Mom; this one’s not very good.” But that’s always a risk. (Smile!)

​Anne Marie Pace is a children's book author whose titles  include GROUNDHUG DAY (Disney-Hyperion, 2017, illustrated by Christopher Denise); PIGLOO (Henry Holt, 2016, illustrated by Lorna Hussey); and the published and upcoming books of the VAMPIRINA BALLERINA series (Disney-Hyperion, illustrated by LeUyen Pham), the inspiration for the hit Disney Junior animated series VAMPIRINA. New this spring is BUSY-EYED DAY (Beach Lane Books, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon). Find her at annemariepace.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram @annemariepace.

BUSY-EYED DAY is a rhyming and richly illustrated picture book that celebrates the act of being observant and enjoying the magnificence found in the everyday world, perfect for the youngest of readers. It is written by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, and published by Simon & Schuster, with a release date of April 10. 2018. 
Order your copy of BUSY-EYED DAY from an indie near you.  ​

What inspired you to write ONE DAY IN THE EUCALYPTUS, EUCALYPTUS TREE?

I wrote ONE DAY IN THE EUCALYPTUS, EUCALYPTUS TREE while I was attending graduate school and after I had just gotten back from a trip to Northern California, a coastal land where the eucalyptus tree grows like a weed. In order to help pay the bills, I worked as a janitor at my wife’s preschool. It was during those late hours until 11:00 p.m. and sometimes past midnight that I would make up silly songs to pass the time. As it happened, a silly song bounced around in my head as I was vacuuming up tiny little playground pebbles: “One day in the eucalyptus, eucalyptus tree, hung a scare in the air where no eye could see, when along skipped a boy with a twirly-whirly toy to the shade of the eucalyptus, eucalyptus tree.” And perhaps, as you read that line, you can imagine me moving through the preschool and including into my silly song various, haphazard stuffed animals that were housed on the shelves.

I wrote songs. I listened to music. I think you can see the compost heap of musical influences in the syncopated rhythms and near-rhymes in the book. In music composition, you have rhythm and beats and rests and time. But music is fluid and the tempo can change. There are various symbols in music that prompt me, the singer, to crescendo a line or to soften a phrase. I image these symbols as I write picture books. I choose words with certain syllables and stresses to guide the reader’s tongue. I use commas and periods and line breaks like rests in a line of music. I don’t know if this is called poetry, but when I write, I see music. I can’t help it.

What is one of the biggest challenges you face as a children's author, and how do you overcome that challenge?

One of the biggest challenges is finding the strength to try again even when you fail. I fail a bunch. Just ask my editor and my agent. Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever get sick of me and kick me to the curb. I spend months, even years writing a picture book, and when that picture book doesn’t work, there is an amazing sense of loss. Usually, after a manuscript gets rejected, I can’t write for one to two weeks. I’ve learned that this is okay. I’ve learned that the sting of loss is normal. As social scientist Brene Brown admonishes in her book Rising Strong, a loss must be addressed and emotional wounds must be allowed time to heal. Only when we can acknowledge the pain and allow time for healing can we stand up and try again.

What children's project are you working on now?

I am working on a bunch of projects. Like a musician playing music to soothe his soul, so I write for the love of writing. My graduate instructor, Phyllis Root, called such a lifestyle of writing “play.” I think of her often when I write. When I had the honor of studying under her at Hamline University, she never told me my writing was crazy or stupid, she just let me play and believed something wonderful would happen in that space between my heart and the page.

​This philosophy is important, because sometimes what I think is awesome isn't, and sometimes what I think is stupid is awesome. The best thing I can do is just write and let the chips fall where they may. I never know when a picture book will pop into my head. I always try to write it down. So, of the five picture books I’m writing now, I don’t know if you’ll see one or all of them. I’ve learned, or, I’ve come to learn that such a process of creativity is okay. Artists can’t stop creating. It’s what we can’t help doing. It’s what I can’t help doing.

​Daniel Bernstrom is the author of ONE DAY IN THE EUCALYPTUS, EUCALYPTUS, TREE--a rhythmic tale of a sneaky snake that has no idea his bellilicious delights are planning an escape!. Told In the spirit of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Daniel's rhythmically delightful text is a perfect read-aloud with gorgeous illustrations by award-winning Brendan Wenzel, published by HarperCollins in 2016. Daniel , a visually impaired author, has two forthcoming picture books being released by Harper Collins sometime in 2018. Daniel currently works as an adjunct instructor at Minnesota State College Southeast where he teaches creative writing, English, and speech. He received his MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. Find him at lillylabs.com. 

What inspired you to write THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL?

There were a lot of different inspirations for this book as it evolved. The idea first sparked when I found the word “hogwash” funny. I was just minding my own business, doodling on the couch when I heard someone on whatever show my family was watching say “hogwash,” and I got images in my head of kids trying to bathe a pig. The first version of my story was pretty much a long-running (and probably annoying) joke of having to bathe and immediately re-bathe, over and over, a pig named Snowflake. I had originally intended to title my project HOGWASH, but I found a couple of other children’s books with that title. Still, I finished creating the story, and my agent and I submitted it as THE ULTIMATE PIG CARE HANDBOOK. Eventually, it became THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL. 

In your story, Brother and Sister's mother is quite obsessive about her garden, and is not at all keen on them getting a pet pig. Any similar childhood experiences?
 
