Meet Children's Author Claudia McAdam

 

 Welcome to Carpinello's Writing Pages!

Before meeting our author, I want to acquaint you with our new mailing list company. For years, I've used FeedBurner for my blog subscribers. In July of this year, they discontinued their blog feeds. Notices of new posts will now come from follow.it. I hope you will continue to be a subscriber and recommend us to your friends and family, and anyone who enjoys meeting new authors and seeing their books.

 

 

Today we welcome

 

Colorado author

 

Claudia Cangilla McAdam

 

Before meeting her, I want to share reviews of her featured picture book The Christmas Light. These were done by local Colorado 5th graders. For privacy reasons, the names are not included. Each student used their own grading scale; some used 5/5 while others used 10/10.

(9/10): I liked it because it felt soft and sweet. I didn’t like it because it had no action.

(9/10): I give The Christmas Light a 9/10 because it retells the reason Christmas is a thing in an interesting way. It’s about a girl who helps two people who are in need and I like that.

(4/5): I like how the story tells how she felt that night and how she felt when she did stuff. I also like that when she was sleeping with her sister she was kind of annoyed, but when she came back from the stable she kept her sister warm when she was freezing.

(5/5): I’d rate it 5/5 because it’s about the birth of Christ and how it’s about Christmas.

(5/5): I would rate the book a 5 because I like the similes and how it is about Christmas.

 

And now, here's a bit about Claudia:

 

At age ten, I knew I wanted to be a professional writer when I grew up. My undergraduate degree is in English, and later in life, I got a master’s degree in theology. I began being published in children’s magazines and newspapers before I was out of college. To date, I have penned two dozen books, for both the secular and the religious markets. My faith-based titles explore the virtues, build character, and deepen faith. My most recent work is the 44-page picture book, The Christmas Light, published by Sophia Institute Press. My husband and I live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, not far from our children and grandchildren.

 

Why did you pick to write books for children? 

 

I actually write for all three groups, but The Christmas Light is a picture book. I fell in love with reading when I was a child (it’s still my favorite pastime), and I remember how impactful books were. Story has the power to draw readers in and take them to a completely new place. It was an experience I treasured and craved, and I want to replicate that for young readers today.

What types of books do you like to read, and what do you do when you are not writing?  

My reading interests are wide-ranging. When I was a child, I would read every word on the cereal box at breakfast, and I admit to opening up a volume of the World Book Encyclopedia and start reading at random, getting lost in its pages. I loved how National Geographic could take me to far off places around the globe. Today, I read the Bible in its entirety each year, and in addition, you might find my nose buried in a nonfiction book, a work of theology, or various types of fiction from historical works to modern-day mysteries. Next up for me: Gary Paulsen’s biography. My “reading” these days is comprised in large part of audio books, which I can enjoy while driving, exercising, cooking, cleaning, gardening, and so on. I’m a big-time multi-tasker, so audio books fit into my life perfectly.

When I’m not writing or reading, I enjoy spending time with my large extended family, traveling, walking in nature, watching sports or movies, and binging The Chosen.

Tell us about The Christmas Light and how the story came to be.

The story told in The Christmas Light revolves around the main character, the young daughter of the Bethlehem innkeeper, who is cold and cranky in her crowded home. When she remembers the young couple staying in her family’s stable across the lane and hears the newborn Baby cry, she realizes that if she is cold, they must be freezing. When she brings them fire for warmth, she has an encounter with the newborn Jesus and finds her mood suddenly altered and her life forever changed, thanks to the Christmas Light.

I remember the exact moment the story idea entered my mind. Our church has a large Nativity scene on display during the Christmas season. The figures are nearly life-size, so it’s rather impressive. While looking at the myriad characters that populate the scene, I began to wonder who else might have interacted with the Holy Family in Bethlehem. Since I write for kids, I speculated about the children who might have met Jesus when He was born.

