Interview With Beth Steury

Beth Steury, one of The Scriblerians authors, immerses herself in the YA world via substitute teaching, reading YA fiction, and connecting with the teenage staff at the local fast-food joint, where she claims the back booth as her office.

She’s a cheerleader for saving sex for marriage. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage and “renewed waiting.”

Beth is also a genetic genealogy enthusiast who used DNA to find her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” Her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.

All of Beth’s writing endeavors can be found on her website. Connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. Check out her books available on Amazon in both print and ebooks.

Below are the interview questions I’ve been asking the Scriblerians. In Beth’s case, we’re talking about her first novel, Before I Knew You.

What was the seed of this story? What got it started?

The inspiration for Preston and Maggie’s story came from a radio interview I heard many years ago. Following a presentation, a well-known youth speaker met outside in the parking lot with a young man from the audience.

The young guy leaned on his truck and looked up at the speaker. “What happens when true love didn’t wait?” he asked.

The speaker went on to say how that young man’s question changed how he approached the subject of teenagers and sex. For days, that scenario played through my mind accompanied by the faces of the many teenagers I knew who also had stumbled into premarital sex. For many, that one decision changed the course of their life. Too often they felt like since they had already messed up, what was the point in even trying anymore?

I’ve always believed in saving sex for marriage. And now, I believe even more in “renewed waiting.”

2. In your writing process, what was the balance between research and your own experiences?

Many people have asked me if this is my story. It is not nor is it any one person’s story. However, everything that happens has happened to someone that I know. So, my “research” consisted of sorting through memories and stitching them together as a new story.

3. How did you come up with your cover design?

Covers are difficult!! My goals were a YA look as well as a series concept. I perused the local high school library, noting what I did and didn’t like about the book covers in their fiction section. I also scrolled through the YA section on Amazon. While I was uncertain whether to use people on the cover, I did choose that route. The same couple will be featured on each cover in the three-book series, thanks to a talented photographer who combed through her friends to find the right pair for the job. I took the photos to a designer who created the three covers with a series concept.

4. How do you come up with names for your characters?

They just came to me! I’ve been asked that several times, and honestly, that’s how it happened. I liked the sound of the names together. At the time, I didn’t personally know anyone with either name.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which one would it be and what would you do together?

Because the story premise began with Preston, I think I’d like to sit down with him and pick his brain.

6. Are you a plotter or a pantser? What works for you in that modality?

I’m a hybrid who leans more toward the pantser side. I definitely do not create detailed outlines. Notes jotted here and there, yes. And a continuous streaming of the story in my brain. I wrote book #1 in scenes that I later “stitched” together, rather easily. I wrote book #2 in chronological order, I think because I was more familiar with the character arcs and story line.

7. What do you hope readers take away from your book?

Two concepts. First, that saving sex for marriage does matter, despite how much of our society has cast the idea aside, And, just as important, that “renewed waiting” also matters, because it’s never too late to make healthier, wiser decisions.

March 5, 2019

Before I Knew You by Beth Steury

Synopsis

After a series of bad choices rocked his world, seventeen-year-old Preston charts a new course as far from his ladies’ man ways as he can get. He distances himself from the dating scene and avoids his party-loving friends—the things that once dominated his life. Then he meets Maggie, the new girl in town, the first day of their junior year. She’s beautiful on the inside and out, knows nothing of his past, and he can’t get her out of his mind.

Maggie wants to save sex for marriage, a true white-wedding-dress future. Her first date is a disaster, leaving her skeptical about trusting any guy at her new high school. She wants a boyfriend, sure, but he’d have to be nothing like the jerk who forced her first kiss. Someone more like Preston, who’s been nothing but sweet and helpful, not to mention, easy on the eyes. But he is so out of her league.

As Maggie and Preston draw closer, each seeing the other as a soulmate, they must deal with the temptation to draw physically closer. Ultimately, if Preston wants to be honest with the girl he loves, he will have to confess his past. And once he does that, he doubts she’ll stay.