My own mother was equally obsessive and overly-fond of her garden, so much so that I used to tell her I hated her flowers and didn’t want to have to look at them. She (jokingly, I think) threatened to ground me once if I didn’t come look at her garden, so she partly inspired the mom-character in the book. (Incidentally, she still makes me look at her garden when I visit her, but I don’t mind so much anymore.) 

I also desperately wanted a pet when I was a kid and embarked on a many-years-long campaign of pestering my dad to let me get a puppy. When I turned 15, I changed tactics and my friend Rozz and I conspired. She got me a kitten for my birthday and I begged and made sad faces until my dad gave in and said I could keep him. 

In your illustrations, you chose to depict a blended family. Any particular reason why? 

I wanted to depict a blended family where two single adults with children come together. Brother and Sister are step-siblings, with the emphasis on siblings. There is also a dad in This Little Piggy’s family, he just didn’t make it into the final version, as Mom is the one they ultimately have to convince.

Why did you decide to tell the story using a comic-book style for a format, and was this type of book fun to create?

I think stories aimed at kids who are emerging or struggling readers work really well in a hybrid chapter book/graphic novel format. Speech bubbles help to break up the text into smaller blocks so it’s not as daunting to read. The pictures help them to decode the words and also provide a lot of humor and interest to hold their attention. Aladdin Pix books are part chapter book, part graphic novel, and part picture book. 

Besides, comic books are just cool and even cooler to create. 

As both the writer and the illustrator of this book, please share your process. 

For this story, I wrote the words first, then sketched the illustrations, but I made art notes for myself while writing. More recently, on a new project, I’ve simultaneously written the text and drew rough thumbnail sketches, and that’s been a really fun and productive way for me to work. 

Did you do a lot of research about pigs for this project?

I researched pigs because I wanted to include a few fun facts in the text, but the drawings of Snowflake came from my head with no visual reference. I meant for him to look like a child’s drawing. I also wanted the original version to appear like it was a how-to manual written by kids for other kids. I had painted lined paper, added the characters with a stick-figure feel to them, and doodled all over the pages. But that ended up being a bit busy.

I still drew the kids and Snowflake to be reminiscent of stick figures. And as the narrator of the book, I talk directly to the kids as if advising them on how to care for their pet pig. (Unfortunately, I don't always give them the best advice.)

What did you love about working with Karen and Laura, your editor and art director, throughout this project?

Karen and Laura are oodles of fun to work with! We had a few conference calls with all three of us to go over the art and text together as the book was developing, and my cheeks hurt from laughing so much. Plus, they are both brilliantly creative and come up with fantastic ideas. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. 

When revising as per the suggestions of your agent, editor, and art director, what were some of the challenges? But why are you glad you made those changes? 

Adriann is a gifted editorial agent and is always super insightful and sharp. She suggested I cut short the running gag of the never-ending bath, and impose more of a narrative. So I went back to the drawing board, and included other kinds of pig care into the plot. The story ended with the kids doing a great job caring for him, and then presenting Snowflake to mom. (Only the house, garden, and yard are pretty much destroyed.) So Adriann's suggestions allowed me to further explore the family-pet relationship of the kids and Snowflake.

The biggest change I made came from Karen, my editor's, suggestion. After she acquired the project, she wanted me to turn the original story, a picture book, into a chapter book. So I had to start almost from scratch to expand the story. I really love the new version and I’ve recently discovered that a lot of my unpublished picture books really need to be chapter books, too. 

On the design end, Laura, my art director, asked me to redesign sister's look. Originally, Sister was wearing a purple dress with a strawberry on it. Her hair was similar, wavy and flowed horizontally, but it wasn’t pulled back from her face. She also wore big, red-rimmed glasses. Laura thought she looked a bit too granny-ish. She asked me to re-draw Sister wearing shorts like her brother. I  mulled over her suggestion, and opted to dress Sister in clam-diggers, as they were one of my favorite things to wear when I was a kid. I removed Sister's glasses and tied up her hair, and I think she’s absolutely adorable now.

When you received your box of author copies, what did you love about the final product? 

As of this writing, I haven't received my author copies yet, but my lovely and thoughtful editor, Karen Nagel, surprised me with two advance final copies, tied in a pretty red ribbon. I was thrilled! I think Aladdin makes beautiful books. I was giddy over the finishing details: spot gloss on the front and back paper-over-board cover, beautiful red end pages, and high quality interior pages. It’s a chapter book but it’s picture book quality. It will endure many readings and after-reading hugs. (Or am I the only one who hugs their books?) 

What kind of fun activities do you have in store for your book launch and school visits?

I live in a small town in Canada, so I haven’t really planned anything....yet. I did recently visit a school where I gave four presentations. I read from THIS LITTLE PIGGY and we did a few fun activities, including making our own Pet Wish-List, like brother does in the book. I’m pretty shy and get some serious stage fright, so I find in-person and even online visits a bit scary, but I am trying to be more outgoing and social these days. The kids are just too much fun.

What do you hope kids who read this book will carry away with them?

That being yourself is what matters most.

Brother and Sister want to adopt Snowflake as a member of the family. They think Mom will accept Snowflake only if he is well-groomed, eats his veggies, stays out of the compost, and wins a prize at the fair. Snowflake isn’t the perfect pig the kids thought they needed him to be, but they love him anyway, and are determined to keep him. But they have to convince mom. In the end, Snowflake is just being himself (chasing after some pesky crows eating Mom’s garden). He manages to win over Mom. She thinks, like Brother and Sister, that he is SOME pig. 

Oh, and I also hope kids will agree with Snowflake that eating jelly doughnuts is awesome (just not stale ones from the compost)!