An Inside Look with Tamara Bundy
(Author of Pixie Pushes Through)
*The first season of interviews ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.
*Season #two ran during the summer of 2017.
*Season #three ran during the school year of 2017-2018.
*Season #five ran during the 2018/2019 school year.
*During summer 2019, the sixth season ran.
*The seventh season of interviews ran during the fall of 2019.
*I'm excited to be back for season #EIGHT with brand new interviews/authors.
*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.
*This is the SECOND interview in which I'm calling Season #EIGHT.
*Thank you to Tamara Bundy for being the One-Hundred Twenty-Second author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.
*Here are links to the One Hundred Twenty-One interviews…
SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)
SEASON #TWO (Summer 2017)
SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)
SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)
SEASON #EIGHT (Winter 2020)
Pixie Pushes On
by Tamara Bundy
(January 14, 2020)
How did you come to know Pixie?
Both my mom and my dad grew up on farms. My mom always told me
about her favorite lamb, Buster. It both fascinated me and broke my heart. That
sub-plot was the driving force behind creating Pixie.
What do you think is Pixie's most admirable quality?
I think Pixie is passionate and even though that passion gets her into some trouble with her quick judgements and temper, ultimately, I believe passion is what fuels us and drives us into who we are meant to be.
Is there anything you wish Pixie would have changed or done differently in her story?
I supposed I could say I wish she would have paid more attention to the adults pointing out that Buster was a farm animal. But truthfully, I feel everything we go through helps us become who we are meant to be. In other words, everything had to happen the way it did for Pixie to come to the conclusions she came to in the end.
What do you think Pixie can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I hope they remember the message that everyone is going through something most all the times. We can’t always see what they are going through. But everyone is going through something, and we need to remember that and maybe treat each other with more kindness. We can help each other “Push on”.
How did you research Pixie and the circumstances she found herself in?
For the farm scenes, I interviewed my mom and dad. At the time, my dad was in the hospital and having them both talk about their youths was a welcome distraction. I learned so much, too! That time is even more precious to me now that my dad has passed away.
Do you and Pixie share any similarities?
I think I put a little of myself in every character. Maybe Pixie’s passion, feeling responsible for things that aren’t her fault, might hit close to home. I might be guilty of some of that, too.
What was the hardest scene to write about Pixie?
Without a doubt –SPOLIER ALLERT: When Buster has to leave. I cried writing it. And I’ll tell you a secret –I then felt so bad I rewrote it so it didn’t happen that way. But, ultimately, I knew the true story from my mom’s childhood and any other way just wasn’t authentic. I had to be true to the story and tell it the way it really did happen.
Who do you think was Pixie's biggest supporter and why?
I love Granddaddy so much that I have to say him. Seriously, I think I have a crush on Granddaddy. But I also have to give a shout-out to Grandma who was modeled after my own grandma –a tough lady who might come across as cold, but really had a heart of gold.
Why do you think young people, like Pixie, judge others before they really get to know them?
Oh, I wish it were just young people who did that. I’m afraid we are all guilty of that. It is so easy in our instant world to make snap judgements about people. Relationships take time to cultivate and nourish. People are complicated, but so worth our time.
What do you think Pixie is doing at the present time?
Since so much of her was from my mom’s childhood, I can safely say she grew up, got married, and had children. But her favorite part of life right now is being a grandma. Sure, she still might say the wrong thing at times, but her family adores her almost as much as she adores them. (And she still hates chickens!)
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