Izzy & Oscar Blog Tour {character interview}

I'm thrilled to have the Izzy & Oscar Blog Tour stopping by today! Izzy, the human star of this absolutely adorable picture book, is stopping in for a fun chat...

Izzy & Oscar

by Allison Estes 

illustrated by Tracy Dockray

4/7/15

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Octopuses make the best pets! Discover why in this charming picture book from an acclaimed author/illustrator team

Pretend pirate captain Izzy is looking for a pet when an adventurous little octopus squiggles into town. Oscar isn't exactly warm and fuzzy, but Izzy decides to take him home anyway.

Young readers will be tickled by Izzy's attempts to teach Oscar to behave like a dog, a parrot, a pony-and gratified by Izzy's realization that in the end we love others for who they are, not who we want them to be. Besides there's one thing octopuses are really good at...octohugs.

goodreads / amazon / b&n / indiebound

Praise for Izzy & Oscar

"Dockray's lively illustrations portray the action and add to the humor of this cheery, unusual pet story...a grand addition to any pet-themed read-aloud session. " - Kirkus

"It's a goofy, good-natured story of a decidedly nontraditional pet." - Publishers Weekly

by Allison Estes and Tracy Dockray

I couldn’t interview Oscar since he’s busy at the swim pool but Izzy, always willing to take the lead, was quite happy to sit for an interview.

Hi, Izzy, I see you’re dressed as a pirate. Can you tell me about what you’re wearing?

Well, pirate wear is my clothes of choice.  It can get dirty and it just makes me look more “piratey”.  It’s tough because sometimes I have to leave my plastic sword at home since school doesn’t allow it. And… it does get caught on things when I sit down anyway. But then I have nothing to brandish so it’s hard to swashbuckle without it.  And speaking of buckles, I’m hoping to get some of those really pirate looking tall boots, although you never see those at the mall shoe shop.  My Uggs are boot-like, but don’t have buckles and if they get wet they are like sponges on your feet. Not good for burying treasure in the surf.

Um, okay. Why pirates for a girl?

I can’t believe YOU ASKED ME THAT! I should make you walk the plank.

But since you are the interviewer sometimes you have to ask stupid questions to get the interviewee to talk… never my problem.  Well, pirates get to bop around on a boat. Don’t have to go to school. They get to engage in privateering, that’s stealing from the enemy, swing from ropes to other boats and steal their booty.  Then they get to dig in the sand, always fun, and bury the booty.  Making and using treasure maps is a kick too. And the specialized lingo is a thrill….And the parrot, which I don’t really want now after I found Oscar.  Oscar is not as talkative, but a lot smarter. What’s not to like… besides scurvy… and the time Oscar slept on my pillow.

Well, thanks for all this.  Last question.  Izzy, what next?

Oh boy, after my career on the high seas I’m thinking of getting settling down, maybe even get better at math so I can calculate all my profits from privateering.  Or perhaps becoming an animal trainer. I do think mascots are fun, even if mine can’t perch on my shoulder.

Thank you so much for stopping by Izzy and Allison!

Allison Estes has written more than a dozen books. Izzy & Oscar is her first picture book, and was really different and fun to write! Some of her other books are The Short Stirrup Club series (ten titles) for middle-grade readers, four titles in the Thoroughbred series (fun because she got to start over in #24 with all new characters), and Paw & Order: Dramatic Investigations by an Animal Cop on the Beat, which is an adult book but fine for animal lovers of all ages and full of happy endings.

After 29 years in New York City, Allison recently moved back to her home town, Oxford, Mississippi. She lives in the country with her son, two grandparents, two dogs, and two horses. Right now, when she isn’t busy cooking supper, taking care of dogs and horses, teaching writing workshops and driving to soccer, she is working on another picture book, another adult book, and more happy endings.

Tracy Dockray grew up on the plains of West Texas with a love of books and innumerable pets. She moved to New York where she studied fine art and acquired several old motorcycles.  Her career veered from sculpture to puppet making to murals and finally to children’s books. She is ecstatic to have illustrated 30 books including two that she wrote herself.

