ABOUT SUPER FREAK:
Super Freak by Vanessa Barger
Publication Date:
October 13, 2015
Publisher: Tantrum
Books
Genre: MG, Fantasy
Thirteen-year-old Caroline is a freak. Her parents have
uprooted her to a town full of Supernaturals. You’d think she’d be thrilled.
But, with someone without a magical bone in her body, this daughter of tree
sprites feels like even more of an outcast than she has ever before.
To make matters worse, her new home is cursed. But when
Caroline takes to investigating the mysterious and strange happenings of
Harridan House, her BFF goes missing. Seems someone doesn’t want Caroline
sticking her non-magical nose where it most certainly does not belong.
Determined to prove herself, Caroline uncovers a plot to destroy her new
hometown.
Undeterred, Caroline can’t give up. But what’s a human
without magical powers to do? Caroline better figure it out fast, before she
loses everything she has ever loved and the whispers she’s heard all her life
prove true: Caroline is a useless superfreak.
ABOUT
VANESSA BARGER:
Vanessa Barger was born in West Virginia, and through
several moves ended up spending the majority of her life in Virginia Beach,
Virginia. She is a graduate of George Mason University and Old Dominion
University, and has degrees in Graphic Design, a minor in Medieval and
Renaissance Literature, and a Masters in Technology Education. She has had
articles published in Altered Arts Magazine, has had some artwork displayed in
galleries in Ohio and online, and currently teaches engineering, practical
physics, drafting and other technological things to high school students in the
Hampton Roads area of Virginia. She is a member of the SCBWI (Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), the Virginia Writer’s Club, and the
Hampton Roads Writers. When not writing or teaching, she’s a bookaholic, movie
fanatic, and loves to travel. She is married to a fabulous man, and has one
cat, who believes Vanessa lives only to open cat food cans, and can often be
found baking when she should be editing.
Interview:
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Even in kindergarten,
my favorite thing was to do bare books. My mom still has them all! But I think
what really sealed it was when I won an essay contest in Kindergarten, and got
to be one of 5 students (one from each grade) to eat lunch with Norman
Bridwell. I thought that was the coolest thing ever.
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
It really depends on the book. (I know, everyone says that, but
its true!) my YA novels take much longer than my MG novels. SUPER FREAK took
three months. The last MG novel I wrote took only three weeks! Sometimes the
words just flow like I’ve already written it in my head, and sometimes I
struggle to get all the words down.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
Well, it can be chaotic. I teach full time, so I write at night
when I get home and everything else is done, and during my lunches sometimes.
So it’s a lot of cramming in time throughout the day to get the words in.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
Hmmm… I frequently write with music from bands that specialize in
movie trailer music in the background. I also have to write the blurb before I get halfway through the novel, or
I totally screw it up. I do a much better job when I haven’t finished the novel
because some of the details are still forming in my head, so I can’t get bogged
down by them.
5.
How do books get
published?
With a lot of effort! Without getting too long winded, for SUPER
FREAK, the process went a lot like this: Write the novel. Edit the novel. Send
the novel in to lots of places. Let it sit for a long time. Give up. Get a
phone call long after you think its possible, and get offered a publishing
contract. Do a happy dance (or ten) and go out for celebratory Chinese food.
Wait. Wait some more. Get edits. Get more edits. Review the finished copy. Bite
nails and wait for the readers to get their hands on it. Do a happy dance when
it comes out!
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
Everywhere! I love reading weird news articles and saving them for
ideas. I also get a lot from dreams (I have really odd dreams sometimes) and
just daydreaming. I’m also a big fan of writing prompts.
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you?
My first novel length book was written in the 6th or 7th
grade and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, there were LOTS of
flattered authors out there. Lol. It will never see the light of day, but I
think it was still an achievement. It would be a long time before I wrote
something that long and finished it again.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
I have a crafting and baking problem, so I’m usually doing those
things (if not both). I’ve recently gotten into cake decorating (which the
other teachers in my building love) so there’s been a lot of that lately. I
also really love movies and traveling, though I don’t get to do that as much.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing?
They love it! My family are my biggest supporters and fans, and I
love them for it. My grandmother regularly calls to make requests about what I
should write next.
10.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
I have a pet project that I work on from time to time that’s set
in WWII. I have learned a great many really interesting things from that – like
I didn’t know there was a manor house where they bugged everything including
the trees to get secrets out of German officers who were British POWs.
11.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written about 10. Of those, only about half are published. I
think that my favorite changes frequently, but right now I’d say it’s a tie between
SUPER FREAK and the one I’ve just finished, which is a space adventure.
12.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Keep writing. Its so cliché, but its true. The more you write, the
better you become. The other is to find a critique partner that you can grow
with and be critters with for the long term. Having someone that can help you
(and that you can help) will make learning about being a better writer easier.
You can give them feedback, and get theirs, and it’s a built in person who
understands what you’re going through.
13.
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I actually haven’t heard much, but the ones I have heard from have
been awesome! They have told me their favorite parts (which I’m always curious
to know. Especially in the horror novels, I always like to know what parts
people find most scary.) and asked questions about my writing and the next
thing coming.
14.
Do you like to create
books for adults?
The first book I ever published was an adult paranormal romance,
and while I do enjoy it, I think I really love writing MG and YA more. I’m not
saying I’ll never do it again, but right now, I’m sticking to the younger
crowd.
15.
What do you think makes
a good story?
Something that you can get into. Where the world and the plot suck
you in, and the characters make you stay. I want to care about what happens to
them, and root for them. Do that, and you’ve got me.
16.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up?
Be a writer or a teacher. I managed both!
17.
What Would you like my
readers to know?
Thank you! Not just for reading my books (though THANK YOU for
that) but for reading books in general. Without readers, books are just pages
on a shelf. So thank you!!!!
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