Author Interview: Augusta Scattergood

Everyone please welcome Augusta Scattergood!

1. Hello Augusta. Welcome, and thank you for taking the time to stop by Damsels in Regress to talk with us. I love a good historical, but I have to admit I read very few that are set in the south during the 1960s. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I started reading, but I was pulled in from the start and thoroughly enjoyed Glory’s story. Where did you first get the idea to write this novel?

The easy answer is that I was “present at the creation.” I grew up during this time period, in a small town in Mississippi, and I’ve always been fascinated with how little we knew or understood until after some of these historic events took place.

So in some ways, I’ve been thinking about the story for a long time. But I actually started the version that’s closest to my finished novel after hearing Ruby Bridges speak at the New Jersey school where I was working. Having integrated the New Orleans public schools as a very young child, she really inspired me and made me think about my own childhood. After that, I turned a (potentially boring) short story about a wedding planner into what became GLORY BE. I’m so glad I did.

2. What type of research did you do for this novel? How much were you able to pull on your own memories or experiences to write Glory Be?

As a former school and reference librarian, I never considered writing purely from my own memories. Of course, it helped that I once actually sported a beehive hair-do, wore really short skirts, and loved Elvis.

But for all the true history behind the story, I read books, newspapers, and the oral histories I found on the Library of Congress and university library websites. I also spent a lot of time in actual libraries. In fact, I do much of my serious writing in a study room of my local library. All those books, and no distractions!

3. Glory is spunky and unafraid to stick her nose where it doesn’t always belong. I love this about her. Did you always plan for her to be like that or did she grow and change as your novel did?

Great question. I think she always had spunk. But she sure did change and grow. As the story evolved, Glory stepped up to the plate. I worked to make her less like me and my friends and more the hero of the story. I think Glory is the 11-year-old I wish I’d been.

4. What do you hope your young readers take away from your novel, particularly in terms of the topic of segregation?

One of the most gratifying things about visiting schools and talking to young readers is to hear the utter disbelief that the situation I describe in GLORY BE could have happened. Close a swimming pool? A park? A school? Just because certain powerful people don’t think they need to be inclusive? It’s mostly beyond today’s kids’ comprehension.

They have a lot of questions about what it was like to live in the South of the early 60s. I don’t know every answer, but I hope I can make them curious to discover more. I always end my school visit sessions with the suggestion that they ask their grandparents, parents, older friends and family about growing up during the Civil Rights era.

5. I know I get attached to certain scenes in my novels that end up getting cut. Was there any one particular scene that you especially loved but didn’t make it into the final novel?

There was one scene involving Glory and Robbie, Jesslyn’s boyfriend, and some particularly poignant exchanges— postcards, worries about a parent. I totally loved my writing in the scene. Some might say over-loved. But I’ve saved it all, and I will continue to try to slip it in somewhere, one of these days, in one of my books!

6. What are some of your favorite historical novels? Do you have any that are set during the same time period of Glory Be that you would recommend?

I really enjoyed ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia. Talk about getting the details right! That book just tickled me with the funny characters, and it made my heart stop with the emotion and strong storytelling.

Two recent adult books set in the 60s in the South that I felt were very thought-provoking were QUEEN OF PALMYRA and THE DRY GRASS OF AUGUST.

7. What’s next writing wise for you? Another historical? Or something completely different?

Middle-grade and historical –or at least kind of historical— that’s the way my brain operates. At least for now.

8. And lastly, I’m always curious to know what other authors are reading. What books are on your to read list?

How much time do you have?

I read constantly. I seem to be reading a ton of middle-grade novels. I scored the ARCs of Barbara O’Connor’s October book, ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO’S and Trent Reedy’s new book, STEALING AIR. I just finished WONDER which could be one of my all-time favorites. I’m reading Natalie Standiford’s new book, and I’m trying to get my hands on THE RAVEN BOYS by Maggie Stiefvater because I think we killed at our recent Texas Library Association/ Readers Theater group performance of our southern books.

