Author Interview Series-Lisa Jacovsky

Lisa Jacovsky

Lisa Jacovsky is a professor of Psychology at Union College and is working on her PsyD in School Psychology. Lisa began writing short stories when she was seven years old. Writing is a passion for her and one of the many things she enjoys. She is the author of the award winning first three books in the Lets Talk! Series, Rascal Cat Brothers, Purrrfect as I am and Spooky Ooky Dance Party. Lisa lives in New Jersey where she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and working on her next series, Happy Thoughts, which is going to be from Emma’s point of view.

Marina Raydun: You’re a psychologist and a behaviorist. What inspired you to pursue these fields and how do you feel this ties into choosing to write?

Lisa Jacovsky: Getting into psychology, I think, was something I became interested in during my senior year in high school. I took a few human behavior classes and loved it! I definitely did not think about going into applied behavior analysis, though. I really fell into that when I was researching masters degrees. I wanted something in psychology but originally thought about going into social work. When I was researching degrees, I found ABA. I liked the description of it and it made me feel like that is what I did in my job at the time in daycares. I always loved observing the kids and trying to understand why they did what they did. I also always liked helping the kids work on their behaviors. It just felt like a natural fit. When I started in the field that’s when I knew I had made the right choice. There is so much to do in psychology and more to behavior than just working with children. It really has been amazing to explore this field.

MR: What inspired you to write the Let’s Talk series?

LJ: I was inspired at work one day with a client. I was doing in home 1:1 ABA and my client’s mother told me about their day. They had gone to the park and my client had gone on the swings. But another little girl was trying to teach her how to swing the right way and was getting frustrated. I thought there needs to be more resources out there to help our kids learn how to interact with little ones with Autism and not get frustrated. That’s really how Lets talk! was born. My character with Autism is loosely based on that client. Then, in thinking about things, I thought why not show my world in ABA. The last company I had worked in was a residential group home organization. And one thing they asked me to do was to plan excursions. It was so much fun! That inspired me to write each book as a different activity. I wanted to show the world that these children can do it too. They are not limited by their differences. I wanted to show what I saw, the beauty in being different and have ASD.

MR: Have you written creatively before that?

LJ: I have. i’ve been writing short stories since I was in first grade. My grandmother still has copies of those as she always tells me. I have always loved to write and, with school, kind of fell off of writing my own stuff. But when I was inspired, it just poured out and it was the best feeling. It felt amazing to write these books and realize this dream I have had since I was a kid.

MR: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

LJ: To not listen to people that say you can’t make money in writing or journalism. That’s really why it took me so long to decide to write books. I never majored in it because I wanted a strong foundation for a career. I never thought to look into writing books or that there was anything like self-publishing. I just figured if I want to write again I will and it’ll be like an itch that needs to be scratched. Not something that I can make a real difference with. I would tell myself to keep going because you can do anything you want, no matter what others say about it.

MR: What is the first experience you had when you learned that language had power?

LJ: I don’t know if it was the first one, it was definitely close to it, but there is one memorable moment for me. That is when my grandmother said you helped me to understand Autism. It meant so much to me because she comes from a generation that really had no resources to go on for Autism. Her and my grandfather are the reason my whole family is so open to anyone; we were raised this way. But being open does not always mean understanding. For her to say that it meant she finally understood something that really was very difficult and different for her. That meant the most to me, and her support always has, too.

MR: What does literary success look like to you?

LJ: Literary success to me is where I am currently. My books sell but not only that, they are changing peoples minds about Autism. That is the biggest success to me. My books don’t need to be best sellers or sell hundreds of copies in one month. But if I can sell one book a month that helps a family, that helps them accept their child, friend or coworker, which leads that individual with Autism to have a better life, then I have been hugely successful. For me it is not about the quantity of sales but the positive changes that each book makes for families and for those with Autism.

MR: What is your favorite genre to read?

LJ: It’s so funny because everyone assumes, being a children’s book author, that my favorite to read would be funny or cute books. But, actually, my favorite to read are thrillers and anything supernatural.

MR: What are you currently reading?

LJ: I am reading (for the second time) Lasher by Anne rice—one of my favorite authors.

MR: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

LJ: Oh gosh, so many! I have three that are the most notable. All three have become like mentors to me. One helps me with my podcast. Another one helps me with marketing and any questions I have. The third has helped me with marketing and questions as well and has had me on his podcast a number of times. They are such amazing, generous and talented people. I have learned so much from them and am thankful for their friendship.

MR: How did publishing your first book change your writing process?

LJ: I don’t think it did really. I definitely have learned a lot since then about publishing and do things in that way differently now. But writing process is really the same. I write when I am inspired and don’t push myself. That way things flow naturally and because of that, it feels so much better when I write.

