Darlene Beck Jacobson and WHEELS OF CHANGE

Today on the blog I'm pleased to host an interview with Darlene Beck Jacobson, whose debut middle grade WHEELS OF CHANGE is an inventive look at a window of history as the car was making its debut. Here's just a bit of the great review Kirkus gave the novel:

"Twelve-year-old Emily loves helping her father in his barn; she even dreams, in futility, of becoming a blacksmith like her father’s beloved employee, Henry. She and her best friend, Charlie, ponder such things as gender roles, women’s suffrage and “horseless carriages.” She dutifully tries to become a lady even while working on a secret that uses her “masculine” skills. As the year progresses, Henry falls ill, and Emily and her family are subjected to the uncertainties of changing times as well as some nasty treatment from white supremacists. Resemblances to To Kill a Mockingbird are strong, especially during a tea party hosted by Emily’s mother. A nice touch: Throughout much of the book, Papa teaches Emily—and vicariously, readers—new vocabulary words. The strength of the text lies in Jacobson’s ability to evoke a different era and to endear readers to the protagonist. The prose is straightforward and well-researched, heavily peppered with historical references and containing enough action to keep readers’ attention."

Now, here's Darlene:

Hi Darlene! Please give readers a synopsis of WHEELS OF CHANGE.

Racial intolerance, social change, sweeping progress. It is a turbulent time growing up in 1908. For twelve year old Emily Soper, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic. Emily is more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer, than trying to conform to the proper expectations of females. Many prominent people own Papa’s carriages. He receives an order to make one for President Theodore Roosevelt. Papa’s livelihood becomes threatened by racist neighbors, and horsepower of a different sort.  Emily is determined to save Papa’s business even if she has to go all the way to the President.

I love stories like yours that are set on the cusp of change. What inspired you to choose this particular time period and the shift from the era of carriage to car?

There were two family facts I discovered while researching my family tree. One was that my paternal grandmother’s father was a carriage maker in Washington DC at the turn of the Twentieth Century. The other was that grandma received an invitation to a reception held at the White House by Theodore Roosevelt. She attended that reception and met TR. The story grew from there.

While I was doing research I discovered just how much change was taking place during this time period in history.  The more I looked, the more I realized how frightening it must have been to many people.  I wanted to show how change affects us all and can bring welcome and unwelcome things into our lives. It’s up to each of us to decide the importance of those changes. We can’t stop change–it still happens all around us. But, if we make it work for us, we can see a better outcome.

Emily is a strong character. Do you generally begin with character or with plot?

I usually gravitate toward characters first, trying to find something special or unique that makes that particular character stand out.  I also enjoy where the characters take me in a story; it is often to a place I hadn’t envisioned.   Plot is always more difficult for me.  I generally need several rewrites to flesh out plot elements.  With WOC several plot elements were expanded or added after the manuscript was accepted. 

You have several important subplots (in particular, Henry's). Please tell us about them and how they came to be.

Henry was always part of the story.  I wanted a character that was unexpected for the time and place, yet real and meaningful to Emily and her family.  I doubt that a person of color like Henry would have been employed by my great-grandfather; but it seemed important to make that happen.

The rights and gender roles of girls and women became more fleshed out in rewrites than in my original version.  The subplot with William and the mouse was also added later, as was the thread buying scene, and Emily building a miniature carriage for Papa.  It amazes me how an editor – especially one who also writes, like Marissa Moss my editor at Creston Books – can make a suggestion that takes my mind in a whole new direction.  I love that part of the revision process.

Do you have anything new in the works?

I have two projects actually.  The first is a PB titled TOGETHER ON OUR KNEES about a little known abolitionist and suffragist, Matilda Joslyn Gage.  The other is an MG historical set in a Pennsylvania mining town during Prohibition.

Here's Darlene's charming trailer for WHEELS OF CHANGE:

Darlene’s stories have appeared in CICADA, CRICKET, and other magazines. When not writing, Darlene enjoys baking, sewing and tea parties.  She also likes hanging around forges watching the blacksmith work magic. She’s never ridden in a carriage like the one in the story, but hopes to one day. Her blog features recipes, activities, crafts and interviews with children’s book authors and illustrators. She still loves writing and getting letters.  Check out her website at:  http://www.darlenebeckjacobson.com  or on Twitter: @dustbunnymaven

WHEELS OF CHANGE  is available on AMAZON, Barnes & Noble, Indie bookstores, or on the Creston Books site:  www.crestonbooks.com

Big River's Daughter: Historical Fantasy by Bobbi Miller

Today on the blog I'm delighted to welcome Bobbi Miller, talking about her acclaimed historical fantasy, BIG RIVER'S DAUGHTER. I'm a total sucker for historical fantasy, so take a look at this wonderful tale...

Raised by her pirate father on a Mississippi keeler, River is a half-feral river rat and proud of it. When her powerful father disappears in the great earthquake of 1811, she is on the run from buccaneers, including Jean Laffite, who hope to claim her father's territory and his buried treasure. But the ruthless rivals do not count on getting a run for their money from a plucky slip of a girl determined to find her place in the new order.