I’d better stop there, before you run out of room and word count and cut me off mid-sentence.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with the Damsels today! We really appreciate it!

I totally enjoyed talking to you. Thanks for having me!

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Also, take a moment to check out Scholastic’s Mother Daughter Book Club. Glory Be is Scholastic’s first book! They’re offering a free Skype visit with the author! And there are some great discussion questions and a recipe that was adapted from the book!

Be sure to take a moment to check out Augusta Scattergood’s wonderful blog and webpage

Book Review: Glory Be

Glory Be

Augusta Scattergood

Historical Fiction

Middle Grade

208 Pages

I admit it. I’ve read very few novels set in the 1960s or 70s. Typically they just don’t quite live up to my expectations for that time period. Most of the books are centered around segregation, and I find they’re either too preachy or lack enough seriousness on the topic. I’d heard so many good things about Glory Be though, that I was excited to read it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it definitely exceeded my expectations!

Glory Be takes place during the summer of 1964 in a small town in Mississippi. Gloriana, affectionately known as Glory, is looking forward to a summer of swimming in the public pool and impatiently awaiting her twelfth birthday. Things start to go downhill fast though! It all starts with the pool closing, because of supposed needed repairs. Glory doesn’t understand the real reason behind the closing and is worried that she won’t be able to hold her birthday party there, like she does every year. Her strong headedness and unrelenting need to understand why the pool has “really” been closed pulls her into the troubling issues of segregation.

As she watches adults, deals with her ex-best friend Frankie, and spies on her sister Jesslyn, Glory’s understanding of segregation and how it is wrong grows. She takes action, in her own way, trying to make her voice heard.

What I really liked about the book is it wasn’t just about discrimination. Glory also struggles with her older sister Jesslyn, who suddenly has a new boyfriend and doesn’t have the time of day for her. Being an older sister and having gone through the same thing, their relationship really rang true to me and added to the story. Glory has difficulties with her best friend and she also meets new people and learns from them. The heart of the story does deal with a difficult topic, but the story is also about sisters, love, friendship, understanding, courage, and forgiveness.

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On a side note, take a moment to check out Scholastic’s Mother Daughter Book Club. Glory Be is Scholastic’s first book! They’re offering a free Skype visit with the author! And there are some great discussion questions and a recipe that was adapted from the book!

Be sure to take a moment to check out Augusta Scattergood’s wonderful blog and webpage

Around the 1800s House: The Coffee Mill

Around the House Post: The Coffee Mill

I don’t drink coffee, but recently I got to roast some coffee beans in an old-fashioned coffee roaster and then grind them in a coffee mill. The roasting took quite a bit of time. I had to constantly spin the handle over some ashes pulled out from the fire. The ashes slowly toasted the beans.

Once the beans were ready they were transferred into a coffee mill where they were ground and then finally coffee could be made. This coffee mill is approximately six inches by six inches. On top is the grinder mechanism. The beans were placed in the top. The grinder hand cranked and the grounds would fall down into the little drawer at the bottom of the box.

Odd Scraps for the Economical

Odd Scraps for the Economical

Make your own bread and cake. Some people think it is just as cheap to buy of the baker and confectioner; but it is not half as cheap. True, it is more convenient; and therefore the rich are justifiable in employing them; but those who are under the necessity of being economical, should make convenience a secondary object. In the first place, confectioners make their cake richer than people of moderate income can afford to make it; in the next place, your domestic, or yourself, may just as well employ your own time, as to pay them for theirs.

…presented to you from The American Frugal Housewife – Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy, by Mrs. Child…

A May Day by Any Other Name …

Although May 1st may pass without notice by many of us in the US—probably because we don’t have the day off—the day has a long history of celebrating Spring, and in some places, Summer. The May Day holiday goes by many names with varying methods of celebration around the world. Here is a brief list of a few of them.