Tracy now lives in a creaky, cavernous brownstone in Greenwich Village, with a hairless cat, 2 fuzzy dogs, two children and a very tolerant husband.  She is thrilled to have been able to illustrate Mrs. Cleary’s Ramona series and The Mouse and the Motorcycle series since she has a soft spot for them both.  Although Tracy studied Fine Arts in school, she has come to the happy conclusion that drawing pictures for children’s books is the finest art she knows.

Social Media

Website: http://www.tracydockray.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracy.d.rudd

Guest Post: Karen Akins, author of the Loop Series

I'm so excited to have Karen Akins, author of the Young Adult LOOP Series, stopping by today with a fun character interview guest post...

TWIST

(Loop #2)

by Karen Akins

4/7/15

St. Martin's Press

The unbelievably thrilling sequel to the time-travel YA novel Loop.

Bree Bennis finally has it all—a non-comatose mother, an uber-hot (albeit anachronistic) boyfriend named Finn, and a new-found mission to protect the timeline from those who would skew it for their own gain. But when she leans over one day to smooch said boyfriend, her lips meet those of her arch-nemesis Wyck instead. The timeline has been altered, and Bree is caught in the crosshairs. But when she goes back to repair the damage, she is stopped by none other than her Future Self, who delivers an urgent message: Someone is kidnapping Shifters from the distant past. It’s up to Bree to stop them. But first, she has to figure out who... and why.

To follow the trail of chronocrumbs, Bree reluctantly accepts her new undercover gig as Wyck’s girlfriend. Everything goes spiffy until Finn shows up in the 23rd century on the eager arm of a gorgeous fellow Shifter, Blark. Even as Bree struggles with jealousy, she battles the nagging dread that Finn might be better off with someone less chronologically complicated. Her worst fear is confirmed when Finn becomes the kidnapper’s next victim. As Bree zeroes in on the culprit, they unravel her life one timeline-change at a time. She realizes that she alone has the power to save herself and everyone she loves. But to do that, she may lose Finn forever.

goodreads / amazon / b&n / indiebound

Loop

(Loop #1)

by Karen Akins

10/21/14

St. Martin's Press

At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels... at screwing up.

After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship. But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn't go back far enough. The boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he’s in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn't think he’s a complete pain in the arse. To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her. 

Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental. Someone is attacking time travelers. As Bree and her temporal tag-along uncover seemingly unconnected clues—a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium—that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together. Knowledge only one other person has. Her future self.

But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her. In the past, present, or future. 

Praise for the Loop Series

"Emotional at times, hilarious at times, action-packed almost the entire ride, LOOP is a page-turning adventure with some brilliant and original twists to the time travel genre." —Julie Cross, TEMPEST series

"An intriguingly mindbending time travel tale in which both past and future must be mined for clues. A feisty, witty heroine and quirkily hot hero make for a duo you can’t help but root for, while snappy dialog and imaginative worldbuilding keep the pages turning."—National bestselling author Sophie Littlefield

"Hilarious and suspenseful with a delicious dash of romance, LOOP is a mind-bending good time!" —Melissa Landers, ALIENATED series

"Witty and inventive, LOOP is a time travel treat!" -Lenore Appelhans, author of THE MEMORY OF AFTER

"With flawless worldbuilding, the perfect balance of humor, angst, dire stakes, romance, and action, and a main character you can't help but root for, LOOP is a fresh and exciting addition to the time-slip genre. Highly recommended for fans of the time-travel romance in Myra McEntire's HOURGLASS and the breathless pace and high stakes of Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT. I absolutely loved it." - Leigh Ann Kopans, ONE and TWO

"LOOP is a wild romp through time with an epic mystery brimming with romance. We couldn't put it down!" - Lisa & Laura Roecker, authors of THE LIAR SOCIETY series and THIS IS W.A.R.

