From the award winning author of Fat Kid Rules the World andThe Liberation of Gabriel King comes a lyrical, middle grade gem that asks all the hard questions and hits all the right notes--perfect for fans of Cynthia Rylant and Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine.
Tia lives with her mom in a high-risk neighborhood in New Orleans and loves singing gospel in the Rainbow Choir with Keisha, her boisterous and assertive best friend. Tia's dream is to change the world with her voice; and by all accounts, she might be talented enough. But when a shooting happens in her neighborhood and she learns the truth about the crime that sent her father to prison years ago, Tia finds she can't sing anymore. The loss prompts her to start asking the people in her community hard questions--questions everyone has always been too afraid to ask.
Full of humanity, Pieces of Why is a timely story that addresses grief, healing, and forgiveness, told through the eyes of a gifted girl who hears rhythm and song everywhere in her life.
What is your favorite romantic setting?
Pemberly from Pride and Prejudice. Not only is this one of my all-time
favorite novels, but Mr. Darcy's estate at Pemberly is exactly the type of
place where my imagination can roam. Wouldn't it be amazing to tour that
house, just like Elizabeth Bennett? And better yet, to live there?
Who is your favorite author and why?
Lloyd Alexander. I appreciate his work on a literary level, plus it has
strong emotional connotations for me because I remember reading his books
aloud with my parents when I was young. And finally, he's an author who I
learned a lot from and try to emulate. When I was a young, as-yet
unpublished author, I was invited to his home and he graciously allowed me
and my family to see his many novel-related momentos. Such a generous man!
He inspires me to be equally as generous with aspiring authors and fans
alike. He was a kind and brilliant person.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
Definitely the novel. The title of this book was still being debated
right up until the ARCs were ready to print! My original title was Pieces of the Puzzle Why, but that was
too long, so we went back to the drawing board, trying to come up with other
ideas, but none fit. So, in the end, we used a shorter versión of the original.
What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I love the scene where Tia is first shown singing with her choir,
before things go wrong. One of my favorite things to do in my writing is to try
to capture the energy of music using the written word. It’s always a challenge,
but it’s also a lot of fun.
Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important
thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?
The
most important thing I’ve learned as a writer is to be generous to other
writers. It’s an on-going lesson because it’s so easy to become insulated when
you work on your own, and it’s far too easy to feel as if you’re in competition
with other writers when sales rankings are so public, but in reality, we all
help each other and writing is a journey of the soul as well as a profession. I
try not to lose sight of that fact.
What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I love the shininess of it, and the way the title’s print is
raised so it feels different under the fingertips. Those are the types of
details that can only be appreciated by holding a finished copy of the book.
That’s always such a special moment, and those small sensory details bring it
alive.
What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2015?
Other than my own? My editor (Kathy Dawson Books) has another
2015 novel that I can’t wait to read. It’s called The Accident Season, and it’s a debut novel by Moira Fowley-Doyle,
about a family that falls victim to a slew of accidents every October. The premise is so wonderfully imaginative,
inviting the reader to wonder what will go wrong!
What was your favorite book in 2014?
Eleanor & Park, a 2014 Printz Honor book by Rainbow Rowell. I can’t resist
books where music plays a key role and I loved the fact that both of these
characters were totally unique and well-drawn.
What’s up next for you?
I’m working on a new novel, and I also have quite a few picture
books in various stages of production. The next one to be released will be
Pablo the Poet in 2016, illustrated by Yuyi Morales.
Is
there anything that you would like to add?
Thanks for including me on your blog, and thanks for promoting
books and reading!
Follow the Pieces Of Why by K.L. Going Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
KL Going is the award winning author of books for children and teens. Her first novel, Fat Kid Rules the World was named a Michael Printz honor book by the American Library Association, as well as one of the Best Books for Young Adults from the past decade. Her books have been Booksense picks, Scholastic Book Club choices, Junior Library Guild selections, winners of state book awards, and featured by Publishers
Weekly, School Library Journal, and Children's Book Council as Best Books. Her work has been published in Korea, Italy, Japan and the UK.
KL began her career working at one of the oldest literary agencies in New York City. She used this inner knowledge of publishing to write Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel -- a how-to book for aspiring writers, published by Writer's Digest. She has also written short stories for several anthologies and currently has two picture books under contract for future release. She currently lives in Glen Spey, NY where she both writes and runs a business critiquing manuscripts. To visit KL on-line go to www.klgoing.com.
1st Prize: Win a signed galley of Pieces of Why, a Fat Kid movie, a signed Fat Kid original book cover, a signed poster of Saint Iggy and Read Great Books bumper sticker (US Only)
2nd Prize: Win a signed galley of Pieces of Why, a signed paperback of The Liberation of Gabriel King, a sign poster for The Garden of Eve and a Read Great Books bumper sticker (US Only)
3rd Prize: Win a signed galley of Pieces of Why, an audio edition of The Garden of Eve, a signed poster for The Garden of Eve and a Read Great Books bumper sticker (US Only)
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