Pros

Beth is expert in reflecting the feelings of adolescents. You’ll learn more about her in my next post when I interview her.
The author is also honest enough not to simplify a complicated situation. This is not a standard teen romance. Being the first of a series, the final answer to their dilemma won’t be revealed until Book Three. In the meantime, each book reads well as a stand-alone.
Love is in the details. Beth has created scenes that invite you right into the lives of Preston and Maggie–like their favorite snack traditions.

Cons

That depends on the reader. If you don’t like three-book series, you won’t want to wait for all the books. Beth is polishing Book 2 now. And if you don’t care for teen romances and angst, obviously this book is not for you!

Discussion questions

If you were in Preston’s position with a questionable past, when do you think the best time would be to tell the truth to the girl you really cared about?
Were Maggie’s expectations for a boyfriend too high? Why or why not?
Who was Preston’s mentor? Do you think he was helpful?
Maggie’s and Preston’s best friends were also a couple. Were they helpful or harmful in dealing with Maggie’s and Preston’s quandary? Explain.

Conclusion

If you’re raising your teen to wait until marriage for sexual activity, Before I Knew You explores many, if not all, of the questions that teens in our culture face, and it provides Biblical and practical answers.

February 21, 2019February 20, 2019

The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia Toney

Last month I interviewed one of the Scriblerians’ own, Cynthia Toney, regarding her Birdface series. Cynthia also has another book out which is historical fiction, and I loved the story. I don’t give five stars all that often, so you know it’s wonderful!

Synopsis

In a southern U.S. farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his Italian immigrant father become involved against their will in a crime that results in the murder of an innocent man and family friend. Amidst bigotry, bootlegging, police corruption, and gangland threats, Sal must discover whom he can trust in order to protect himself and his family and win back his father’s freedom. Sal’s family, their African-American farmhand, and the girl who is Sal’s best friend find their lives forever changed as dreams are shattered and attitudes challenged in a small community called Freedom.

Pros

1. Books set in America in the 1920s are not nearly as numerous as those set during World War II or the Civil War. Cynthia Toney brings the Prohibition Era to life, living in a time of gangsters and graft.

2. The premise of the story is based on moral dilemma. A young teen finds there is no easy right or wrong answer as to what he should do. If he does what he knows is morally right, someone dies. If he compromises his values, evil continues, and he is guilty of allowing it to continue. Middle-graders are ready to confront ambiguities in life, and Cynthia Toney does a marvelous job of keeping Sal’s anguish at a gentle level rather than going at the problem with a battering ram.

3. The Other Side of Freedom has won several national awards with good reason. I’ve included a small portion of the list.

2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: 1st Place, Grand Prize Fiction, 1st Place, Children’s/Juvenile Fiction.

2018 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards: Gold Medal, Children: Coming of Age

2018 Literary Classics Book Awards: Gold, Upper Middle Grade, General and Gold, Upper Middle Grade, Historical.

Cons

What cons?

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Sal wanted to leave Freedom as soon as he was old enough?

2. Sal’s Uncle Enzo was both a friend and a mentor to him. Why was Sal so concerned for him?

3. Name something Sal chose to do that his parents would not have approved of. Why did he do it? Was that a good reason?

4. Why did Antonina’s father want her to stop being friends with Sal?

Conclusion

The Other Side of Freedom is a novel of struggle and hope, of friendships gained and friendships lost. With a boy as a main character and a girl as a strong secondary character, children of either gender will enjoy the book.

January 19, 2019January 15, 2019

3 Things to Forget by Cynthia T. Toney

We’re adding a new segment to Scriblerians book reviews–reviews on books written by the Scriblerians! Several of us have been very busy in the publishing world, and it’s time to crow a little over our successes.

Cynthia is one of the original Scriblerians, initiating a small critique group for yet-to-be-published young adult/middle grade authors. She is now multi-published. The Other Side of Freedom is an award-winning historical fiction, and 3 Things to Forget is the fourth and final book of her Bird Face series from Write Integrity Press. Read on to see what goes on in Cynthia’s writing process.