"So. Much. Fun. Bree Bennis belongs on the list of Most Awesome Time Travelers Ever, right alongside the Doctor and Marty McFly. And Akins belongs on the list of Writers You Must Read ASAP." - Carrie Harris, author of Demon Derby, Bad Taste in Boys, and Bad Hair Day

by Karen Akins

Georgie: Hi, this is Georgie Masterson, and I’m here today to interview my big brother Finn’s girlfriend Bree.

Bree: Wait. What? I thought you said we were just catching up with each other.

G: We are. In front of these blog readers.

B: What’s a blog?

G: Okay, you’re kind of showing your twenty-third centuryishness right now. So just, umm, shhhh.

B: Georgie! No one is supposed to know I’m from the future.

G: Oh. About that. We’re kind of talking about time travel issues, so…

B: …

G: You’ll probably need to—

B: Did you just say we’re talking about time travel issues? As in, people know that I’m a Shifter?

G: Well, that is why we were invited to do this interview, so I’m going to go with…yeah.

B: You know that no one is supposed to know about our ability.

G: It may have slipped out.

B: Slipped out, like you accidentally told a single close and trusted friend?

G: Slipped out as in I told a woman who decided to write a novel about it.

B: WHAT?

G: She’s really nice. I think you’d like her. Her name is Karen, and she loves Nutella as much as you.

B: You take that back.

G: I will not.

B: I can’t believe you sold my story to this Karen person.

G: I never said I sold it…for money.

B: What did she pay you with?

G: (((illegible mumbling)))

B: What was that?

G: SHERLOCK FAN FIC. Are you happy now? Anyway. We’re here today to talk to people about the second part of your story. The part where things get a little twisty and all heck breaks loose and…you go all lip-a-palooza on Wyck.

B: Seriously? You’re going to bring the kiss up?

G: People are worried it’s a love triangle.

B: It’s not.

G: Well, it looks bad.

B: I love your brother. Two hundred years isn’t going to change that.

G: But he—

B: No spoilers, Georgie!

G: I thought you were upset it had been made into a novel.

B: …

G: You want to read it, don’t you?

B: Where does the story start?

G: When you met Finn.

B: And where does it end?

G: ((whispers in Bree’s ear))

B: Yeah, okay. I want to read it.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog! I hope everyone has fun reading TWIST!!

Thank you for stopping by today Karen. Georgie, and Bree!

website * goodreads * twitter * facebook

Karen Akins writes humorous, light sci-fi for young adults and the young in spirit. When not writing or reading, she loves lightsaber dueling with her two sons and forcing her husband to watch BBC shows with her. 

Karen has been many things in her life: an archery instructor, drummer for the shortest-lived garage band in history, and a shockingly bad tic-tac-toe player.

Character Interview and Cupcake Filled Prize Pack Giveaway

I am SO excited to have fellow cupcake enthusiast, Priyanka Gupta, here today! Pri is one of the awesome characters in Kami Kinard's latest middle-grade The Boy Problem. Learn all about The Boy Problem and Pri below, and enter to win a spectacular cupcake filled prize pack, below...

The Boy Problem: Notes and Observations of Tabitha Reddy

by Kami Kinard

April 29, 2014

Scholastic

Tabitha "Tabbi" Reddy believes in signs. Like fortune cookies. Magic 8-Balls. Shooting stars. And this year, she hopes, looking for the right signs will lead her to the right boy! Inspired by her BFF, Kara (star of THE BOY PROJECT), Tabbi starts her own "project" in the hopes of finding a cute crush. With the help of a math lesson on probability, Tabbi tries to predict who the right boy for her might be! Where is she most likely to meet him? What is he most likely to look like? Full of fun illustrations, hilarious equations, and lessons in cupcake-baking, life, love, and friendship, this book has a 100% probability of awesomeness. A perfect "next step" for fans of DORK DIARIES.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / IndieBound

Hi, Pri! Thank you so much for stopping by Word Spelunking today and giving us all a chance to get to know you!

I am so excited to be here! This is the first time I’ve been interviewed. It’s going to be so much fun!

What three words best describe you?

Cupcakes. Energy. Family

Can you tell us a bit about your family and home?

