GIVEAWAY & INTERVIEW w LANA KRUMWIEDE author of FREAKLING

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FREAKLING
Lana Krumwiede
Candlewick Press
320 pp.
Ages 10-14
Release Date:  10/9/12

In twelve-year-old Taemon’s city, everyone has a power called psi — the ability to move and manipulate objects with their minds. When Taemon loses his psi in a traumatic accident, he must hide his lack of power by any means possible. But a humiliating incident at a sports tournament exposes his disability, and Taemon is exiled to the powerless colony. The "dud farm" is not what Taemon expected, though: people are kind and open, and they actually seem to enjoy using their hands to work and play and even comfort their children. Taemon adjusts to his new life quickly, making friends and finding unconditional acceptance. But gradually he discovers that for all its openness, there are mysteries at the colony, too — dangerous secrets that would give unchecked power to psi wielders if discovered. When Taemon unwittingly leaks one of these secrets, will he have the courage to repair the damage — even if it means returning to the city and facing the very people who exiled him?

Lana's book was just released a few days ago, and this surprising twist of a superpowers story is one you'll definitely want to add to your TBR list. Lana stops by to chat with us today about FREAKLING and will be providing a copy as a GIVEAWAY! Take it away Lana!

1.  Describe your book in one sentence.    

Everyone has psi except Taemon.

2. What inspired you to write this story?

I loved the idea of a story where everyone else has the super powers, but not the protagonist. I think everyone feels this way sometimes, and if there's any age when a person feels it the most, it's during middle school.

3. What books did you enjoy when you were growing up and how did they influence you as a writer?

As a child, I loved books about tiny characters: Stuart Little, The Borrowers, The Littles, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I loved reading about these size-challenged heroes and how they solved their problems. I guess I've always loved rooting for the underdog. Or the undermouse. Or the underfamily. In some ways, Freakling is kind of like that. Taemon is living in a place where he feels overshadowed by all the superhuman people around him. That's enough to make anyone feel small.

4. Share a little about your road to publication?

I began by writing short stories and poems for children's magazines. I've always been an avid reader, both for myself and with my kids. Later, I became a reading teacher. So when I began writing, all my stories had young protagonists. Writing for magazines was a great way to learn the ropes. I was able to write in many different genres and reader ages. It also taught me to write concisely and to deal with rejection. After about seven years, I decided to try to write a novel. It was HARD! Getting the story structure right, finding the right pacing, keeping the plot from flagging in the middle--these had never been issues with short pieces. But a novel . . . sheesh! It took me about three years to write this book, due to starting over many times. My writing group helped me to stay motivated during this time. After I finally had a decent manuscript, things happened quickly. I signed with an amazing agent from a cold query, one of the first batch of six queries I sent. We spent a couple months revising, then went on submission. The book sold with the first publisher who read it. Then we were off and running!

5. What can we expect from you in the future?

Right now, my editor and I are working on the sequel to Freakling, which will be released next Fall. It still doesn't have a title, but I'm really excited about how it's shaping up. I also have a picture book (illustrated by someone else) under contract with Candlewick. Very fun!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

The author has generously offered to give a copy of FREAKLING to one winner. Yea! To be eligible to win, please fill out the rafflecopter form below. U.S. entries only, please.

This giveaway will end on October 26th.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway