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 Learn more about the Tea Leaf authors! Click on a name to read about... K.E. Calder A.D. Fast H.A. Levigne H.J. Lewis H.G. Sotzek If you'd like to ask one of these authors a question, send us an email! K.E. Calder1. Where and when were you born? Toronto, Ontario, June 2, 1974. 2. What is your first name? My name is Kate. 3. Where do you live? I live in Toronto, Ontario. Although, as a kid my family moved around a lot. I was often the new kid at school. 4. What was your favourite subject in school? You're probably not surprised that it was English. I loved writing short stories. In high school and university I took as many English classes as I could. 5. What else have you written? I have written several non-fiction children's books, including "Figure Skating from A to Z" and "The Life of a Miner." I have also written magazine articles. 6. Do you have any special connection to the topics in your novels? Yes. The Deer Lake novels are based on the Muskoka town where I spent my summers during my childhood. The Bailey Bay Inn was inspired by an actual hotel that is rumoured to be haunted! 7. How did you get started writing? I always had an interest in books and writing growing up. After I graduated from university, I went to journalism school. I began working in publishing soon after that. I decided to write fiction for children and I'm enjoying the experience very much. 8. What is the hardest part of writing a book? The hardest part for me is writing the first few chapters. First I write an outline of all the chapters. But starting the actual writing takes dedication. 9. What's the best thing about writing a book? Once I've started writing and the story starts to take shape. That's very exciting. I also love describing characters. The biggest reward, though, is when the book is finished and your readers tell you that they enjoyed it. 10. What was your favourite book as a kid? One of my favourite books was The Root Cellar by Janet Lunn, which is about a girl who goes back in time. I also loved books by Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. And I read several novels in the Sweet Valley High series. back to top A.D. Fast 1. Where have you lived in your life? I have lived in St. Catharines and London, Ontario. 2. What is your full name and why do you use initials on your books? My name is April DeAnne (Wilcox) Fast. I use initials on my books because thought it would help make my books appealing to both male and female readers. Sometimes people expect a certain type of book from a woman, and certain type of book from a man. But fiction is fiction. Also, this way, I am another character the reader gets to create. 3. What else have you written? I have written non-fiction books for an educational publisher. I have also written brochures and newsletters. 4. Do you have any special connection to the topics in your novels? I grew up with rowing, and watched many regattas being held in the area. I had very positive high school experiences, but I know the choices and the challenges we all face as teenagers. I watched many friends make bad decisions and end up having to deal with those situations. The Mystery of the Medieval Coin and To Save a King became important to me because I knew students were studying Medieval times in school, and I know some great kids with great imaginations. The stories came to me as I watched the kids play, and listened to their questions in the classroom. 5. How did you come up with the idea for Angel Wilson, Teenage Diva? Angel Wilson is very special to me. One day, I started thinking about all the crazy things that happened to me and my friends in high school. It also made me think about all the books out there about bad friends and high school stress. I thought it might be nice to take a look at another side of high school—the fun, the great friends, the new opportunities. Then this character, Angel, popped into my head and had me laughing at inappropriate times! I decided I had to write the book, and was encouraged to publish it. Now it is my favourite book of all the books I've written, just because it makes people laugh. 6. Did you want to become a famous singer, like Angel Wilson? I still do! You never know! 7. How did you get started writing? I had an awesome high school English teacher named Mr. Bill Goodwin, who not only got me hooked on really good books, but also had us do a lot of essay writing and creative writing. His encouragement and leadership pointed me in the direction of writing. 