Interview With Carter Higgins!

Today I'm happy to present an interview with Carter Higgins! Ms. Higgins is the author of the MG book, A Rambler Steals Home, which releases February 28th! :)

Here's the interview!

The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.

Would you please describe your book, A Rambler Steals Home, in seven words?

Homes we have and homes we make.

(Full disclosure: the beautifully talented author Rebecca Donnelly wrote that line in a review, and I just love that sentiment and how it aligns with the truths of the story so much that I’m borrowing it forever.)

Not only do you have your debut MG book releasing in 2017, but you also have your debut Picture Book as well! Would you like to tell everyone a little about it?

Yes! Thank you for asking! 

My debut picture book is called This is Not a Valentine. I wrote the words and the supremely fantastic Lucy Ruth Cummins made the pictures. It’s about lucky rocks and drippy glue and waiting in line and secret hiding spots and how it feels to have a crush on someone but you only have a frog to show it. 

It will be out in the fall from Chronicle Books.

This sounds like such a cute Picture Book!

Random question! What's one Picture Book you think everyone should read?

Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman. (And because one is impossible, how about Imogene’s Antlers by David Small, The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson, and I’ll Fix Anthony by Judith Viorst and Arnold Lobel.)

What's one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Watch and listen to everything, because it takes many small moments to make up a story. Pay less attention to the technicalities of the craft and more attention to what might be a seed for the story you want to share. Also, read. The best writing lessons are on the pages of books. 

Definitely good advice!

What are some MG and YA books you're looking forward to in 2017? And if you've already read some '17 books, which books have you loved?

I have read and loved some fantastic middle grade that’s on its way: Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge by Kristin Gray and Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres. And oh my goodness, everyone needs to read Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder. I can’t wait to get my hands on The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi and a picture book biography by Jess Keating, Shark Lady: The Daring Tale of How Eugenie Clark Dove Into History.

These all look so good! And I'm really looking forward to Shark Lady! :)

Thank you so much to Ms. Higgins for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Carter Higgins is a librarian at an independent school in Los Angeles. She is the author of A Rambler Steals Home (HMH, February 2017) and two forthcoming picture books from Chronicle Books, This is Not a Valentine (Fall 2017 with Lucy Ruth Cummins) and Everything You Need For a Treehouse (2018 with Emily Hughes). She is an Emmy-winning visual effects and motion graphics artist. She writes about picture books and graphic design at her blog, Design of the Picture Book, and is a team member of All the Wonders, a home for readers to experience the stories they love in wondrous ways. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @carterhiggins.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

Her Goodreads