Remember how I said I was thankful for people who were inspirations to me, and they didn't even know it? Well, I had the honor of interviewing one of those inspirations: Mikki Sadil.
Mikki is a recently published author. Her book an historical fiction entitled The Freedom Thief, is available on Amazon.com as an e-book. She has been working on this book for two years, and experienced so many setbacks during that time, I'm sure she felt like throwing her hands up in defeat. However, she didn't, and each time something tried to push her down, she pushed back with a stronger determination to keep going. Without knowing it, she became an inspiration to me to keep going, even when it felt like everything was against me. I was so happy when she agreed to let me interview her. And so, without further adieu, here is my interview with Mikki Sadil, author of the newly released, young adult historical novel, The Freedom Thief.
1. What made you pick the Civil War era?
I’ve been interested in the Civil
War ever since I studied it as a kid in school. Back then, I couldn’t
understand why a difference in philosophy could cause family members, as well
as friends and neighbors, to go to a war where they would or could actually
kill each other, brother against brother, and so on. As I grew older, of
course, I realized that a difference in philosophy, be it religious, political,
societal, or whatever, is usually what causes wars. But none have ever been as
deadly as the Civil War.
2. Did the story
come to you all at once? A little bit at a time? Was it fun to write?
I began the story as the final
assignment for my first course at the Institute of Children’s Literature. I did
finish it, but wasn’t quite satisfied, so I took the Advanced Novel writing
course in order to finish it properly. My instructor didn’t care for it, and
wanted me to write a more contemporary story, which I did, and which has become
my second novel to be published next year. I then took a second novel course,
and again finished this manuscript. However, this time, my instructor and I
were at odds over it from day one, and when I finished the course, I deleted
the entire first 5 chapters, and rewrote the whole story. The Freedom Thief, which came out on Nov. 8th,
is nothing like either of the two previous versions. So it wasn’t a “little bit
at a time!” And “fun to write?” Well, at times, yes, at other times, no it was
frustrating!
3. Why did you make the main character, Ben, so
young? Would the story have been seriously altered had he been older?
I wanted to make this a middle
grade or young adult story. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed Ben
should be young enough to have his making the decision to help his slave friend
escape a very daring event, and the things that happened to them along the way
even more adventuresome. If he had been older, I don’t think the impact of
arranging an escape, especially since it was on such a “spur-of-the-moment”
timing, would have been as great.
4. Did you enjoy the research? Was it long and
tedious?
Yes, I did enjoy it, but that’s
because I love to do research. Actually, I research every story I write, to
make sure I have all the tiniest details correct. It was long, more than 2
years, but not tedious, as it also included a barge trip down the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers that my husband and I took We visited a lot of historical
towns and Civil War sites, and I learned some wonderful details that I included
in the story.
5. What was your inspiration for the cover? I like
how the title on the front is colored in red, white, and blue. Was that your
idea?
I had only a small input into the
cover. My publishing company has Cover Artists that do all the covers. Her
first cover was lovely, but it was so esoteric that I knew kids would never in
a thousand years understand it, or “get” the idea and imagery behind it. So I
sent it back and told her 10-13 year olds would never understand it. She
finally came up with the one I went with, but although it is nice, I’m still
not in love with it. The CA didn’t even know the story was for kids…CAs are not
required to read the books…so she and I didn’t agree too much on anything. I do
like the way she did the title.
6. Are you
enjoying your new job of being a writer?
LOL! I’m laughing because it seems
like I’ve been writing all my life! I have, off and on, but these last few
years of writing for publication have been so intense that it almost seems like
I’ve never done anything else!
7. Can we get
a hint as to the nature of your next book?
Of course! The book that is coming
out in the spring is a contemporary novel about a 13 year old girl ( I seem to
be “stuck” on 13 year olds Here is the blurb that will be on the back cover:
My name is Alyson Joanne, but
everyone calls me AJ. I have two best friends, Julie and Jaime, a champion
mare, and a great family. Well, that’s the way it was. Then Celine Carroll came to town, and
everything changed. Celine took over
my life. Celine took over Julie and
Jaime, who aren’t my BFFs anymore. Celine started a fight at school with me, and because of Celine, I got hurt in cheerleading. Speaking of
cheerleading, my new partners are Lisa and Amberley (thanks to Celine), the two most disliked girls in school. And
that’s not all. My parents are divorcing. My mare got hurt. There’s a new woman
in my dad’s life. My whole world is upside down. I mean, you’d think Celine
was some kind of evil omen, wouldn’t you?
Although, Amberley…she becomes the one bright light in…well, I guess you’re
just going to have to read my story to learn about Amberley, and what happens
to her and to me.
The title of this book is: Cheers,
Chocolate, and Other Disasters.
8. What advice can you offer someone who’s been writing
for a long time and might want to throw up their hands in despair because
they’re not seeing the fruits of their labor as fast as they thought they
would?
The first thing I would say is
Never Give UP. This past year and a half in my private life and that of my
family, has taught me that no matter what happens, you HAVE to keep on keeping
on. If you don’t, you will end up in the middle of a bleak, dark tunnel and not
find the light at the end. But if you don’t give up, that light will come, and
you will find it. The second thing is something my first instructor at ICL told
me: Don’t follow the advice of so many writing teachers, and ONLY “write what
you know.” That can get old and boring real fast. LEARN what
you don’t know but want to, STUDY what you don’t know but want to, and then
WRITE about it. Follow your heart, follow your dreams, don’t pay attention to
current fads in writing because they will be gone by the time you publish, and
don’t give up.
Thank you so much,
Mikki! Be sure to check out her book on Amazon.com, here’s the link to it. http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Thief-Mikki-Sadil-ebook/dp/B00GJ1A7JI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385652099&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Freedom+Thief
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