8. But writing books is different. How did you come up with your first novel? When I graduated from university, I started working for a children's educational book publisher. The books were all non-fiction and left little room for creativity, but I did get to practice writing sentences in different ways. When the publishers announced that they were considering publishing a line of fiction books, I offered to give it a shot! I sat down and let my imagination guide my pen, and I wrote a short story about pioneer times. I was really nervous handing it in. The company decided not to publish fiction after all, but they gave me some great feedback that encouraged me to keep writing. The next thing I knew, I was writing longer and longer stories. Eventually, they became the first of my Bayview High novels. Now I just can't stop! 9. Please add anything else that you think students might like to know about yourself. As far as other interests go, I am also a certified fitness trainer and a professional singer. But I should have become a teacher. I love school. If I could, I would have stayed in school forever! It is the best place to be! back to top H.A. Levigne 1. Where have you lived in your life? I was born in Port Hope, Ontario and I moved to Thunder Bay, ON, when I was five years old. At age twelve, I moved to Sault Ste. Marie, ON, where I lived for eleven years before moving to St. Catharines, ON, where I live now. 2. What else have you written? I have written several children's non-fiction books on numerous subjects, including history, science, and sports. 3. Do you have any special connection to the topics in your novels? I was an editor at my high school newspaper, like the main character in Dear Liz. I can also relate to the characters in New Girl and Striking Distance. Both of those books are about teens who have to start fresh at a new school, and the challenges they face in doing so. My family moved a lot when I was young and I was often the new kid at school. Even though it was hard to switch schools, I think it helped me learn how to adapt to new situations. For some of my books, like Muscle Bound and High Stakes, I chose to write about topics that were different from my own experiences. I like learning about new things, and I enjoy the research part of preparing a manuscript. I read a lot about the subject and talk to experts to get the information I need before starting to write a story. Sometimes I work with a consultant to make sure I get the details right. 4. How did you get started writing? I enjoyed writing stories and poems from a young age. I used to keep them in a journal, which I still have. My parents always encouraged me to write: they entered my stories in writing contests and sent my poems to family and friends. Their pride in my writing helped me develop confidence. 5. What was your favourite book as a kid? Some of my favourite books were: A Wrinkle in Time, Little Women, Where The Red Fern Grows, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Harriet The Spy. I also liked books written by Judy Blume, Lucy Maud Montgomery, and C.S. Lewis. When I was a teenager, I read a lot of Stephen King novels and "teen" series like Sweet Valley High. 6. Please add anything else that you think students might like to know about yourself. Ever since I was very young, I have loved books. I used to read ALL the time--while riding in the car, eating breakfast, in bed (when I was supposed to be sleeping), and even while brushing my teeth! I think the best way to become a good writer is to be a good reader. I have a full-time job as a technical writer. In my spare time, I enjoy being with my family. I also like being creative and making things with my hands--sewing, knitting, cooking and gardening are just a few of the things I like to do. back to top H.J. Lewis 1. Where have you lived in your life? I have lived in St. Catharines and in Guelph, Ontario. 2. How many books have you written? I have written 6 novels for young people. I also co-authored 3 non-fiction children's books. 3. What was it like to write your latest book, Hidden Talent? I had a lot of fun writing this book! It was great to be able to contribute to the Bayview High series. It was an interesting challenge because the setting and the school characters (for example, the teachers and people like old Mrs. Finkle) have already been established. I had to make my story work in their world. I also enjoyed writing from a male character's point of view. 4. Do you have any special connection to the character of Mel in the Deer Lake novels? I can certainly relate to being a 13-year-old girl! My stories brought back a lot of memories about what it was like, and what it felt like, to be that age. As for the cottage connection, for many summers my family spent one week at a cottage on Lake Huron. I also had two summers' experience working at a camp in Algonquin Park when I was a teenager. Many "pieces" of my books came from those experiences. I can also relate to the Randall family's interests in things like vegetarianism, recycling, composting, and saving the Earth in general. These were (and still are) a big part of life for me. 5. How did you get started writing? I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Even in elementary school, I was writing short stories and poems. I don't recall any specific event that triggered my interest; I just always had a fascination for the written word. I loved to read--I was constantly reading books. My interest in writing probably came out of that. 6. What is the hardest part of writing a book? For me, it is having the discipline to sit down and WRITE. I have lots of ideas floating around in my head, but I don't always have the willpower to put them down on paper (or type them into my computer). I get distracted very easily. 