Possums are Awesome!

Welcome to the POSSUMS ARE AWESOME blog tour for the middle-grade book, POSSUM SUMMER, coming out in March! (Have you preordered yet?)

One of the coolest people on the block, circus star GRETCHEN, hosted me on her blog today! She is so fabulous. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to her for P's actions. But you'll see that below ...

First off, about the book:

a lonely kid.

an orphaned baby possum.

a dad that says no way.

how do you keep that kind of secret?

and what happens when you’re found out?

Here we go! Wheee!!!


GM: So let's talk about your protag. Why did you make her like you did?


JKB: P (short for Princess) was always the way she was...quick to find the funny in almost everything, brave to a fault, way too naive, but a stalwart kind of girl. Loyal. That was one thing that never changed throughout the entire editing process, her pluck. She's a plucky sort of chick. I like plucky.

GM: And I read that you ended up changing the ending? Why?


JKB: Well, yes! I was completely finished with copyedits for three days but I couldn't bring myself to send it back. Something was keeping me up at night and nagging me in the day, and I finally figured it out when I bounced it off my husband: the ending was tosh. I couldn't leave it like that.


So I wrote up a bigger "ending" to the second-to-last chapter, took a REALLY deep breath and send it off to my editor - though it took me some time. My stomach was so upset!


She's so great; she said she'd read through and think about it, and got back to me with a resounding YES! So it is true: editors do not eat authors alive. Because if an editor would have done it, that eaten author would have been me!


GM: Do you belong to any writing support groups? Like? Not like? Thoughts?

JKB: I belong to two groups: The Hopefuls and 4Corners *waves* They've saved my sanity on numerous occasions, not the least of which giving a critical eye to new subs before anyone else sees, support on the WAIT of publishing, etc. etc. etc.


They are so wonderful to be around, and so genuinely happy for new sales. They're also amazing writers, and they're selling their books left and right!


Princess: Helllll-llllo!


JKB: What a surprise.

P: Miss Gretchen! Miss Gretchen! You are in a CIRCUS? A real live CIRCUS? And what's your favrite food?


GM: CHAMPAGNE. Er, wait. How old are you? Crap.

P: *pauses* What's that? What's that, Jen? *jen looks around awkwardly* *whispers it's a fizzy drink* Hey, can I have some? Just a little? I like fizzy drinks!


JKB: Not this kind. And not 'til you're about 30. Your mom would kill me.


P: NO FAIR. LIFE IS NO FAIR. Miss Gretchen, you'd give me some, right?

GM: JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, KIDS!

P: Okay, well, what do you like to do for fun, huh? Wanna come over and help me catch some minnows?

GM: Minnows are fish, right? Yeah, I'm going to take a Pasadena on that one. How about we hit the mall for some shopping instead?

P: Shopping, huh? I like to go to the feed store and buy new lead lines for Jezebel! Does that count? *JKB nudges P, geddonwitit!* OKAY. Sheesh! So what do you like best about yourself?

GM: I have gorgeous red hair. Wow, that sounded totally vain and self-involved.

I have gorgeous red hair. :D


P: Well you do at that! But I really like those circus pictures. You are a singer in the circus! Do you think you'll ever come by Oklahoma? Huh? Then you can bring me some of that fizzy drink! *JKB pokes P in the ribs* Well okay. Hey, I drawed ya!





P: I know your hair is red, but the spotted skunk is about the prettiest animal in the lower part of Oklahoma! All bright and glossy, and wavy, just like your hair! They even smell good! No, really they do! All you have to do is have some tomato paste on hand if they get ticked off ...


JKB: -- Gretch, you were amazing to let me come by, especially trailing this horror of a child! *muscles P into submission* I'll be going now!

Jen K. Blom writes about animals, the land, and kids, not necessarily in that order. Her debut, POSSUM SUMMER, is available March 2011.

Just the thing to give to a kid to start their summer of reading off right! (Available from your local indie, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Book Depository!)

Check out the book trailer here !