Pump Up Your Book Chats with Young Adult Fiction Author Larry Sweitzer
Author Interviews, Featured — By Dorothy Thompson on November 12, 2009 at 5:45 pm
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Editor’s Note: Larry will be right in this very spot live on Monday, Dec. 7 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., answering any questions you may have about his book. Leave a question for Larry anytime from now until then and he’ll be here on Dec. 7 to answer them for you. We will also be hosting a book giveaway! If you would like a chance to win a FREE autographed copy of his book, The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano, leave a question below with your email address underneath your comment. The winner will be announced on Dec. 8. Good luck!
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Larry Sweitzer was born in western Maryland and grew up in a small town where baseball was a way of life. He moved to southern Virginia as a teenager and has lived there ever since. The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano is his first novel. You can visit him online at www.larrysweitzer.com.
Thank you for this interview, Larry. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?
Larry: Yes, I wrote many stories as a child. My earliest memory of writing was a series of stories about Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster. They started out as archenemies and eventually decided to join forces. I made a flip book that went with the stories. Come to think of it, I made a lot of those flip books when I was a kid!
My first published piece is my new novel, The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth’s Piano.
What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?
Larry: For me, the most frustrating part is promoting my work and getting the word out to the masses. It takes a lot of hard work for a new author to get his name out there.
The most rewarding part is talking to readers about their favorite parts of the book.
Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?
Larry: I am married with two daughters. Life can be so fast paced these days. I think if you’re passionate about writing and set realistic goals, you can always find time to write.
My family is very supportive. I’m also involved with a few writing groups (online and offline). Help and encouragement from fellow writers is priceless. They can relate to the ups and downs that we all face and it’s rewarding when I can be of some help to them in return.
The Ghost, the Eggheads, and Babe Ruth's Piano by Larry Sweitzer
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?
Larry: I’ve always been a music person. I can’t imagine going a day without listening to music. I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t. I’ve played guitar for about twenty years and played drums in a few bands. I enjoy writing music as well.
I love anything baseball related, going out with my wife, traveling, reading a good book, and movies.
I’ve had the opportunity to travel to a lot of fantastic places, but my favorite place to vacation is the beach. There’s nothing like reading a good book on a clear summer day with my feet in the sand. We regularly visit Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?
Larry: The Philippines. It will take many months for them to recover from the devastating typhoons that swept through the islands recently. I’m half Filipino after all, and I would like nothing more than to be there to help in any way that I could—even if it’s only for an hour.
Who is your biggest fan?
Larry: My wife. She has always encouraged and supported me and my writing.
Where’s your favorite place to write at home?
Larry: I write pretty much anywhere—long hand and at the computer. I am the most productive at my desk when it’s very late.
What’s your favorite library and why?
Larry: I’ve been to many and although I do frequent my local branches, I tend to buy most of the books I read.
What’s your favorite bookstore and why?
Larry: Probably Barnes and Noble at Valley View Mall in Roanoke, but I’ve spent much more time at amazon.com browsing and buying books than anywhere else.
Do you have any pets?
Larry: Yes, three. Two cats named Max and Ki Ki and a dog, Boomer, a two year old Corgi.
What are you reading right now?
Larry: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. I know it’s been out for a while, but my TBR pile is massive … and growing!
Tell us a secret no one else knows.
Larry: If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret.
What’s the first thing you notice when you meet someone?
Larry: Their eyes. They’re the windows to the soul.
Have you ever won anything?
Larry: No, nothing to speak of.
What’s on your to do list today?
Larry: More interviews, some drafts for future blog posts, and today is parent/teacher conference day at my youngest daughter’s school.
I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in December via a virtual book tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual book tour to promote your book online?
Larry: More and more books are sold online. It makes sense to promote heavily on the internet. With the growing networks of blogs and popularity of social networking sites, authors can reach large numbers of people quickly and affordably. Pump Up Your Book Promotion is a great partner to have in this endeavor.
Thank you for this interview, Larry. Good luck on your virtual book tour!
Larry: Thank you so much for having me!
You can visit Larry’s tour page here!
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25 Comments
What a fascinating title!
GL
Welcome, Larry! Everyone…please leave your email addresses along with your comment or question so that we can contact you in the case that you are the winner and good luck everyone!
Larry, I’d love to start off the Q&As with a good one…how did you come up with such an interesting title?
Do you listen to music when you are writing? If so, any particular band or type of music?
Dorothy, I struggled with coming up with a title for a long time. The book was 90 percent complete when it finally hit me.
It had gotten to the point where I HAD to come up with a title soon, so I took out a piece of paper and asked myself: “Okay, what is the book about?” My intention was to make a long of things and go from there. The first three things I wrote down was: a ghost, some eggheads, Babe Ruth’s Piano.
I stopped after just those three and thought, I have my title! I figured readers would be curious as to how three very disparate things could be connected. I hope by the time they finish the book they will see!
Hi Larry,
Great to have this chance to chat with you. Like the others, I love the title. This book sounds like a more involved and contemporary Scooby Doo mystery. Am I even close?
Why are the gifted teens referred to as eggheads?
Thanks for answering my questions.
Good luck on your tour.
Cheryl
Tracee,
Absolutely! I listen to so many different styles of music. When I listen to my mp3 player on random, it’s not uncommon for it to play something like: Dean Martin, then straight into a Metallica song, then Katey Melua, The Beatles, Def Lepard, Michael Buble…. so it varies wildly!
I especially like to listen to acoustic pieces by guys like Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, and Adrian Legg when I’m writing.
Cheryl,
I had never really thought of it that way, but yes, I think that connection could be made! There’s also a whodunit aspect that’s similar.
