I am very excited to have Lauren on our blog today! She's written some fabulous books for Children and Young Adults alike. Recently I had the chance to interview her about her newest Children's series, Sisters 8.
What is the inspiration behind The Sisters 8 series?
In December 2006 my novelist husband Greg Logsted and I were visiting friends in Colorado with our daughter, Jackie, who was six at the time. A blizzard closed Denver Airport and our stay was extended to 10 days. Our friends have no TV and there were no other kids around, so by the last few days we were looking for fresh ideas to entertain ourselves. So what did we settle on? We did what any other family would do: We began brainstorming a nine-book series about octuplets whose parents go missing one New Year's Eve.
I love that this series was a family affair for you. What did you enjoy most about having your family be a part of the writing process for the series?
It's impossible to pick one thing I love most. I've been writing for a long time - at least it seems that way - and have had many books published for adults and teens as well, but nothing has compared to the joy and sheer fun of creating something with my own kid. We do the brainstorming together but I do the physical writing so I'd have to say one of the most enjoyable things is when, at the end of the day, I read what I've written and get to see the look on Jackie's face when she realizes that I didn't just hear her ideas for what should happen next but that they're actually in the story. Oh, and last year we were at a performance of The Nutcracker and a little girl and her mom kept staring at us. During the intermission they came over and asked if we were the authors of The Sisters 8 - that was pretty cool too. Our rock-star moment!
In one word, how would you describe each sister?
Annie: authoritarian; Durinda: nurturing; Georgia: cranky; Jackie: nice; Marcia: observant; Petal: terrified; Rebecca: mean; Zinnia: sweet.
Which of the sister's power would you want to have and why?
Annie's, which is the power of being able to think like an adult when need be. I say that because: 1) it's the only answer I can give without giving away secrets to people who haven't advanced very far in the series yet; and 2) at 48, I still haven't mastered the power of consistently thinking like an adult.
Which sister would you have been friends with growing up?
Jackie. How could I pick anyone over her???
What is one book each sister would recommend reading to our followers?
They would all heartily recommend anything by Roald Dahl - Roald Dahl is like a king to the Eights! - except for Petal. Petal is scared of nearly everything you can imagine, and several things you can't, so she just can't handle all that satire. I guess that leaves Petal to recommend Dick and Jane, which is only OK until Spot enters the picture because then Petal begins to wonder what will happen if Spot goes rabid. Come to think of it, Petal finds Baby pretty terrifying in those books too. Perhabs Baby is concealing hand grenades in those chubby cheeks?
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Thank you so much Lauren for visiting with us today!! You can find out more about Lauren's books by visiting her site here: http://www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com/
Books make the perfect Christmas & Holiday gift! Be sure to visit the Sisters 8 site here to find out more about the series and where you can purchase the books at:
Meet that authors of Sisters 8:
I know my older daughter will love these. Thank you MK for featuring them! I'll look for them next time I'm at the bookstore!
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