Barbara Dee is the author of numerous middle-grade realistic fiction novels, including the upcoming Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet and Maybe He Just Likes You, which tells the story of seventh grader Mila, who's beginning to get some odd--and unwanted--attention from boys, which seems to be much worse than the flirting everyone else makes it out to be. We loved the story's characters, realism and deftness, so we were thrilled to interview Barbara Dee about it! 


Rapunzel Reads: The characters in Maybe He Just Likes You are all relatable, particularly Mila's friends: even when they're not helping her--or perhaps then specifically--they always feel honest and believable, like someone I could know myself. How do you create your characters? Do you have a favorite among them? 

Barbara Dee: Thank you! Of course I relate most strongly to Mila. But I have a special place in my heart for her bratty little sister Hadley, who cracks me up. Also, I’m pleased with Zara, the toxic friend. Everyone has a Zara in their life!

When I’m creating a character, I always try to give them some quirks and inconsistencies—little (and sometimes big) surprises. So for example, Zara is the leader of their friends group--a loud, charismatic, extroverted kid who is also insecure about her body.


RR: Do you have any tips for an aspiring writer?

BD: First, if you want to be a writer, you need to be a reader. Read constantly. Read what you love, and ask yourself: Why do I love this book? 

Scott Reintgen is the author of several books for young adults and kids. His middle-grade Talespinners series (Saving Fable, Escaping Ordinary, and Breaking Badlands) tells the tale of Indira Story, an aspiring character who, despite being relegated to the role of Side Character, may still have it in her to become a hero. We loved the series' quirky humor, clever plot twists, and detailed world, so we were thrilled to interview Scott Reintgen for this month's feature! 


Rapunzel Reads: What inspired Saving Fable?

Scott Reintgen: I really just wanted to explore what it would look like for someone to prepare for a role in a story. What kind of training would they need? And who would their teachers be? But maybe the main inspiration was this: I wanted to have fun writing. I'd been reading darker stories and writing darker stories--and this world let me enjoy the whimsical and fun of writing.


RR: Saving Fable's world is full of quirkiness and writing references in a way which makes it awesome to read. Do you have a favorite part about it?

SR: My personal favorite might be Detective Malaprop. I just have a soft spot for the bumbling detective type character? I  also  love  the   Sepulcher.   I   truly   have 

Lisa Fipps is the author of Starfish, a middle-grade realistic fiction novel in verse. It tells the story of Ellie, who has spent years trying to keep people from targeting her because of her weight, but who maybe can learn that she's worthy of respect and love, too. We loved Starfish (it was one of our favorites from 2021), and so we were thrilled to interview Lisa Fipps for this month's feature!


Rapunzel Reads: Ellie is a multi-dimensional character who feels real, and who we both quickly fell in love with, and your supporting characters (especially Doc!) are also irresistible. What's your process for creating characters?

Lisa Fipps: Characters come to me through what I call movie trailers in my head. A little weird, huh? For example, one movie trailer I had was Ellie swimming in the pool. She was angry. I could tell from how hard her arms slapped the water, how hard she kicked. She swam and swam until she calmed down. Then she floated. I could tell by the look on her face that she was thinking. And then she stretched out her arms and legs — starfished — and her mouth drew up in a smile. Watching that movie trailer made me ask all kinds of questions about her. Why is she angry? What is she thinking about? Why is she stretching out like a starfish? That movie trailer became the poem I’m a Starfish. I don’t get a movie trailer for every poem and I don’t get them in chronological order. Darn it. I get them for the big moments and have to piece together the story. I’d like to get a full-length movie in my head sometime. That’s be sooo helpful! LOL. The closest I’ve come to that is with book two. I   saw   what   I   call   a   mini-movie,  showing

Graci Kim is the author of The Last Fallen Star, an instant New York Times bestseller and the first book in the Gifted Clans trilogy. The sequel, The Last Fallen Moon, will come out this June. We loved her first novel for its awesome protagonist, constantly surprising plot, and vivid world--we can't wait for book two! We were thrilled to get the chance to interview Graci Kim for this month's feature. 


