Yay For Middle Grade Books! Interview With Jason R. Lady!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Jason R. Lady, the author of Time Problems, which releases in August! He is also the author of other MG books, including the 2020 release, Super Problems.

Would you please tell us a little about your book, Time Problems?

Rachel is dreading middle school. She’s heard the older kids are mean, and the schoolwork harder. She thinks an endless summer would solve her problems. Inspired by her stuffed animals, Rachel draws characters to make her dream come true: The Timeduck, a wizard who has power to control time, and Attack Pig, a bodyguard to protect her. Rachel has no idea she is drawing with a magic pen. Before she knows it, the drawings come to life! As the Timeduck works his magic, Rachel’s problems multiply. She finds herself contending with repeating days, pastry-eating hedgehogs, and cracks in time. The Timeduck is consumed with fulfilling his mission regardless of who it hurts. With the help of her best friend, dramatic theater kid Cooper, and her noble bodyguard Attack Pig, Rachel must outwit the Timeduck before irreparable harm is done to time itself!

Time Problems is the third book in the Magic Pen Adventure series, preceded by Monster Problems (2019) and Super Problems (2020). Time Problems is based on angst I had when I left 5th grade and went to 6th grade. I remember lying awake the night before I started 6th grade, worrying that I couldn't handle middle school. It turns out I could! Change can be hard, but we can rise to the occasion. Time Problems gets released on August 18, and is available for preorder directly from my publisher at https://www.blackrosewriting.com/childrensmg/timeproblems

Did you always want to write MG books?

I actually wasn't sure who my audience was going to be at first. I wrote a couple of manuscripts that were fantasy action-adventure for adults, but they weren't that good. My wife suggested I try writing for middle grade, since it seemed like I get along well with middle school kids, and I am a middle school kid at heart. I like writing for the middle grade audience. They're sophisticated enough readers that they can read stories with more complex plots and character development, but they haven't gotten so old and serious yet that they can't appreciate absurdity and humor. It's the best of all worlds for my personality and the kind of imaginative yet wacky stories I like to write.

Random Question! What’s your favorite color?

My favorite color is red! I don't wear red very often, but I've always loved red. When I was a kid, my room had a red trash can, a red mirror, a red desk chair, and a red pen holder that all matched! I also had a Cincinnati Reds jacket and hat I wore for a long time.

If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I have an idea for a fourth Magic Pen Adventure book, but it's very much just an idea right now. Currently I'm writing the second book in a science fiction adventure series that I'm writing just for fun. I'm finding that I need to write regularly, even when I'm not writing something I intend to get published. Sometimes writers, including me, forget that it's okay to just enjoy writing and creating, and not worrying about an audience or marketing or any of those pressures.

What are some of your favorite MG books you've read recently? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?

I recently read The Super Life of Ben Braver by Marcus Emerson. It's a lot of fun and is a similar blend of adventure and humor that I work into my books. 

Thank you to Jason R. Lady for participating in this event! :)

Author Bio: Jason is an army brat who grew up moving around a total of seven times on military bases from Germany to Fort Knox, Kentucky. From a family of avid readers, Jason was encouraged to read fantasy and science fiction, and write his own stories and comic strips from an early age. Jason wrote his first novel-length story in high school--a parody of Robin Hood that starred all his friends, and got passed around on the bus and read on the way to cross-country races. When he's not writing, Jason works in Human Resources. Jason has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University and a Masters of Education from Cleveland State University. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In his free time, Jason can be found talking about and enjoying 1980’s music and popular culture, watching Marvel movies, working on visiting all the MLB baseball stadiums, and following the Cleveland Guardians. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife and many great friends. He is currently working on the third book in the Magic Pen Adventure series.

Here are a few links:

His Website

His Twitter

His Instagram