Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Meet Aussie MG Author Julie Grasso

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow Kid Lit Blog Hop hostess and award-winning MG author Julie Grasso. She is the author of the Caramel Cardamom Sci Fi trilogy and the Frankie Dupont mystery series. Julie hails from down-under and is expecting a new Grasso this September!

First, a bit about Julie:

With a background in paediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories to entertain them.  A science fiction nerd, (she even owns a TARDIS) cupcake enthusiast and lover of all things mystery, she lives in Melbourne with her husband Danny and their little girl Giselle. Most days she can be found sipping chai tea and dreaming up wonderful worlds that often involve consumption of cupcakes.

Why did you pick to write books for children/MG?

Middle grade is such a sweet spot, because kids this age are not quite ready for the reality of the world we live in. Fantasy and Mystery are how I choose to entertain them, with the hope to ignite their imaginations.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love mystery, middle grade, picture books, sci fi and forensic pathology.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Spend time with my family, drinking chai late’s and dreaming up ways to make our small part of the world better.

Tell us about the newest Frankie Dupont book and how the story came to be.

Frankie Dupont And The Science Fair Sabotage
is the third in my Frankie Dupont mystery series. I loved the idea of having kids attend a sustainable science fair, where their inventions have to be made from renewable or recyclable material.  It gave me a chance to dream big and then weave the mystery in around it. It was released in May 2015.

Here's a peek at Frankie Dupont And The Science Fair Sabotage:




Frankie Dupont is less than impressed when he has to attend the sustainable science fair with Kat and Amy. Upon his arrival, he learns that Amy's brothers have had their robotics chip stolen. Keen to recover the chip, Frankie questions the kids in the competition, but everyone seems to have a motive. When baffling clues start rolling in via “Snap-Goss” instant messages, Frankie realises it will take all of his detective muscles to solve this case.





Tell us a bit about the Carmel Cardamom books.

My Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Sci Fi trilogy was completed in January this year. Caramel is no ordinary elf.  She can read minds and control technology, but when the crunch comes, she has to work together with her friends to overcome the enemy.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Frankie Dupont And The High Seas Heist, the 4th book in my series, will hopefully be released in August this year. This one has some awesome evidence to be investigated, which I hope the kids will love.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Dream big, expect nothing to come easy and work hard because no one else can make your dream a reality….

Anything else you want readers to know?

Life is too short not to eat a sticky date and caramel cupcake with caramel cardamom sauce at least once in your life.  I recommend it.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Website
Blog
Creative Kids Tales
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube

4 comments:

  1. First of all: Julie has a GREAT first name, if I do say so myself. ;)
    Second of all: I love seeing other independent children's authors living their dream.
    Third: Thanks for sharing, Cheryl!

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  2. think AJ will enjoy these books when he gets older. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Thanks for sharing! Sounds like a fun bo

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  4. A mystery with a science twist sounds great for boys! Thanks for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop! Great interview!

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