Rapunzel Reads: Who is your favorite character in The Last Fallen Star, and why?

Graci Kim: My favorite character has got to be Emmett Harrison. I love him because he claims to be allergic to emotions and pretends to be all snarky, but really deep down, he's this baking-obsessed, uber loyal dude who loves dressing dogs up in funny costumes. I wish I could meet him in real life! 


RR: Hattie and Riley's relationship feels extraordinarily real, and is one of the strongest I've come across in fantasy novels. What inspired it?

GK: I have two younger sisters and they were my inspirations for the sisterhood between Hattie and Riley. They are four years and five years younger than me, and I love them with 

Karah Sutton is the author of A Wolf for a Spell, a middle-grade fantasy novel inspired by Russian fairy tales. We loved it for its complex characters, layered plot, and exquisite atmosphere. We were thrilled to interview her for this week's feature! 


Rapunzel Reads: Who is your favorite character in A Wolf for a Spell, and why?

Karah Sutton: I am especially fond of Veter, the lone wolf. I love how expressive he is. How he's always optimistic even though he has experienced so much pain. He was a lot of fun to write.


RR: What books inspired you when you were growing up?

KS: Growing up I was an especially big fan of Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede, and The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. Even though I'm now an adult I still read a lot of books for young readers and I'm grateful to have found books that I didn't read growing up such as Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, both of which were major sources of inspiration for A Wolf for a Spell!


RR: The world of A Wolf for a Spell clearly echoes folklore, but also adds its own elements,   with    Zima’s    forest    feeling 

Padma Venkatraman is the author of four novels for teens and middle-grade readers. Her most recent book, The Bridge Home, tells the story of sisters Viji and Rukku when they run away from home, and make friends who help them survive on the streets. We loved its believable characters, vivid imag-ery, and beautiful, heartbreaking humanity. Her next novel, Born Behind Bars, will be released tomor-row. We were thrilled to interview Padma Venkatraman for this week's post! 


Rapunzel Reads: The narrative of The Bridge Home is an interesting combination of first and second person, which I don't remember having seen before, and powerfully anchors the story around Rukku, despite being told from Viji's perspective. What inspired you to write it in that way, and what was it like doing so? 

Padma Venkatraman: It is, indeed a very way to write a story - and it's also really hard to pull off (luckily I 

Christina Diaz Gonzalez is the author of several middle-grade and young adult novels. Her Moving Target duology (Moving Target and Return Fire) is a fast-paced fantasy series which tells the story of Cassie Arroyo, who discovers she has the ability to wield the powerful--and dangerous--Spear of Destiny. We loved the duology for its detailed plotting, strong sense of place, and brilliant characters. We were thrilled to interview Christina Diaz Gonzalez for this month's feature! 


Rapunzel Reads: In the Moving Target duology, you evoke a strong sense of the setting (Italy). What inspired you to set these books there?

Christina Diaz Gonzalez: Setting is an important part of every book and I knew that this story required a place that blended old world legends with modern attributes. Italy fit the bill perfectly as I had taken a family trip to Rome and absolutely fallen in love with the mix of old and new.


RR: Do you have any tips for an aspiring writer?

CDG: My best tip for aspiring writers is to observe the world around you and let your imagination roam free. Some of the 

Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
 
Stuart Gibbs is the New York Times-bestselling and award-winning author of the Spy School, FunJungle, and Moon Base Alpha series, among others. We recently read and loved one of his recent books, Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation, which tells the story of a girl genius who teams up with the CIA to find the hiding place of a Einstein's last equation. We were thrilled to interview him for this month's feature! 
 
 
Rapunzel Reads: We love the way Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation blends real historical facts with a fictional storyline! What was the research process like (we read in your afterword that you traveled to many of the places the story is set in), and how much of the material you used was true?
 
