Thank you for answering my questions Mrs. Ard.
Halloween is my favorite holiday so I loved your book.
What made you write a book about a spooky family that is really pretty normal?
One of the themes of Saving Halloween is that things (and people) aren’t always what they appear to be. I think that’s true in real life too. Sometimes the kid who seems to have it all and must be really happy, really isn’t. Or sometimes a person with a disability, who we may think we’d have nothing in common with, shares our interests and becomes our best friend. The Spavento family may seem strange at first, and kind of spooky, but it turns out they’re loving, fun and magical!
Which family would you rather be a part of – Halloween’s or Anne’s?
Oh definitely Halloween’s!
Did you grow up in a normal family or were they a bit strange- not as strange as Halloween’s!
Oh I suppose I thought they were strange when I was a kid – especially my brother, but looking back I’d say we were pretty normal.
Do you have children?
I have a 14-year old son named Holden and a 12-year old daughter Molly. An image of my son Holden appears on the cover of my book Dream Team. Saving Halloween is dedicated to Molly.
Does your family do anything special at Halloween?
We host a pumpkin-carving party every year in our garage with neighbors and friends. Then we light up all the jack-o-lanterns and take pictures. For many years we had European neighbors, who weren’t familiar with Halloween, and they were really into carving pumpkins. I think they thought we were pretty strange, but fun!
Do you write everyday and are all of your books for children?
I don’t write everyday (although I should). All my books are for kids – because they are so fun to write for! I have been writing short stories for adults, but I haven’t published those yet.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It took a year to write Saving Halloween – writing, critiquing, editing, working with an illustrator, formatting, publishing, etc. Whew!
Did you share your stories with your family before you wrote them?
No. I find it’s not a good idea to seek critique from those I feed.
When you were a child did you have a big imagination and did you always know you wanted to write books?
I did have a big imagination and I loved reading. I wanted to be an astronaut or an author. Turns out I am very susceptible to motion sickness, so astronaut was definitely OUT.
How did you learn to write such a great book?
Now I’m blushing. Thank you for telling me that. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
My family has lots of books that we read every Christmas but this is the only one we read every Halloween! This year my sister will be old enough to read it also.
Isn’t Halloween an underrated holiday? I’m so glad you’ve made reading Saving Halloween an annual tradition. It’s a fantastic feeling to know that people are reading my stories and will continue to read them for years to come.
Thanks you for writing this book and for talking with me.
It’s been a pleasure Jared. Thanks for writing up a thoughtful list of questions. I feel like we’ve had a conversation. Happy reading and happy Halloween! Lisa Ard p.s. What will you be for Halloween?
Jared
Thanks Jared-
I agree this is a good book not only about Halloween, but about respecting and enjoying our differences!