What was the seed of this story? What got it started?

My main character, half-Cajun Wendy Robichaud, finally makes it to Alaska to see her dear friends Mrs. V and Sam. Readers particularly wanted to know more about Sam and how his friendship with Wendy would develop.

In Alaska, Wendy thinks she’s left behind the problems resulting from her mistakes in Louisiana and wants to forget them. But starting the summer at her friend Sam’s house and volunteering with Alaska Wildlife Conservation bring not only strange surroundings but also strangers into her life. And those strangers have a secret involving a troubled girl who threatens Wendy’s friendship with Sam.

As Wendy struggles to understand the Alaskans she meets and gets to know, she must also say good-bye to old friends she might never see again and decide whether to forget the past or to learn from it.

NOTE: While 3 Things to Forget concludes one season in Wendy’s life, each book in the series is easily read as a stand-alone.

2. In your writing process, what was the balance between research and your own life experiences?

This novel required more research than the previous Bird Face books. I had traveled to the Anchorage area of Alaska years ago, but I did not visit the Wildlife Conservation Center that is featured in this story. I also sought help with depicting my Jewish characters. I had worked among deaf adults, so I had some knowledge of deaf culture, but I read other novels with deaf teen characters to try my best to portray them realistically.

3. Did you help design the cover or have any input regarding its concept?

No, I didn’t, but I liked this design right away when my publisher showed it to me. I offered more input for the previous Bird Face covers.

4. How do you come up with names for your characters?

Sometimes I use a name I’ve heard only once, but it has stayed with me. I use place names I’m familiar with for people and people names for places. Sometimes I use a surname for a first name or the other way around. I’ve even created character names that don’t seem to exist anywhere. I really admire the clever character names other authors create.

5. If you could meet one of your characters in real life, which one would it be and what would you do together?

It would have to be my main character, Wendy! I think we’d have fun riding bicycles or hiking through woods and trying to identify plants and animals.

6. Are you a plotter or a pantser? What works for you in that modality?

A little of both. I start with how I want the story to begin and to end. Then I create the most exciting middle I can think of for my main character’s predicament. My first drafts tend to be sparse, perhaps because I see so much in my mind’s eye but forget to write it all down for the reader. I’ve learned to expand my descriptions and my characters’ reactions. After the first two books, I was able to let my character start telling me what she’d do next!

7. What do you hope readers take away from your book?

That change is inevitable. Change in relationships, in family dynamics, in resources, and sometimes in physical environment. But God gives us the power to adapt, to find creative solutions, and to find acceptance and love.

Cynthia writes for tweens and teens to show them how wonderful, powerful, and valuable they are. Her interests are American Sign Language, Cajun and Italian culture, growing herbs, and rescuing dogs. She also enjoys studying the complex history of the friendly southern U.S., where she resides with her husband.

December 29, 2018December 28, 2018

Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris

Third in a series of reviews about deaf characters and their siblings, Of Sound Mind zeroes in on the burdens a CODA (child of deaf adults) carries when his parents cannot or will not connect with the hearing world.

Synopsis

Theo, a senior in high school, learned sign language before he learned to talk.. His mom is a famous artist—with a stereotypical temperament to match—and his dad is a carpenter. Both are deaf and rarely speak, which means Theo is their live-in interpreter. He hates the never-ending responsibility. Then there’s Theo’s little brother Jeremy, who is also deaf.

A loner, Theo takes refuge in mathematics until he meets Ivy. Ivy lives with her deaf father, also serves as his interpreter on occasion, but she embraces the world with a vitality that Theo has never witnessed before. He’s smitten.

As he spends more and more time with Ivy, he meets her dad and the people she serves in her after-school catering business. She welcomes Theo’s family into her circle, especially Jeremy, who is one lonely little kid. Theo begins to dream he can break free of the family chains and actually attend MIT next year. Then his dad has a stroke, and the dream disintegrates. It’s Ivy who provides a solution to the dilemma, at which point Theo must come to terms with the flaws in himself.

