Meet MG/YA Author Steve Altier

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes author Steve Altier. Steve recently switched from writing Middle Grade stories to YA.

First,  a bit about Steve:

I was born in a small town in central Pennsylvania. I currently live in the Tampa Bay Metro area with my wife. I have four daughters and three loving cats. I enjoy writing YA and MG stories.

Why did you pick to write books for Young Adults?

I started out writing MG children’s books. This recent story is a YA. I wanted to step up and try something a little different and expand my horizons.



What types of books do you like to read?

I read paranormal stories, YA thrillers, and Dystopia. I’m a BIG science fiction nut. I just finished the 5th Wave and currently I'm reading the 2nd book, The Infinite Sea.


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

I love reading and bowling, spending time at amusement parks. I love to travel and take trips to the beach, that’s why I live in Florida.  I also enjoy spending quality time with friends and family.

Tell us about Lizardville - The Ghost Story and how the story came to be.

I grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania; it was out in the middle of nowhere. The road I lived on was called Lizardville Road. The story contains some of my childhood memories along with many things that never happened. This story came to me one day when I was chatting with an old high school friend on Facebook. They mentioned how many people can say "they grew up in Lizardville" and the light bulb went on. I knew I had to write this story.

Here's a peek at Lizardville - The Ghost Story:

The world outside sounds menacing as loud thunderous cracks rained down on the home. In the middle of this fierce raging storm with no electricity, siblings Zack and Daniel turn to their father, John Malone. Feeling the boys are now old enough to learn the truth about his childhood, John decides to share a family secret that he’s kept locked away, a secret that changed John’s life forever.   

In a small Pennsylvania town called Lizardville, a young boy named Johnny and his friends set out on a weekend camping trip along the banks of Big Fishing Creek. On the first night, as the boys gather around the campfire, Parker shares a story that happened nearly eighty years ago, the legend of the Ax Factory murders. 

Soon after, strange, mysterious things begin to happen. Little do the boys realize they have awakened the spirit world! Jimmy, unable to sleep, comes face to face with a ghost named Annabelle. She is searching for something and knows the boys are hiding what she seeks. Could the secret lie in an old puzzle box? As this spine tingling, edge of your seat adventure unfolds, one question remains: Will they survive the weekend?

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

This is my fourth book; the first three are MG chapter books. In We Can’t Move at Christmas a family struggles with moving at Christmas. Readers meet two young children, Gabby and her younger brother, Maddox, who worry that Santa won’t find them at Christmas. They have no new address. Will Santa have to deliver their presents to a hotel, they wonder? Luckily for them, Santa’s Family Moving Department, an elite group of elves, is on the case.

I used the same characters in the second book Gabby and Maddox: Adventures in Italy. It's a story that takes our siblings back in time to the days of Ancient Rome and the great chariot races and gladiator battles.

My third MG book is called Blast Off with Gaby and Maddox, which is a space adventure where the children join the C.A.P, Children’s Astronaut Program, and travel to space and get to meet some friendly aliens.

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

I've thought about a sequel to Lizardville, but I’m not sure I want to do that at this time, but I haven’t ruled it out. I’m currently working on another YA paranormal story. I don’t have a title for it yet. The story takes place in a library where a lot of strange things continue to happen. Most of the story is about the library and the group of teens that study there.

What advice do you have for other authors?

The best advice I can give is write daily, even if it’s only a few paragraphs and read every chance you get.

Anything else you want readers to know?

A lot of work goes into writing a story. I always thought it was an easy process. Wow, was I wrong. It’s a fun experience and very gratifying when you see the finished product. The best part I enjoy is reading the reviews from the readers. Good or bad, I enjoy them all, and I learn from them.

Where can readers find you and your books?

My Website: Steve Altier

My books:
Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and other online booksellers
Also in select Barnes & Noble stores in the Florida market