Today we’re excited to chat with Mark Eastburn,
author of Earning My Spots!
Below you’ll find more about Mark, his book, and giveaway!
YABC: What surprised you most while writing your latest book?
The way everything fit together (with the help of my agent and editor, of course). Yes, I had to complete many rounds of edits, and yes, I had to remove whole chapters from the original manuscript, but there were ways to preserve the storyline and make sure that the characters each found their voice. It feels to me like these stories exist in some alternate universe of the imagination, and as a writer, it’s my job to capture, draw out, and then remove those bits and pieces that keep us from seeing the story in its purest form–like polishing a camera lens to make sure the picture comes through clearly.
YABC: If you could live in any fantasy world, which one would it be?
A world where magic is everywhere. Even though I’ve studied a lot of science, and I’m a science teacher, magic would still be cool! I’d also love to live in a futuristic society where our knowledge and technology would give us abilities that might seem magical to someone living today.
YABC: Do you have a mantra that gets you through the drafting phase?
Let it flow; you can only edit after it’s typed.
YABC: What is your favorite hobby when you’re not writing?
I really enjoy spending time in nature, and studying spiders, salamanders, and turtles. While I’m out there, I love to take pictures, which I often post on Twitter and Instagram. The natural world is my source of constant inspiration.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
Sam, my main character, was easy since his voice came through loud and clear with my opening line. Sam’s companion, Manny, was a lot harder to develop, since he changes into a jaguar–an animal that usually keeps to itself. Yet at the same time, I needed Manny to stay with Sam for this story to work; it couldn’t just be Sam on his own. Most of my revisions focused on building reasons for Sam and Manny to remain on the same journey, and keep Manny from wandering off.
YABC: Do you enjoy writing to music? If so, do you have a go-to playlist?
I definitely write with music in my head, and I consider plot lines while music is playing, but it must relate to the material I’m trying to develop. For Earning My Spots, I listened to a lot of blues for the part that takes place in New Orleans, and songs by the West African musician Ali Farka Touré whenever Sam learned more about hyenas, since he was also discovering his African roots. While writing one particular scene, I actually listened to a Brazilian heavy metal song over and over again. Music definitely helps me find the right setting; it helps me sense the emotions and experiences that should be surrounding me.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Rewilding, or the idea of returning large areas to nature–without human interference–is a movement that is very important to me. This includes bringing predators back into ecosystems, like what happened for wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Panthera (http://www.panthera.org) is a wonderful organization that is dedicated to preserving big cats in suitable environments, and I am a firm supporter of E.O. Wilson’s Half Earth Project, which seeks to set aside half of the Earth’s surface for other living things. Life on this planet, in all of its wonderful diversity, must be preserved if it is to continue, and humans must make room for other species. That even includes the ones some might consider “dangerous,” like hyenas, wolves, lions, tigers, jaguars, bears, and sharks. Having lived near jaguar habitat in Panama for two years while I was in the Peace Corps, and knowing that fear of them is completely overblown, I think that it would be amazing if jaguars could continue their northward expansion back into the United States (one has recently been tracked in Arizona). Some people are even talking about restoring lions, cheetahs, camels, and elephants to the western U.S., where similar species once roamed. For my part, I am rewilding on a smaller scale, establishing native plant gardens for frogs and box turtles at schools and reporting about it through one of my websites, http://www.teacherturtles.com.
YABC: What’s a book that you’ve read recently that you would recommend to your readers?
The most recent book that I read was The Alarming Career of Sir Richard Blackstone, written by Lisa Doan, which I liked because it features a tarantula, and spiders are among my favorite creatures. It’ll be released in February 2017. I’ve also recently read Save Me A Seat, by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan, which was great, along with rereading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O’Brien, which has always had a special place in my heart.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Revising, no doubt. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, so I have no problem going over and over a particular sentence until it looks just right. What bothers me about drafting is that I can’t review it immediately; it takes a lot of discipline to let everything flow, but once it’s written, I am very happy to revise again and again and again!
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I am a whisperer to animals of all sorts. Through years of experience in working with (and getting bitten by) many different creatures, I have learned to read their behavior. With one look, I can tell if a snake is annoyed or friendly, or whether that lizard can be held. I’m also able to recognize animals as individuals, like most people can distinguish their own kind. They don’t all look the same to me.
One night, a pack of shifters raids Sam’s house and takes his family, leaving him all alone. With the help of some new friends, Sam sets off on a journey from Vermont to South America to rescue his family. Along the way, he meets various shifters who aid him on his quest. He even meets a tribe of werehyenas in Louisiana who teach him how powerful his kind actually is and how far his ancestry goes back. From them, Sam learns he has a great destiny to fulfill.
As Sam draws closer to finding his family, he begins to understand how different the world of shifters is that exists outside of his small hometown. Shifters are tired of humans destroying their homes, and they want not only revenge but also to force humans into submission. It becomes clear that Sam is the only one who can stop a war that’s on the brink of erupting.
Fans of the Spirit Animals and Warriors series will enjoy accompanying Sam on his quest as he discovers not only that his destiny and inner strength are greater than he thought, but also that being a werehyena is not as laughable as he assumed.
Earning My Spots
By: Mark Eastburn
Release Date: November 1st, 2016
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
Five winners will receive a copy of Earning My Spots (Mark Eastburn) ~ (US/Canada Only)
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
I found the cover fun and beautifully designed. I found the synopsis insightful.
Earnings my spots sounds great ♡ I love the cover! Thank you
The cover is perfect for the book–I love how the human form is only a shadow! This sounds fun and suspenseful to read.
I like the synopsis and the adventure that awaits Sam and the cover is cool.
The cover looks really mysterious. I love the idea of werehyenas!