Welcome to A MOMent with Beth Vrabel and a new Book tour for Camp Dork. Which was written by Beth Vrabel and she was kind enough to complete an interview so we can get to know Beth Vrabel a little bit better.
1.) When did you know you wanted to become an Author?
When I was about nine or ten years old, I wrote a story. It wasn’t because anyone told me to or because they assigned it school. I wrote for me. Truthfully, I wrote it because I was bored. Let me say you, that story was terrible. It was sappy and crazy and over-the-top, but I shared it with my mom.
Now at the time, our home was chaotic. My dad had been badly hurt at work and was recovering, bedridden, at home. My mom worked all day in the office and then came home to take care of my sisters and me, help my dad manage his injuries, and handle everything in the house. My mom was always busy but still took time to read my paper.
But she made a moment and read it, even though she had a thousand other things to do at the time. When she finished, she looked at me and said, “Someday you’re going to write a story, and it’s going to get published.”
A book, with my name on the spine! I could picture it so clearly. That’s when I knew I wanted to be an author. Funny how that little moment of kindness continues to impact me.
2) Which 4 Authors dead or alive would you like to have at a dinner party and what would you ask them?
William Shakespeare, J.K. Rowling, Judy Blume and John Green. I’d be too star-struck to ask them anything. Of course, but I’d want to know which of their characters is most like them.
3) Who is your favorite Author and type of book that you always read?
I love everything by Kate DiCamillo. I’ve read Because of Winn-Dixie on my own and several times aloud to my children and have yet to make it through the book without crying! I love books that are funny and stirring.
4) What is one item you must always have when writing a book?
It is a tie between coffee and music! Both are must-haves for me.
5) Tell us about where you write the books at like your desk or in a favorite room? Or outside on the beach?
When I’m in the middle of a story, I write at my local Starbucks. I try to get there early enough to snag a table in the corner so I can overlook the whole café. The bustle of customers coming and out, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the myriad of conversations around me remind me of when I was a reporter, knocking out stories on deadline in the newsroom.
When I’m in the early planning stages, I prefer to work at home. My office area is at the top of the stairs, overlooking the open foyer. I don’t feel like I’m cut off from the rest of the house, but I’m surrounded on three sides by bookcases. My desk is vibrant green with painted on blackbirds and cherry blossoms. It’s bright and cheery but cozy, making me feel like anything—even creating a brand new world—is possible.
CAMP DORK
Pack of Dorks
By: Beth Vrabel
Releasing May 3, 2016
Sky Pony Press
Lucy and her friends are back, in this sequel to Beth Vrabel’s heartwarming and humorous debut, Pack of Dorks. Sheldon convinces Lucy, Sam, April, and Amanda to join him at a weeklong sleep-away summer camp—Camp Paleo: Live Like a Caveman. Like cave dwellers, they’re going to have to make do without air conditioning or a heated pool. They’ll learn archery and dig for fossils. And Grandma’s coming too; she’s taking a job as the lunch lady for the camp.
At the last minute, Sam backs out to go to a gymnastics training camp instead. Lucy wonders why she misses him so much—it’s not like he’s her boyfriend or anything. Why does the word “boyfriend” make her blush, even when Lucy is only thinking it? She needs a distraction. Enter Mr. Bosserman, the grouchy camp leader who won’t budge on the caveman aspect of the camp.
The old man needs some softening up, and Lucy knows just the person for the job: Grandma. One successful match made; Lucy starts to see potential lovebirds everywhere. And setting up couples keeps her from facing the question tickling the back of her mind: Is she in love with Sam? But when the wrong campers fall for each other, the pack falls apart, all under the watchful eye of a super-secret blogger who’s been writing about the camp’s activities Gossip Girl–style. Even worse? A thief is targeting everyone but Lucy, setting her up to look guilty.
Soon Lucy again finds herself alone, left to fix the messes she made and face her feelings. If she fails, the pack may splinter for good.
For readers aged 8 to 12, this is a funny but poignant book about bullying, crushes, the harmful nature of rumors, and the importance of friendship and telling the truth. A great book to read aloud in the classroom for discussions or to read on a summer trip.
Buy Links: Amazon
Beth Vrabel grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. She won a short-story contest in fourth grade and promptly decided writing was what she was going to do with her life. Although her other plans—becoming a wolf biologist, a Yellowstone National Park ranger, and a professional roller skater—didn’t come to fruition, Beth stuck with the writing. She is the author of the Pack of Dorks series and A Blind Guide to Stinkville and A Blind Guide to Normal (October 2016). Beth lives with her wonderful husband, two charming children, a spoiled rotten puppy.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