Hi Bobbi! First, can you tell us about how you came to write this particular tale?

“This here story is all true, as near as I can recollect. It ain’t a prettified story. Life as a river rat is stomping hard, and don’t I know it. It’s life wild and woolly, a real rough and tumble. But like Da said, life on the river is full of possible imaginations. And we river rats, we aim to see it through in our own way. That’s the honest truth of it.”  

So says River Fillian as she begins to tell her story in my book, Big River’s Daughter. River’s story is an historical American fantasy, a blend of the tall tale tradition that captures so much of the American identity, and a unique form of fantasy. I have long been a student of  tall tales, epitomized in the exploits of Annie Christmas and Mike Fink -- two important characters in River’s life. In true rough and tumble fashion, the heroes and heroines of tall tales mocked and defied convention. Even their language was as wild and unabashed as the circumstance and landscape that created these characters. And that describes my character, River.

I’m also an avid student of American history. David McCullough, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote, “We are raising a generation of young Americans who are by and large historically illiterate…We have to know who we were if we’re to know who we are and where we’re headed…If you don’t care about it –if you’ve inherited some great fortune, you don’t even know that it’s a great work of art and you’re not interested in it – you’re going to lose it…”  History is literature, McCullough says. And our history is full of amazing stories.

The setting of my book was an extraordinary time in American history. We were embroiled in the War of 1812. While the War of Independence set us free of British rule, the War of 1812 ultimately defined us as a force in world power. My story is  also grounded in many historical personalities, such as the Pirates Laffites, as well as events. In December 1811, a series of earthquakes shook the Mississippi  River basin. Three of these earthquakes would have measured at magnitude of 8.0 on the modern-day Richter scale. Six others would have measured between 7.0 and 7.5. The quakes were felt as far away as Canada. It shook so hard, it forced the Mississippi River to run backwards, changing the very landscape. It also sets into motion River’s story.

Congratulations on being nominated for the Amelia Bloomer list. FAITHFUL was a nominee as well. Please talk about what that means for you, and for your novel.

What an honor this is! The Amelia Bloomer Project is an annual annotated book list in association with American Library Association, and features “well-written and well-illustrated books that empower girls by providing role models of strong, capable, creative women.”  These personalities and characters were my inspirations when I was a young reader.  Isn’t that the goal of every writer to inspire a young reader to become more than they imagined themselves possible? The characters in these books, both real and imagined, defied the social convention of their day –past and present – to become fully realized, astonishing individuals doing great things.  http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/amelia-bloomer-book-list

Another honor is being listed at the site, A Mighty Girl, with its tag line, “The world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girl.” And you can see this at: http://www.amightygirl.com/

I know that you believe that historically accurate language use is especially important to you (as it is to me) so please tell readers how you went about researching and using language.

With my studies in folklore, I have long studied the rhythms and patterns in speech and how they influence the storytelling process.  I also listened to storytellers tell their stories, too,  and the best ones – like Eric Kimmel, Rafe Martin and Ashley Bryan – enrapture the audience.  Theirs is the process of storytelling as old as human communication. We are homo narratus, story animals, suggests Kendall Haven (Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story, 2007). We have told our stories for over 100,000 years. Not every culture has developed codified laws or written language, but every culture in the history of the world has created myths, legends, fables, and folk tales.

To capture the language in River’s story, I also studied many readings, like Davy

Crockett’s Almanacs (1835 – 1856), which included much of the language used by storytellers of that day.  Of course, these were the days before the dictionary and so people spelled words according to how they pronounced the. And deferent pronouncements produced different spellings.  And one cannot write about the Mississippi River without reading Mark Twain. I read most, if not all, of his books, annotating, deciphering, pulling apart words and sentences. Of course, whenever river men, like the western mountain men, gathered, they told their tall tales. They used songs and signals to call to each other. One of my favorites was from Mark Twain, which goes, “Who-op!” It mean’s, “I’m here! Look at me!” 

What are you working on now?

My next book is Girls of Gettysburg, due from Holiday House in Fall 2014.  This book tells of the battle of Gettysburg using three different perspectives: a young woman disguised as a Confederate soldier; the young daughter of a free man and farmer; and the daughter of the town butcher, and the harrowing three days in which Gettysburg explodes and the lives of these three young girls intersect in unexpected ways.  The inspiration came from finding an old newspaper clip dating from that time, in which a union general noted the presence of a fallen Confederate soldier, a girl, at the bottom of his report. His words “one female (private) in rebel uniform” became her epitaph.  Her story remained a mystery. And to get the feel of the landscape, I not only walked the length of the Gettysburg  battle several times over three trips to the area, I visited the reenactors, and made a pest of myself in the bookstores.

But that's what it means to me to write historical fiction: doing everything I can to bring that historical moment alive.

For more information about the historical American Fantasy and tall tale characters in my book, please see my article, Big River’s Daughter, at: http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/blog/radar/?p=827

For more information about why historical fiction is important, and how teachers might use them in their classrooms, see A Conversation of Many: Why is Historical Fiction Important?  http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/blog/radar/?p=856

For a wonderful educator’s guide on how to use Big River’s Daughter in the classroom, see: http://www.holidayhouse.com/docs/Big_Rivers_Daughter.pdf

Heidi Thomas and COWGIRL DREAMS: An Interview

A pair of novels featuring a strong young woman, and set in 1920s Montana? Absolutely!! And both of Heidi Thomas’s novels are award-winners, too. Here’s a summary of the first, Cowgirl Dreams:

Nettie Brady should have been born a boy. She wants to do everything her brothers can on their Montana ranch. When, at age 14, she successfully rides a steer at a neighborhood rodeo, her life is changed forever. She wants to be a rodeo star. 

The problem is, her mother thinks rodeo cowgirls of the 1920s are “loose women” and that Nettie needs to learn how to be a lady by playing the piano, doing needlework and cooking. Nettie could care less about these ladylike pursuits and takes every opportunity to defy her mother, sneaking out to participate in rodeos, helping her brothers train roping horses, and going to work for a neighbor who raises rodeo stock. 

Add to her obstacles the death of a baby sister from influenza, Nettie’s broken wrist from riding a steer, and her older sisters’ skepticism. Nettie’s dream keeps getting put on hold.

After meeting young, handsome neighbor Jake Moser, Nettie gets a job with him, gradually falls in love, and they elope to escape Mama’s plans for an elaborate, fancy wedding. Mama shuns Nettie, afraid of neighborhood gossip that may ruin the family's good name. 


Eventually, Nettie returns home and reunites with her mother. She rides in a rodeo, with her family’s blessing. Finally, she realizes being a girl isn’t so bad. 

Her dreams are about to come true.

And here's Heidi:

Cowgirl Dreams and its sequel, Follow the Dream, were inspired by family history. Can you tell readers a bit about that inspiration? 

After my grandmother died when I was 12, my dad mentioned that she had ridden bucking steers in rodeos when she was young, alongside Montana’s World Champion Bronc Rider, Marie Gibson. I thought that was a pretty cool thing for a grandma to have done, and I filed that tidbit of information away until years later when I began to write fiction. So far I have two novels published and a third coming soon (all loosely based on my grandmother’s life), plus I’m writing a non-fiction book about those old-time cowgirls of Montana. Four books resulting from an off-hand piece of family history fifty years ago!

I understand you grew up in rural Montana. It sounds like an idyllic childhood, one that directly influences your work. How much of your experiences play into your stories? 

First of all, I like to attribute my sense of independence and my inner strength to the way I was raised on a ranch in isolated, rural eastern Montana. My parents taught me to think for myself, stick to my convictions, and live the Golden Rule. Also, we lived under similar circumstances to my grandparents when they were young—no electricity until I was six years old, attending a one-room country school with a total of four students, no TV until I was 12, and no indoor bathroom until I was a junior in high school (where I lived in a dormitory during the week). Because of that, I could identify with how my grandmother grew up and had to run her household. In addition, I grew up with a strong sense of place for the high plains prairie, an understanding of the people and the courage it took to live there, and a love of animals.

Can you tell readers a bit about how you got your start in writing? 

I often tell people I think I was born with ink in my veins. My parents read to me and I loved stories. I made up little stories and then when I learned my ABCs, I started to write them down. I remember setting up a little “office” in the abandoned coal shed near the house, with a wooden box for a desk, a lined tablet and several sharpened pencils. I was a “writer.” So I’ve always loved to write, and I went on to earn my degree in Journalism at the University of Montana, worked for a newspaper for many years, then did freelance work, and then returned to my first love—fiction.

Your books could be classified as “new adult” – a cross between YA and adult. Would you agree with that? 

I like that term. I did write the books for adults, but kept it suitable for young adult readers. I hope they can serve as inspiration for young readers—whether they like “western” stories or not—to follow their dreams.

What’s your favorite bit of writerly advice? 

Perseverance. Read a LOT, study and practice the craft, and keep on submitting. When I started sending out fiction, I decided I would try to collect 100 rejections, because I’d heard that some big-name authors had received that many. And, I thought it might soften the blow of getting numerous “No’s”. I actually had collected about 35 by the time my first book was published, so I felt like I was a little ahead of the game.

I see that you have a couple of sequels planned in your series. Can you tell us a bit about them? When can readers find them in bookstores? 

My third book, Dare to Dream, is a continuation of the Nettie Moser story, set in the 1940s, when women’s participation in rodeo was reduced from competing with men on bucking broncs and bulls to the role of “Ranch Glamour Girls” (or non-competing rodeo queens). I was hoping it would be out this year, but because of a change in publishers, it will probably not be published until early next year. My non-fiction book, Cowgirl Up! is also scheduled to come out in late 2014. The fourth book in my “Dare to Dream” series will feature the next generation and a new heroine, based on my mother who emigrated from Germany after WWII. And the fifth book in the series will be the great-granddaughter of the original character and more of a contemporary piece of fiction.

What’s the best place to learn more about you? 

My website is http://www.heidimthomas.com and I blog at http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com I’m also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/heidi.thomas.9085 and on Twitter @Heidiwriter

Thank you for hosting me, Janet. It’s always great to connect with another Montana gal!

Likewise!!