Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Maggi Andersen! Her latest novels, Waving at the Moon
& Dog Head Code
, are both awesome reads. Welcome, Maggi!
Can you tell us about your new books and how you came up with the ideas?
It's strange really. I wrote Waving at the Moon at the same time as Cormack McCarthy wrote The Road
and other post-apocalyptic novels popped up. I sometimes think novelists pick up some subliminal vibes that are around at the time. It's a challenge to create a new world, as it would be to write science fiction I suppose. I enjoyed creating Paradise. I read a book years ago titled Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien
. It left an impression on me, although I take the story off on an entirely different tangent.
Here are what my books are about:
Waving at the Moon
In a post-apocalyptic world, Evie French has just turned seventeen. She and her cousin, Marcus Peters, sixteen, struggle to survive after being left alone in their parent's bed and breakfast hotel in outback Australia. An endless drought has killed Evie's father's avocado trees and all the surrounding habitation. Nothing grows in the fetid soil. Hope comes in the form of a nineteen year old boy, Joel Pitt. He arrives on his motorbike with his dog, Rasputin, bringing supplies. He climbs the tallest tree on the crest of the hill, and locates an area of green down along the coast, hundreds of miles away. The three pile onto the bike, with Marcus and Rasputin in the sidecar, and embark on a trip that will take them over mountainous terrain with a limited supply of food and water. What might they find if they reach the coast? Will other people have survived the devastation? And who bombed their country? No one seems to know.
Dog Head Code
After inheriting an old book containing a map from his Great Uncle Jake, Joe Jones travels to Dog Head Island, keen to find buried treasure. But in this isolated, inhospitable place, nothing is as it seems. Nothing, but the snakes that inhabited it. And Jake has a strong aversion to snakes!
What's one scene from either of these stories you loved writing and why?
Hard to pick one because I enjoyed writing them both. The relationship between the three in Waving at the Moon. I loved having Evie, Marcus and Joel dealing with danger and coming to terms with their situation, in scenes like negotiating the path around the rockfall, and crossing the river as the tidal surge hits them, with Rasputin having to swim for his life.
Did you listen to music while you wrote these books? If so, who did you listen to?
Classical jazz, guitar and piano mainly. I find songs distracting.
What advice would you give to a new author?
Persist is the main one. If you don't give up you'll make it. And take the time to learn your craft. There's some great how-to books available. And free advice to be had websotes and some great blogs. Most importantly, read authors who write in the genre in which you want to write. You can learn a lot from a good writer.
Are you working on any new books right now?
Not young adult, although some are waiting for a sequel to Waving At The Moon.
Ok, enough of the hard stuff. How about some fun questions? Vanilla or chocolate?
Vanilla. I'm not a big fan of chocolate.
What’s your favorite kind of gum?
Spearmint
Are you a cat or dog person?
I love both. I admire how self-contained cats are and how loyal dogs are, and enjoy the difference.
Who would win a fight between an astronaut and a caveman?
A caveman would be more resourceful in his own environment and better on his feet. An astronaut is hindered by the gear he has to wear.
What is the last book you read?
I'm reading The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
What is your favorite movie?
Moonstruck
Waving At The Moon by Maggi Andersen Reviewed by Elyssa
Evie and her cousin Marcus are the only ones left, as far as they know, although Marcus still holds out the hope of his parents returning. They are staying at Evie’s parents’ Bed and Breakfast hotel and food is running low.
Elyssa
/
& Dog Head Code, are both awesome reads. Welcome, Maggi!Can you tell us about your new books and how you came up with the ideas?
It's strange really. I wrote Waving at the Moon
at the same time as Cormack McCarthy wrote The Road and other post-apocalyptic novels popped up. I sometimes think novelists pick up some subliminal vibes that are around at the time. It's a challenge to create a new world, as it would be to write science fiction I suppose. I enjoyed creating Paradise. I read a book years ago titled Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien. It left an impression on me, although I take the story off on an entirely different tangent. Here are what my books are about:
Waving at the MoonIn a post-apocalyptic world, Evie French has just turned seventeen. She and her cousin, Marcus Peters, sixteen, struggle to survive after being left alone in their parent's bed and breakfast hotel in outback Australia. An endless drought has killed Evie's father's avocado trees and all the surrounding habitation. Nothing grows in the fetid soil. Hope comes in the form of a nineteen year old boy, Joel Pitt. He arrives on his motorbike with his dog, Rasputin, bringing supplies. He climbs the tallest tree on the crest of the hill, and locates an area of green down along the coast, hundreds of miles away. The three pile onto the bike, with Marcus and Rasputin in the sidecar, and embark on a trip that will take them over mountainous terrain with a limited supply of food and water. What might they find if they reach the coast? Will other people have survived the devastation? And who bombed their country? No one seems to know.
Dog Head CodeAfter inheriting an old book containing a map from his Great Uncle Jake, Joe Jones travels to Dog Head Island, keen to find buried treasure. But in this isolated, inhospitable place, nothing is as it seems. Nothing, but the snakes that inhabited it. And Jake has a strong aversion to snakes!
What's one scene from either of these stories you loved writing and why?
Hard to pick one because I enjoyed writing them both. The relationship between the three in Waving at the Moon. I loved having Evie, Marcus and Joel dealing with danger and coming to terms with their situation, in scenes like negotiating the path around the rockfall, and crossing the river as the tidal surge hits them, with Rasputin having to swim for his life.
Did you listen to music while you wrote these books? If so, who did you listen to?
Classical jazz, guitar and piano mainly. I find songs distracting.
What advice would you give to a new author?
Persist is the main one. If you don't give up you'll make it. And take the time to learn your craft. There's some great how-to books available. And free advice to be had websotes and some great blogs. Most importantly, read authors who write in the genre in which you want to write. You can learn a lot from a good writer.
Are you working on any new books right now?
Not young adult, although some are waiting for a sequel to Waving At The Moon.
Ok, enough of the hard stuff. How about some fun questions? Vanilla or chocolate?
Vanilla. I'm not a big fan of chocolate.
What’s your favorite kind of gum?
Spearmint
Are you a cat or dog person?
I love both. I admire how self-contained cats are and how loyal dogs are, and enjoy the difference.
Who would win a fight between an astronaut and a caveman?
A caveman would be more resourceful in his own environment and better on his feet. An astronaut is hindered by the gear he has to wear.
What is the last book you read?
I'm reading The Luxe by Anna GodbersenWhat is your favorite movie?
Moonstruck
Waving At The Moon by Maggi Andersen Reviewed by Elyssa
Evie and her cousin Marcus are the only ones left, as far as they know, although Marcus still holds out the hope of his parents returning. They are staying at Evie’s parents’ Bed and Breakfast hotel and food is running low.
When nineteen year-old Joel comes into the picture he convinces them to move on. Evie can feel herself falling for him, but does he feel the same way, or just think of her as a little sister?
When they arrive at a town called Paradise their hopes are restored, being around the survivors is great. However, the town isn’t all it seems in the beginning, and it’s impossible to get out.
Waving at the Moon, is a wonderful book, it has a very good storyline and is amazingly unpredictable. The cover draws you in and the girls green eyes really stand out. Overall I give this book an A+ for its uniqueness and apocalyptic theme!
Elyssa
Book Bees Buzz
No comments:
Post a Comment