Today I welcome J. Kasper Kramer to Best Dog Books and World Reads, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a canine story for kids or young adults set overseas. The Story That Cannot Be Told, middle grade historical fiction, was published on October 8, 2019 by Simon & Schuster / Atheneum. The awesome cover art is by Isabella Mazzanti.

I just finished reading an advanced reader copy of THE STORY THAT CANNOT BE TOLD. I spent 1989 in Russia when the world was changing because of steps Gorbachev took. I recall meeting people who had escaped Romania around that time and learning about Romania’s leader. It still shocks me to think that a leader could treat his people the way he did that’s why I was interested in reading Kramer’s book for a deeper dive into the culture, the folklore, and the history through the eyes of a young girl. I was hooked from the first chapter and admired how the author wove so many story threads to create this story that reads like no other story I have ever read. If you like being transported to other places from the point of view of a strong girl character, if you like folklore and adventure, if you like historical fiction and intrigue, if you like good stories, this one is for you.

Who is your key dog character(s) and what kind of dog is he/she? Tell us a little more about him/her.

The White Wolf is a character from legends and folklore in Romania. He’s an important symbol in the Carpathian Mountains, where the wolf population is very dense, compared to other parts of Europe.

In my novel, the protagonist, Ileana, hears stories about the White Wolf, including a story about her mother meeting the wolf when she was a child. Ileana then begins dreaming about wolves and hearing them in the forest surrounding her grandparents’ mountain village. I won’t give away too much, but at the end of the book, the White Wolf and his story play an important part!

Where is your story set? What is your story about?

The Story That Cannot Be Told is set in 1989 Communist Romania. It takes place in Bucharest, the capital city, then moves to a small village in the Carpathian Mountains.

The novel is about young Ileana, who desperately wants to be a writer. After writing anti-Communist poetry, her uncle disappears, though, and Ileana’s parents send her into hiding. However, danger is never far away. To save the people she loves, Ileana must find her voice and the strength to use it.

The Story That Cannot Be Told has gotten some great reviews, including a starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Kirkus. Other great reviews include:

“By turns surprising, poetic, and stark, The Story That Cannot Be Told is one that should most certainly be read.”—Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

“Stories have immense power to change lives. J. Kasper Kramer’s beautiful novel is proof of that. A compelling story of a history that should never be forgotten.”—New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen

What inspired you to write this story?

While living in Japan, where I taught at an international school, some of my very best friends were Romanian women. They told me folklore and fairy tales, as well as stories about their lives back home, and that helped me come up with the basic concept for my novel.

How are you connected to your setting?

I have some Central/Eastern European ancestors—primarily Poland and Lithuania—so I’ve always been interested in that part of the world. I began researching Romania and its fascinating history when I became friends with Romanian expatriates while living in Japan, and things took off from there. 

What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

The research was a lot of work! And unfortunately, there aren’t as many texts available in English about Romania as you might expect, especially when it comes to studying things like folklore. I was lucky, because my friends were a constant source of support. They read drafts of my book to help me spot authenticity errors and even translated documents from time to time.

What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what is it about?

My next book was just announced! It’s titled The List of Unspeakable Fears and is forthcoming Fall 2021 from S&S/Atheneum! It’s a historical ghost story set in 1910 on North Brother Island—a quarantine island for the incurable sick of New York City.

A mangy, very old cat actually plays the most important animal role in my next book, but there’s a dog character, too. He belongs to Typhoid Mary, an important historical figure. (Most people don’t know that she was a dog lover!) Essie, the main character, is afraid of Mary’s dog, but don’t read too much into that—Essie’s afraid of the cat, too. In fact, she’s afraid of basically everything!

What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

One of my favorite things about The Story That Cannot Be Told is that it isn’t just historical fiction. Throughout the book are chapters of retold Romanian folklore and fairy tales that were SO much fun to write. If you look closely, you might see how the real Ileana’s world and the Princess Ileana’s world begin to overlap in the novel!

Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? And why?

I wanted to be a writer my whole life. I even remember telling my kindergarten teacher about it! And my parents read to me all the time. So there are surely dozens of books—as well as oral stories—that inspired me before I learned how to read on my own.

However, I think the first books that helped me figure out what I wanted to write—what kind of author I wanted to be—I read in middle school. I had always been a big reader, but I fell in love so deeply with the Extreme Zone series by M.C. Sumner and the Everworld series by K.A. Applegate that I remember not wanting to go on a family vacation because I was so sure that the next book in one of the series would show up from InterLibrary Loan while we were gone! (Thankfully, it arrived before we left and I spent the whole trip reading.)

It might be hard to see how those books connect to the historical fiction I write today, but fantasy, sci-fi, and horror have always been my favorite genres, and I work hard to incorporate them (subtly, if not overtly) in all my work. More than anything else, though, I think those books gave me a goal. I wanted to write stories that people loved reading so much they’d lament having to go on vacation if it kept them from reading!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

I suppose, my advice is to take all advice with a grain of salt! You have to do things the way that they work for you. A lot of the advice I heard over the years about writing and publishing turned out not to be true for me. Now that I have a book on the shelf, I feel safe admitting that, but life would have been easier if I’d felt like it was okay to be different earlier on.

For instance, a lot of authors and craft books talk about the importance of getting up and writing first thing every morning. For me, though, that’s basically an exercise in staring blankly at my computer screen, even if I slept for 10 hours the night before and have had a full pot of coffee! I get my best work done between 6pm-2am because that’s simply when I’m most focused and most creative. I’ve tried to push back on that fact for years, and only recently have instead shifted to accommodating the way I work best.

To learn more about J. Kasper Kramer, check out her website and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. To buy her book, you can find it on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Thank you J. Kasper Kramer for joining us on Best Dog Books and World Reads!

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.

Today I welcome Gail Langer Karwoski to Best Dog Books, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a canine story for kids or young adults. Gail is here to talk about Seaman, the Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark, which is a middle grade historical novel published by Peachtree Publishers for kids aged 8-12.

Best Dog Books: Who is your key dog character(s) and what kind of dog is he/she?

Seaman is my key dog character, and he was a Newfoundland.

Newfoundlands are one of the largest dog breeds. They are first cousins to Labrador Retrievers. While Labs were bred to work on land, Newfies were bred for water work. Newfies are natural swimmers, with a double coat of fur so they can survive longer in cold waters.

Best Dog Books: Tell us about your story.

My story is historical fiction. It’s based on an event in American history called the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Lewis and Clark were explorers, and this was the most famous camping trip in our history.  There really was a big black Newfie who traveled with their expedition. So, if you’re the kind of reader who likes dogs, camping, adventure, or history, this is the book for you!

Seaman belonged to Meriwether Lewis, co-captain of the expedition. In 1803, when my story begins, Thomas Jefferson was the United States President, and our country occupied the eastern half of the North American continent. We’d just bought a large section of western North America from the French; this purchase was called the Louisiana Purchase. Since there were no maps of the territory that we’d bought, President Jefferson organized an exploring trip called the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The job of the explorers was to travel from St. Louis (which was at the western frontier of our country) all the way to the Pacific Coast, and back again. The expedition lasted until 1806. Since there were no cameras back then, the explorers kept journals where they wrote logs and made maps and sketches of the wilderness that they traveled through, so they could share their experiences with other U.S. citizens.

Oh, the wilderness they experienced was beautiful, abundant, and dangerous! The explorers encountered all kinds of animals and plants. They were the first American citizens to encounter a grizzly bear, for instance, and they were astounded by how bold and ferocious these bears were. They were also the first to observe a prairie dog; they called them “barking squirrels”! Plus, the explorers met dozens of Native American tribes; some were friendly, others were threatening.

