Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Janet Sumner Johnson, the author of The Winterton Deception 1: Final Word, which releases in October! She is the author of multiple other books, including the Picture Book illustrated by Stacy Ebert, Open for Business, which is out now.
Would you please tell us a little about your book, The Winterton Deception: Final Word?
Hi Jessica, thanks so much for including me in your celebration, Yay! For Middle Grade Books!
THE WINTERTON DECEPTION: FINAL WORD is a puzzle mystery. When 13-year-old Hope Smith and her twin brother Gordon discover their absentee (and long-since dead) father was a Winterton—the uber rich dictionary magnate family—Hope wants nothing to do with them. But Gordon is desperate to connect. He secretly enters them into the Winterton’s charity spelling bee, and when their mom loses her job, and they face eviction from the motel where they live, Hope has no choice but to participate since they desperately need the money.
After winning the preliminary round, the Smiths are whisked to Winterton Chalet to compete in the official Winterton Bee against their long-lost relatives. Though Hope plans to get in and out—after hopefully beating the snobbish family at their own game—deceased matriarch Jane Winterton had other plans for this final family showdown. Before her death, she set up a clue hunt throughout the manor—an alternate way for Hope and Gordon to get the money that could change their lives.
But its not just Hope and Gordon who are on the trail. Others are desperate to find the treasure as well. With tensions at an all-time high, a fortune at stake, and long-simmering family secrets about to boil to the surface, anything could happen.
What was the inspiration for the book?
One of my very favorite books is THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin. That book is brilliant. I found myself wishing there were more books like it, so I began to read and re-read trying to decipher exactly how she’d done it, in the hopes that maybe I could try to write one. I probably read it through ten times in a row, including once aloud to my whole family. They are now all fans of that book, lol!
My first beginning included multiple points of view (like you get in the Westing Game) and was told from an omniscient third-person perspective, many of which were adults. I loved the feel of it, but middle grade has changed a lot, so I re-envisioned, and ended with the current first-person, single character POV through Hope.
One other inspiration for this book is my love for a good redemption arc. There is something so satisfying to me about watching a character change when others don’t think they can.
And speaking of redemption arcs, I wanted to use the backdrop of the spelling bee, because I still feel bad about missing the word “Accident” in my fourth grade bee (I added an extra ‘c’ because I was so nervous!).
Random Question! What’s your favorite time of year?
Fall. There is something about the cooling weather and the changing colors as the trees give everyone a beautiful finale before they rest up for the winter and start fresh in the new year. I also loved the first day of school, and the fall sports I got to play (Soccer and Softball). So many good memories from Fall.
If you’re able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?
I can’t tell details yet, but since THE WINTERTON DECEPTION is a series, I’m actually working on Book 2! It has been so fun to expand on these characters that I love and build the world a little more. I’ve gotten to dive deeper into some of the minor characters, and of course, I’ve been crafting another twisty puzzle mystery around the Wintertons who are quite the interesting family. They have so many secrets, and it is just fun to uncover them.
What are some of your favorite MG books you've read recently? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?
Well, it’s a good thing you said “recently” or I wouldn’t know where to start. PLOTTING THE STARS: MOONGARDEN by Michelle A. Barry is a super fun futuristic retelling of The Secret Garden. I’m dying for book 2! And GNOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS by Casey Lyall was so fun and touching. Such a great story! (I got to read that one early, but it comes out May 30th, so soon!).
As for what I’m looking forward to, Book 2 of THE CURIOUS LEAGUE OF DETECTIVES AND THIEVES: S.O.S. by Tom Phillips comes out in August, and I can’t wait for that one. Fun and wild shenanigans plus a mystery? Totally my jam.
And then PARACHUTE KIDS: A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Betty C. Tang is at the top of my list. It just came out on April 4th, so I can’t wait to get my hands on it. It’s about three siblings who go on a trip to Disneyland from their home in Taiwan, and their parents inform them they will be staying in the U.S. (while the parents return home). I grew up with a brother and sister from Taiwan, so the topic feels personal.
One last one . . . FREE THROWS, FRIENDSHIP, AND OTHER THINGS WE FOULED UP by Jenn Bishop. I was a big basketball player back in the day, and Jenn is so good at capturing the feelings of middle school, while dealing with tough subjects. It’s sure to be awesome!
I could go on all day, I love reading middle grade so much! Thanks again for having me and for spotlighting so many wonderful middle grade books!
Author Bio: Janet Sumner Johnson lives in Utah with her husband and three kids. She bakes a mean cinnamon twist and eats way more cookies than are good for her, which explains her running habit. Though her full-time occupation as evil tyrant/benevolent dictator (aka mom) takes most of her time, she sneaks in writing at night when her inner funny bone is fully unleashed.
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It makes me smile! : )