Our wonderful students in Mrs. D’s class have a great interview with Angie Harris and Kelsey authors of Sue’s Deep Sea Adventure~

Why was the girl afraid of her feet?
              Sue was afraid of change. The new toes made her feel uncomfortable with herself and how others viewed her. She wanted to stay the same forever. The feet she wore in her dreams would not allow her to do that.

Why did the shark want to eat Guss?
             The shark was mean and liked to scare people. He chased Guss in his dreams as a way to torment him until Sue and Michelle scared him away.

Why did they have superpowers?
             They got the superpowers from the new feet that they got each night in their dreams. The powers made it possible for them to help others in trouble who suffered from nightmares.

Why did you make a rhyming book?
              I have always enjoyed stories that are written in poetry format. It flows better and the story is easier to remember when it reads like a song. Dr Seuss was always one of my favorite authors growing up. I try to make my stories sound similar to his in how he told and expressed them.

Why did they have monster feet?
             The changing of feet in their dreams represents change. In the first installment of Monster Feet, Sue had difficulty accepting those changes and referred to the new toes as Monster Feet.

Why did they want new toes?
             Sue discovered in the first book that the new toes she wore in her dreams was what gave her the superpowers she needed to help others and become a hero to them. She then told some of her friends the secret of how she obtained those special powers; so they, too, wanted new toes.

Why did you write about feet?
             It was all by chance. It was how the first Monster Feet presented itself to me. It started as pieces of verses that later became intricate parts of the story itself.

Why was Guss an eagle?
             At the end of Sue’s Deep Sea Adventure, Guss finally became a member of the Monster Feet Team. When you saw Guss seeing himself as an eagle, it was because that was what he envisioned himself to be with all the strength and wisdom that the eagle had to offer. He saw himself as being strong like an eagle, and capable of helping others.

How did you make up this story?
             People who are not authors may find this thought strange. But to me, like many other authors, I feel that the story created itself…and I was the lucky person to get a personal viewing before anyone else with the expectation that I would retell the story as it was shown to me. Kind of like I was the only one to see a movie in the theatre and I had to write down the story I was shown.

Who or what is your inspiration?
            What inspires me most is the writing itself. It’s knowing that I’m capable of making people smile, of helping them through tough times in their lives, and sharing something lasting with the world.

How did they discover the prayer?
             Sue discovered it as she overcame her fears of change. While her prayers for always staying the same were not answered, her prayers for change were and she embraced it freely.
How did their toes change every night?
 They changed when they fell asleep and began dreaming. Part of their superpower was being able to creep into the dreams of others, which is how they helped them to overcome the things they feared most.

Why is it fun to dream?
              Because anything is possible. There are no limitations and we are all capable of great things, big and small. It is a chance to live life to its fullest potential in ways that we cannot while we’re awake. It’s a peek into our deepest fears and greatest desires. There are no barriers within our dreams; we’re free to roam about and explore the greatest reaches not yet discovered—our own minds.

Did they always get seahorse and mermaid feet?
              No. The feet that they wear change each night as they fall asleep and begin to dream. In the first Monster Feet, Sue’s feet changed many times from the hooves of a horse to the paws of a bear.

Why did Guss want to join the team?
              For many reasons…Because he wanted to help others overcome their fears like Sue and Michelle had done for him. He wanted to be a hero to others. He wanted to be strong and not be afraid like he had been of the shark in his dream. And he was eager for the adventures that he would now be included in.

Thanks so much Angie and Kelsey for taking time to answer our questions!