The funny thing about your question is that, amazingly, there is a shout-out to Scooby Doo in the book!
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 21:
******** “The media—and writers like Mr. Keeling—have a tendency to take liberties with the facts. I guess they can sell more books and magazines that way. But, it’s important that we keep the fabrications to a minimum. Do you know there was a guy in town selling some very disturbing t-shirts a few years ago?”
Freddie knew the ones. He’d seen some kids at school wearing them. In fact, he’d seen them for sale at the fairgrounds last summer and came close to buying one himself. “I Survived Camp Mason” it had said, with a cartoon looking ghost floating above the words.
He hadn’t thought about it then, but Freddie could see how it would upset the Mason family. Billy, the tragic and beloved son and brother, reduced to a bed sheet-wearing ghost straight out of Scooby Doo. *******
Larry,
Did your daughters help you with this book at all and what made you write your YA book?? It sounds great!
Thanks!!!
Molly :o)
I’m popping in again! Larry, so you’ve gotta tell me…where does the Babe Ruth’s piano come in even if you have to tease me!
Oh that’s so funny Larry! My girls love Scooby Doo, though they find it hard to believe I used to watch the show on Saturday mornings. I must be as old as dirt. :)
I also read a book in September that seemed a bit like Goosebumps meets Scooby Doo.
What’s it like writing for the YA market? Have you found it to be very competitive? Did you find it easy or difficult to tap into that age group to make it real for the readers?
Thanks!
Cheryl
Molly,
I did refer to them for help about some of the dialogue. Having two teenage daughters helped a lot since they know all of the current slang and teen sayings. I’d ask them, “Would a teenage girl say this?” or “Have any of your friends ever said something like….” They were a great help and the book is dedicated to them.
As far as writing this book, I knew I wanted to write YA. Most of the characters have a little piece of me in them, especially the main character, Freddie. And, many of the adventures and situations they get into are very loosely based on happenings from my youth. So, I had a lot of memories to draw on for my cast of characters. I also added the aspect of baseball which is one of my favorite things.
Hi Larry! I am reading your book right now and greatly enjoying it! My question to you is: What type of genres would you most like to try your hand at writing, if any outside of YA.
Dorothy,
Have you ever heard of the Curse of the Bambino? Without getting into too much detail–I could go on and on about anything “baseball”– it refers to the 86 year drought that Red Sox fans had to endure between winning World Series championships. During that drought, there had been many, many suggestions as to how the curse could be broken.
A little back story: Babe Ruth played for the Red Sox until being sold to the New York Yankees after the 1919 season. Up to that point the Red Sox had won more WS championships (5) than any other team. The Yankees hadn’t won any. After the sale, the Yankees made 39 WS appearances (winning 26 of them) and the Red Sox immediately began their historic drought, making only 4 WS and winning none of them!
Over the years, die-hard Red Sox fans came up with all kinds of ways to try and break the curse, ranging from poignant to absurd.
One theory was to find an old piano that Babe Ruth and his wife had owned and then restore it. They had a winter cabin on Willis Pond near Sudbury, Massachusetts. Somehow the piano ended up at the bottom of the pond. Legend had it that The Babe, in a show of Herculean strength, hurled the piano into the pond. It was suggested that if the piano could be found and restored, the curse would be broken. After many attempts (and in recent decades, the use of high tech equipment) the piano has never been found.
Why this became a legend and why anyone would ever believe it, is unknown. Desperation? Anything to end the long-suffereing pain for the Sox fans, I guess.
Freddie, the main character of my book, knows all about this. In his own desperation to solve a mystery, he recalls the old legend that sets into motion a series of events that culminate with the ending of my book.
Cheryl,
I love writing for young adults. They are such an enthusiastic and insightful audience. I’ve already received a lot of interesting questions from younger readers. Conversations with them are always fun. I always enjoy talking to them about the book.
Yes, the YA market is highly competitive. The recent state of the economy has made the publishing industry as a whole even more competitive. I try not to think about that part of it too much. I enjoy writing and will continue to write, no matter what.
April,
I’m glad you are enjoying it so far! I have a couple of manuscripts in the works right now and not all of them are YA.
I’d love to write a sci-fi. I have one in the research stage right now.
I’ve always wanted to write a fantasy … possibly a series like those “Choose Your Own Adventure” types. I’m not sure if it’ll get off the ground, but I’ve thought a lot about that one.
One of my works-in-progress is a YA Paranormal. It’s much more serious than the “Egghead book” though.
It sounds weird to say it, but there has been a RomCom/Chick Lit type of book rattling around in my head for some time. I think it could be good, but I’m hesitant to start on it. Sometimes I think I’m qualified to write from a female pov. I grew up with two sisters–no brothers. I have two daughters–no sons. I’ve been married for 21 years. I’m surrounded by females! Then other times, I don’t think I understand them at all!!! So, who knows. :) I don’t think I’m the only male to say that.
There are many more. I just can’t seem to write fast enough to get them all out! So, yes, I’d love to branch out into other genres in the future.
It’s after 8:00 but I’ll leave question anyway. If this is your fist book, then I assume that you have a full time job. What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?
I received a copy of your book (BTW – I love the title) while I was away for a daughters wedding. I look forward to reading it in the next couple of days, and to hosting you on my blog!
Neas Nuttiness,
Sorry, I didn’t think to check back after 8:30 or so last night. I just got around to checking.
I’ve worked as a machinist most of my adult life. I’ve also worked part time as a web programmer and web designer.
I’m glad you like the title! I hope you enjoy the book and I look forward to my tour stop with you!