I was privileged to invite Carey Fessler for an interview with BooKecCenTric to
discuss their latest book and the inspiration behind it. Enjoy!
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Thank
you @CareyFessler for your time today. What's
your book about, and what inspired you to write it?
@CareyFessler: Foiled is a Middle Grade pacey, page-turning
novel set in 1947, featuring the famed Roswell UFO crash incident near Roswell,
New Mexico. The idea for the book came after seeing three photographs of a UFO
near Roswell, New Mexico that my brother in-law had showed me. As an author I
didn’t care if the photos were real or not. I just asked myself, “What happens
if … in 1947, two Roswell kids obtain a piece of alien technology and become
fugitives?” And that was the seed for the story.
Who is your target
audience, and why do you think this book will appeal to them?
@CareyFessler: Kids from ages 9 to 99 would love to read my books because of: the pacey, pages turning writing style, the cheeky humor and dialogue, as well as the action, adventure, and suspense. But more importantly, readers will become emotionally invested with the gutsy, engaging, and endearing characters. When young readers care about a character(s) it helps teach them empathy. Foiled also gives the female reader a sense of empowerment, knowing she can make a difference in her world. “Children are constantly being told by adults what then can and can’t do. I setout to write a story about an eleven-year-old stumbling over endless physical and mental pits, picking herself up, and pushing herself on to discover for herself what she can do. I also wanted to ask, “Would an eleven-year-old stop at the established limits set by the grown-up world to save her friend and family, or would she break those limits?” I’m hoping to turn kids onto reading by sparking their imagination. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is intelligence having fun.”
@CareyFessler: Kids from ages 9 to 99 would love to read my books because of: the pacey, pages turning writing style, the cheeky humor and dialogue, as well as the action, adventure, and suspense. But more importantly, readers will become emotionally invested with the gutsy, engaging, and endearing characters. When young readers care about a character(s) it helps teach them empathy. Foiled also gives the female reader a sense of empowerment, knowing she can make a difference in her world. “Children are constantly being told by adults what then can and can’t do. I setout to write a story about an eleven-year-old stumbling over endless physical and mental pits, picking herself up, and pushing herself on to discover for herself what she can do. I also wanted to ask, “Would an eleven-year-old stop at the established limits set by the grown-up world to save her friend and family, or would she break those limits?” I’m hoping to turn kids onto reading by sparking their imagination. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is intelligence having fun.”
What message do you wish
to pass across to your readers with this book?
@CareyFessler: Family and friends always come first-always!
@CareyFessler: Family and friends always come first-always!
What was the hardest
thing about writing your latest book?
@CareyFessler: Kate is a strong main character and a solid catalyst for the story plot. The hardest part was having to decide when to rein her in a bit whenever this gutsy ten year old decided to take off in her own direction rather than the one I had outlined for the scene.
@CareyFessler: Kate is a strong main character and a solid catalyst for the story plot. The hardest part was having to decide when to rein her in a bit whenever this gutsy ten year old decided to take off in her own direction rather than the one I had outlined for the scene.
As a writer, is there
anything you've learned about yourself while writing this book?
@CareyFessler: Ideas can come from everywhere, which is why I’m open to trying new things. The more experiences I have in life, the more I have to draw from to inspire my writing.
@CareyFessler: Ideas can come from everywhere, which is why I’m open to trying new things. The more experiences I have in life, the more I have to draw from to inspire my writing.
For your own reading, do
you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books, and why?
@CareyFessler: When travelling, I prefer the ease of being able to load several eBooks onto my Kindle, which saves more room in my suitcase for souvenirs. At home, although I love the feel of a physical book in my hands while reading, I read too fast and too many books and they quickly fill my shelves, so I mostly stick with digital copies.
@CareyFessler: When travelling, I prefer the ease of being able to load several eBooks onto my Kindle, which saves more room in my suitcase for souvenirs. At home, although I love the feel of a physical book in my hands while reading, I read too fast and too many books and they quickly fill my shelves, so I mostly stick with digital copies.
What is your niche genre,
and if you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?
@CareyFessler: My last four books have been pacey, page-turning Action Adventure novels for Middle Grade readers, aged nine to twelve.
@CareyFessler: My last four books have been pacey, page-turning Action Adventure novels for Middle Grade readers, aged nine to twelve.