• Walpurgis Night: A celebration of Spring of Germanic origin, which includes music and bonfires on May Day eve.
• Beltane: The Celtic festival of fire and fertility, also beginning on May Day eve.
• The Catholic Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
• May Day: Traditional European folk festivals celebrated with the crowning of the May Queen and dancing around the Maypole.
• International Workers’ Day: A celebration of the labor movement through parades and organized demonstrations. (The Occupy Movement has several protests planned for today throughout the US. Europeans are protesting economic austerity measures.)

And because I love old photos, I perused the Library of Congress website to share a bit of history with you.

May Day parade/demonstration, 1900 New York—Library of Congress (I believe the banner says, Org. Aug. 7th 1900, so this is probably May 1901.)

Children at a May Day festival in Battery Park, NY, 1908—Library of Congress

May Day Parade, NY 1910—Library of Congress

A May Day "exercise" at Sweet Briar College in Virginia—Library of Congress (There was no exact date listed. Anyone want to take a guess?)

Here’s to a Happy May Day!

The Mechanical Princess

There’s a lot to admire about Queen Elizabeth II as she celebrates her Diamond Jubilee this year.  My favorite fact about her became the subject of an article I tried to sell to a couple of different magazines, but alas, I think someone else beat me to it.  So here’s my version of Elizabeth’s adolescence, which she spent serving her country in her hour of greatest need:

Elizabeth was thirteen when her country began fighting World War II in 1939.  Many English children were sent out of the country for their safety, but Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret Rose, stayed home with their parents.  They lived in a country estate just outside London, and were kept safe there from the bombings that raged in the big cities. The princesses made speeches on the radio to comfort the children who had been sent away, and they used their allowance to help support the war effort.  When Elizabeth turned eighteen in 1944, she wanted to do more.  After months of begging her father, King George VI, she was allowed to join the Auxiliary Territorial Services, one of the special military branches for women.

Princess Elizabeth serving during WWII, found through an image search on http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/date/2009/05

Up until that time, most of Elizabeth’s schooling had been with private tutors in the palace.  When she started military training, she got a taste of what it was like to learn with other girls from different backgrounds.  Even though her father insisted she go home to Windsor Castle each night for her safety, she joined the group in everything else.  She wore the same uniform and took her turn cleaning up the mess hall at meal times.  During her training, she learned to drive and repair supply trucks—not the usual duties of a princess!  She even took her final driving test through the crowded streets of London and into the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, just to show her father the king that she could do it.

Elizabeth drove trucks until the war ended in May of 1945.  By then she had been in the Army for several months and had risen in her rank.  She never let the danger of regular bombings in London keep her from her duties.  Magazines ran pictures and stories of the mechanical princess both in Britain and overseas, and they encouraged other young women to find ways to serve their countries.  She, in turn, learned what life was like outside the palace, and learned she had skills she never imagined.

Author Interview: Shelley Adina

Please join me in welcoming Shelley Adina, the prolific author of the Magnificent Devices series and many other books for both young adults and adults. Welcome to Damsels in Regress, Shelley!

Thank you—and what fun to be here!

1. Lady Claire Trevelyan has become quite a strong character by the second book, Her Own Devices. How did her story come about?
 
The “fish out of water” story has always been interesting to me, probably because I felt that way every day in high school. So when the urge to write steampunk finally got too strong to ignore, I thought, “What’s the worst kind of ‘out of water’ experience a young Victorian lady could have?” Well, if she’s brought up to wealth and privilege, the absolute worst would be homelessness. And then I got an image of a girl getting mugged outside a Whitechapel train station … and that was the flash point. The story just came.

