Today I’m happy to have Kate Messner on the blog! Kate is celebrating the release of her new novel: The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z!
About The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z
Gianna Zales has a lot on her plate this fall – a father who drives her to school in the family hearse, a mother who’s turned into the junk food police, a little brother who thinks he’s a member of the paparazzi, and a grandmother who leaves false teeth in the refrigerator. Worst of all, she’s left her 7th grade leaf collection to do at the last minute. It’s a monster project, and Gianna will miss cross-country sectionals if she doesn’t meet the deadline. She’ll need the help of her geeky friend, Zig, and some brilliant ideas of her own to pull it off.
About Kate Messner
Kate Messner grew up in Medina, New York and graduated from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Communication with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She worked as a television news producer and reporter in Syracuse, NY and then Burlington, VT, before going back to school to get a teaching degree. These days, Kate is a National Board Certified middle school English teacher. She has helped hundreds of kids work on leaf collection projects and likes sugar maples and catalpa leaves the best. Kate lives on Lake Champlain with her husband and kids and loves spending time in the woods.
On to the Interview!
Me: Without giving away too many spoilers, what is your favorite part of the novel/what was the part you had the most fun writing?
Kate: I loved writing the scene that takes place on the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail in Ripton, Vermont. We spent a glorious fall day hiking there during my research, and writing that scene was a joy, not only because of the fun I had describing the trail but also because of what that setting brought out in my characters.
Me: Sounds magical! I *love* that kind of writing research: it’s the best! What kind of writing projects are you currently working on? Or, if you aren't working on anything new, is there a different demographic/genre you wouldn't mind tackling in the future?
Kate: I'm working on revisions for my next middle grade novel with Walker/Bloomsbury. SUGAR ON SNOW is about a girl from a small-town maple farm who earns a scholarship to figure skate with the elite in Lake Placid. It will be published in Fall 2010.
Me: YAY! You’re definitely keeping busy! Finally: who is your writing hero and why?
Kate: I have a bunch of writing heroes - including many of my friends on LiveJournal who keep me going every day. I love the writing community here. Other heroes? Laurie Halse Anderson and Jane Yolen, both of whom are kind, wonderful people and incredibly diverse in their writing talents, too.
Me: I *adore* my LJ friends, and I totally agree about Laurie Halse Anderson. She’s fantastic!
Readers . . . You can visit Kate at her home on the web: http://katemessner.com/
And . . . The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z is officially on sale. You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Brilliant-Fall-Gianna-Z/dp/080279842X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251760751&sr=1-1
Kate will be chatting with Sydney tomorrow at: http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com
Thank you so much for stopping by, Kate!
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