Stuart Gibbs: The research was really done over a long period. I first had the idea for the book well over a decade ago, after seeing an exhibit on Albert Einstein at a science museum. To help build the story, I read a few books on Einstein and physics, and then was lucky enough to be invited to Jerusalem on an author tour, which allowed me to do research there.  Mount Wilson is located close to where I live, so that was easy to visit. I would say that every fact I give in the book that does not concern Pandora is true: everything about Einstein's life, physics, and history.
 
 
RR: Who is your favorite character in Charlie Thorne, 

Interview by Piranha T.
 
Rosaria Munda is the author of the young adult fantasy novels Fireborne and its sequel, Flamefall (which was released last month), the first two books in the Aurelian Cycle. We loved Fireborne for its intricate world-building, strong character arcs, and unexpec-ted twists--Flamefall is next on our to-read list! We were thrilled to interview Rosaria Munda about Fireborne for this month’s feature.
 
 
Rapunzel Reads: Fireborne is full of twists on clichés and classic plotlines. Did these come about as the story progressed, or were some of them in your mind initially as you wrote?
 
Rosaria Munda: Lee’s inversion of the deposed aristocrat was probably the main reason I wrote the book, so it was there from the start. Other things came later.
 
 
RR: I read on your website that you initially had another point of view in Fireborne. How did the process of editing out that character change the way you told the story?
 
RM: Originally Duck was a POV character, but it didn’t work because he didn’t have a story 

Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
 
Alexandra Ott is the author of the Rules for Thieves duology, Seekers of the Wild Realm, and its sequel, Legend of the Realm, which will be released this summer. We loved Seekers of the Wild Realm for its cool worldbuilding and strong characters. We were thrilled to be able to interview her for this month’s post!


RapunzelReads: Seekers of the Wild Realm has many interesting, well-developed characters. Do you have a favorite among them? If so, why?

Alexandra Ott: It’s so hard to choose! They’re all fun to write. But I think Bryn is probably my favorite; I just love how determined and ambitious she is and how she doesn’t let anything stand in the way of accomplishing her goals. I also have big soft spots for Ari and Runa. Ari is such a genuinely sweet, empathetic character, and Runa is so smart and resourceful. I actually wrote an even bigger role for Runa in the second book in the series, because I just wanted to keep writing about her!
 
 
RR: The Wild Realm, including its magic, is interesting and unique. What inspired it? What is your favorite part about it?

​Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
 
J. A. White is the author of numerous middle-grade novels, including the Thickety quartet, beginning with A Path Begins ​(which we selected as one of our favorite books of 2020); Nightbooks, a modern twist on the tale of Scheherazade; and his latest novels, the Shadow School series. We like his books for their twisting plots and fully imagined worlds—we were thrilled to interview him for this month’s feature!
 
 
Rapunzel Reads: A Path Begins has many unique, well-developed characters. Of them, do you have a favorite? If so, why?
 
J. A. White: Thanks!  My favorite character—indeed, my favorite of all my characters in all my books—is Grace.  I know she’s an awful person, but that’s what made her so much  fun!  Also,  I don’t outline  my  books,

Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
 

Aimee Lucido is the author of the award-winning novel Emmy in the Key of Code (which received a 2020 Rapunzel Reads Book of the Year award) and the upcoming Recipe for Disaster, which will be released in Fall 2021. Emmy in the Key of Code follows the story of Emmy’s journey as she discovers coding as well as her old passion for music and navigates new friendships and a new school. We love it for its sympathetic characters and beautiful free verse, and we were thrilled to interview her for this month’s feature!

 
RapunzelReads: What inspired you to write Emmy in the Key of Code, particularly the combination of elements of music and coding?
 
Aimee Lucido: I had the idea to write Emmy in the Key of Code in a combination of poetry, music, and code, when I was reading a novel in verse by Andrea Davis Pinkney called The Red Pencil. The Red Pencil is a beautiful novel in verse that has absolutely nothing to do with computers, and yet somehow, while I was reading the book, I was struck by how similar Pinkney's verse was to the coding language Python. Both use colons, newlines, and tabs very intentionally in order to convey meaning, and that's when I realized that I could potentially tell