Pros

Jean Ferris provides the best view of Deaf Culture at home that I’ve ever read. She has Theo point out where hearing people commit errors in etiquette, from turning away while you’re speaking to grabbing a person’s hands who is signing.
In life, people make choices as to how they will respond to the situations that come up. Ferris demonstrates how a hearing child living with deaf parents reacts in a variety of ways. Theo started to look at his life more optimistically with Ivy’s help. Ivy also had to face some of the negatives in her life, things she had repressed, covering them with an almost-manic desire to nurture others.

Cons

For some younger readers in this overlapping category of middle grade and young adult, the life issues that come up might be overwhelming. Theo’s mother is not in the least bit motherly, and his father dies. Ivy’s mother abandoned her.

Discussion questions

If you were the only hearing person in your family, would you resent being given the job of interpreter for your parents and brothers and sisters, or would you be happy to help out every day?
Why did Theo’s mother refuse to talk in public (and hardly ever at home either)?
Why did Theo resent other people coming in to help his dad, even when they knew sign language?
Theo decided to attend MIT in spite of everything that went wrong. Why did he make that decision?

Conclusion

With the best of intentions, people often fall into the trap of needing to be needed. Of Sound Mind teaches us how to climb out of that trap.

December 15, 2018

…and now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold

The “coming-of-age” story. When a boy becomes a man.

…and now Miguel is a great read for boys ages nine through thirteen. Joseph Krumgold really gets into the head of a kid during that in-between age, wanting to be respected as a man yet child enough that he’s not quite ready for a man’s responsibilities.

Synopsis

Set in the Korean War era, the heart’s desire of Miguel Chavez is to be allowed to join the men when they take the sheep to the mountains. During his twelfth year, he meets every challenge to prove he is old enough to go with them. But his father says, “Not yet.” So Miguel prays to San Ysidro for a miracle allowing him to join the men. And his prayer is answered—only not in the way he would have desired.

Pros

The novel peeks into the Hispanic-American culture giving children new insights.
Krumgold teaches his readers all kinds of details about life on a sheep ranch. I learned a lot!

Cons

As a child, I might not have been interested in finishing the book because there is so much narrative. Dialogue exists, but not in the abundance of a modern novel.

Discussion Questions

What is the difference between Pedro and Miguel?
Why does Miguel respect his father? His grandfather? Gabriel?
What is your opinion of Faustina?
Name two ways that Miguel has begun to grow into a man by the end of the book.

Conclusion

Miguel’s moment of ultimate reality is this: we spend minutes upon minutes anticipating desired change. Change happens—for maybe one whole minute. After that, we live our changed lives minutes upon minutes.

This lesson is central to life, which is why …and now Miguel is a classic. For life is complicated. Even when you get your heart’s desire (glad), it may not be what you wanted (sorry). As Miguel’s father told him, “Always two things.”

November 17, 2018

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Last month I reviewed a Newbery winner which fascinated me with its intricate puzzle mystery. When You Reach Me is based on another complicated mystery, which, if I tell you the type of puzzle it is at its core, I would ruin the ending for you. So let’s just use the broad genre of science fiction to label it.

Synopsis

Written in 2009 but set in the 1970s, When You Reach Me reads like a vintage novel. Miranda is in sixth grade, lives in New York City, and Sal has been her best friend since before they learned how to talk. But when Sal gets punched by a kid for no apparent reason, he refuses to have anything more to do with Miranda. She’s hurt, but gradually finds some new friends.

Life would be okay, but mysterious things begin to happen. Her hidden emergency key is stolen. A shoe goes missing. And she receives cryptic notes from someone who knows an awful lot about her. The notes leave her thinking that tragedy could be heading her way. By the time she solves the puzzle from the notes, she might be too late to save a friend’s life.