What books and authors
have most influenced you?
@CareyFessler: Thriller writer Clive Cussler influences the Adventure side of me and Aussie author Matthew Reilly influences the roller-coaster Action side of me.
@CareyFessler: Thriller writer Clive Cussler influences the Adventure side of me and Aussie author Matthew Reilly influences the roller-coaster Action side of me.
Is there anything you'd
like readers to know about you?
@CareyFessler: I use the pen name Carey Fessler to honor the two people who encouraged me to read as a kid—my grandparents: My G’ma’s maiden name is Carey and my G’pa’s last name is Fessler … Carey Fessler worked perfectly.
@CareyFessler: I use the pen name Carey Fessler to honor the two people who encouraged me to read as a kid—my grandparents: My G’ma’s maiden name is Carey and my G’pa’s last name is Fessler … Carey Fessler worked perfectly.
Do you have any more
books in the works?
@CareyFessler: I've just completed an MG sea-island adventure trilogy: Shanghaied: Escape from the Blackwolf Shipwrecked: Dragon Island Sea Raiders My current wip is a suspense novel for YA readers, aged 13+
@CareyFessler: I've just completed an MG sea-island adventure trilogy: Shanghaied: Escape from the Blackwolf Shipwrecked: Dragon Island Sea Raiders My current wip is a suspense novel for YA readers, aged 13+
What is your preferred
method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal
blog, Facebook page, Goodreads, etc.)?
@CareyFessler: I'd love to hear from you via the Contact page on my author website at Careyfessler.com, and I'll try to respond to every message. Please keep in mind I'm busy writing my next book and won't always be able to reply; however, I will read all of your comments. If you're happy with this, feel free to ask questions or tell me about your weird cousin that you only see at Christmas who is really an alien.
@CareyFessler: I'd love to hear from you via the Contact page on my author website at Careyfessler.com, and I'll try to respond to every message. Please keep in mind I'm busy writing my next book and won't always be able to reply; however, I will read all of your comments. If you're happy with this, feel free to ask questions or tell me about your weird cousin that you only see at Christmas who is really an alien.
Any additional comments
you would like to add?
@CareyFessler: Never underestimate how important you are to a book as a reader. Without the reader, the words are just ink marks on paper. Your imagination brings the story to life. One thing I like to do as an author is name a minor character after a person who has helped me by being a test reader. I do this as a way of saying ‘Thanks.” Plus, people think it’s cool to have a character in a book with their namesake. Ex: In Foiled I named Agent Bradford after a writer friend who gave me some useful feedback after reading an early draft of the story. I find sharing my work with others is a great way to improve my writing. I wrote Foiled and the sea-island trilogy because they’re the kind of books that I would’ve wanted to read when I was in 5th and 6th grade. Talent is nice to have, but I relied more on practice and determination to achieve my dream, which was to write a book. When you’re passionate about something, it never feels like work. Dreams do come true, so don’t give up on yours.
@CareyFessler: Never underestimate how important you are to a book as a reader. Without the reader, the words are just ink marks on paper. Your imagination brings the story to life. One thing I like to do as an author is name a minor character after a person who has helped me by being a test reader. I do this as a way of saying ‘Thanks.” Plus, people think it’s cool to have a character in a book with their namesake. Ex: In Foiled I named Agent Bradford after a writer friend who gave me some useful feedback after reading an early draft of the story. I find sharing my work with others is a great way to improve my writing. I wrote Foiled and the sea-island trilogy because they’re the kind of books that I would’ve wanted to read when I was in 5th and 6th grade. Talent is nice to have, but I relied more on practice and determination to achieve my dream, which was to write a book. When you’re passionate about something, it never feels like work. Dreams do come true, so don’t give up on yours.
I grew up in a military family and moved
around more often than a gypsy. My favorite smell is green, favorite flavor is
mist, and favorite day of the week is Funday. I wonder if fish wish they could
wink and trees wish they could walk. I think it’s bizarre that your belly
button harbors more bacteria than there are birds in Borneo. I believe
biographies are boring and think it’s fun to speak in silly-sounding sentences
with wacky words that start with the same letters. Finally, I believe in
exercising your imagination and secretly staying up past your bedtime.
Website link:
http://www.careyfessler.com
http://www.careyfessler.com
