Today we are very excited to share an interview with Beth Fehlbaum (Find the Moon)!
Read on to learn more about her, her book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Beth Fehlbaum
Beth Fehlbaum is the author of the young adult novels Find the Moon, Big Fat Disaster (on the Spirit of Texas-High School Reading List, 2014-2015), Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience (A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers), and Truth in Patience. With Dr. Matt E. Jaremko, Beth co-wrote the creative non-fiction book, Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt. She is a high school English teacher. Authenticity, calling out hypocrisy, and finding one’s voice are frequent themes in Beth’s work, and they are absolutely essential themes in her life, as well. Beth has a B.A. in English, Minor in Secondary Education, and an M.Ed. in Reading.
She loves doing school visits and meeting teens, teachers, and librarians!
Beth lives in the woods of East Texas in a house on a slice of family acreage. The home was built by her family over one very hot humid summer, a task she wishes never to repeat again. This sanctuary-of-sorts is lined by pine trees, and the woods are inhabited by raccoons, possums, and feral cats. All of these creatures appear to consider Beth their cat-food-providing goddess. There is no place she would rather be.
About the Book: Find the Moon
For as long as she can remember, Kylie Briscoe’s been searching for the moon even though she has no idea why it soothes her. Placed in an impossible situation by her mother, Kylie cries for help. It brings rescuers and a new life, but it feels more like a death sentence when she is separated from her three-year-old sister Aliza, the only person Kylie’s ever really loved.
Now she’s in tiny Patience, Texas with her eccentric potty-mouthed grandmother, ever-patient stargazing grandfather, uncle who reminds her a lot of a cop who terrified her during a drug bust, a herd of Norwegian Dwarf goats, their “guard donkeys,” and three canine roommates occupying Kylie’s former nursery.
When the authorities make a mistake that could cost her everything, Kylie must decide whether to tell the truth—all of it—in order to save herself and her sister.
~Author Chat~
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
I love Kylie of course but oh-my-gosh, I LOVE her grandma, Honey. The woman cracks me up. She curses like a sailor sometimes and she loves so fiercely and she’s totally willing to take out anyone who threatens her family. She’s very authentic, and I’m really into people being themselves and being REAL.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
When Kylie’s grandparents are taking her from Arkansas into Texas, Kylie is freaking out because she wants to be with her little sister. Papa swings his truck into the post office that sits on the Arkansas-Texas state line. If you go back to the Excerpt posted on December 16 on this site, you will find that very scene. I chose to post it for the express reason that I love it SO MUCH.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
I’ve been a high school English teacher for a long time, so I guess you could count that as “research”. I listen and observe a lot.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Authentic voices. I am so thrilled that my literary idol, Chris Crutcher, whose book Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes made me realize that there are places in the world for the stories I want to tell, validated that what I’m trying to do is working. He said, “FIND THE MOON is one of those wonderful novels that compels readers to close the back cover, saying, ‘That’s me.’ Beth Fehlbaum has written FIND THE MOON with unique authenticity. It is a story you will believe, and one that, will stay with you. This novel is going to be around for a while!”
YABC: What’s your least favorite word or expression and why?
I’ll tell you—and it’s not pleasant—and it makes me cringe to write this—and I don’t know why it bothers me so much—but—it’s the word… “butthole.” Seriously. And the funny thing is, a long time ago when I first got a car that displays the name of a song and the artist on the stereo screen, a song came on by the “Butthole Surfers”—and the name got stuck on the screen!!! I was horrified, but my kids thought it was HILARIOUS. And, in retrospect, I guess it was. I still can’t stand that word, though…
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
I look for new podcasts to listen to, or, like 99% of the rest of the world, I allow myself to be distracted by social media. My family calls me “The Googler” because any time I have a question, I google for the answer and end up falling down rabbit holes.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’m writing a “New Adult” novel about a young woman who loses a hundred pounds. I did the same about five years ago, and I’m interested in exploring aspects of that in a way I’ve never seen before.
YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?
I love the winter holidays, especially Christmas, because that’s when my entire family is together. My family is teensy-tiny so when we are all together, it’s really special. My favorite tradition around the holidays is playing cards and games after dinner and laughing so hard that I cry.
Title: Find the Moon
Author: Beth Fehlbaum
Release Date: January 10, 2023
Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press
ISBN-10: 1958640298
ISBN-13: 978-1958640296
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
This cover is so pretty
This book looks really good!