Okay, so something REALLY strange is
going on. Boys are from a different planet, but right now a few of them at
Middleton are acting like they’re from a different universe. (Wait. Does this
make sense? Is there more than one universe? Ugh. Maybe I should have paid more
attention last year in Astronomy.)
So, by the time I got to Ms. Pruett’s
class, I had already worked myself into a super version of “I Don’t Wanna Go To
Class Because I’m Creeped Out!” mode. I walked into the Science Laboratory, and
I swear I felt the cold of Building 400 smack me right in the face. I’m not
kidding.
Of course Ms. Pruett was at the door,
acting like her sweet old lady self (ha ha, I know better), and was welcoming
all the kids into the classroom. I just kept my head down and muttered a hello
as I passed. Staying below the radar was the goal. Then I sat down at my lab
table and shivered a bit.
Joey sat down at the table just a
second later. Normally he is really loud and obnoxious, cracking jokes, and
calling to the other Soccer Jocks across the room. Today he was quiet.
“Hey,” I said, trying to be friendly.
I thought maybe we could commiserate on us both having spells cast on us. Joey
responded with a “hey” but didn’t say much else. Hello? Was this the Joey I
knew?
“So, Joey, are you feeling okay?” I
asked. “You know, after yesterday…”
Joey didn’t say anything, but began
writing on a piece of paper. He folded up the piece of paper and passed it to
me. I gave him a questioning look. He gave me a weird look back that I couldn’t
decipher. The note was as follows:
Hey Gemma,
Sorry I gave you a hard time yesterday
about the “Cute Boy” list. It was kind of rude of me.
Joey
That’s when it hit me that Joey hadn’t
recovered from Ms. Pruett’s spell. For me it was just temporary, like a few
minutes. But Joey was acting weird. It had to be the spell.
“Um, thanks,” I said. “Don’t worry
about it.” I then started taking out all my school stuff so that I could look
busy and not have any more awkward moments with Joey until he felt better. He
was taking longer to recuperate.
After class I headed straight down
toward the lunchroom. On the way there, I saw Trevor going in the opposite
direction past me. Our conversation went like this:
Me: “Hi Trevor!” (with a big smile and enthusiasm)
Trevor: “Oh, hi Gemma.” (with zombie-like attitude)
Me: “Okay, have a good lunch!”
Trevor: “Okay, thanks. Bye.”
I wondered where he was going, in the opposite direction from the lunch room
when it was lunchtime. It took me another couple of moments to realize that the
ONLY classroom in that part of campus was Ms. Pruett’s room. He was headed back
toward Building 400!
Yikes! I turned myself around in mid-stride and turned back the way I came. I
knew there was no way possible that Trevor would be going to Ms. Pruett’s. Why
would anyone in their right mind be going there by themselves?
I didn’t want Trevor to think I was stalking him, because of course I would
never do that. But just in case that’s what it appeared to be, I used as much
stealth as possible. I walked in the shadows and stopped to peek out behind
bushes and building walls. I saw him up ahead…just before he ENTERED MS.
PRUETT’S CLASSROOM.
My mouth fell open, and I just sort of stared at the door for a while.
Weird things are going on here at Middleton. And I think Ms. Pruett’s behind it
all!
My Review. I loved this book. Gemma is such a fun character. I enjoyed reading her diary and seeing the world through her eyes. I think it is funny how Gemma thinks her teacher is a witch and putting spells on students. Thanks, Iva, for an entertaining read.
MuseItUp Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/black-cats-and-ballet-slippers-detail
1. Tell us about your book and
how the story came to be.
Black Cats and Ballet Slippers is a humorous tween chapter
book. Gemma Mayfield, the main character, is a ballerina and middle school
student. She is convinced her teacher is a witch. After her crush, Trevor, has
a spell cast upon him, Gemma embarks on a mission to save Middleton Middle
School from witchcraft!
The
idea for Black Cats came about during
my last year of teaching middle school. In the book, Gemma’s science teacher,
Ms. Pruett, has a really creepy classroom. The classroom has a preproom with
lots of “witchy” things, such as powdered unicorn horn and other ingredients
for spells. In my classroom, I also had a big preproom. My classroom was
actually very nice and not creepy at all, but over time my imagination took
over. I started to envision this preproom as being Ms. Pruett’s. From there on,
the rest of the storyline for Black Cats
started to brew!
2. What three words best describe
your main character?
Spunky,
ballerina, super-tall
3. Do you have a method for
creating your characters, their names, and what do you think makes them
believable?
I spend
a lot of time brainstorming my characters. I like to let the ideas for
characters “marinate” in my mind for a bit. Then I’ll sit down and write as
much as I can about them in a notebook, which I’ll keep with me in my purse. This
way I have it handy whenever more ideas come to me. Once I’ve started writing
the book, I’ll go more in depth. A strategy I’ve used before is to write a
letter in the character’s own voice, or simply write a scene in which a
particular character is doing something. Character names also just seem to pop
out at me. I hardly ever change a character’s name! I’ve worked with kids in
this age range for a long time, and I think that has helped me to keep my
characters believable.
4. Do your characters follow your
plot path or do they take on a life of their own? Do you keep them in check?
I really
like to outline and get a good idea of my character’s personalities before I
write. But of course there are times in which I change things around a bit, or
I decide to add in something I hadn’t thought of before. I definitely think
characters can take on a life of their own! Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of
writing and I’ll think, “Wouldn’t it be
hilarious if so-and-so said or did THIS!?” And then this might affect the plot
somewhat. I think overall it’s important to be flexible so the characters and
plot seem realistic, but not diverge from the original idea so much that you
end up getting lost.
5. Have you ever suffered from
writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?
There
are many times when I feel like I’m not being as productive in my writing as
I’d like to be in a given day. Some days my writing seems great, and I think
EVERYTHING sounds fabulous! And then there are other days in which I wonder if
I’ve been sleeping while writing. I just try to be nice to myself. On days that I don’t feel the writing is
going well, I will just give myself a time limit, and try to do the best I can.
6. What types of books do you
like to read?
I enjoy
a variety of genres of books. I really love books that are funny. I tend to
choose books that are part of a series. I get hooked on the characters, and
then I want to keep reading more about them! I read a lot of YA novels, and
recently I have been getting into more science fiction/fantasy.
7. What do you like to do when
you aren’t writing?
I live
in Tucson, Arizona, where it’s possible to do fun, outdoorsy things all year
round. My husband and I frequently take our dog, Lupo, on hikes through the
desert. I enjoy yoga, photography, and cooking. And I LOVE dance—I don’t feel like my week is complete
unless I’ve taken at least one Zumba class!
8. What’s next for your writing?
Are you working on a new story?
I’m
currently working on a sequel for Black
Cats. This next book doesn’t involve a mystery, but the entire gang will be
back for some more fun at Middleton Middle School. I’m looking forward to introducing
some new characters!
Oh, good. I look forward to reading more about Gemma and her friends.
9. What’s the best piece of
writing advice you’ve received?
Keep
writing every day! Even if you don’t feel like it.
10. Where can readers find you
and your books?
Please
come visit me at the following sites!
Fun interview, ladies! Iva, that's a great excerpt. Love the cover, too.
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