7. What was your favourite book as a kid? I don't think I could pick just one! I loved the Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon series by L.M. Montgomery. Little House on the Prairie and The Black Stallion were good series, too. I loved The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, and I had a book of Grimms' Fairy Tales that I read hundreds of times. I read anything by Judy Blume and Gordon Korman. Phew! How's that for a short answer? I could list more, but we might run out of space. Other fun facts about H.J. Lewis: I love everything about books. In addition to reading books for fun, I worked in a library and a couple of bookstores before I got into publishing. Now, for my career, I write books, edit them, and design them! I also design websites. When I'm not working or reading, I like to travel. I also like to play music with my family, and I sing in a band, which is a lot of fun. If you want to read more, check out my myspace page! back to top H.G. Sotzek 1. Where have you lived in your life? I have always lived in the Niagara Region, in Southern Ontario. But I've spent good chunks of time in Wyoming and Texas. 2. What else have you written? Three children's non-fiction books, one on golf and two on animals. But I've also done lots of other jobs that are also important in making a book--such as researching, editing, finding pictures, and working with illustrators and designers. So, I've actually helped make more than a hundred books! 3. Do you have any special connection to the topics in your novels? Definitely! Growing up, I felt a lot of pressure to succeed--from teachers, other students, and, of course, from my family, just like Riley did in Making the Grade. The challenges I faced taught me a lot about myself and what I wanted out of life. One thing I learned was to keep trying new things. For example, I took some photography classes for fun and learned that I love to work in the darkroom. I also played the piano, I wrote, I read, and I made things because doing these things felt right to me. And by doing what I love to do, I found a way to deal with all those confusing and difficult feelings and situations that life throws at you. Kind of like Ethan in The Edge and how he used drawing as a way to express himself. And later, how he learns to choose his family and true friends to help him deal with things that he can't handle on his own. In fact, I'm still learning and keep on trying new things. My latest interest is drawing--I'm now sketching everything from people's faces to prehistoric creatures. 4. How did you get started writing? When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a writer. And a doctor and an archaeologist. As you can see, I changed my mind a lot about my future. But no matter what I wanted to do, I always found myself surrounded with books. My family is a family of readers and books have always been part of my life. I was raised knowing that books are special. My room was filled with them. The library felt like home. I even used to have friendly reading competitions with a good friend. Then in high school, I worked on the school yearbook. It was so exciting to create something special out of a blank page. Later, in university, I studied English. I loved to read about other experiences and points of view. Slowly, I realised that all my true interests in my life were formed around books and all that goes into making them. Writing just seemed to be the next logical step--and I love it! 5. What is the hardest part of writing a book? Getting started is difficult for me. There are so many ways to tell a story. It takes me a long time to decide which one works best. The second hardest part is finding the time to do it. I've spent a lot of very late nights working. I'll even admit that I've written a chapter or two while sitting in my car. 6. What is the best thing about writing a book? I'd have to say "finishing it!" Phew! But seriously, I have a sense of wonder and accomplishment when I look back at the steps that went into writing my books. It's amazing to me how my ideas turned into an outline of a story and then became a complete little world by the end of it all. How characters in my mind became "living" people on paper. And knowing that other people will read my book and get a little look into this world is really exciting! Also, there are "bits" of people I know in some of the dialogue and actions of my characters. By adding a bit of them into my story is a little tribute to these real people whom I love. 7. What was your favourite book as a kid? Wow, that's a tough question. I really, really loved the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read and reread all those books too many times to count! And I still get a thrill when I think of any children's book written by Roald Dahl. I even have my hardcover edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I received for my ninth birthday. The pages are now falling out because I read it so much, but I could never bear to part with it. It's priceless to me. |
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