I love what my friend and fellow children’s author Kathleen Pelley has to say about The Christmas Light: “The lush, lyrical text and bold, mesmerizing art enchant the reader into a long-ago world, glimmering with glimpses of grace and goodness beneath the seemingly ordinary surface of life . . .”

Here's a peek at The Christmas Light.

 

 

It’s the coldest night in Seraphina’s life, and she can’t sleep. Outside the house the wind roars like a lion and burrows through the roughly thatched roof. The thin blanket is more holes than fabric, and her little sister’s frigid feet prod Seraphina’s bare calf. Seraphina’s face crumples in an angry frown.

On a normal night, the children would not be so far from the fire, crowded in the loft, side by side like stones in a wall. But this is not a normal night.

How do you go about researching for your stories?

I do a lot of reading about the topics, watching videos, interviewing people, and even traveling to certain locations such as to the Holy Land, which has been inspirational for many of my books and critical for incorporating authenticity into those works.

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

Yes, many books, including three picture books with my text and the photography of renowned nature photographer John Fielder; books featuring profiles of heroes; retellings of legends; YA novels; and a MG mystery novel. I have a lot of interests and am likely to pursue writing a book about something that grabs my imagination and just won’t let go.

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

I have three faith-based books coming out in 2022: two picture books from Ascension Press, The Real Presence and Louie’s Lent, and a YA novel of Biblical historical fiction, Beckoning, from Our Sunday Visitor. A picture book from OSV is due in the fall of 2023, and I have three other manuscripts in the hands of interested editors at present.

What advice do you have for other authors?

I’m not the first to say it, but write what you know and love. Your authentic voice will shine if you do so. And know that your success doesn’t come when you complete a manuscript or even when you sell it. That’s just the start. Marketing, presentations, signings and the whole business end of being a writer is critical to success and longevity.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I love what I do and am so blessed to be able to live out the only career I’ve ever wanted since childhood. But I don’t take the credit. My faith is the bedrock of my life, and Proverbs 16:3 captures what I believe about my career: Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.

Where can readers find you and your books?

My website is www.ClaudiaMcAdam.com, and I keep it up to date with information about my books, appearances, and forthcoming works. My books are available at online retailers, including Amazon and brick-and-mortar booksellers as well as from the books’ respective publishers.

Writing Tips & the 70th Kid Lit Blog Hop

Carpinello's Writing Pages is back this Hop with more tips from the Children's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult writers I've interviewed. These are from February, 2015.

Keep at it. Writing a novel is not easy, and it’s not fast. You’ll go through days and weeks where the words flow and writing is the best feeling in the world, then you’ll get stuck or start to doubt yourself, or (like I sometimes do) read a book that is so stupendously fantastic you wonder why you ever thought you could do this. But no one else can tell your story the way YOU can tell it.

Also, don’t hide in a bubble. Get online. Meet fellow writers. When you publish, whether with a traditional publishing house or via self-publishing, a lot of the marketing will fall on your shoulders and if the only people you know are your family and the kids you graduated with, no one will hear about your book—Melanie Hooyenga, author of The Flicker Effect series.
 
If writing is your passion, don’t let someone else convince you not to do it. Be true to yourself and what you love. Of course, the obvious, Read, Read and Read some more. Most of all Butt in Chair; Hands on Keyboard (or holding a pen/pencil). Just don’t ever give up—Christina Weigand, author of the Palace of the Twelve Pillars series. 

Advice? Not really, as I think that we are all unique snowflakes, us writers. What works for one will not work for another author. But the old adage of ‘You Can’t Fix a Blank Page’ rings most true, so my advice is to write more and then some more—Andy Mulberry, author of Skycastle, the Demon and Me.

Of course, I could say what other authors say is key: read, read, read. But I’d also tell would-be authors that getting a book published isn’t the end of the process. It’s actually the beginning of the next phase of being an author: marketing. Are you prepared to do interviews, school and club visits, book presentations, etc.? Those things take a lot of time to arrange and carry out, but they can be worthwhile in getting you and your books noticed. Many writers are introverts, and it’s hard for them to get “out there,” but for those who push through that, the visibility can do wonders for not only your own self-esteem, but for the success of your books as well—Claudia Cangilla McAdam, author of Awakening.
 

