MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY: GIVEAWAY & INTERVIEW w/ AUTHOR KAMI KINARD

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Shannon Messenger.

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THE BOY PROJECT
by Kami Kinard
Scholastic Press
Ages 8 & up
356 pp.

For anyone who's ever felt that boys were a different species....

Wildly creative seventh grader, Kara McAllister, just had her best idea yet. She's going to take notes on all of the boys in her grade (and a few elsewhere) in order to answer a seemingly simple question: How can she get a boyfriend?

But Kara's project turns out to be a lot more complicated than she imagined. Soon there are secrets, lies, and an embarrassing incident in the boy's bathroom. Plus, Kara has to deal with mean girls, her slightly spacey BFF, and some surprising uses for duct tape. Still, if Kara's research leads her to the right boy, everything may just be worth it...

Debur author Kami Kinard talks about her recently released book THE BOY PROJECT in today's interview. Be sure to scroll down for a chance to win a Friendship Promo Pack!

1. Tell us about your book in one sentence.

THE BOY PROJECT is a humorous book about a seventh grade girl who tries to find a boyfriend by using the scientific method.

2. What inspired you to write this story?

I was inspired to write this novel after reading my old middle school diaries. The diaries helped me to remember those tween feelings. I wanted a boyfriend back then, but I never acted on those feelings. Since novels require action, I knew that Kara would have to be a lot braver than I ever was. Science fairs seem to be universal to the middle school experience, so I thought it would be funny for Kara to attempt to use what she learns in science to accomplish her social goals.

3. What books did you enjoy reading as a kid?

I mostly loved mysteries and fantasies. I think what drew me to them was the sense of adventure. I read every Nancy Drew book, every Hardy Boy book, Lloyd Alexander’s books, Tolkien’s books, Joan Aiken’s books and many many others.

4. What do you enjoy reading now?

I love MG and YA so almost everything I read falls into those categories. I rarely read mysteries anymore, but I still love fantasy. I’m a big fan of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. I just finished Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber and really enjoyed it. I also love funny contemporary. Count me among the millions of Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans!

5. Tell us a little about your road to publication.

It was a lot of hard work over a long period of time. It involved going to conferences and workshops to figure out how to improve my writing. It involved countless hours of research, and even more of writing, and three times as many when it came to revision. It included glimmers of hope, major disappointments, and enough determination to keep going. All of that took years, and it was the experience that I needed to grow into the writer I’ve become. And when I did, I got a wonderful agent, who sold my book to a fabulous publisher in a relatively short amount of time. But it couldn’t have happened without the long journey first.

6. What can we expect from you in the future

I am working on a literary fantasy. It is something I started writing before The Boy Project, but put aside. I am almost done with it and am really excited about it. I’m also working on another humorous middle grade novel about a girl who has an identity crisis. So far it involves chorus class, a name change, a rock-star-wannabe dad, and a tuba!

Thank you, Kami!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Kami Kinard has graciously provided a FRIENDSHIP PACK - promo items enough to share - including bracelets, bookmarks & more!

To be eligible to win, all you need to do is post a comment below with an email address so I can contact you.  Extra entries will be given for tweeting about this giveaway, and following Kami on Twitter and/or Facebook. Just be sure to mention what you've done in your comment:

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kami-Kinard/126862120731247

Website: www.kamikinard.com

Blog: www.nerdychicksrule.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/kamikinard

This giveaway will run through March 20th.