Seaman was the only dog who went on the trip. He was more than just a friendly companion. He helped the explorers hunt for food. He guarded their camp at night. The explorers valued him as a trusted member of their group. Just like the human explorers, Seaman was brave and loyal, even during scary moments. Once, he was injured and nearly died of a bite wound when he was retrieving game for the explorers.

Best Dog Books: What inspired you to write this story?

I love dogs, and I love to learn about unusual moments in history. When my editor told me that there was a dog member of this expedition, I knew that I’d enjoy learning about Seaman. Since the explorers kept journals, I could read about their adventures in their own words, so I felt like I was experiencing the American wilderness along with them.

Best Dog Books: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

It takes a long time to research and write a book. I was teaching when I began writing this story, but I needed more time to complete it, so I finished the school year but didn’t renew my contract. Then I found myself working by myself at home every day, and I missed interacting with students and other teachers. I missed moving around the school campus and doing a variety of activities with the kids.

When I got discouraged or restless, I’d take walks around my neighborhood and pretend that I was walking through the wilderness with Seaman. Sometimes, when I was stuck in a scene, I’d pretend I was one of the characters and talk out loud to another character.

Best Dog Books: What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what can you tell us about it?

I’m a restless person, so I like to try new things. I’ve got fifteen published books – novels, nonfiction, picture books, even a board book for toddlers!

I did write two other historical novels that star a dog character: Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906! And When Hurricane Katrina Hit Home. Both of these books tell about an actual event in American history. Quake! Was awarded the Maxwell Medal for Best Children’s Book by the Dog Writers Association

Quake! Is the story of the most powerful earthquake that ever struck a heavily populated United States city – San Francisco. In my story, the main character – a boy named Jacob – gets separated from his family during the earthquake. Together with a stray dog, Jacob searches for his dad and little sister as he tries to survive life on the streets of his destroyed city.

Hurricane Katrina is about the storm that struck New Orleans. Two different characters tell this story: Chazz, a boy from the wealthier part of the city, and Lyric, a girl from a poor neighborhood. Their families get stranded in an attic as water floods the streets. At first, the children don’t like each other, and the only thing they share is their love for a little Dalmatian. But eventually, they learn to appreciate each other’s talents, and, working as a team, they save their families.

Best Dog Books: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

When I began to write Seaman, I thought that I was writing a book about history that happened to have a dog in it. But young readers quickly let me know that it was the other way around: I wrote a book about a dog that happened to take place in history!

I used real historical figures as the characters in this novel. But when I wrote Quake! and Hurricane Katrina, I based my stories on real events but I made up most of the characters. After writing Seaman, I learned that readers would enjoy my novels more if there was an important dog character, so I made up fictional dogs for these books.

A lot of readers have pet dogs, and other kids wish they had a dog. Most kids (and grownups!) believe their dog is clever enough to understand what they say and how they feel. Everybody thinks their dog is a hero and would save them from danger, like Seaman.

Dogs wag their tails and introduce us to strangers on the street. That’s what they do in a novel, too – they invite the reader to join the fun and get to know the characters.

Best Dog Books: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Think of your story as a journey: Before you set out, decide who is going on the trip (your characters), where they are starting from, and where they are going to end up. If you don’t know your “destination,” you won’t know which direction to take and when to turn – so you may get frustrated and lost while you are writing.

And, just like a journey, take it one mile (one paragraph, one page, one scene) at a time. If you try to “drive” (accomplish) the whole journey at one sitting, you may get tired and discouraged.

Include a dog in your story if you can. You’ll have more fun on your writing journey if a dog is along. And your reader will have more fun, too!

If you’d like to learn more about Gail Langer Karwoski, you can check out her author website.

Thank you, Gail, for joining us at Best Dog Books. We look forward to reading your book!

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.