And Now,

Welcome to the 70th Kid Lit Blog Hop. This exciting Hop, now monthly, is where we develop an engaged group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature.
 

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews

MG/YA author Crystal Marcos

and

MG author Mariko Layton
 

Remember, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!

 

Simply make a post and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only) 
Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please visit at least the two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit, we all like those.

Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post.

This week we welcome Ann from Hits and Misses as a co-hostesss. Welcome, Ann. It's great to have you on board! 

Happy Hopping!

Hostesses:

Reading Authors 

Julie Grasso, Author

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger

BeachBoundBooks 

Pragmatic Mom

The Logonauts 

Spark and Pook 

Hits and Misses

Meet YA Author Claudia Cangilla McAdam

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow Colorado author Claudia Cangilla McAdam and her YA novel Awakening. Claudia also writes children's and MG stories.

First, a bit about Claudia:

When I was ten, I wrote my first poem, got great support from my mom and dad (as if they’d say anything that wasn’t positive—I was blessed with great parents!) and received encouragement from my school teacher. I was hooked. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, and I focused my education on doing just that. In fact, I was published before I graduated from college with my degree in English.

I have been writing professionally in the decades since then and have penned scores of articles, stories, and poetry for children's publications as well as magazines and newspapers geared to teens and adults. I have written hundreds of reading comprehension passages for assessment tests, and I have authored fourteen published books (with two more coming out this year), including several picture books, a YA work of Biblical historical fiction, and a middle-grade mystery novel.

I live with my husband in Colorado in a home with a stunning view of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains—a soothing scene to contemplate while I write and a source of much inspiration.

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

I write for children because I guess I’m a kid at heart in that I have an endless curiosity about a wide range of subjects, and I love exploring those subjects and presenting them to kids at a level they can understand. The beauty of the written word has always captivated me, and it’s the combination of the sound of language and the sweeping sensation of story that enthralled me as a young reader and motivates me as an author.

Because I grew up steeped in Nancy Drew mysteries, it was only natural that I would try my hand at a mystery geared for preteens, and the result is my MG novel, Riddle at the Rodeo.

I never thought I’d write YA, but through my studies of Sacred Scripture (I have a master’s degree in Theology), a work of Biblical historical fiction just seemed to write itself, and my novel, Awakening, resulted.

What types of books do you like to read?

I really enjoy contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, and nonfiction that sings.  And because I have an interest in theology and scripture, I read a lot of books geared to increasing my understanding of those subjects and improving my relationship with God. I enjoy reading children’s/MG/YA as well—so important to do, as a writer of such. I just wish I had time to read everything that appeals to me. Reading is addictive for me, and if I have any desire to cook, eat, wear clean clothes, etc., I have to force myself away from a good book. Generally, I save my reading for vacations, and I’m one person who doesn’t mind a plane delay of any length, as long as I have something engaging to read.

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

In addition to reading, I love to travel and to spend time with my family, which includes my two married sons and their spouses and kids and my large extended family, where I’m the oldest of eight siblings.

Tell us about Awakening and how the story came to be.

Awakening is YA Biblical historical fiction. I never deliberately set out to write Awakening, but three very interesting experiences came together: 1) I kept waking up in the middle of pitch black nights believing that I was waking up a dozen years in the past. I thought I had just dreamed the past 12 years, but that I was really living in our former house and that my sons were still in elementary school. In reality, I was living in my current home, and my sons were in college.  This happened repeatedly, and I kept wondering if I really woke up in the past, what would I do differently, knowing what I know now? 2) I was a Scripture student at the time marveling at all the wonderful Biblical insights I’d never before learned. 3) During Lent each year, I was captivated by the figures that populated the Stations of the Cross services I attended weekly.

