Today we’re excited to chat with Kathryn Siebel,
author of The Trouble with Twins! Below
you’ll find our interview,
more about Kathryn, and her book, plus a
giveaway!
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Kathryn Siebel: The book was inspired by a moment I glimpsed through the front window of a B & B in Ireland. A mother was sewing and talking with her daughter in front of a fireplace. Years later, that memory came back to me, and wondering what story that mother might have been telling inspired the frame of The Trouble with Twins.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
KS: Priscilla is my favorite character because she speaks her mind, and older people often have the most interesting back stories. She was the most fun to create.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
KS: The novel definitely came before the title. I struggled to think of a title, and it took a while for the publisher to finalize the title too. It was called The Price of Mischief, The Osgood Sisters, and Missing Arabella (which is the current title for the UK edition) before it became The Trouble with Twins. Many subtitles were also considered and eventually knocked out of the running.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
KS: I am fond of the scene in which Henrietta coaxes Priscilla out into the falling snow. It’s one of the quieter moments in the book, but it shows their bond. I also like the scene in the middle of the book when Arabella finds out that Gus has followed her into the woods.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
KS: I am still learning, so it’s hard to say. But I am wary of writing “rules.” In writing workshops long ago, I would get really excited whenever I was given one. Then, within a week, I’d see some talented professional breaking the rule to good effect.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
KS: I love the cover in every way! The design cleverly and efficiently hints at the plot, the blue color matches the blue of a book created within the story, and Julia Sarda’s artwork is amazing. I was very lucky to have so many talented people working on this book, inside and out.
YABC: What new release book are you looking forward to in 2016?
KS: There is so much great, new middle grade fiction. One that’s up next on my reading list is All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor.
YABC: What was your favorite book in 2015?
KS: I work with kids, so lots of books, old and new, make their way into my life. I love Katherine Applegate’s books Crenshaw and The One and Only Ivan. Rebecca Stead’s books Goodbye Stranger and When your Reach Me are great middle grade reads. Many kids I know are gushing about Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s book The War That Saved My Life. I enjoyed sharing Warren the 13th and the All‐ Seeing Eye with kids last year because it offered a mystery to solve and fantastic, elaborate illustrations. And I have a soft spot for Kate DiCamillo’s Flora and Ulysses because who doesn’t love a squirrel that writes like E.E. Cummings?
YABC: What’s up next for you?
KS: I am working on a middle grade ghost story that’s set in Seattle.
Imagine two twin sisters, Arabella and Henrietta—nearly identical yet with nothing in common. They’re the best of friends . . . until one day they aren’t. Plain and quiet Henrietta has a secret plan to settle the score, and she does something outrageous and she can’t take it back.
When the deed is discovered, Henrietta is quickly banished—sent to live with her eccentric great-aunt Priscilla on Chillington Lane, where black cats roam the dark rooms and tonight’s menu is fish-head stew! Suddenly life with pretty, popular Arabella doesn’t seem so awful.
And, though she’s been grievously wronged, Arabella longs for her sister, too. So she hatches a plan of her own and embarks on an unexpected journey to reunite with her other half.
The Trouble with Twins is an adventure and a comedy—a tale of the power of unlikely friendships, the bond between sisters . . . and the way a bit of mischief sometimes sets everything right.
The Trouble with Twins
By: Kathryn Siebel
Release Date: August 9, 2016
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
Three winners will receive a copy of The Trouble with Twins (US only).
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
Having twin daughters myself, I think they would really enjoy reading this book.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about twins! This one sounds interesting.
It’s always nice to find out what inspired an author to write a book.
I like stories involving siblings. I like how she came up with the idea in Ireland. It sounds really lovely, the story.
I love the cover! Kate DiCamillo is one of my favorite authors and I enjoy the humor of Lemony Snicket so this book will be fun to read!
I like the book cover. I like that it is a comedy adventure. This sounds like a good story!