When Paul Czajak invited me into Jody Jenson Shaffer‘s Children’s Writers’ Blog Hop I thought – why would I not? The plan, as you may already know, is that each author answers the same four questions on his/her own blog, then invites three others to do the same. Like the branching of a tree, the ideas spread. Thanks, Paul for inviting me in!
Paul is the clever author of a series of hilarious rhyming picture books about a certain monster. I knew Paul before he was published, and now he is rolling right along. I’m as proud of him as anyone. Check out the book trailer he posted yesterday. It’s very cool. And his blog.
Paul Czajak
Here is a bit more about him:
Paul Czajak got an ‘F’ with the words “get a tutor†on his college writing paper and after that, never thought he’d become a writer. But after spending twenty years as a chemist, he knew his creativity could no longer be contained. His first picture book, Monster Needs A Costume, illustrated by Wendy Grieb, was recently released through Scarletta Kids. This is the first picture book in the Monster & Me series (all of which will be illustrated by Wendy), with the second, Monster Needs His Sleep due April 2014 and then Monster Needs A Christmas Tree set for September 2014. He has also recently signed a contract for Seaver the Weaver which will be illustrated by Ben Hilts of The Hilts Brothers and is planned for April 2015.
Living in Massachusetts with his wife, and two little monsters, Paul has rediscovered his passion for writing and looks forward to sharing his stories for years to come. His website and blog are here.
NOW FOR MY ANSWERS TO THOSE FOUR FAMOUS QUESTIONS:
What are you working on right now?
How’s this for a melange?  The Sage’s Race is a middle grade contemporary fiction about three New York City kids who stumble upon a glass vehicle that transports them to a slot canyon in the desert. They use their wits and find the first element in the scavenger hunt that is The Sage’s Race. The Crescent Scar is a contemporary YA about how things are often other than what they seem on the surface. Andrea wants to help her mother be sane again. How far out to sea does she need to go to make that happen? In the historical fiction category, I Am Gudrid is set in moody, elemental Iceland, Greenland, and the New World during the Viking Age. This Gudrid of the Icelandic Sagas is known as The Far Traveler and for her, life is a labyrinth. And a non-fiction picturebook about coins called Jenny’s Pocket Change.
How does it differ from other works in the genre?
The Sage’s Race is about finding wisdom. In The Crescent Scar the sea is one of the main characters. I Am Gudrid, about a rebellious fifteen-year-old who became Leif Eriksson’s sister-in-law, is set in 999 AD. And Jenny’s Pocket Change includes foreign as well as American coins and is illustrated entirely with frottage – assembled images done by rubbings.
Why do you write what you do?
The natural world amazes me, so in much of my work it plays a major role. The Sage’s Race is about things we all seek. I write about Gudrid because her voice reaches out from so long ago, with a sound that beckons. I have trod some of the places she lived in and loved and she seems three dimensional to me. She was a teen who went on journeys of discovery that affected many people. There is even a contemporary church in Reykjavik that is named after her! I became interested in doing the coin book because our  current economy inspires thinking about small amounts of money. And coins are beautiful tokens of our interactions with others – here and all over the world.
What is the hardest part about writing?
Carving out uninterrupted time.
Sometimes wrestling with a particularly difficult conversation or scene where it is important to come at things from around the corner.
Titles, too. Yes, sometimes titles are difficult to choose. That naming has ramifications.
TO CONTINUE THE HOP, GO TO THESE TERRIFIC CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS:
Catherine Egan
Catherine Egan
I am the author of the YA fantasies Shade & Sorceress and The Unmaking, published by Coteau Books. I live in New Haven, CT, with my husband and two children. For more about me and my books, please come and visit my website: www.catherineegan.com. I can also be found tweeting fairytales and chatting about books on Twitter (@bycatherineegan) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/byCatherineEgan).
Carol Ekster
Carol Gordon Ekster
Carol Gordon Ekster was a passionate elementary school teacher for 35 years.  Her first published book, Where Am I Sleeping Tonight?-A Story of Divorce, Boulden Publishing, 2008, was an About.com Readers’ Choice 2012 finalist for Best Children’s Book for Single Parents. Her second book, Ruth The Sleuth and The Messy Room, Character Publishing, 2011, received the Children’s Literary Classics Seal of Approval in July, 2013. A picture book, with the working title, Before I Sleep, is scheduled to come out with Pauline Books and Media early 2015. Now retired, Carol is grateful that her writing allows her to continue communicating with children. She also has spoken at conferences about using picture books with older readers. She’s part of a group blog at http://writersrumpus.com/
busy author
under construction: info on my mystery Author!
due to publishing success, this Author needs more time.
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