Pros

1. Rebecca Stead had my brain whirring with possibilities from page two through the rest of the book until the satisfying final reveal. Does Miranda’s mother get hurt? Why does Miranda never want to remember the last six months of her life?
2. The chapters are titled as if they are topics on The $20,000 Pyramid TV game show, which is a fabulous detail to integrate into the setting, and highly entertaining for me.
3. Through Miranda’s new friendships, the author touches on current issues of the era, and does so in such a manner that young readers learn a great deal of the culture while they are immersed in story.

Cons

1. The average reader might get lost with so many clues to follow when none of them make sense. Rebecca Stead gives nothing away until the “veil” is lifted from Miranda’s eyes. And then it ALL makes sense.
2. Some parents may be uncomfortable with Miranda’s living situation. Her mom is single, and Mom’s boyfriend is in their home a lot. The author doesn’t specifically say he spends the night, but he does keep clothes in the apartment. They do plan to marry at the end of the book.

Discussion Questions

1. Marcus had punched Miranda’s best friend for no apparent reason. Why did she end up being Marcus’s friend?
2. If you had a friend with Annemarie’s health problems, what would you do to be helpful?
3. Miranda didn’t like Julia for a long time. What changed?
4. Is there someone in your class that you don’t like? Do you think you could change the situation for the better?
5. Who is the homeless old man?

Conclusion

Discussion question #5 will inform you if your child understood the story or not. And the answer will give him or her plenty to reflect upon regarding how people treat one another.

October 27, 2018October 18, 2018

The Westing Game By Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game is a mystery, or more accurately, a puzzle-mystery as described in the author’s own words. With sixteen characters, each with their own point-of-view, the challenge of solving the mystery ranks on par with the difficulty level of a 3000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

As an avid reader, I hate to waste my time rereading any story. There are so many books, and I have so little time! But The Westing Game has joined the exclusive club of Second Reads in Linda’s Library. In fact, because of the complicated puzzle, as soon as I read the last page, I turned to the front of the book and started over. I wanted to discover all the clues I had missed in the first reading. I’ve never done that before.

Synopsis

Sam Westing, the reclusive multi-millionaire, has been murdered. Sixteen heirs are invited to a reading of the will, which, in reality, is a contest. Whoever can solve the puzzle of Westing’s death inherits his estate. His lawyer provides the clues, a few at a time. Without mentioning every possible heir, the characters include perky and angry preteen Turtle to the morose, sixty-something Crow, from an African-American judge to the doorman of the apartment where most of the sixteen live. How one of them is able to solve the puzzle becomes an exercise in fascination. And how all sixteen characters grow in kindness and love toward one another warms the heart.

Pros

1. An excellent mystery is a pro in itself. If I can’t predict the outcome until the last page or two, the author has succeeded with flying colors. I was able to solve the major clues early on, yet couldn’t solve the entire puzzle-mystery.

2. The story is full of surprises along the way. I love surprises!

Cons

1. The head-hopping with sixteen POVs was disconcerting. But I got used to it and started to enjoy it.

2. The puzzle is awfully complex for a middle-grader to follow. I kept returning to previous pages and checked specific clues to keep track of the story. During an earlier era of my life (before my motto of “relentlessly eliminate hurry”), I had started this book and set it down because I didn’t have the leisure of mulling over the possibilities. I’m so glad I took the time to enjoy it now.

Discussion Questions

While there are dozens of questions one could ask regarding each clue, let’s skip to the end and see if your child knows the answers.

1. Who was Sam Westing?
2. When did Sam Westing die?
3. Who received the inheritance?
4. Why did Sam Westing create this crazy puzzle-mystery in the first place? (Hint: several possible answers would be acceptable which involve the man’s character as well as the integrity of the sixteen heirs.)

Conclusion

Just to whet your inquisitive appetite, I’ll leave you with some of the questions I came up with as I read.

1. Plain, grain, skies, brother?
2. Is Grace a Wexler, a Windkloppel, or a Westing?
3. Who else plays chess?
4. Will Angela die like Violet died?
5. Is Otis Amber a nut or a genius?

Happy reading!

