Interview & Giveaway: Jinnie Wishmaker by D.D. Roy

Original Title: Jinnie Wishmaker

Author: D.D. Roy

Publisher: Casey Shay Press

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Eleven-year-old Jinnie has a dilemma--she can grant wishes, but she can't control the results.

The school counselor tells Jinnie to join the Troubled Tweens, a group of kids with similar power problems. Maddy’s touch makes anyone explode in anger. Grace can make people like her--as long as they don’t let go of her arm.

But their loose use of magic attracts the attention of the Loki, a group of magic thieves and pranksters. They want to steal an open-ended wish from Jinnie, and it will take all the limited and messed-up magic she and her friends possess to make sure their powers don’t fall into the Loki’s greedy hands.

Jinnie Wishmaker is the first book of the Troubled Tweens series for 9-12 year olds

INTERVIEW WITH D.D. ROY

1.  Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?

I am inspired by LIFE! I want to write down your quirky weirdness for using in my novel. BEWARE of being near me!  I will put you in my books!

2.  When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

I wanted to be a teacher! In first grade, a first grade teacher, in second grade, a second grade teacher… You get the idea. I DID end up teaching for a long time, both seventh grade and high school. I loved it!

3.  What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

The AVENGERS!!!! And Thor 2. I love Thor, and I feel most of my stories are like mythology in that they explain things we don’t understand (such as where the heck do all our missing socks GO?)

4.  What are your current literary works?  Any sneak peeks?

Jinnie Wishmaker is a book for nine-to-twelve year olds, about a girl who discovers she can grant any living thing its one true wish. And Dust Bunnies: Secret Agents is an iPad/iPhone story book app about the dusty world under your bed.

Both stories have sequels in development. Jinnie’s friend Marcus discovers his power at the end of her book, but he has NO IDEA how powerful he really is. And in Dust Bunnies, a baby bunny has stowed away and gotten lost in the human world—so The Search for Crispin will eventually be coming out so human readers can find him.

5.  If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

·         THOR! Or Chris Hemsworth, who is dreamy and plays Thor in the movies.

·         Sonya Sones. She’s my favorite teen writer! We’ve exchanged messages, but I want to meet her!

·         Phineas and Ferb. They are the funniest people on television—like ever.

·         Roald Dahl. Which might be kind of creepy, since he died in 1990, but he was such an influence on me. I can handle a little decay. J

6.  Which authors have influence on you most.. how?

Roald Dahl! I loved how all the kids in his books were calm, clever, and in control. And the adults were crazy, messed up, and strange. Just like in real life. So I did it too in Jinnie Wishmaker. You can see the influence of Matilda especially.

7.  Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. 

Because it has lava lamps! (And mood rings!) Oops. Two sentences. Does it count as a sentence if there’s no verb? Nope. Let’s go for three: Magic ice cream! There ya go. Three reasons.

8.  Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

A little girl ran up to me on the sidewalk to show me the Dust Bunny she colored after an author visit. I was spotted by a fan!!!!! Just like Chris Hemsworth would! (Swoon.)

9.  What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Never. Give. Up. You may be writing garbage right now. But everything we write at first is garbage. Imagine your computer is the DeLorean in Back to the Future. Garbage goes in as fuel. TIME MACHINE AWESOME comes out. Just like that. In the middle is WORK.

10.  If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. You had me at chocolate.

11.  If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

Crazy in Pink. (Yes, I have pink hair! Yes, I am crazy!)

12.  What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?

My favorite scene in Jinnie Wishmaker is when she is trying to find her way to Silver’s house (the bad girl) and get back the stolen wish. She stops at a street sign and can’t read it because she has dyslexia, and realizes, she doesn’t have to READ the word, she just has to match the letters. And that is the last time she lets her learning disability stop her.

13.  What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?

La la la. Phineas and Ferb. La la la. I am a grown up. La la la. I’ve seen every episode ten times. La la la.

14.  What is one book everyone should read?

Mine! (What, I can’t say that? Oh. Well, then. Hmmm.) I’d say Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars. Brilliant. Stunning. I cry every time they find Charlie, and I’ve read it dozens of times. Gorgeous writing.

15.  One food you would never eat?

Fried turtle shells! What? It’s not a real food? Well, lucky then, as I’d never EVER eat it. (Turtles, you can thank me later.)

QUICK ANSWERS

Favorite place?

Dessert bars. All you can eat dessert bars.

Best Christmas present? 

Mood rings! I collect them.

Favorite book?

What My Mother Doesn’t Know

Favorite author?

Sonya Sones

Favorite smell?

Cilantro! Yum!

Favorite series?

Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Nickname?

Peedinkles. Yeah. Don’t call me that or else. J

Favorite writing spot?

Bull Creek Park, by the water.

Favorite movie?

Twelve Monkeys

Favorite dish?

Thor. He’s a dish!

Favorite color?

Purple.

Favorite quote?

Well behaved women seldom make history.

A bunch of small gifts or one big expensive one?

All of the above!

Your best trait?

Generosity.

Your worst trait?

Impatience! (Are we done yet?????)

Wait, I’m hearing “There’s 104 days of summer vacation” in the other room. Phineas and Ferb! Gotta go!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D.D. Roy wrote her first story "Blackie and the Garbage Dump Dogs" when she was in elementary school. As a teen, she tried to destroy her little hand-made books, but if you get a chance to meet D.D.'s mom, she will whip out the one surviving copy, still to D.D.'s total embarrassment.

Her first middle grade novel, JINNIE WISHMAKER, became a Hot New Release on the Nook, and was re-released as a hardcover School Library Edition through Casey Shay Press in spring 2012. Her story book app for the iPad, DUST BUNNIES: SECRET AGENTS, just came out in May through Polycot Labs.

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Twitter

GIVEAWAY

The author is offering the following prizes to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (this is an international contest):

As a tie in to Jinnie Wishmaker, I have two Magical Mood Rings to give away. Mood rings are a central item in the book as it is how the Troubled Tweens determine if a new member has a magical power or not. Very fun!

For the grand prize, Casey Shay Press is offering their bestselling balloon animal kit. It includes the paperback book Kids Show Kids How to Make Balloon Animals (for the same age group as Jinnie Wishmaker) as well as a professional pump and balloons.

TO ENTER THIS AMAZING GIVEAWAY, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS COMMENT IN THIS POST.  PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, SO THAT WE CAN CONTACT YOU BACK IF YOU WIN!

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!  ENDS JUNE 29TH!