Today I welcome Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann to Best Dog Books, a blog that features interviews with authors and illustrators who’ve published a canine story for kids or young adults.  Candy and Eric are here to talk about Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen which is an illustrated, middle grade novel published by Schwartz-Wade Books/ Random House for kids aged 8-12.

I am a fan of historical fiction, dog stories, and stories based on true events so STRONGHEART did not disappoint. Kids who loved HUGO CABRET and WONDERSTRUCK by Brian Selznick will enjoy STRONGHEART for the illustrated aspect of the story. I would have enjoyed learning where Flemings took liberties in the story and so wanted to believe that Strongheart did, in fact, do all of the things in Flemings’ story. She did such an amazing job describing the events that unfolded that I felt like a kid again reading my childhood favorites like LASSIE and THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. I liked believing that dogs were as clever as the storytellers made them out to be through story. So reading STRONGHEART brought me kid-like joy.

Best Dog Books: Who is your key dog character(s) and what kind of dog is he/she?

Candy: Strongheart is a German shepherd who worked as a police dog in Berlin before being “discovered” by a Hollywood movie director and eventually becoming one of the biggest cinema stars of the 1920’s.  Both the character and the story are based on the real-life movie star dog, Stongheart.

Best Dog Books: Tell us about your story.

Candy:  Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen is based on a true story.  There really was a Strongheart, and he really was Hollywood’s number one box office draw from 1921-1927.  He was also the very first dog in movie history to have screenplays written just for him; where he was the leading man (or dog in this case).

The story goes like this:  Taken from his litter as a puppy, Strongheart (whose name was Etzel at the time) was sent to Berlin where he was trained to become the fiercest dog on the police force.  Sadly, in those days (1919) dogs weren’t trained with love or kindness.  He became ferocious and incredibly well trained, but he didn’t receive any loving, human contact.  He didn’t know how to play.  He didn’t know what it was like to be petted.  He lived this sad life until movie director Larry Trimble found him and took him to live in the Hollywood Hills.  Trimble had been on a search for the perfect dog because he’d had a crazy idea – movies with a dog as the leading man.  Nowadays, of course, this is hardly an original idea, but in the 1920’s when movies were still a brand-new technology, it was a crazy, ingenious idea.  When he found Etzel he immediately knew he’d found his star. So he changed the dog’s name to Strongheart (a name with way more star power).  And while his girlfriend, Jane Murfin, wrote a screenplay, Larry got to work rehabilitating Strongheart. And this is true!  He had to teach the dog how to play… and how to accept food from a person’s hand… and how to enjoy a belly rub… and eventually how to love being loved.  Strongheart had found his forever family!

He also became a star.  His first movie, The Silent Call, was a smash hit. The dog (and Larry and Jane) made millions of dollars.  With it they built a mansion in Hollywood with a doghouse in the backyard.  And I mean a house!  It had three bedrooms, a swimming pool and a butler named Alan who served Strongheart steaks on a silver platter.  All true!  The mansion has long since been torn down, but Strongheart’s house remains, and people actually live in it today.

Strongheart was awash in gifts and letters from his fans.  They sent him bones… and rubber balls… and golf clubs… and a new car.  True!!  He sent them back his photo complete with his “pawtograph.”  He visited orphanages and hospitals and went on cross-country tours where he was paraded down Main Street and mayors gave him the key to the town.  Did you know the first national brand dog food was named after him?  Yup!  Strongheart Dog Food.  It’s still around today.

He made seven movies in his career, all of them—sadly — long forgotten.  He found a mate, Lady Jule, and fathered several litters of puppies.  He got a star on the Hollywood walk of fame (it’s still there). Most importantly, he had the constant love of both Larry and Jane.  His life was good… until he was accused of a terrible crime.  I won’t tell you what, I don’t want to spoil it.  But it, too – the court case and the outcome — is based on the truth.

Best Dog Books: What inspired you to write and illustrate this story?

