The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team by Kit Rosewater
1- Have you ever done roll roller derby?
A bit! After I encountered the derby scene in Austin, TX I started training to be a roller derby referee. I still have the official handbook with all the different rules and types of penalties. When I moved to Albuquerque I teamed up with Abq Roller Derby during off season practice. But I got sick just as bout season was starting, so I never got to ref an official bout! Hopefully I’ll get back in skates soon!
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Break your writing process into steps. Draft. Revise. Line edit. In that order. Critically examine your manuscript before you get attached to specific scenes. #WriteTip
3- What is the best piece of writing advice you've received?
Cheryl Klein did a talk at my MA program in Children’s Literature. She said that those who find success in publishing are the ones who learn from their mistakes and keep going. The ones who don’t find success are the ones who quit. Ultimately writing is a craft built on a foundation of progress and endurance.
4- The next book in your series comes out Sept 15! How many books are you planning for this series?
Right now I have three Daredevils books contracted with Abrams, and the third book will be out on June 1st 2021. Because the series rotates protagonists, of course I’d love to write from all the team members’ perspectives and complete the series at five books. But we’ll have to see how the first three do. Series are hard!
5- Would you share a picture with us of your book in a fun setting?
Certainly! Here's a recent one of my baby and me reading Book 1 in the series!
6- If you could ask one question at a 2020 US Presidential Debate, what would it be and why?
"How have our values as a country played a role in the US’s current situation within the pandemic, and what can we learn going forward in order to prioritize our community's health and wellbeing?”
7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?
I sure do! My handle is @kitrosewater . Two friends I want to shout out are @lorielryon and @bdkennedy . They are both witty writers and lovely people.
8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
That’s a tough one! I think @read.with.val is a great account that needs a lot more attention. She does such a brilliant job with her thoughtful reviews of middle grade books and creative graphics adding herself to the covers!
9- What most motivates you to read a new book?
These days I’m often pinned in place by a tiny sleeping baby, so I’m reading all the time! I’m motivated to read new books because it’s important for me to know the current market of children’s books. And because I love the new stuff coming out! I hope teachers are continually updating their curriculum, because so many of the latest middle grades releases on shelves are STUNNING.
10- It's our tenth anniversary! How far has your writing come in the past ten years and where do you see your writing career ten years from now?
Happy anniversary!! Congratulations! Ten years ago I was just starting my writing journey in earnest. I was a junior in college and had just finished the rough draft of my first full length manuscript. A billion revisions, five new manuscripts, two agents, and one publishing team later, and here we are! In ten years from now I’d love to be getting better and better with each book I write. I hope to be someone’s favorite author someday.
11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: Brandy Colbert @brandycolbert
Title: The Only Black Girls In Town
Love because: This is a perfectly balanced middle grade story about friendship, family, and finding connection.
12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?
Some books guide readers along as they explore deep emotions, while other books offer a fun escape from the deep emotions already present in the real world. I think my book does the latter. I hope my book will make readers feel like they’re flying around a track on wheels. I hope it motivates readers to try new things. I hope it shows readers mirrors and windows into different and yet totally normal first crushes and family units.
13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?
I hope my book will serve as an introduction for many young readers about what it means to be transgender and/or queer. Positive and respectful representation of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum is top priority in everything I write. Being trans or queer is totally normal and lovely and doesn't necessarily entail conflict, and I wanted this series to reflect a diverse cast of characters who feel accepted as they are.
14- What is the best writing tool, program, or reference book you've ever bought?
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody (based on Save the Cat by Blake Snyder) is the best craft book on writing in the universe, hands down. I run into problems with a lot of writing craft references because they ask the reader to follow their advice like scripture. But Save the Cat is less like a book of advice and more like a formatting tool for structuring ideas into a solid outline.
15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks
The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team features a protagonist (Kenzie) who begins to explore her first crush, which happens to be a crush on another girl. I got crushes on both boys and girls a lot as a kid. Kenzie also has a trans dad, and she connects to his own childhood experiences of self-discovery as she navigates her crush. The main roller derby team is made up of white, Japanese American, Black, and Latinx members. In addition, the illustrations throughout the book, rendered by the incredible Sophie Escabasse, feature a diverse array of bodies and heritages.
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
I’m going to keep boosting the young voices out there. Check out Bridget’s blog http://bridgetandthebooks.com for an excellent book review blog with frequent posts on the latest middle grade books!
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
I have always always always wanted to be a traditionally published author. When I was eight years old my mother, who had just completed a manuscript, sent our queries to literary agents for representation. She let me send out a few queries too, and I was hooked. I knew I wanted representation and then to take my work on submission to traditional publishing houses. Of course, I didn’t actually get representation until almost twenty years later...
18- Which author, past or present, do you feel most resembles your work?
I think with the Daredevils I was trying to take the relatable characters and dynamics from the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary and update them for a modern and progressive setting. I also turned to Sara Pennypacker’s Clementine series as inspiration for humor, and Craig Bartlett’s television series Hey Arnold! as inspiration for the ensemble cast.
19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?
My question is about one of Kenzie's main conundrums as she navigates changing friendship dynamics within the roller derby scene. Is it better to have one best friend or a group of friends? What are the pros and cons of having one special person in your life versus being part of a circle of people?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
Sure! Here's my author bio and a short summary of my debut!
Author bio:
Kit Rosewater writes books for children. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her spouse, an adorable baby, and a border collie who takes up most of the bed. Before she was an author, Kit taught middle school theatre and high school English, then worked as a children's bookseller. She has a master's degree in Children's Literature and a knack for getting into shenanigans. Book 1 of her series The Derby Daredevils is out now. Book 2 rolls out September 2020, and Book 3 in June 2021. Catch her online at http://kitrosewater.com or @kitrosewater.
The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team blurb:
Kenzie and Shelly have been best friends for as long as they can remember. They hang out at the park, practice their super-secret handshake, and (most important) count down the days to their roller derby debut. It looks like their dream is coming true when Austin’s city league announces a junior league. But there’s a catch. To try out together, the Dynamic Duo will have to form a team of five players... in just one week! As they start convincing other girls that roller derby is the coolest thing on wheels, Kenzie has second thoughts. Why is Shelly acting like everyone’s best friend? Isn’t she supposed to be Kenzie’s best friend? And things get really awkward when Shelly recruits Kenzie’s neighbor (and secret crush!) for the team.
The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team by Kit Rosewater
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