Euterpe YA Event: Interview with Cordelia Dinsmore

Hello and Welcome to Mera’s YA Book List! We are having a blast with the authors of Musa Publishing's YA imprint, Euterpe!

Today, we have with us Cordelia Dinsmore, author of the YA novel, Michaela’s Gift. Thanks so much for joining us Cordelia!  

Cordelia: Thank you so very much for having me here, Mera. I really like your header, by the way.  That’s some remarkable artwork.

Mera: Thanks so much! I wish I could take credit, but it was actually designed by Nadege Richards, who is a fellow author, blogger/reviewer for this blog and others, and an awesome friend! Back to the topic at hand!

Your novel, Michaela’s Gift, is one about a young girl with the ability to bring her drawings to life. What motivated you to write about this topic?  

Cordelia: The idea for the book arose from my memories of visits to my grandparents’ home in Tennessee. They had a large dog named Blackie, and I spent several summers working up the courage to make friends with her, without my mother’s knowledge. Like Michaela’s mom, my mother was terrified of Blackie.

Mera:  If you could choose to have Michaela’s abilities would you want them? Why or why not?  

Cordelia:  Absolutely not! I have no artistic bones in my entire body. If any of my drawings came to life, the book that might arise from my efforts would definitely be a horror story of the worst kind.

Mera: Lol! Does the character of Michaela relate to anyone you know?

Cordelia: Some people might think Michaela is based on myself, because our lives are a little bit alike. We are both the middle child, with an older brother and a younger sister. We both have a love for fairy tales and enchanted castles. Aside from that, though, she’s totally her own person. Michaela has a lot of strength that I never possessed at that age. I would never have braved my mother’s anger by standing up to her the way Michaela does her mom. Don’t get me wrong; she isn’t exactly disrespectful. But she doesn’t understand her mom’s changes in behavior when they are at the grandparents’, so she speaks out about it and let’s everyone know that she has feelings, too.

Mera: Besides writing, what are your favorite things to do?

Cordelia: I love to play with my kids, and now my granddaughter, who is three and a joy. I’m an avid reader of middle grade and young adult fiction, and I love funny picture books. I also love to travel and explore places I’ve never seen before. I’ve lived in Europe and several states, and I enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories.

Mera:  If you had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of your life, what would you pick?

Cordelia: Oh, my, I certainly hope that never happens. I would probably choose potatoes. They are very versatile, you know, and fairly healthy if you prepare them the right way. Unfortunately, many of the ways I prepare them probably don’t qualify as healthy. But I grew up on fried potatoes with onions and green peppers, and although I eat them rarely any more, they remain one of my favorite foods for breakfast, lunch, or supper.

Mera:  As a child, what book was your favorite?

Cordelia: In fourth grade, my teacher, Ms. Ramo, gave me a copy of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and that became my favorite. She also became my favorite teacher at that point. Before that, I don’t believe I had a favorite. I read everything I could get my hands on, from Mark Twain to Jack London, from Hemingway to Victoria Holt. I also had several large volumes of the 365 Bedtime Stories, and I read them all several times. Unfortunately, I had a very bad habit of reading outdoors during the summer, and forgetting to bring my book inside before bedtime. I ruined a number of them that way.

Mera: What is it like living on a farm? I’m sure many of us who savor living in the city would have a hard time adjusting. Would you ever move to a city?

Cordelia: I grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, and I’ve lived and worked in small cities such as Colorado Springs and Louisville, Kentucky. Do I ever want to move back to a city? Absolutely not. I love being out in the country where I don’t have to listen to my neighbors’ dogs bark all night, or traffic. I love the quiet of the country, and going outside in my jammies on a warm summer night and stargazing. I love being able to walk out into the pasture and flying a kite, or jumping on the trampoline with my kids and knowing that no one can see me making a fool of myself. I imagine some day we will have to give up the farm and move into town, but it will be a small town.

Mera: That actually sounds pretty amazing! If you could spend a day with any author, alive or deceased, whom would you choose and why? 

Cordelia: Dr. Seuss, of course. Can you imagine how much fun that would be? I think there would be a lot of giggling and laughing, and I would probably snort tea out my nose at some time.

Mera: Great answer! I could only imagine! Spending minutes with him would be a blast, let alone a complete day! If you had to choose your top three musical artists, who would you choose?

Cordelia: Paul McCartney and John Lennon would be at the top of my list. Those boys were geniuses at an age when most young men were still trying to figure out girls. Not that they had girls figured out at that time, I don’t know. But they certainly were brilliant when it came to music. The third one would be Allison Krauss. She is so talented, and yet is so humble.

Mera: Back to the words! Many writers have a certain place where they write, just as many readers have a favorite place to read? Where are your favorite places to do these things?

Cordelia: The only place I don’t read is in the driver’s seat. Seriously. I’ve ruined more than one book by dropping it in the bathtub. I read in bed every single night. I read at the table while I’m eating my lunch – if I’m alone. I take a book, or my Nook, with me every time I leave the house, so I can read while waiting for appointments or for my kids to get out of school or whatever. I even took a book with me when we went on cruises. Books are great conversation starters, too. I’ve met some very nice people by commenting on the book they were reading, or who have struck up a conversation with me about the book I was reading.

As for writing, I use my laptop exclusively, so I’m often in my husband’s recliner while writing. But if he’s watching television, I take it into the kitchen and sit at the little table in there.

Mera: Thanks again for joining us! Is there anything else you’d like the readers to know?

Cordelia: I would like to thank them for taking the time to read about my debut novel. And I want to thank you for your generosity in taking the time to interview me and for hosting me on your blog. I appreciate all the efforts bloggers are making to get the word out about new books for young readers.

Thanks so much for joining us everyone, and thank you so much for the kind words Cordelia! Keep reading to learn more about Cordelia and her novel, Michaela's Gift!

Michaela Cochran and her family make the trip to her father’s ancestral home every year, but this year is special. Michaela is now twelve, the age when every girl in the family receives a special gift. When Aunt Sharon explains that Michaela’s gift is a magical ability to bring one of her drawings to life, Michaela begins making plans. What she wants most is a castle high on the mountain, where her family can live together. But if she can’t figure out how to resolve the growing hostility between herself and her mother, her gift is meaningless.

Cordelia Dinsmore has been writing since she was four years old and her brother taught her to write her name. She immediately began practicing her autograph. In anticipation of the days when she would be a famous author, Cordelia started signing everything in reach, including the garage door. She was already composing fiction in her head, however, and blamed the boy next door. That worked well, until her mother discovered her name written across her stomach in magic marker. By that time, Cordelia had perfected her signature and moved on to bigger projects. By second grade she had written a new ending for the Three Billy Goats Gruff, and made a lifelong enemy of Stephen Schultz, who ran screaming from the room when he discovered his character had been sacrificed in an act of poetic license. By high school, Cordelia had put new twists on several well-loved tales, but kept her skills within the confines of her alma mater. Today, she is finally coming out of her shell and sharing her stories with the world.  You can find Cordelia at  http://cordeliadinsmore.blogspot.com/.