Visit with Linda DeMeulemeester

Linda at Lobster Press

Today we're visiting with Linda DeMeulemeester, author of the GRIM HILL series published by Lobster Press. The fourth book in the series, THE FAMILY SECRET, was just released on 4/1/10!



The fourth installment in the thrilling GRIM HILL series has Cat Peters and her friends on an international adventure!

Cat, Clive, Jasper, and the rest of the GRIM HILL crew are back, and everyone is buzzing about Darkmont High’s student exchange to Sweden. For Cat it means hanging out with her friends in a foreign country, traveling without parents, and not having to keep an eye on her clingy kid sister. Even though Sookie’s magical meddling seems to be in check, Cat has been wishing for a break from the constant worry of living near Grim Hill.

After all that she's been through, Cat knows to be careful what she wishes for. In this spellbound town, nestled in the shadow of Grim Hill, wishes have a tendency to turn against you. But this time, she isn’t wishing for anything in this town; she is wishing to get out of it – that has to be safe, right?

"…the fascinating look at Sweden’s history and culture makes it an entertaining and worthwhile read.” – Kirkus, April 2010

**I had the chance to ask Linda a few questions about her life and writing, which she happily answered so that I could share the info with you!

1) Twitter your newest or upcoming release in 140 characters or less.

A mysterious Swedish village, a spooky mountain, and an eccentric aunt – all with something to hide: GRIM HILL: THE FAMILY SECRET

2) What was your favorite book growing up as a teen?

My early teen reading life was all about LORD OF THE RINGS! I divided people into those who had read it and those who hadn’t. Okay, perhaps I was a bit intense.

3) When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

At some point, maybe when I was eleven, I clearly remember announcing to the world that I wanted to be an Egyptologist. I was recently intrigued, though, to find my high school annual and a lot of teachers and friends had autographed it saying things like, “Good luck with your writing career.”

Oddly, I have no recollection thinking I wanted to write back then.

4) Your favorite subject in high school – and your least favorite.

My least favorite subject in high school was biology, and my favorite subject was English.

In university it was the reverse - my favorite subject became biology, and my least favorite became English.

Weird…

Maybe when I actually studied I understood biology and it was interesting, and when I had to study English, it wasn’t as much fun…

5) The one book everyone in the world should read.

Everyone should read Pierre Berton’s, THE SECRET WORLD OF OG, although I recommend reading it before you’re twelve. It’s a lot of fun.

6) The book you wish you had written.

THE HOBBIT – I just remember reading it when I was eleven and it changed everything. It opened up the fantastical and my universe expanded.

7) The 2010 release you’re most looking forward to reading.

When I hear about an exciting new book on the horizon, I write it down.

Unfortunately I’m always misplacing these lists. Then I stumble around bookstores trying to remember. Sigh…

8) If your mom wrote the author profile for the jacket of your next book, what would she write?

(I asked my mom, and this is what she said)

I wished I’d kept Linda’s stories from when she was in grade one. Her fiction was a fantasy about Sleeping Beauty who liked to pop blackberries into her mouth. Her non-fiction went: Instincts – we have a cat named Mitsy. It goes outside and digs holes. That’s instinct.

She got an A.

9) Your family has the chance to describe you for an interview. What ten words would they say describe you best?

Determined – or driven, depending on which family member you ask.

10) You have the chance to go back and change a scene from one of your previous releases. What book would you choose, what scene would you change, and how would you alter it?

There’s a short story I had published and when I received the printed copy the name of the protagonist had changed. I didn’t recall accepting that – which doesn’t mean I didn’t – sometimes my fingers fly over accept/delete changes.

The thing is, the name was okay, but there was a scene in the story that did not ring true because of the name change.

It sort of haunts me. I guess the devil really is in the details.

11) You’ve invented a new national holiday. What is it called, and what does it celebrate? (Plus, would we get the day off of school and work??)

I truly think we need a - Mid-February Monday Off Holiday. Trust me, everyone would celebrate it.

12) What is your astrological sign? How closely does it match your personality?

My astrological sign is Pisces, and bits in the chart that describe living two very different existences at the same time seems right-on in the way I juggle my author’s existence and my teaching career.

Of course, the part about spending a lot of time in fantasy land sounds, well, eerily familiar.

13) What is your ultimate vacation destination?

I’d like to go to Iceland (ahem, once the volcano business settles down).

It appeals to me on a lot of levels – it’s a geological wonder and places far north hold a mystique for me. Then there’s the whole troll thing…

14) A movie is being made of ONE of your books. Which book is it, and who will star as the main characters?

I’ve given this some thought – it’s that writers’ imagination thing. The book would be the first one in my series, THE SECRET OF GRIM HILL. As for the characters, they would become a Tim Burton spooky animation.

15) The paranormal genre is big in teen/YA literature right now. Most bestsellers feature vampires, werewolves, faeries, angels, or the like as a main character. In your opinion, why are teens currently fascinated with all things paranormal?

The fantasy genre has characters with one foot in the Otherworld and one foot in the real world. Teen life was like that for me, the discomfort of not being an adult or a child. Why not relate that to being a werewolf or vampire? It’s an interesting way to explore.

16) Remember those “classics” that you were made to read in high school English class? What was your favorite, and which title should students never have to be subjected to reading?

Okay, I’ll admit it, but I think Shakespeare should be optional. Except for that cool witches’ scene in MACBETH…

The classics I enjoyed most were more modern - CHRYSALIDS and 1984 still top high school reading lists. Those are science fiction books that have stood the test of time.

17) A group of teens ask you the best way to become a published writer. How do you answer the question?

I used to think the best answer was to not give up – to persist no matter what, if that’s what you really want.

Lately, though I’ve been rethinking this. There’s a study that states writers persevere far beyond what is normal. I asked myself why that might be, and I suspect it might have to do with our wild imaginations. We imagine that despite any sensible odds, we’ll be published.

So my advice would be to nurture your imagination, then harness it and use it to keep chasing your dreams.



**Thanks so much to Linda for visiting with us today! Her website is currently under construction, but you can find her at the Lobster Press site listed above, or contact her directly at grimhill@lobsterpress.com.

Linda and her publisher have graciously offered to send one lucky poster today a copy of each of the first four books in the GRIM HILL series - THE SECRET OF GRIM HILL, THE SECRET DEEPENS, THE FORGOTTEN SECRET, and the just-released THE FAMILY SECRET! So be sure to leave any comments or questions you have for her in the comments section, as she'll be stopping by later today to see what we're talking about!