Candy: Anger! I was really bugged that Strongheart had been all but forgotten.  I mean, you say the names, “Lassie,” or “Rin Tin Tin” and people recognize them.  But that’s not the case with Strongheart.  And yet, he was the first.  All the other movie star dogs were just copy cats… er. . . copy dogs.  More than anything I wanted to return him to our collective American memory. I wanted people to remember him.

Eric: I grew up with German Shepards and so have always had a fondness for the breed.  I loved this story from the first time Candy showed it to me and I shared her idea to have the narrative told not only with her text, but with pictures as well. To help the editor understand what we were thinking about I took the first chapter of the book and told some of the story wordlessly, making sequences of pictures much like one would illustrate a picture book.  We all liked it and and got to work.

Best Dog Books: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it? What was the biggest challenge you had illustrating this story?

Candy:  The biggest challenge was finding information about the dog.  When I set off to do research, no one had written about Strongheart – no books, no articles, not even a Wikipedia article (an unreliable source that I would have had to take with a block of salt).  I had to go back to primary sources – newspapers of the day, movie magazines, black-and-white newsreels – and piece together the events of his life.  Once I had the true story, I could see the trajectory of my book.  I understood both Strongheart’s and Larry’s motivation.  I knew where I wanted my book to start and end.

Eric: So many challenges arise when you are making pictures for a book! It was essential that I capture Strongheart’s intelligence and nobility, without drifting too far into anthropomorphism.  I had to make images that simply did not decorate or repeat what was being said in the text.  I had to make sure I did my research and everything I drew was of his time. At one point in the story we see a hair drier and indeed the first electric hair driers were on the market in the early 1920’s

Best Dog Books: What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what can you tell us about it? Will you collaborate again on a future project?

Candy: We have three new collaborations on the horizon.  The first is called MINE about forest animals that each have designs on the season’s last, red apple.  To what lengths will each go to keep it for itself?  We’re also working on the third in our Bulldozer series, called Bulldozer’s Christmas Dig.  And we’ve just signed on for a third book, Polar Bear, which is a companion to our earlier Giant Squid and this year’s Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera.  Sadly, not one of these books has a dog in it.

Best Dog Books: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

Candy:  Here’s a little secret about the book that shows how dog-crazy Eric and I are about our own fur-baby.  We actually dedicated the book our mixed breed, Oxford, “our very own Strongheart.”  And if that wasn’t enough, we included his picture… Eric painted it.  It looks exactly like Ox.

Best Dog Books: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? Why?

Candy: Stuart Little by E.B. White because it was the first time I opened up a book and fell into it.  I was in second grade at the time, and can clearly remember looking up from the page and thinking, “Wow, look how much time has passed!”  I’d taken a journey far from my Northern Indiana home without leaving the window seat.  In that moment I understood the magic of books.

Best Dog Books: What advice would you give to aspiring writers and illustrators?

Candy: Read, and I’m not trying to be flippant with that answer.  I firmly believe that writers learn from other writers.  We discover new ways to structure story.  We uncover new ways of using language.  We find the courage to try new genres and explore new subjects.  We grow as writers from other people’s work. And so read – all the time and all kinds of stuff.  Read fantasy, and nonfiction and historical fiction and picture books and magazines and newspapers and the back of the cereal box.  Most especially, read the stuff you don’t typically read.  If you write nonfiction picture books, read YA science fiction.  If you write YA dystopian, read middle grade here-and-now.  Better yet, try writing a couple paragraphs of sci-fi or here-and-now yourself.  Shake things up.  Keep learning.

Eric: Practice your craft—- draw, draw, draw. Spend time in museums. Look at artists in history. Look at what other artists are making today.  Make pictures of things you care about.  If you become an illustrator, you will be spending lots of time with your work and so make pictures of things you care about.  Most of all find joy in your work and the rest will follow.

If you’d like to learn more about Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann you can check out the author’s website  and illustrator’s website.