To keep in touch with Lisa, please check out the following:

FB: booksbylisajacovsky

insta: diverseinkbooks

Author Interview Series-Natasha Deen

Natasha Deen

Award-winning author Natasha Deen writes for kids, teens, and adults. She believes the world is changed one story at a time, and as a Guyanese-Canadian whose family immigrated to Canada, she’s seen first-hand how stories have the power to shape the world. When she’s not writing, Natasha enjoys visiting schools, libraries and other organizations to help people find and tell the stories that live inside of them. She also spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince her pets that she’s the boss of the house. Natasha is the author of the Lark Ba series (CCBC Best Pick for Kids & Teens, Starred Selection) and the Guardian series (Moonbeam Award, Sunburst Award nominee, Alberta Readers’ Choice nominee). Her latest novel, In the Key of Nira Ghani, is a Junior Library Guild selection and a Barnes and Noble Top 25 Most Anticipated Own Voices novel.

Marina Raydun: Growing up in an immigrant family is something I sure can relate to. Between the bullying and not looking like everyone else, it sounds like we have a lot in common. Even though my English wasn’t good enough for any kind of reading comprehension above a very basic fairytale, I still tried reading Sweet Valley High just for the pretty covers. Eventually words started making sense so I will forever identify those twins with my seventh grade experience. What was your go to book in middle school? 

Natasha Deen: It sounds like we definitely have a lot in common. I’m so sorry to hear about the bullying. I don’t know I’ll ever understand the mindset of choosing to be mean instead of kind.   

I love that you mentioned picking up books because of the pretty covers and that sweet moment (no pun intended on the Sweet Valley High series) when those odd symbols suddenly became letters, and those letters grouped into words and stories.

Whenever I think about books and stories, I think of how readers come with different interests, filters, and backgrounds, and how wonderful it is that somewhere out there, is a book that will connect to their hearts, minds, and reading abilities.  

To answer your question about my go-to book, if I had to choose, then I think my go to was probably Robin McKinley’s Beauty. It was the first time I had seen a re-telling of a fairy tale, and I loved how McKinley reinvented the story and the events that lead to Beauty’s entrance into the beast’s life (side note: I also love how she imagined Beauty getting her name). I haven’t read the story in a long time, but I remember snow-filled days, cups of hot chocolate, and me under the blankets re-reading that story for the umpteenth time! I loved how the beast was this self-aware guy who understood the mistakes he’d made. Mostly, I loved how both Beauty & the Beast were different, didn’t fit anywhere, yet somehow, got their happy ending. 

MR: Did you keep a diary growing up? I tried to in high school, thinking it was just so “American.” Unfortunately, it was all terribly contrived and unnatural. I was not a good journal keeper. I think it’s because I always wanted to write fiction. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? 

ND: Oh, geez, those diaries!! I tried journaling, too, because it seemed so “regular teenager,” and my mom had done it, and...I hated. every. moment. (I even tried again when I was in my twenties, and hated it even more). 

Like you, I found it difficult to be natural, and more than that, I found it hard to be interesting. When I would read my old entries, all I could think of was, “Oh, man, get a life! You keep writing the same thing over and over, again!”  

If I could tell my younger writing self anything, it would be the same thing I tell emerging writers and my current self. You have a voice. You have a story. Both are beautiful and unique. Own your story, claim your voice, and let the universe unfold as it wants. 

MR: What is the first experience you had when you learned that language had power? 

ND: I feel like I grew up understanding that language had power. My parents were strict with us about words and vocabulary. “Hate” was a huge no-no word in our house. It had depth and meaning, and wasn’t meant to be bandied about for trivial things (“Oh, I hate pistachio ice-cream.”) and definitely never to be used on anyone or anything (“Oh, I hate him.”) .

If you’re asking about when I learned language & story held power, then it was when I was five. An older group of boys would follow my sister and I on the school grounds, throwing snowballs filled with pebbles and yelling racial slurs. Against my sister’s wishes, I told my mom…and my mom hunted down the ring leader. 

Then she invited the kid & his grandfather to our house for tea. 

And she made them cake.  

 Her choices allowed for us to have a conversation and trade stories.

Through the sharing and trading, he went from being my tormentor to being my protector. I still remember his hug and the sound of his heart against my ear, and how much we both cried over what had been done.

I understand the place for harsh truth, and I understand why—especially with reality shows—there seems to be a cheering on of the “blunt straight-shooter,” but whenever I’m in a confrontational situation, I always think of my mom, making cake and tea, and choosing kindness, stories, and humanity over anger. She taught me that kindness matters, stories matter, and between the two, they change the world.

MR: You write for both children and teenagers. That can’t be easy. Which group is more relatable for you? 

ND: Writing is never easy for me, no matter the age group, but I LOVE stories and I love writing for all of the age groups. (I relate to all of them). 

There are so many ways to exist in the world, and I love that through writing, I have an opportunity to remember what it was like to be seven-years-old, ten-years-old, or a teenager.

MR: What book do you wish you had written? 

ND: All of them! No matter what story I read, I can always find something in it that makes me say, “Ah, wow, I wish I’d thought of that!” 

MR: What YA character is most like you? 

That’s a great question. I really don't know. When it comes to YA characters I read, I can see bits and pieces of myself in all of the stories.  

