It's time for the Fall Bloggy Giveaway! Find more giveaways here:
http://www.donttrythisathome.typepad.com/bloggy_giveaways/
My best friend Susan Marlow has landed for a visit; she travels by zip-line! Susan has graciously agreed to give away a signed copy of her new book, Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers *plus* a China doll keyring.
1. You say you are twelve on the inside. Why twelve? Do you have good memories of that age?
Twelve is the magical year. Old enough to have more freedom, but without the turmoil of the teen years (to which I would never, ever return!). All memories of my childhood are pleasant and call up visions of summer, running free in the magical 50s and early 60s, and lazing away the days at the beach or learning interesting things at school. Being outside more than inside, reading good books, eating good meals, playing, watching Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and wishing I could live on a submarine, or watching Star Trek and wishing I could live on a starship. I do remember having squirt gun fights on my bike with the neighborhood boys when I was 14 or 15. So maybe "age 12" extended a bit into my teen years.
2. Tell about a time when you got in trouble as a kid. What happened?
I don't think I got caught much, and I really wasn't outgoing enough to get into too much trouble. I do remember in the first or second grade I had waited in line for what seemed like forever for my turn on the swing at recess. I no sooner got on and started pumping when somebody came up to me, leading a little blind girl, and asked if she could have my swing. I said, "no." Can you believe that? I think I got in trouble at home for that, as I don't think I would have remembered the incident otherwise.
3. In your new book, Andrea Carter and the San Francisco Smugglers, Andi meets a Chinese slave girl in San Francisco. I didn't know much about post-Civil War slavery in California. How did you discover this timely topic?
I wanted Andi to have an adventure in San Francisco, so I did a google search of 1880 San Francisco and started reading through what was happening there at the time. One thing led to another and I stumbled across the Yellow Slave trade along the west coast, especially in SF. When I dug deeper, I discovered that even little girls--no more than 5 or 6 years old--were sold in China by their poor parents (or even kidnapped) to become mui tsais (domestic servants). They led a life just as hopeless as the older girls and young women. I thought Andi and Jenny rescuing a little girl would be a perfect subject for an adventure in San Francisco without having to draw them into the true darkness of the Yellow Slave trade.
4. Andi is pretty fearless. She'll try almost anything! What's the bravest thing you've ever done?
Shot at a coyote that was running off with one of our chickens. But I missed, so maybe that doesn't count. I jumped off a 30-foot cliff into a lake also. Very scary. Actually the very bravest thing I've ever done is get up in front of a group of librarians, teachers, and booksellers, and in 3 minutes told them about my first book, Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home. I thought I would be sick. I'd rather face another coyote than do that again. But I've done it twice since. Amazingly, it got easier!
5. Will there be more Circle C Adventures in Andi Carter's future?
I'd like to think so. I'm working on book 5, Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure right now.
How to enter my Bloggy Giveaway:
1. Leave a comment no later than 9 pm on Friday October 31. Drawing will be held on Sunday, November 2.
2. Bloggers and non-bloggers can enter, but only commenters have a chance to win. US and Canadian addresses only, please.
3. Please leave your e-mail contact address in this format (yourname at email dot com) so I can notify you if you are the winner.
4. One entry only, please. Multiple entries will be deleted so everyone has an equal chance to win. If you make a mistake and need to leave two entries to let me know, I understand. That's all there is to it!
Thanks for stopping by. Check out Susan's blog: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SuzyScribbles/
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Posted by Jennifer 
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Oct. 27, 2008 - Free Coffee
I started an online coffee shop and we are giving away 1 lb of gourmet coffee every Friday. Stop by and get entered:
www.getthebean.blogspot.com
-Meaghan @ Get The Bean