Debut Author Interviews

Julie Bowe is the author of the middle grade novel My Last Best Friend (Harcourt, Spring 2007)

• Julie Bowe on...Prior Research
• Julie Bowe on...Promotion
• Julie Bowe on...Ideas
• Julie Bowe on...Favorite Teacher
• Julie Bowe on...Book Memory
• Julie Bowe on...Self-Help Books
• Julie Bowe on...Webstie
• Julie Bowe on...Cover Art
• Julie Bowe on...Actor for Character

How much research and/or meditation about your subject did you do before you began your first draft?

I guess the only research I did was doing “helper mom” duty at my kids’ elementary school. I would spend an hour a week helping in a classroom, grading papers, helping individual kids who were struggling with reading, etc., and the whole time eavesdropping on everything that was going on in the classroom, conversations the kids were having, little goofy dialogues going on by the water fountain, and so forth.

As for meditation, the first line of my novel came to me while washing dishes one night. It was a serious thunderbolt moment for me. I ran right downstairs to my computer, soap suds still clinging to my wrists, and started typing. This was not the first draft, but it was THE draft. The one I knew was finally, finally (finally) the draft that was going to get the story told. It was great. I recommend washing dishes.

What is your plan to get the word out to the public about your book?

My website is up and running six months before the book’s publication. That was a big goal for me and I’m so happy I reached it. Last week I created three email groups (local friends, family, and other friends). I plan to send occasional updates to them as news about the book progresses. A few weeks ago I registered my website with Google and Yahoo. As of yesterday my website shows up first on the Google list when searching for “Julie Bowe.” I’m still waiting on Yahoo. I listen carefully to every piece of advice established authors give via listserves, blogs, forums (!), etc. I am so grateful for every tidbit I glean.

Where did you get the idea for your book?

MY LAST BEST FRIEND began to take shape when my daughter was beginning fourth grade. She had her first “boy teacher” that year and, at first, it was really a very scary and intimidating thing for her. So I began thinking about other things that might make a fourth grader feel scared or intimidated or just completely not wanting to participate in the program.

Describe your favorite teacher when you were your protagonist’s age.

Actually, I had one of my most unfavorite teachers when I was my protagonist’s age (nine). She was ancient and scary and wore a dress every day and put red marks on all my papers. She divided the class into three reading groups: The Roses, The Hyacinths, and The Tulips. We were assigned to a group depending on how well we could read. Of course, roses were best. I, alas, was a hyacinth.

What is your earliest book memory?

Hop On Pop, by Dr. Seuss. My family loves to tell the story of how I would sit with it on my lap, long before I was old enough to read, and say the words from memory, turning the pages at all the right spots.

Also, I distinctly remember a book called The Teeny Tiny Woman which terrified me.

What are some of your current favorite writing or author-help books?

Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott has long been helpful to me in writing and, as a bonus, living.

Do you have a website for your book? How did you handle setting it up?

I have an author website which my daughter and I designed and then my brother-in-law fixed. It was a great learning experience and a good family project, but I do hope to have it professionally redesigned at some point, down the road.
www.juliebowe.com

Did the art director read your entire book to get inspiration for the cover?

I don’t know if the art director read the book, but I know the artist (Jana Christy) who created the cover did (www.janachristy.com)
I love her work and I’m really pleased with the cover.

Who would play your book character in a movie?

Quote from Ruth McNally Barshaw: “I thought Dakota Fanning would make a perfect Ellie McDoodle since she’s a really good actress.”

No fair, Ruth! That’s who I was thinking of to play my little Ida May, before I read your post. Now everyone will think I copied. :)

Then again, considering how many years it will be before the movie version of my book is released (ahem), maybe I’ll go with Julia Robert’s daughter.