2. Tell us about your interest in steampunk, including what kind of research you did.

I’ve been a fan of steampunk since I was a kid watching “The Wild, Wild West” on TV in the sixties. The research is absolutely the most fun part. I mean, in how many other careers can you go to Comic Con or Fanime and have it be tax deductible? Here in Silicon Valley one of the coolest events of the year is the Maker Faire, where “makers,” or DIY folks, come together with all the devices, clothes, processes and so on that they’ve invented. Just looking at what other people have created can spur your imagination to go one step further and put that cool raygun in a scene.

Of course, the world you build also has to be grounded in what people know, so my 1889 London features real streets and bridges, real neighborhoods, and real fashion.

3. I know you’re an accomplished seamstress. Did you make any of the costumes that appear in the books?

One of my favorite things about writing steampunk is the ability to go to booksignings and speaking events in full costume. I’ll be teaching at Clockwork Alchemy 2012 in May, and you can bet I’ll be dressed to the teeth. To answer the question, though … there is one costume I describe that I have the pattern, fabric, and trims for. It’s just a matter of carving out the time to make it before May.

4. How many books will there be in the Magnificent Devices series?

My original plan was for three books about Lady Claire’s adventures, but then I was browsing on Deviant Art and saw a picture of a girl who is a dead ringer for the grown-up version of one of the Mopsies (10-year-old twin orphan girls in Lady of Devices). So it seems clear that Lizzie and Maggie are going to become teenagers and have their own stories. And then there’s Peony Churchill, who is running loose in the Canadas with dreams of being an aviatrix … that sounds like three more books to me, don’t you agree?

5. Absolutely! When will the next book be available?

I’m hoping that book 3, Magnificent Devices, will be available in September. The artist who does my covers, PhatPuppyArt.com, sent me an image for book 3 that was just an experiment she wanted to show me … and it was so spot-on perfect that I bought it on the spot. Be prepared to swoon.

6. What kind of novels did you read as a teenager? Any favorites?

I come from Canada, which back then was heavily influenced by British writers. So I grew up reading Elizabeth Goudge, Enid Blyton, and Lucy Maud Montgomery, all of whose novels feature strong, interesting female leads who are appropriate for their time period. I think those fictional girls were Lady Claire’s literary ancestors.

7. What are you working on now?

I’m working on the last of my contracted novels for Hachette, which are Amish women’s fiction written under my Adina Senft pseudonym. Called the Amish Quilt trilogy, these books are about three Amish women who are working on a quilt together, and working through life issues with each other’s help. The first one, The Wounded Heart, is out now, and the second, The Hidden Life, is coming in June. The Tempted Soul will be out in March 2013.

Sounds great. Thanks for chatting with us!

Thanks so much for letting me come over—it was fun!

To find out more about Shelley and her books, check out the following websites.

http://www.shelleyadina.com – Magnificent Devices
http://www.adinasenft.com – Amish Quilt
http://www.shelleybates.com – Moonshell Books & Editorial
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=550040704

Book Review: Her Own Devices

Her Own Devices

Shelley Adina

Steampunk

Young Adult

When I finished Lady of Devices, the first book in Shelley Adina’s “Magnificent Devices” series, I knew one thing for sure—I’d definitely be back for more. How could I resist Victorian England, airship travel, and steam-powered cars? Or a heroine who, despite setbacks in her life, uses her brain to overcome difficulties, and eventually ends up leading an underworld gang? I couldn’t. So I was more than ready to read about seventeen-year-old Lady Claire Trevelyan’s further adventures in book two, Her Own Devices.

The story begins with Lady Claire starting her job as assistant to engineer Andrew Malvern. Here she hopes to learn and get a letter of recommendation so that she’ll be accepted into engineering school at university. But Andrew’s experiment with slow-burning coal isn’t working, so Lady Claire, with the help of a member of her gang, works on a solution. Adventures ensue!

Adina’s plot has smoothly placed twists and turns that kept me riveted. Along with the fun “what if?” aspect of steampunk, the story highlights the difficulties women in the late 19th century had when they wanted to further their education. Society’s constraints and the plain ignorance of men over a woman’s abilities played a key role. But Lady Claire doesn’t let it stop her. Despite the manipulations of her fiance/nemesis Lord James and the confusion over a budding romance with Andrew, Claire learns to stay true to herself.

