#Read about Guest #Author Andy Mulberry.

If you were a journalist, you’d know about the ‘Five Ws & one H.’ They are questions used to gather information and to write a story. Thankfully, I’m not a journalist. I write fiction; I’m allowed to make stuff up. And if you’re a journalist, I hope you’ll forgive me the misuse of the ‘Five Ws & one H’…

WHO:

I love to write and read books filled with strange adventures, odd characters and mysterious circumstances. Doctor WHO is one of my favorite tv series. I’m blessed to have seen much of the world by traveling and living abroad. It’s maybe not a coincidence that I’m drawn to reading and watching stories that contain an element of ‘traveling’. Be it traveling across time and space or traveling across Europe. It only occurred to me recently—I’m clearly not big on introspection—that this is probably why I am writing a series about a traveling, flying castle.

WHAT:

I write middle grade fiction aimed at reluctant readers (boys!) ’cause I like a challenge. Don’t you love it too when you have to turn the page because you have to find out WHAT happens next? My own, self-imposed writing rule is to only write scenes where something exciting happens. Easier said than done.

WHERE:

I live in Southern California with my teenaged son. I’m also the keeper of a chubby cat. Sometimes I wonder if I should write a book WHERE I explain that herding cats and raising teens is pretty much the same thing.

WHEN:

is the best time to eat ice-cream? That’s a trick question. The answer is WHENever you feel like it.

WHY:

Growing up, the library was my second home. I never felt alone, reading fantasy, mystery, science fiction stories. Books enriched my childhood, made me dream and wonder and curious and brought me hours of joy. Books kept me company when I otherwise would have felt alone. If I can somehow transform my love of books into my writing—bringing kids joy and making them giggle—then I’ve made a very small contribution to raising the next generation of readers. And this is WHY I am an author of middle grade fiction.

HOW:

As a kid, one of my favorite books was the The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. Oh, HOW I wished that I could become part of the book itself too.

On my blog, I often feature other children’s book writers in the form of Q&As. I always ask for a book recommendation. So, if you have a book recommendation that you think might be my cup of tea, let me know in the comments!