#Giveaway Interview A BOY CALLED BAT by ELANA K. ARNOLD @ElanaKArnold @WaldenPondPress 3.26

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Synopsis 

For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises—some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter.

But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet.

ELANA K. ARNOLD completed her M.A. in Creative Writing/Fiction at the University of California, Davis. She grew up in Southern California, where she was lucky enough to have her own horse–a gorgeous mare named Rainbow–and a family who let her read as many books as she wanted. She lives in Huntington Beach, California, with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of animals. She is represented by Rubin Pfeffer of Rubin Pfeffer Content.

1.      What is on your nightstand?

A reading lamp, three books—Lilliam Rivera’s The Education of Margot Sanchez, Katherine Paterson’s Lyddie, and Martha Brockenbrough’s luminous The Game of Love and Death—and a sweater I just peeled off my sweaty hairless cat.

2.     What author would you totally fan?

Kelly Barnhill. She won the Newbery for her latest novel, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, she composes her books while she runs, and she makes a delicious quinoa salad.

3.     What makes you cringe?

Improperly used apostrophes and unfinished coffee.

4.     Do you obsessively plot out each point or just go with the flow?

Mostly I go with the flow. I usually write a loose outline once I’m about a quarter of the way into a book, but it’s very loose, just a sentence or so per projected chapter.

5.     Is there a word you love to use?

Rad. My best friend from high school, Shayna, wanted to bring “rad” back. Then she died. So my sister Sasha and I took up her mantle, using “rad” whenever possible in tribute to Shayna.

– 5 Winners will receive a Copy of A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold