Today is fabulous, fantastic, MG Q&A Wednesday, and we have Ronni Arno, author of RUBY REINVENTED to chat about her book. Before we get to the book, though, we have to deal with some orges…
You wake up to find a massive ogre in your bedroom. If you had to choose one MG character to fight him off who would you choose and why?
Hermione Granger, of course. First of all, she has experience fighting all sorts of fantastic beasts and magical creatures (including ogres). And secondly, even if she didn’t know how to fight an ogre right off the bat, she would find out real quick because she’s a genius and a total Type A. I’d cheer her on from my bed.
Having defeated the ogre, you find that your car doesn’t start. Bummer. Would you rather ride a dragon or a unicorn to work? Why?
I’m generally a very nice person. Really. Except when I drive. Traffic makes me crazy and that’s when my evil side comes out. So I’d prefer to ride a dragon to work, since there’s a good chance all that fiery breath would force those other cars out of my way. Plus, my coffee would stay hot!
After arriving at work late, your boss asks you what your most embarrassing childhood memory was. You have to tell him.
Can’t I just have my dragon eat my boss? No? Okay, then. My Dorothy Hamill haircut in fourth grade was pretty humiliating. Even more so because my mother (who is a psychologist and not a hairdresser) cut my hair.
You’re pretty fed up now so when a time machine appears offering to take you to any historical event, you agree. Where do you go and why?
Ancient Greece so I could wear a toga. They look very comfortable.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. As a Fearless Fifteener, your debut is out this year. Tell us about your book in 15 words or less.
Ruby escapes Hollywood for Maine and finds best friends, a first crush, and her own spotlight. (That might be 16 words!)
When Ruby flees Hollywood to escape the fame of her parents, she tells a lie that could ruin the life she loves at her new boarding school in this M!X novel about courage, families, and finding your own spotlight.
Ruby Miller has it made. As the only child of model-turned-TV-host Celestine Cruz and pro-baseball star Zack Miller, she has everything a twelve-year-old girl could want. Well, except for real friends.
After a disastrous birthday party where she discovers her supposed BFFs are only friends with her because her parents are uber-famous, she finds a place as far from fake and phony Hollywood as she can get: a boarding school in Camden, Maine. In her desperation to distance herself from her star-studded parents and the paparazzi who trail them, Ruby tells her new friends that she’s an orphan. She feels awful about lying, but once she starts, it’s hard to come clean. Plus, now that nobody’s comparing her to her perfect parents, Ruby can finally let her own talents as a dress designer take center stage.
When Ruby finds herself connecting with a cute boy who really did lose his parents, she’s torn between who she is and who she’s pretending to be. And with Parents’ Weekend approaching, she must find a way to keep her secret—without losing her new best friend, the trust of her first crush, and the chance to shine as the designer of her very own fashion show.
Ronni Arno Blaisdell has written for several magazines, blogs, and websites. In a previous life she worked as a publicist in Hollywood, and eventually built a home in Maine. She is a keen SCBWI member and contributor to the KidLiterati.com blog. Follow her at her Website and on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. RUBY REINVENTED is available as of Nov. 3rd, 2015.
 Laurie McKay is an author and biology instructor who lives in Durham, NC. When she’s not working, she spends time with her family and her two elderly dogs. You can find out more and see pictures of her dogs at lauriemckay.net or by following her on twitter. Her debut MG fantasy novel, VILLAIN KEEPER, is available from HarperCollins now. The sequel, QUEST MAKER, will be available on Feb 2, 2016. |
2015 YA & MG Debut Authors 