October 6, 2018October 4, 2018

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

When Antony John’s wife challenged him to write a book about rock music and its personalities from a deaf person’s point of view, Five Flavors of Dumb was the result.

Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old Piper Vaughn lost her hearing in fifth grade, so her speech is pretty clear, and she’s mastered the skill of reading lips. Communicating to others is so much easier for her if she uses sign language, but only her brother and mom have learned it. Dad is ashamed of his imperfect daughter. However, Piper’s baby sister, Grace, who is also deaf, has just received expensive cochlear implants—paid for with Piper’s college fund. It doesn’t take much imagination to know how she feels.

The chip on her shoulder gets her into the sticky situation of managing, and getting a paying gig for, a high school rock band, Dumb. (That’s the name of the band, not my opinion of Piper!) The five personalities in the band range from arrogant to oppositional to placating, and Piper has her hands full getting them to listen to each other, both on instruments and in life. How can she do that when she can’t even hear the music properly? She depends on her feet to feel the rhythms through the floor, but her hearing aids only give her vague clues on the harmonies.

With the help of an aging ex-rock singer, Piper fumbles her way through the maze of rehearsals, public relations, and contracts. She gains a better understanding of her family while on the journey, learns to accept the hand of friendship as well as extend it, and is stunned by the discovery of romance.

Pros

1. I love a complicated story! With one main character and eight supporting roles, the opportunities for complex relationships abound. Antony John does a masterful job of building the relationships between Piper and her family and Piper and the band. He keeps those relationships true to life, too. She doesn’t succeed with everyone.

2. While the novel is set in the twenty-first century, the author adds wonderful nuggets of rock and roll trivia of the Eighties.

3. Piper gives the reader a good sense of Deaf Culture and what it’s like to be deaf in a hearing world.

Cons

Since Five Flavors of Dumb is not a Christian YA novel, the language can get pretty salty, so I don’t recommend the book for younger readers.
Discussion Questions
1. Why does Piper think her father is ashamed of her? Is she right or wrong? What makes you think so?
2. How does Piper’s opinion of her brother change over the course of the story?
3. How does Piper judge each of the band members at first? List what she thought about each of them. When was she right and when was she wrong? What does she learn about them as individuals?

Conclusion

Directly after the first chapter and directly before the last chapter, Piper creates a list which reveals how she looks at the world. When I compare both lists, I can see how much she’s grown in maturity and in loving others, a great lesson for all readers!

September 15, 2018September 12, 2018

Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright

Set in the late 1930s, Thimble Summer captures the era’s atmosphere of farm life in Wisconsin. Elizabeth Enright wrote this while people were just beginning to recover from the Dust Bowl further south, and the book gives an excellent sense of the Depression years through a child’s eyes.

Synopsis

Garnet Linden, ten years old, gets herself into a different scrape every chapter. The story starts with the silver thimble she finds half buried in the river bank, and Garnet decides it will bring her good luck. All her adventures through the rest of the summer “prove” it. Life isn’t always easy, and she knows her father worries about the bills, but as the season comes to a close, she can look back on adventures that brought so many treasures to hold close to her heart for a lifetime.

Pros

Children who love a gentle, happy story with enough challenges to keep them interested will love the book.
Enright provides wonderful details teaching today’s readers what farming was like in the twentieth century before World War II, such as how neighbors teamed up to get everyone’s harvest in and how farm machinery was relatively new.

Cons

Children who love action and adventure, or adults who deem no story is a good story without building toward a strong climax will not like Thimble Summer.

Discussion Questions

What chores did Garnet help out with?
Would you prefer to be Eric, who lived on his own for over a year, or would you prefer to be part of a family like Garnet’s? Why?
How was it possible that no one missed Garnet when she ran away for the whole day?

Conclusion

I write reviews for Vintage Reads for the sole purpose of pointing readers to great books of yesteryear. This is the second book by Elizabeth Enright that I’ve reviewed. You can find my opinion of The Saturdays here. She has ten more books for children, and each one paints a beautiful picture of Americana.