Before I knew it, I was jotting down the story of a young modern-day teenage girl who doubts the concept of sacrifice, having lost her father and brother when they died saving someone she deems unworthy. She doesn’t understand why anyone would die for someone else—and that includes Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. When she takes ill and falls asleep, she awakens in first-century Jerusalem on the Wednesday before the crucifixion. She realizes that she knows what no one else does: Jesus is going to die. She sets about trying to stop the crucifixion, and in the process, she rediscovers her faith.

The curious thing is, once I started to write the book, I never again experienced those middle-of-the-night awakenings that made me feel I was out of place and somewhere else in time.

Here's a peek at Awakening:

“I hate you!” I slammed the door into the jamb with a boom, and it shivered the walls down the hall and into the living room and dining room. The china in the cabinet tinkled against glass shelves. The grandfather clock in the entry groaned a gong, even though it was still ten minutes before the hour.

In my bedroom, the knickknacks on the bookshelf tottered and rattled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the trophy on the top shelf wobble and teeter side to side, like a drunk staggering along a line. I stretched out my arm, but too late. It somersaulted to the floor. The golden, pony-tailed soccer girl, her leg outstretched with ball balanced against her arch, landed upside-down on the floor. Her head and foot snapped off, and the rest of her body broke free from the trophy’s pedestal.

“Ouch!” I said, rubbing the back of my head, as if the injury had been to me and not to the figurine that was supposed to represent me. I picked up the pieces. The “MVP” plaque had popped off the fake-marble base. “Most Vocal Person,” I said, changing the real meaning of the abbreviation. “Why can’t I just keep my big mouth shut?” I dumped the mess onto my desk.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.
My other books include the picture book (both print and eBook), The Christmas Tree Cried, the Story of the White House Christmas Tree. When this book came out, then-First Lady Laura Bush requested an autographed copy, and I was invited to the White House on three separate occasions. I have also authored three other picture books that feature the Colorado nature photography of John Fielder: Do You See What I See?, Maria’s Mysterious Mission, and A, B, See Colorado  an Alphabet Book of the Centennial State. Then there’s the MG mystery, Riddle at the Rodeo, an homage to the beloved Nancy Drew books of my childhood. I also have a set of nonfiction books that educators and parents use for character development, entitled Portraits of Character.

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

Fall of 2015 should see the publication of my two newest picture books: Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree (Paraclete Press) and The Mermaid’s Gift (Pelican Publishing). I have also completed my second YA Biblical historical fiction, entitled Beckoning, and at present, I’m searching for the right publishing home for it. My next big project will be to write the treatment and screenplay for Awakening.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Of course, I could say what other authors say is key: read, read, read. But I’d also tell would-be authors that getting a book published isn’t the end of the process. It’s actually the beginning of the next phase of being an author: marketing. Are you prepared to do interviews, school and club visits, book presentations, etc.? Those things take a lot of time to arrange and carry out, but they can be worthwhile in getting you and your books noticed. Many writers are introverts, and it’s hard for them to get “out there,” but for those who push through that, the visibility can do wonders for not only your own self-esteem, but for the success of your books as well.

Anything else you want readers to know?

For anyone who wants to take a look inside my books, there are book trailers that can be viewed on YouTube for:

Awakening
A, B, See Colorado
The Christmas Tree Cried

Also, I put a lot of effort into creating supplemental material for many of my books, including book club notes, discussion and activities guides, resource information, teacher aids, etc., all of which are available free of charge by download on the resources page of my web site. 

Additionally, with respect to Awakening, I make free author visits to show a PowerPoint presentation and discuss this book with school classes, adult book clubs, and homeschooling families—both locally and across the country—and to speak at special events and at religious retreats. Awakening has been published in Polish and German, as well as English. 

Where can readers find you and your books?

The best place to connect with me is at my web site, www.ClaudiaMcAdam.com. All my books are detailed there, and they are available through their respective publishers, at bookstores, and at online retailers such as Amazon (that’s the most complete list) and Barnes & Noble. Awakening’s publisher gives great discounts for sales of sets of books to clubs or classes.