You guys have probably heard me say multiple times that I believe we live in a very small world. Well, here is proof again. My father-in-law contacted me recently with news that one of his friend's daughter's had just published her second book. I looked her up and discovered Abby, a sweet girl who actually lives not too far from me. So, of course, I contacted her and asked her to be my December interview. And hopefully we'll get to meet in real life soon instead of just chatting online. She writes YA Fantasy that sounds amazing, so I hope you'll check her out. Without further ado, let's get to know Abby Rosser a little better. Have you always wanted to be an author, or is that something that came later in life? Somewhere deep inside I suppose I always wanted to be an author. I have an ongoing battle inside me--the practical vs. the dreamer. The practical won out and I majored in Elementary education so that I could be a teacher. I remember being given the assignment to write a book in my children's lit class. It was hands-down my favorite assignment in college! I don't regret my degree, but I do wish I'd had a few creative writing classes. It was "on the job training" when I wrote, edited, and re-edited my first novel. Or maybe that's the best way to write fiction, without knowing all the "rules"? The more I write, the more I discover rules are made to be broken! I love your mantra, “If a brown-haired, brown-eyed middle child of average height and intelligence living in the exact geographic center of Middle Tennessee has a story inside of her, then no one is too boring.” Are your characters a lot like you describe yourself in your mantra? Do you find that shapes your writing world? Definitely. I want my stories--even the ones that involve magic and powers and spells--to seem real and attainable. Especially with my middle grade series, I want kids to read the character Dooley and see a bit of themselves. When Dooley tells his friend, "I’m so average I might as well be invisible. There’s just nothing special about me,” I hope that kids who feel like they don't have anything to offer will keep reading and see that Dooley actually has a very important, unique gift. That is such a great message. I'm so glad writers are sharing such uplifting thoughts. Can you tell us a little bit about the world your books are set in? From the covers, they look like a lot of fun. In BELIEVE, we meet Dooley, a 12-year old boy who has just moved to Peacock Valley, MN. At first, the setting is boringly normal--minivans, bologna sandwiches, a mom who can't find her keys--then Dooley sees an unusual-looking creature in the field in front of his house. This realization, plus the entrance of Dooley's eccentric neighbors, the Mulligan family, transfer the story from mundane to magical. I love the cover design for this series and the visual of the silhouettes of Dooley and Cyrano approaching an exciting and scary new adventure. It's like they're mid-step, trying to decide if they should enter that magical tree (BELIEVE) or go to Camp Pukwudgee (HOPE). It's that breath of a second when we have to take a leap of faith. That makes me want to read your books even more. But, why fantasy? Can you ever picture yourself writing something outside of that genre? My first novel, OH TO GRACE, is historical fiction. It's a family drama set in a fictional Tennessee town in the 1930's. Being my first one and the one I wrote without having any idea what I was doing, it's my baby--my baby born after a long and arduous labor! I also have a memoir about the adoption process of our son called WAITING FOR EZRA. My friend Shannon Watson helped me write a children's book about the first time Ezra saw snow. It's called HAPPY SNOW DAY. My Dooley Creed series came next. BELIEVE, HOPE and REMEMBER (coming out January 2020). I also write a column for our local newspaper, The Daily News Journal. Overall, I prefer writing fiction, but I feel like I learn a little more about myself and how to better love others each time I write what's on my heart. Wow! That's amazing. I always get asked as a writer how I balance motherhood and writing. Any insight to share on that? How do you make it work in your house? My four kids are all in school, which helps with me managing my time. Last summer, while I was writing REMEMBER, I kept a pretty tight writing schedule, pushing myself to write 500 words a day, 5 days a week. I'm in-between projects right now, so my schedule is much more flexible. The main advice I would give is to set goals but give yourself grace. It's not like you're building something brick-by-brick. It's creative and corrective. Sometimes I can get pages written in my head better on a walk than writing them on the computer at my desk. I have to talk things out and make notes and spend hours just naming a character, and that's okay. I'm so looking forward to having my kids in school in a few years. That sounds great. One last question I ask all my authors: Can you tell us something about yourself that very few people know? My husband and I were on House Hunters more than a decade ago. We're still in the house we chose! What!? That's so crazy and neat! Okay, I'm in total awe. Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us. Want to know more about Abby and her books? Keep reading. Believe Always travel SE. Never touch the ground. And above all, Do Not Forget! Dooley Creed was a nobody in Boston. He’s even more of a nobody now that his family has moved to Peacock Valley, Minnesota. Dooley Creed is no genius. Dooley Creed is no hero. There is absolutely nothing special about Dooley Creed. At least, that’s what Dooley Creed believes. Then he meets his next-door neighbors, the Mulligans – the weirdest family in Peacock Valley – and embarks on the strangest adventure of all time. Hybrid creatures, ancient curses, Vikings and Valkyries? It’s up to Dooley Creed to save the day! But first Dooley must learn to…Believe. Hope Don’t stand up in a canoe. Never irritate the Lake Monster. And above all,Remember the Fibonacci Sequence! Dooley Creed was a nobody in Boston. But now that his family has moved to Peacock Valley, Minnesota, Dooley Creed has discovered that he is someone special. Dooley Creed has fought a Valkyrie. Dooley Creed has outwitted a Viking. But Dooley Creed is about to face his greatest challenge yet. Dooley Creed is going to Summer Camp! When Dooley’s best friend, Cyrano Mulligan, told him about Camp Pukwudgee, the camp for magically gifted kids, Dooley couldn’t believe his luck—a whole camp filled with kids like him! How cool is that? But it doesn’t take long before a new mystery launches Dooley Creed into another adventure. Shape shifters, legendary creatures, and a ghost girl only he can see? Once again it’s up to Dooley Creed to save the day! But first Dooley must learn to… Hope. Abby Rosser
I have lived in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for 15 years. (Fun Fact: Within our city, you can find the exact geographic center of the state of Tennessee.) I’ve been married to my husband Brent since 1997. We have 4 kids—twin daughters Ella and Lucy who are high school senior years (yikes!), 14-year old son Knox and 8-year old son Ezra. I formerly taught kindergarten, and though I’ve left the classroom in the official sense, I still spend a lot of time around young kids, mostly in our church preschool Sunday school program. I love the simplicity of a 4-year old’s enthusiasm and the way that they look at the world. Much to my surprise considering I had never really pursued creative writing before, I published my first novel, Oh to Grace, in 2013. (I had started writing it 6 or so years before that, but that was when I was offered a chance to have it published.) I self-published a children’s book with my friend and illustrator Shannon Watson about the first time my African-born son saw snow. It’s called Happy Snow Day. I also self-published a memoir about the process of bringing Ezra home to our family called Waiting for Ezra. In 2018, WordCrafts Press published Believe. It’s the first in a series of middle grade fiction about a 12-year old boy named Dooley. Dooley realizes that he has a special power after moving in next door to a house full of kids with powers. (These are not your usual magical powers. For instance, Dooley’s best friend Cyrano has olfa-voyance, the power to smell the future.) Dooley has to learn to believe in himself as he and his friends battle a vengeful Valkyrie who has cursed an ancient Viking family. In Hope, the sequel to Believe, Dooley attends a camp for magically gifted kids. He (and the reader) meets a lot of fellow campers and counselors who have other new and unusual powers. He encounters a girl named Jenny who’s been stuck in a ghost-like state for years, and Dooley must help her find hope in her hopeless situation. In Remember, the third installment in this series which is set to be released in January 2020, Dooley is heading to 7th grade at a new school. I’ve been writing a blog since 2011 (abbyrosser.com) and since 2015, I’ve been a weekly contributor to our local newspaper, The Daily News Journal. I am thrilled to be able to share my books with readers, but more than anything, I’ve been encouraged to find and cultivate my own voice in writing both fiction and non-fiction. I try to pattern my life decisions after Jesus Christ and I pray this shows through my writing. Follow me on my blog or on her publisher's website.
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