An Interview with Author Renee Riva

Renee Riva has been writing humorous stories about animals ever since she was a child. A former greeting card writer as well as a speaker for women's groups, Renee has also written for family magazines. Her books include Izzy the Lizzy, and Guido's Gondola, both picture books. Her first novel, Saving Sailor, released in May 2007. The sequel, Taking Tuscany, releases in May 2009. Renee also offers school visits and presentations.

When did you first consider yourself an author?
I won a creative writing contest in second grade and that pretty much started the whole thing, but it took another thirty years to actually get my first book published. It was when Guido's Gondola arrived on my doorstep and I saw my name on that book. That's when I knew I was a real author.

What inspired you to write Saving Sailor?
I had such great childhood memories from growing up in a big family and spending our summers on an island. One memory in particular often came to mind. I would go out in my little rowboat with my dog and just drift around in the sun, no hurry to go anywhere. I had a photo of the two of us in the rowboat--I was rowing and my dog was wearing a life jacket. That photo triggered the story Saving Sailor.

What made you decide to move from children's picture books to YA Fiction?
After writing Izzy the Lizzy and Guido's Gondola, I wanted to read a good humorous, but clean novel. I couldn't find one--so I wrote my own.

Is it true that Taking Tuscany is the second book in a trilogy? When will the next book come out?
Yep. After A.J.'s family moves to Italy, A.J. has a hard time adjusting and fitting in to a new culture--especially at age 14. Things get pretty crazy in Tuscany for her! It's a very fun adventure, which is coming out May 1 2009. But all of my readers were dying to know what happens between A.J. and her childhood friend, Danny, who she left behind on Indian Island, along with her dog, Sailor. So book three, "Heading Home" will be their island reunion when A.J. is 18, and Danny is 21. It's coming out April 2010.

Can you tell us two of your favorite YA books?
Saving Sailor & Taking Tuscany :O)
Okay, besides those:
The Secret Life of Bees
The Good Nearby
& Flipped
(I know that's 3--but they tied).

What book are you reading now?
The Martyr's Song by Tedd Dekker
It's about a high school girl who learns what it really means to be beautiful.

Do you have any advice for young writers?
If it's in your blood to write, then WRITE! Write for the love of writing, but if you want to get published, join writing contests, go to writing conferences, develop your craft, and don't give up. It's the writers who are still in the game after everyone else gives up who end up being authors. You have to be persistent, write what's in your heart, and have faith that your words will someday be read by someone beside yourself.

I wish you all my best!
Renee

Thanks again to Renee Riva for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check Provato Events.

An Interview with Author Stacy Nyikos

A graduate of the University of Virginia, author, Stacy A. Nyikos, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer and musician. Her books include the aquatic picture book series Squirt, Shelby, and Dizzy. Stacy's first novel, Dragon Wishes, came out in 2008. Stacy also offers presentations and workshops to students in grades K-8. She has presented at more than 50 schools. In addition, she has presented events at the World Aquarium in St. Louis, the Shedd, the Houston Zoo, the Tulsa Zoo, and the Oklahoma Aquarium.

When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing when I went to college, which seems like a lifetime ago, but I didn't start writing for children until about six years ago, after I finished my Ph.D. and finally had the chance to write what I wanted to. I went right back to fiction, albeit this time for children.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
That's a good question. I think I've considered myself a writer ever since I started an M.A. I've just written different things. I've also loved turns of phrase, how a single word can change the entire meaning of legions of text. How interpretation can hang on one sentence. Language and the written word have always fascinated me.

What inspired you to move from writing picture books to writing for young adults?
I haven't stopped writing picture books, however, some ideas are just too big for a picture book. Those are the ones that turn into middle grades or YAs. I never know how an idea is going to come out. Some are small, conceptual shorts, and others are long, mini-series masterpieces.

Who or what has influenced your writing?
Maya Angelou has long been a writer I look up to. I admire her work, her abilities, and the life she's led. She's my female role model. I also like the spunk of Mark Twain, and the unbelievable literary abilities of Markus Zusak (Plus, he's really cute).

There are is such a rich mix of culture in Dragon Wishes. How did you decide on the middle school setting as a backdrop for the story?
I can't say that was a very conscious decision. That story came to me in a rush. However, because I wanted the main character to go through a transition, I felt like 11 was a good age. It's that time when we first leave a part of childhood behind and begin to look toward the adults we may become.

Is there a message in Dragon Wishes that you want readers to grasp?
Love is everywhere. We just have to reach out and grab hold. It sounds simple enough, but if you're going through loss, it can be the hardest step ever to take.

Can you tell us two of your favorite books?
The Book Thief
Lord of the Rings

What book are you reading now?
Alice in Wonderland, Louis Carroll
Passing, Nella Larsson
Following the Equator, Mark Twain
Peak, Roland Smith

I like to read more than one book at a time. It's like going to a buffet and sampling everything. It makes my reading experience richer.

What are you currently working on?
I am working on a YA set in 19th century New Zealand. It's called Pelorus Jack and is the story of a fifteen year old boy, George, who lives on a sheep farm that has fallen on hard times. Since George has a clubbed foot, his father doesn't trust him to work the farm, so George takes to the sea to save his family's farm. He meets a dolphin, Pelorus Jack, and together, they save more than just the farm.

Do you have any advice for young writers?
No story is ever finished. I thought, when I started writing novels, I would know when a story was finished because I would sense it. Then I wrote one. I realized somewhere after the zillionth round of revisions my story will never feel "done." I created it. My characters didn't just come to life, they are alive for me. They follow me around. They talk to me whenever they want to. So I don't look for the "feel done" moment anymore. I look for that time when I start changing the story in order to stay in it, not to make it better. That when it's time for me to put the keyboard down and let the story be the story that it is.

Thanks again to Stacy Nyikos for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check Provato Events.