Thank you Candy and Eric for joining us at Best Dog Books. We look forward to reading your book!

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.

Today I welcome Candace Fleming to World Reads, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a story set outside of the United States for children or young adults. Candy has published The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Schwarz-Wade Random House which is YA nonfiction set in Russia for kids 12 and up.

What is The Family Romanov about?

It’s the dramatic, suspenseful, but totally true story of the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas Romanov, and his family.  There’s romance here, and intrigue.  There’s crazy monks and revolutions and murders.  And there’s love and family tenderness, cruelty and insanity. It really is a sweeping drama. One reader called it, “The Hunger Games except true.”

What inspired you to write The Family Romanov?

Teenagers, actually.  Whenever I visit middle and high schools I talk about history, and how I spend years researching a life that utterly beguiles me.  I always end my talk by asking if there’s any life from the past that the students would be willing to immerse themselves in.  Invariably, a student – usually a girl – would raise her hand and say “Anastasia Romanov.” I’m not surprised.  I, too, once believed in the bittersweet magic of Anastasia’s story – the rich, spirited princess who should have lived happily-ever-after but who was unable to escape her terrible fate.  Doomed, her bloodline cursed, hers was a fairytale turned to tragedy.  But the truth, as we all know, is no fairytale.  What I began to realize was these teenagers who’d raised their hands realized they didn’t know the truth about Anastasia.  How would they ever know it?  I decided I needed to write that book for them… and myself.

I remember being fascinated by Anastasia. My daughters were too. Smart that you ask your target audience what interests them. Are you connected to the setting of your story?

Russia?  I’ve been twice – once when researching the book, and just recently to talk with Russian high schoolers about the book – and I do love the country.  St. Petersburg is a gorgeous city, and Moscow is full of energy (and has some of the best restaurants in the world… seriously).  Kazan, too, is extraordinary, and so different from those big cities.  Traveling there, feeling the air and visiting the places the Romanovs lived and worked, really helped me understand their story.  Russia is a character in the book.  It’s the place the Romanovs profess to love.  It’s the place the people desire to wrest away from them.  Both find it worth fighting… and killing for.  So yes, I do have a connection.

I was particularly impressed with the accuracy in your research of Russian history and loved the way you were able to weave in a fresh perspective through the eyes of the Russian people. I imagine you had to do a lot of research. Could you describe your process of doing research and how you were able to make sense of the information to write about the Romanov family in such a way that draws kids in and makes it fun to learn about history? Did you travel to Russia to do research?

Let me warn you, it’s an involved answer.  Ready?  Brace yourself because here goes:  My research follows four distinct paths.  The first path is primary research.   After all, the heart of all research is the firsthand accounts and eyewitness testimonies of those who lived through an historical event.  And so I read reminiscences written by the children’s’ tutors, by Alexandra’s ladies-in-waiting and by Nicholas’ courtiers.  I delved into the royal family’s letters and diaries and other personal papers.  I read Yakov Yurovsky’s chilling account of the murders; statements from the guards; depositions from the priests and cleaning women who visited the Romanovs in their last hours.  All of it was so personal, so intimate.  If you think about it, primary research really is the height of nosiness… and probably the reason I love it so much.  I get to be part detective, piecing together testimony from all that conflicting testimony; part gossip, reporting on all the juicy details I uncover.

My second path leads me to secondary source material.  There are hundreds of books about the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution (although almost none for young readers).  Dozens of scholars have made the rigorous examination of Russia’s past their life’s work.  They’ve written insightful, enlightening histories.  I read dozens of these.  For months every night I curled up with books with titles like The Russian Revolution of February 1917 or The Fall of the Romanovs.  There’s no denying that my book stands on the shoulders of these works.

