Interview with Cole Gibsen, Author of Young Adult Fantasy, Katana

 NS  I am so delighted to have as my guest today Cole Gibsen, author of Young Adult novels and fellow SCBWI member of The Bookends of southern Illinois, our beyond valuable critique group.  Please give the readers a bit of information as to how you came to writing novels for young adults.

CG  My childhood through teen years were pretty rough. But no matter how bad things got for me, books were always there to provide me with an escape. There was a brief time in my life when I found myself homeless and had to live out of my car. I firmly believe that the books I checked out from the library that I read parked in truck stops are the reason I survived such difficult times. Books helped me—I’d go so far as to say they saved me— and I wanted to give back and do the same for others.

NS   I know for a fact how good you are at writing YA fantasy. Was that always an interest, or did you develop an appetite for that part of the genre?
 
CG   Fantasy has always been a favorite because of its ability to transport the reader into different worlds. I enjoy writing for teens because I because I remember how difficult my own teen years were and I believe if anyone needs and small escape from their daily lives, it’s them.
 
NS  Congratulations on your debut YA novel, Katana and your second, Breathless. Can you compare the two novels, or are they totally separate entities?

 CG  Thank you! While both novels are fantasy, they couldn’t be more different. Rileigh, my main character in Katana  is strong, feisty, and fierce. She’s everything I wanted to be when I was growing up. Edith, my main character from Breathless, is broken and glimpses of my own home life can be seen on the pages.   

NS  My readers always want to know about an author’s typical writing day.  Can you describe yours for them?

CG  I have a five-year-old. So up until this year finding time to write was a bit of a challenge. But now the kiddo has started school full time and I have eight glorious hours to write.  **And the people rejoiced!!!** Typically, I like to slam out a rough draft as fast as I can (typically within a month) and then I like to take my time editing it (another two to six months.)

NS  What is up next for you, and when can we expect it?
 
CG  The sequel for Katana – Senshi – releases March, 2013 and I couldn’t be more excited!
 
NS   Where can your fans find you and your books?

CG  You can find out more about me and my books at my website: www.ColeGibsen.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cole.gibsen 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/colegibsen

Five Published Book Ends All in a Row!

Cole Gibsen, Jonathan Schkade, Louann Brown, Nancy Stewart, Jeff Weigel

Book Ends, my southern Illinois chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children's Bookwriters and Illustrators) have some great news to share.


The five of us pictured here have recently had manuscripts sold to mainstream publishers.  Several of the books are already in publication.


Cole Gibsen's book, "Katana," is a young adult urban fantasy novel with elements of action, romance and

comedy. It is to be published by Flux Press in the spring of 2012.  Cole's web site is: 
http://www.colegibsen.com/   Her blog site is:  http://www.colegibsen.blogspot.com/


Jonathan Schkade's most recent books, "Icky, Sticky, Hairy Scary Bible Stories" and "The Father's Easter Story," were released in January, 2011 by Concordia Publishing.  Jonathan is a former teacher and copy editor.  His web site is:  http://www.jonathanschkade.com/


Louann Brown's book, "How to Make Spectacular Halloween Costumes," was released in January, 2011 by Capstone Press.  Louann is a retired art teacher from the Southwestern School District in Piasa, IL.


Nancy Stewart's series of children's books, published by Guardian Angel Publishing, will be released in 2011.  "One Pelican at a Time," to be released in February, is the first US children's book to address the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.  Her other two books in the series are, "Sea Turtle Summer" and "Bella Saves the Beach."  Nancy's web site is:  http://www.nancystewartbooks.com/   Her blog address is:
http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com/


Jeff Weigel is both author and illustrator of "Thunder from the Sea:  The Adventures of Jack Hoyton and the H.M.S. Defender," a graphic novel for upper elementary school readers.  It was published by GP Putman in May, 2010.  Jeff's web site is:  http://www.jeffweigel.com/

And this is just part of the gang!  This group of writers collaborate, critique in a constructive manner and is supportive at all times.  As I said in a previous post, I don't make a literary move without them!
                                                                                                                
For those of you who'd like to know more about SCBWI, here is the link:  http://www.scbwi-illinois.org/