This review is more of a recommendation for an entire series, rather than just one book. With any luck (and Adina’s hard work), the third book, Magnificent Devices, could be ready by September as an e-book. Check these out. I think you’ll be glad you did. Oh, and the covers are stunning, don’t you think?

Don’t forget to visit again on Thursday when we’ll have an interview with author Shelley Adina.

 

Odd Scraps for the Economical

Odd Scraps for the Economical

Look frequently to the pails, to see that nothing is thrown to the
pigs which should have been in the grease-pot.

Look to the grease-pot, and see that nothing is there which might have
served to nourish your own family, or a poorer one.

See that the beef and pork are always _under_ brine; and that the
brine is sweet and clean.

See that the vegetables are neither sprouting nor decaying: if they
are so, remove them to a drier place, and spread them.

Examine preserves, to see that they are not contracting mold; and
your pickles, to see that they are not growing soft and tasteless.

…presented to you from The American Frugal Housewife – Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy, by Mrs. Child…

Ads from 1982

I spent Easter at my parents. After dinner I was sitting in the living room with my mom and I notice this little magazine on the floor.  The back side was up and it caught my attention for two reasons. First, it was yellow with age.  Second, the ad on the back paged seemed really out of date.  I had to investigate.  Turns out it was a  magazine from 1982!  The R & R Mixer ’82: Your Guide To the Latest Party Drinks and Snacks.

Magazine Cover.

I asked my mom about it and she said it was some magazine they got in Germany (when they were first stationed there, that note, they’ve kept for over thirty years!).  It got filed away somewhere long ago.  Recently my mom has been on a cleaning kick going through old files and boxes of stuff.  I promptly confiscated the magazine.  The R&R Mixer ’82 was published and circulated to the America Forces stationed in Europe.  Their editorial and administrative offices were located at 17 Bismarchkstrasse in Heidelberg, West Germany. (I love that little detail!  In 1982 Germany was still divided!).  It was a private firm that wasn’t connected with NATO.

The magazine contains articles and recipes on making drinks.  The first page opens with “…the R&R Mixer, a magic elixir your guide to notions and party potions…”  to be followed up a couple pages later with “…Wine, Wine–how divine; Champagne, Champagne–creme de la creme…”  They might be cheesy but they make me laugh!  The whole magazine is full of titles like these.

But that’s not the best part!  Nope, the best part are the advertizements in the magazine!  Oh my word.  I was cracking up at some of them and they all brought back memories!  So without further ado here are my top three favorite ads.

Third Place goes to…Dual-Standard Trinitron Sony TV. This amazing TV allowed us to watch TV not only in America, but in Europe!  A compatible TV!  Technology was progressing!

"With just one set, you can enjoy both America and Europe!"

Second Place goes to… Toshiba’s 50/60Hz microprocessor-controlled microwave oven!  Which also “plugs in on both sides of the Atlantic.”  You might have to have lived in Europe (as an American with your American appliances) to really get a chuckle out of this.  But, I remember having to buy “new” appliances because we couldn’t use the ones we’d bought in America in Europe.  And just a side note, that microwave looks like it should be in a museum!  And yet I remember using one just like it. (That makes me feel really old!)

"Computer-style programmable operation lets the Toshiba ER-789BT handle everything from defrosting to keeping food warm automatically."

and First Place: The Quintet – JVC’s new portable component system.  Now come on, raise your hand if you remember carrying your boombox around with you.  Heck I remember when I got a walkman and thought it was the greatest invention ever!  How the times have changed!

"Five great performers that play perfectly together. Now you can enjoy true high fidelity both at home and on the road."

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ads as much as I have.  They gave me a good laugh and brought me down memory lane.