Blog tour ~ author interview: Careful What You Hear by Helen Dunlap Newton + a giveaway

I am delighted to have Helen on the blog today  ~ thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.

Follow my fellow bloggers on the tour ⤵

Target Age: Children / Middle Grade (10-15 years)

Genre: Action and Adventure/Sci-Fi

Publication Date: February 18, 2025

Estimated Page Count: 214

Standalone Second Book in Do You Hear What I Hear? series

Author Content Warnings: Military, Afghanistan, kidnapping (from first book), the car accident that caused the main character to lose his hearing, good and bad people. 

Get your copy on Amazon ~ https://amzn.to/3CIbjJA

What inspired you to write this book?

I’d been searching for a character and situation among the underrepresented young people in publishing today. At a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) monthly meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the speaker was discussing having diverse characters in children’s stories. The idea popped into my head of writing a story from the perspective of a deaf middle grade protagonist who receives a cochlear implant. That’s when Do You Hear What I Hear? was born. The original story begged for a sequel. As a reader/writer, I had several unanswered questions in the first book that I wanted to explore.

What was the process of writing this book like?

My first book, Night of the Amber Moon, was very difficult for me to write. Not only was I learning the craft of writing for middle grade readers but I was dealing with a story that was extremely close to my heart. The story was fictional, but the emotion was real to me. Sometimes I got in the way of the story. Once I was able to picture the novel as fictional rather than my life, I couldn’t type fast enough.

Careful What You Hear was so fun to write (after I worked out the plot)! Because it was a sequel to Do You Hear What I Hear?, I already knew the characters and their situations. It was still hard work, but the story flowed more easily than my other two books.

What are other authors/books that have inspired you in your writing journey?

Anna Myers, the SCBWI Oklahoma Regional Advisor when I joined the organization, has had a tremendous impact on my writing. Anna has nineteen published middle grade novels and one picture book. She’s a member of the Oklahoma Writer’s Hall of Fame and has received the Oklahoma Book award for several of her books as well as the Oklahoma Center for the Book’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She was encouraging but also honest in her thoughts about my writing. I will always be grateful for what she taught me and her friendship over the last twenty years.

In my opinion, a good writer has to be a reader. In addition to Anna Myers, the following authors have influenced my writing style, word choices, and plot choices: Gary Paulsen, Gary D. Schmidt, Sheila Turnage, Ally Carter, and Vicki Grove.

Did you draw from anyone in real life to create your characters?

I’m a veteran middle grade teacher. Thousands of students and co-workers have been a part of my teaching career. I think a little bit of all my students and teacher friends have affected my fictional characters.

People in my family and anyone I’ve ever met often slip into my characters’ worlds. I keep lists of real situations and names of people I meet. Even though I write fiction, everything is fair game to a writer.

How much research went into this book? Did you enjoy the research process?

Even though Careful What You Hear is fiction, it required extensive research—Cochlear Implants, Space Camp, the Military, Blue Angels, Challenge Coins, and much more. I

enjoyed learning new information along with Noah and Lena. If you want a fictional story to seem realistic, do your research.

What was your favorite part of writing this book?

In Careful What You Hear, I loved getting to know more about the supporting characters, Lena Robinson. She had an important role in Do You Hear What I Hear?, but I wanted my readers to understand her better in the sequel.

I also was excited to introduce the new character, George Longhat. I intended for George to be a minor supporting character, but he pretty much took over whenever he was in a scene. I love his stoic attitude, his humor, and the way he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

It’s exciting when I’m “in the zone” with my writing. When I got chills, I knew I was heading in the right direction with Noah, Lena, and George in Careful What You Hear. So much fun!

What is the most difficult part of your writing process and how do you get through it?

I always know who the main character is and the struggles in their life. I have a pretty good idea how I want the character to grow and how the story will end, before I start writing in earnest. My problem is the rest of the plot—I get so bogged down in the middle.

I have found, instead of spending hours trying to force the story, I move to a scene I am confident in and give my brain time to mull over the problem areas in the rest of the

story. Often the “eureka” moment comes when I’m reading someone else’s work or while I’m in a writing workshop.

What do you hope readers experience when they read your work?

I hope my readers will identify with one or all of the kids in my novels. I want them to realize everyone has things that scare them, give them regret, bring them joy, and give them courage. Hopefully the readers will be so involved in the plot that they forget the story is fiction. I hope they also discover solutions to their own issues.

What are you working on now? Tell me about your next writing project.

I’m working on two other projects. I’m considering a third novel about Noah, Lena, and George. I don’t have a title yet, but I’m working on a plot that will finalize the series.

The other project is one I’ve been considering for several years. My present title for it is Waiting for the North Wind. It’s about a seventh-grade boy named Pete who has gotten in trouble with the law in a large city in Oklahoma. The judge gives him a choice of either going to juvenile detention or go live with his grandparents in a small town in southwest Missouri. Pete’s dad decides for him and the story begins with Pete attempting to accept his new life.

Book blurb:

After a surgical mix-up gave 13-year-old Noah Baker mind reading powers, he becomes a spy tasked with stopping the bad guys.

Ever since he accidentally got an experimental cochlear implant, Noah and his secret agent partner, Lena, have been going on secret missions for the government. Now, they’re in for a reward for all their hard work—Space Camp! But all is not as it seems. When Noah accidentally overhears thoughts that reveal a plot to steal top secret plans from nearby Redstone Arsenal, he must make a choice.

Purchase Link:

Author Bio – Award-winning author Helen Dunlap Newton is a veteran middle grade language arts teacher and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Both Night of the Amber Moon and Do You Hear What I Hear? were finalists for the Oklahoma Book Award and received the Creative Women of Oklahoma Award. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, music, and helping her husband care for backyard chickens and an energetic Australian shepherd in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Social Media Links – @newtonhelendunlap (Insta) and Helen Dunlap Newton (FB)

Giveaway to Win a $15 IndieBound e-gift card (to buy books with) (Open to US Only)

*Terms and Conditions –US entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494607/

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