Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
Rattlesnake Jam is just published. The idea popped into my head late one night, as I tossed sleepless in bed. The longer I thought about the fun combo of Gran, Pa and rattlers, the more verses I wrote in my head. It is a romp of a rhyming picture book, featuring crazy old Gran and Pa, rattlesnakes, and how to cook them. Gran is determined to have them made into her cure every ailment known to man jam, while Pa yearns for rattlesnake pie or fritters – just once.
How did you come up with the wacky idea of snake jam?
The name, “Rattlesnake Jam,” seemed perfect. For me, it holds all the unlikely, wild and wooly elements that make up Gran, Pa, and their love of rattlers.
The illustrations are grossly funny. Who came up with the physical traits for Gran? You or your illustrator?
Kevin Scott Collier came up with all their grossly funny charms, plus the wonderful rattlesnakes. I think my characters, plus the rhyming verses that bring them to life, appealed to the hidden kid in Kevin. Originally, Kevin sent me a sample drawing of Gran and Pa, and I knew we were on the same crazy wavelength. He has imagination, energy, and talent by the cartload. His “Rattlesnake Jam” illustrations are brilliant.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?
As often happens to me with rhyming stories, the plot, rhyme and meter, simply flowed out of me. Then I put it aside for a week or two. After that, it was a process of tweaking here and there, to make sure the meter was smooth, the rhyme integrated with the wild and wacky doings of Gran and Pa, and everything worked to move the action along.
Did your book require a lot of research?
Not a lot - just enough to make sure that rattler details were accurate. Rattlesnake Jam is all wacky fun. However, my other picture books, a series of fun stories about animals from the US and Australia, was another matter. These were written in rhyme, yet they have educational content. My research for these 6 books was more in-depth.
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