My third research path take me to experts – scholars, historians, and other writers.  Experts, I’ve learned, are incredibly generous.  All my nonfiction titles have been immeasurably improved by their time and effort.  But no one was more helpful than Dr. Mark Steinberg, professor or Russian, East European and Eurasian studies at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.  In the course of my own research, I’d come to rely on Dr. Steinberg’s work – his accessible histories of Russia, his impeccable translations of documents recently released from the Russian archives, his re-examination of Nicholas’ leadership abilities, his new and brilliant scholarship on Lenin. Can you tell I’m a fan?  So as the first draft of the book neared completion I approached him tentatively.  More than anything, I wanted him to read what I’d written.  I wanted his opinion and knowledge.  I wrote him, explaining my purpose and my readership.   Then I crossed my fingers and hoped he’d answer.  He did… enthusiastically.   Over the course of the next six months, he read my draft, made suggestions, pointed out errors, suggested more appropriate source material and forced me to look at the evidence in different ways.  He sent along books and articles he believed would help in my work.   He re-read portions of the book I’d reworked based on his comments, and patiently answered what must have felt like a tireless stream of questions throughout the entire publication process.  That’s generosity!

Last, but certainly not least, my fourth path takes me traveling.  It’s important, I think, to visit the places where the story happened.  Landscapes speak and houses hold memories and secrets.  This was especially true when writing The Family Romanov.  Not only was visiting Russia the best part of the research process, but it also contributed volumes to my understanding of the story. Just walking around and feeling St. Petersburg’s air brought the family closer to me.   At Tsarskoe Selo, I wandered down shaded lands and through lush gardens. I didn’t just learn how the place looked.  I discovered how fragrant the lilacs are after a rain shower, and how the ornamental bridge creaks when you cross it.  I discovered how vast and empty the place is.  Most of all, I discovered this – in none of my sources had anyone mentioned how close the family’s palace sat to the front gate.  I’d assumed it was somewhere in the middle of the park, away from prying eyes.  Not so.  The tall, main gate with its golden, double headed eagle opens directly onto the palace’s circular driveway.  Every day the family could look through its iron grillwork to the town of Tsarskoe Selo just on the other side. It gave me pause.  The family was so close to it’s people.  They were right there, just on the other side of the gate.  The Romanovs could look out their windows and see them.  They could hear their people’s voices from the palace balcony.  They could smell their cooking and their livestock. They really weren’t as physically removed from the people as sources led me to believe.  It gave me pause.  Why, I wondered, didn’t the Romanovs feel more attachment to their subjects?  The question led me down entirely new paths of thought.   And it eventually led to the book’s inclusion of first hand worker and peasant accounts under the title, “Beyond the Palace Gates.”

Thank you for taking time to share your research process. What was the biggest challenge you had writing The Family Romanov? How did you overcome it?

The Russian language was the toughest challenge.  Luckily for me, the Romanovs wrote to each other in English.  But most of the other documents and memoirs are written in Cyrillic so I had to depend on other people’s translations.  Six or seven different translators have translated some of those primary sources six or seven different times.  It was typical for me to sit with all those version spread out around my desk, trying to figure out who’s version was the most understandable, or made sense, or was just the pithiest and most readable.  Confusion reigned.

What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it set outside of the United States? If so, where? And what is it about?

My newest piece of YA nonfiction came out in February.  It’s called The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, and I’m thrilled to say, its received SIX STARRED REVIEWS!  Whoop! While it’s definitely an American story, like the Romanov’s, it’s a sweeping one. We travel with the Lindberghs around the world, and across war-torn Europe.  The book is part adventure story, part detective novel, part romance and part… well… a story about politics gone awry.  There are Nazis and kidnappers and the crazy discovery after Lindbergh’s death that he had not one… not two… but three secret families and a passel of secret kids.  It really is an edge-of-your-seat piece of nonfiction.  It even starts with an arm being chopped off. How great is that?

I’m sold! I just ordered a copy of your Lindbergh book. Is there anything else would you like us to know about you or The Family Romanov?