When it comes to the characters I write…I suppose as writers, a bit of our personalities goes into every character, whether they’re the main character or a supporting one, somehow they’re influenced by our personalities or the people we know/encountered in our lives. So, I guess in a way, they’re all like me, but also not at all like me, either. 

MR: What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? 

ND: I’ve never done a pilgrimage, but in my everyday life, I try to "pilgrimage” with other authors. That is, whenever I have a chance to talk to a writer about their journey or process, I take the opportunity.   

Writing is such a subjective endeavor and it’s encouraging and enlightening to hear the different ways people claim their creative space.

MR: Meeting readers is always such an exhilarating experience. Any funny experiences at book signings or readings? 

ND: I love meeting readers! Writing can be such a solitary experience. When writers have a chance to meet a reader, it’s such a lovely moment to remind us that we’re not alone—and look!—someone else loved our story! 

I think I have too many funny/wonderful meeting-reader-experiences to choose just one moment or experience, but I absolutely love and appreciate it when readers come and talk to me about their experience with their stories. I love hearing how they interpreted the story, who they liked/rooted for. It’s a great reminder that even when we read the same book, none of us reads the same story. 

MR: Is there a book that people might be surprised to learn you love? 

ND: Ha! I doubt it—I'm a pretty eclectic reader, so I think folks have gotten used to recommendations that don’t fit into a genre/theme. I think the most surprised anyone was when they found out one of my favorite books was Stephen Crane’s “War is Kind and Other Poems,” because they didn’t know I read poetry. 

MR: Is there an illicit book you had to sneak growing up? 

ND: Not really, my folks were big on reading and reading all kinds of books. They allowed us to read anything we wanted, within reason...we did a lot of book trading--”Natasha, you can read this book if you also read that book,”...I was allowed to read Freud during my grade 4 summer vacation but I had to read the entire works of Shakespeare in return (thanks, Mom).  

When it came to reading “up,” or “illicit,” my parents would check-in, “where are you at?” “what do you think?” “can you see this point of view?” I have to give them credit, not just for making me an omnivorous reader, but a diverse thinker, too. Giving me the freedom to read books outside of my age group, checking in with me, but allowing me to have my own opinions about them, gave me a chance to see the world through many lenses. 

Visit Natasha at www.natashadeen.com.

Author Interview Series-Ariel Bernstein

Ariel Bernstein

Ariel Bernstein

Ariel Bernstein is a children's book author. Her debut picture book, I HAVE A BALLOON illustrated by Scott Magoon (Simon and Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books) is available now. Her upcoming chapter book series, WARREN AND DRAGON, illustrated by Mike Malbrough (Viking Children's) will be released Summer 2018. You can find more about Ariel at http://www.arielbernsteinbooks.com, and on Twitter and Instagram at @ArielBBooks.

Marina Raydun: Rumor has it, you have quite a few favorite children’s books. Is there one you can single out as an absolute childhood favorite?

Ariel Bernstein: If I have to pick one, it’s probably THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin. When I was younger, I identified with the character of Turtle and loved seeing the story through the chapters from her point of view. When I read it again as an adult, I appreciated how Raskin made all of the character personalities so distinct and layered. Plus, with every read I discover clues I’d missed before.

MR: What is the first book that made you cry?

AB: I don’t often cry when reading books. I imagine if I had cried when reading a book, it was when I read THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, knowing what had happened afterwards.

MR: As a parent, what do you look for in a children’s book?

AB: I look for re-readability. If I take a book out of a library or buy one, I want a story that my kids will enjoy multiple readings of, and one that I will be okay reading multiple times!

MR: Do your test drive your ideas on your kids?

AB: I don’t. It’s hard to explain to my kids what my book will ultimately be about when I first start writing, as I often figure out a plot as I write.

MR: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

AB: Sometimes when writing I get stuck figuring out what should come next. Taking a break and reading a few pages from another book usually help.

MR: Any unusual writing quirks?

AB: I don’t think this is so unusual, but I often get my best ideas when I’m out taking a walk.

MR: One of the most prominent features of children's literature is illustration. Do your characters, as they are drawn, match the portraits you must have had in your mind’s eye while you were writing them?

AB: Actually, I rarely have a visual idea of what my books will look like! When I write a picture book, I know the illustrations will be completely up to the illustrator and editor, so I don’t need to figure out what it should look like. When I’m writing chapter books, I don’t know which images or scenes the illustrator will choose to draw. I don’t really write with that in mind.

MR: I Have a Balloon is marketed as a book for ages 4 to 8. That’s a bit of a range in kid years, I would say. Which age, have you found, has the most to say about the book at readings?

AB: I’ve read the book to kids ages two through ten, and luckily I’ve had great experiences reading to all ages. All of the kids end up having questions, no matter their age, so I can’t really say one age group over another responds to it more.

MR: What subject would you never write about as an author?

AB: I’ve never thought to rule any subject matter out, but there are plenty I just haven’t imagined writing about.

MR: What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview?

AB: What does it feel like to have had such a long career as a children’s book author? (Obviously I need to write a lot more books if I want to be asked this question one day!)

I Have a Balloon is available here: https://goo.gl/v8SbjD