(Author of Because of the Rabbit)
*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to the blog which was called "Season #ONE". This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.
*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017. It was great to get back to Season #TWO. This season ran throughout the summer.
*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017-2018.
*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018. With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.
*Season #FIVE ran during the 2018/2019 school year. I took a little break during June of 2019.
*I'm thrilled to be back with season #SIX featuring all new books, authors, and conversations.
*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017. It was great to get back to Season #TWO. This season ran throughout the summer.
*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017-2018.
*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018. With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.
*Season #FIVE ran during the 2018/2019 school year. I took a little break during June of 2019.
*I'm thrilled to be back with season #SIX featuring all new books, authors, and conversations.
*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.
*This is the SEVENTH interview of what I'm calling Season #SIX.
*Thank you to Cynthia Lord for being the Ninety-EIGHTH author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.
*Here are links to the first Ninety-Seven interviews…
SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)
SEASON #TWO (Summer 2017)
SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)
SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)
Interview #81 with Tony Abbott (Author of The Great Jeff)
Interview #82 with Susan Ross (Author of Searching for Lottie)
Interview #83 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Caterpillar Summer)
Interview #84 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly)
Interview #85 with Ali Standish (Author of August Isle)
Interview #86 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried)
Interview #87 with Greg Howard (Author of The Whispers)
Interview #88 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of Shouting at the Rain)
Interview #89 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of One for the Murphys)
Interview #90 with Laurie Morrison (Author of Up for Air)
Interview #91 with Jody J. Little (Author of Mostly the Honest Truth)
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #92 with John David Anderson (Author of Finding Orion)
Interview #93 with Lisa Thompson (Author of The Light Jar)
Interview #94 with Keith Calabrese (Author of A Drop of Hope)
Interview #95 with Alicia D. Williams (Author of Genesis Begins Again)
Interview #96 with Kim Ventrella (Author of Bone Hollow)
Interview #97 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Over the Moon)
Interview #82 with Susan Ross (Author of Searching for Lottie)
Interview #83 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Caterpillar Summer)
Interview #84 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly)
Interview #85 with Ali Standish (Author of August Isle)
Interview #86 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried)
Interview #87 with Greg Howard (Author of The Whispers)
Interview #88 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of Shouting at the Rain)
Interview #89 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of One for the Murphys)
Interview #90 with Laurie Morrison (Author of Up for Air)
Interview #91 with Jody J. Little (Author of Mostly the Honest Truth)
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #92 with John David Anderson (Author of Finding Orion)
Interview #93 with Lisa Thompson (Author of The Light Jar)
Interview #94 with Keith Calabrese (Author of A Drop of Hope)
Interview #95 with Alicia D. Williams (Author of Genesis Begins Again)
Interview #96 with Kim Ventrella (Author of Bone Hollow)
Interview #97 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Over the Moon)
*Cynthia Lord was kind, gracious, and giving with her answers to the questions. It is an honor to post her responses here on the blog.
*Thank you Cynthia for writing this incredible and thought-provoking book.
*Here is my book review...
Over the Moon Book Review
*Here is my book review...
Over the Moon Book Review
Because of the Rabbit
by Cynthia Lord (March 26, 2019)
How did you come to know Emma?
Many of my novels begin with setting, and that was true for Because of the Rabbit. I love Maine’s Western Mountains. It’s a place of great natural beauty and wildlife. So I started by asking myself, “Who lives here?
What do you think is Emma's
most admirable quality?
She is brave. One way she shows
that is being willing to admit when she has made a mistake. That takes a lot of
courage.
Is there anything you wish
Emma would have changed or done differently in her story?
As a person, I would want Emma to be completely comfortable in her own
skin, but as a writer, I know that
every character has to have some flaws. Those flaws are what make the character
relatable and give the character room to grow and change. If the character
starts off perfect, there’s no room for growth—the character doesn’t need to
change, and neither does the reader.
What do you think Emma can
offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she
went through?
I would hope Emma could give
kids an understanding that they are not alone when they have mixed feelings
about trying new experiences. I also hope that she would give them some courage
to take a risk and grow in their friendships, like Emma does.
How did you
research Emma and the circumstances she found herself in?
I homeschooled my children for many
years. We began homeschooling when my autistic son’s sound sensitivities made a
traditional school building painful for him. My son was homeschooled, at least
part-time, for his whole school career. My daughter was homeschooled from the
end of third grade through eighth grade. She and I had many wonderful
conversations about the transition from homeschooling to public school for this
book. Also I have three pet rabbits of
my own, and we foster rabbits for an animal rescue. So over the past five
years, we’ve had 27 foster bunnies. Even though I knew a lot about rabbits from
those real-life experiences, I did need to research the facts that are included
in the book.
Do you and Emma share any similarities?
We both live in Maine and love animals. We both struggle sometimes to be brave, but always learn that we’re braver than we think.
What was the hardest scene to write about Emma?
The hardest scene was when Emma denies Jack to the girls she’s trying to befriend. It’s one of those moments where a main character falls short of what you’d want them to do. Those moments are important in a book to build conflict, but they’re never easy to read—or to write.
Who do you think was Emma's biggest supporter and why?
I think it’s Jack, because he is willing to forgive her.
Why do you think humans, especially children, have such a special connection with animals?
Unlike people, animals never pretend to be happy or sad when they are not. When you understand their ways of communicating, it’s refreshingly simple. If we’re kind and respectful, pets come to trust us and love us for who we are inside. Also with children, they are so often on the receiving end of nurturing—and pets provide the chance to be the giver.
What do you think Emma is doing as this present time?
I think she had a great school year and is now happy to be home for the summer with her family and her pet bunny, Lapi. She made new friends this year and is anxious to invite them over. The next big step for her will be middle school, so I think she’s again feeling that mix of Scared and Excited, but Excited is way ahead in that race.
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