Sure. There are four people in my family. My parents, my little brother, and me!

Our home is very colorful. My favorite room is our red living room. I especially like it because it has some beautiful paintings in it, and a few statues my parents brought back from Kolkata.

What makes your family special?

I think all families are special in their own ways, don’t you? But I think one thing that makes us special is that we all love books. And sometimes we act out scenes from our favorite books, just for fun.

I know you LOVE cupcakes, and as one cupcake enthusiast to another, what exactly is it about cupcakes that you love? What are some of your favorite cupcake-ish things you own?

I like the way cupcakes look. They’re so cute! But also, I like the way they make people smile. When you’re holding a cupcake, you’re holding something good, even if other things in your life aren’t all that great at the moment. My favorite cupcake-ish thing is a giant bean-bag chair shaped like a cupcake!

In your opinion, what are the three absolute best cupcake flavors?

Red Velvet, Oreo Surprise, and Lemon

I know you’ve recently become friends with Tabbi and Kara; what’s your friendship with them like? What kinds of things do y’all do together?

Tabbi and Kara are awesome! We started out doing school projects together, then we worked together on a fundraiser. When you work hard with people for a common goal, I think it must bond you, because now we hang out a lot. There’s often baking involved. But when we have sleepovers, we mainly talk…. sometimes about boys, but I’m not mentioning any names!

Are you as boy crazy as Tabbi? What do you look for in a boyfriend? Any special fellas in your life right now?

I think Tabbi just wanted to know that someone would like her for herself, and she really really wanted to find that person. The right guy, not just any guy. I’ve never had a boyfriend, so I would like to know what that’s like. I guess I would look for someone who likes cupcakes. That gives me a lot of guys to choose from! I’m pretty open minded about it. I don’t have my eye on anyone in particular.

 

This OR That

baking cupcakes OR eating cupcakes?  Baking!

Math class OR English class? English!

watching the movie OR reading the book? Reading the book!

getting a gift OR giving a gift? Giving a gift!

slaying a dragon OR being a dragon?  I don’t think I could ever slay anything. So I guess being a dragon. I wonder if you can bake cupcakes with dragon breath?

Fill in the blanks:

I’m really awesome at baking.

I’m really embarrassed to admit that the first time I baked cupcakes they tasted horrible! We didn’t have any baking powder, so I used an equal amount baking soda instead. Yuck!

The last great book I read was It by Stephen King. Just kidding! I could never read something so scary! The last great book I read was Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck. Malcolm is a rat, but he enjoys eating tasty treats as much as I do!

And finally, if you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by YOU, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?

I love colorful things, so it would definitely be colorful. I’m thinking I’d start with red velvet – but I like the idea of a surprise in the center, like the mini oreo we put in the oreo surprise cupcakes – so maybe I’d stick a Hershey’s kiss in the middle of each one. I’d substitute chocolate icing for cream cheese icing, and add lots of sprinkles. And of course a cherry on top! A creation like that should be called something like Red Kiss Surprise! How about that? I’m thinking it might be a best seller someday!

That was so much fun, Pri! And that Red Kiss Surprise cupcake sounds super yummy!!!

website * goodreads * twitter * facebook

Kami Kinard likes being happy, therefore she loves art, reading good books, spending time with family, laughing with friends and watching Sherlock! She is not afraid to make ridiculous analogies, an obscure talent that serves her well. Check out her novels THE BOY PROJECT (Scholastic 2012) and THE BOY PROBLEM (Scholastic 2914). 

A former high school English teacher, Kinard lives in coastal South Carolina with her family and the world's smartest dog.

Win a fabulous cupcake filled prize pack!

Kami Kinard has put together an awesome cupcake themed prize pack that includes:

Large cupcake bead kit, The Boy Problem bracelet, hardback copy of The Boy Problem (shipped from Scholastic), Cupcake ring, eraser, lotion, and bubble bath, and cupcake nail art.

I am seriously drooling over this prize pack *_*

DETAILS

-US/CAN

-there will be one winner

-ends 4/30

-must be 13+

-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes

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