I think I’ve probably babbled on enough.

I wouldn’t call it babbling. All of it is fascinating. Can you remember the first book set outside of the United States that made an impact on you? And why?

That’s probably The Secret Garden.  I read it in third grade.  I’ve been hooked on stories that take place in either Britain or India ever since.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Read voraciously, and write something every day.

If you’re a fan of history and good writing, I highly recommend reading The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia. I’ve spent a good fifteen years plus working in the former Soviet Union and have read many adult books on the Romanovs and Russian history and this one is my favorite. If you’d like to learn more about Candace Fleming, please visit her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Thank you, Candace Fleming for joining us at World Reads! I’m a huge fan of your writing and look forward to seeing more of your books.

Today I welcome Audrey Mackaman to Best Dog Books, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a canine story for kids or young adults. Audrey is here to talk about Cavall in Camelot which is a middle grade fantasy series published by HarperCollins for kids aged 8-12.

Best Dog Books: Who is your key dog character(s) and what kind of dog is he/she?

The series focuses on the adventures of Cavall, King Arthur’s favorite dog, and his friends, the “Knights of the Hound Table.” Cavall is a deerhound, based on a friend’s real life dog who was already 108 pounds by the time he was 6 months old! Cavall’s friends include Anwen, a basset hound; Edelm, an Irish setter; and Luwella, a borzoi.

Best Dog Books: Tell us about your story.

The first book in the series, A Dog in King Arthur’s Court, follows Cavall as he tries to navigate his new home in Camelot and live up to the expectations of being a king’s dog. He soon finds himself working with the other dogs in the castle (and magical creatures called the fay) to foil an evil plot to overthrow Arthur. Expect appearances from Arthurian figures such as Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, and the witch Morgana.

Book 2, The Quest for the Grail, is available now and continues Cavall’s journey.

Best Dog Books: What inspired you to write this story?

While reading a book about the Knights of the Round Table, I found a passage about Arthur’s favorite dog, who is, in fact, named Cavall. I thought for sure somebody had written Cavall’s story, but when I went looking for it, I couldn’t find it. So I wrote it myself.

Best Dog Books: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge was also the most fun: Combing through all the conflicting versions of Arthurian mythology and choosing which one(s) to go with. I drew a lot on books and movies I loved as a kid, such as The Once and Future King, The Last Crusade, and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Best Dog Books: What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what can you tell us about it?

I’ve got several stories in the works right now. None that specifically feature dogs, though I always like to work animals into my books some way.

Best Dog Books: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?

I actually started writing dog stories when I was 8 years old, working on an old typewriter my grandfather gave me to tell stories out my own dog and her friends. When I was a kid, I always felt like I understood dogs better than I did grown-ups, and vice versa, because I had a lot of trouble communicating through speaking. Writing helped me get my words out. In Cavall, because the dogs cannot speak with humans (except Merlin, of course), I wanted to get across the frustration that comes with being unable to make yourself understood. I think that’s something kids, and probably plenty of adults, can relate to.

Best Dog Books: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? Why?

Dr. Seuss and Beatrix Potter books because I remember my parents reading them to me before I could read for myself. I probably wouldn’t love reading half as much as I do now if it weren’t for those early experiences.

My biggest inspirations for Cavall were Redwall and Hank the Cowdog, both series I consumed voraciously as a young reader.

Best Dog Books: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Good writers are really just good observers. They watch and learn, whether it’s people or other stories in books and movies. And successful writers write a lot. You’ll learn more from putting your own pen on paper than any writing course can offer. There is no dichotomy between thinkers and doers; writers have to be both.

If you’d like to learn more about Audrey, you can check out the author’s website or follow the author on facebook  or instagram. You can also find book reviews from Publishers Weekly, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Thank you Audrey for joining us at Best Dog Books. We look forward to reading your book!

For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.

For published authors and unpublished authors, check out our writing contests.