Meet Anne E. Johnson, Author of Ebenezer's Locker
What inspired you to become an author?
I've been writing my whole life, but mainly non-fiction. I wrote seven non-fiction books for kids, about all sorts of things, for the Rosen Publishing Group. Because of my background in music, I prepared some feature articles about music for the New York Times. But then, a few years ago, I decided to try fiction. I didn't know if I'd ever get anything published. But I took a course and I worked very hard, and now I have three novels scheduled for publication in 2012.
How did you come up with the idea for Ebenezer's Locker?
One of the books I enjoyed most as a kid was a sweet story called Ghosts Who Went to School, by Judith Spearing. It's about a family of ghosts who move into a haunted house, and the ghost kids (who are invisible), secretly attend the regular human school. I wanted to riff on the idea of ghosts in school. In my story, ghosts haunt a building that was once a training school for psychics but is now a public elementary school.
What do you think readers will remember most about your book?
What I had the most fun working on, and I think is the most fun to read, are the details about psychic practices from the early twentieth century. One of the characters is an elderly psychic in the neighborhood who does seances, and her house is full of strange and creepy memorabilia. I did a lot of research on the American Spiritualist movement a hundred years ago.
What advice would you give to a new author trying to get their book published?
First, keep writing. It won't get done if you stop. Second, read your work aloud. It's the only way to be sure what it says and how well it flows. Third, find good beta readers, people to help you be sure your book is in professional shape before you even try to submit it anywhere.
Are you currently working on other books?
I've just finished a sequel to my middle-grade medieval mystery, Trouble at the Scriptorium. And I'm halfway through a sequel to my adult science fiction novel, Green Light Delivery. I even have plot notes for a sequel to Ebenezer's Locker. So, in terms of writing, 2012 is the year of the sequel for me!
You can find out more about Anne E. Johnson and Ebenezer's Locker by visiting www.anneejohnson.com.
I've been writing my whole life, but mainly non-fiction. I wrote seven non-fiction books for kids, about all sorts of things, for the Rosen Publishing Group. Because of my background in music, I prepared some feature articles about music for the New York Times. But then, a few years ago, I decided to try fiction. I didn't know if I'd ever get anything published. But I took a course and I worked very hard, and now I have three novels scheduled for publication in 2012.
How did you come up with the idea for Ebenezer's Locker?
One of the books I enjoyed most as a kid was a sweet story called Ghosts Who Went to School, by Judith Spearing. It's about a family of ghosts who move into a haunted house, and the ghost kids (who are invisible), secretly attend the regular human school. I wanted to riff on the idea of ghosts in school. In my story, ghosts haunt a building that was once a training school for psychics but is now a public elementary school.
What do you think readers will remember most about your book?
What I had the most fun working on, and I think is the most fun to read, are the details about psychic practices from the early twentieth century. One of the characters is an elderly psychic in the neighborhood who does seances, and her house is full of strange and creepy memorabilia. I did a lot of research on the American Spiritualist movement a hundred years ago.
What advice would you give to a new author trying to get their book published?
First, keep writing. It won't get done if you stop. Second, read your work aloud. It's the only way to be sure what it says and how well it flows. Third, find good beta readers, people to help you be sure your book is in professional shape before you even try to submit it anywhere.
Are you currently working on other books?
I've just finished a sequel to my middle-grade medieval mystery, Trouble at the Scriptorium. And I'm halfway through a sequel to my adult science fiction novel, Green Light Delivery. I even have plot notes for a sequel to Ebenezer's Locker. So, in terms of writing, 2012 is the year of the sequel for me!
You can find out more about Anne E. Johnson and Ebenezer's Locker by visiting www.anneejohnson.com.
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Stacie Theis / / copyright 2012