Rose Cooper Q&A: Secrets From The Sleeping Bag

Kidzworld interviewed with Rose Cooper the author of Secrets from the Sleeping Bag: A Blogtastic! Novel. Find out what Rose what her favorite book of all time is and what inspires her!

Kidzworld: Have you always wanted to write for tweens?

• Rose: I've tried writing many different genres, but always come back to writing for tweens. It's my true passion and I love being able to relate to that age group.

Kidzworld: What inspired you to write your Blogtastic novels?

• Rose: The idea came out of nowhere and hit me like a ton of bricks (as Sofia would say). Actually, I was studying for an exam at Starbucks and was distracted by a group of girls talking by the girls room. The idea came to me from that.

Kidzworld: How do you relate to your main character, Sofia?

• Rose: I relate to Sofia well. Too well, actually.  Her personality is based on 50% imagination and 50% myself. Although she is way more dramatic (kind of) than I ever was. Most of her situations are loosely based on my own experiences. Especially in Secrets From The Sleeping Bag. Some of the horrible embarrassments she goes though, I went through at camp when I was a kid.  I won't tell you which ones though! Being clumsy, prone to bad luck, and learning lessons the hard way, make excellent experiences for a tween story.

 

Kidzworld: Tell us a little bit about your latest book, Secrets from the Sleeping Bag.

• Rose: Sofia Becker‘s parents ask her to go to summer camp with her best friend, Nona. She has plenty of reasons for not wanting to go, including bugs and no internet (eek!). But what Sofia doesn't anticipate is cute boys, prank wars, possible bigfoot sightings, and new friendships. A lot happens in four weeks and Sofia is glad she brought her pre-blogging notebook with her. She is certain this will make for great blogging material once she gets back home, and she doesn't want to miss one single detail!

Kidzworld: Can we look forward to more Blogtastic novels?

• Rose: I definitely hope so! Sofia is begging for more blogging fun and I have many more ideas for her that can't wait to be written!

Kidzworld: What other books would you compare your Blogtastic series to?

• Rose: I would say it's like Diary of a Wimpy Kid but for girls. It can also be compared to other journal style books such as Dork Diaries and Dear Dumb Diary. Sofia (the main character) is also like an older version of Junie B. Jones.

 

Kidzworld: Do you have any other books in the works?

• Rose: Absolutely! One is actually a paranormal story that I'm really excited about, since it's so different from the Blogtastic Novel series.  I think humor and horror make a great combination.

Kidzworld: What authors inspire you?

• Rose: I grew up loving Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. They were a huge inspiration to me as a kid.   As an adult their books continue to amaze me. I also love the talented  Meg Cabot.  She very successfully writes for tweens, young adults, and adults.. Her books are amazing, entertaining, and you can tell she loves what she does.

Kidzworld: What’s your favorite book of all time?

• Rose: The BFG by Roald Dahl. My 5th grade teacher read this book to our class and every day I eagerly waited to hear more. Now as a parent, I love sharing this book with my own kids. It's just so whimsical, fun, and at times...complete nonsense. For a close runner up, I'd have to say The Hunger Games captured my heart, along with most of the population.

Kidzworld: Did you face a lot of rejections before getting published? If so, how did you handle them?

• Rose: Yes! I was rejected more times than I could count, for over six years. I wrote story after story, submitted to agent after agent,

• I handled the rejections gracefully (eating lots of chocolate and sometimes pouting) and I even swore I'd never write again. But after a few days I'd try again. I kept thinking  it wasn't a matter of IF I got published, but WHEN. I wouldn't give up , even though I felt like it many times, I kept on trying because it was the one thing I was very passionate about and it was my dream.  I was determined to make my dream come true no matter how long it took. It helped me to gain more experience along with way and become a better writer. It also gave me thicker skin.

Kidzworld: You’ve been writing since you were a tween yourself. What advice can you give other young aspiring authors?

• Rose: I've been writing since I was 11yrs old and was submitting my work to publishers at the age of 12, even though I didn't have a clue about the industry and what it actually took. My advice would be to never give up, keep writing. It only makes you stronger as a writer and the journey will make you stronger as a person. The industry is very subjective and you can't let rejections get the best of you. In the end, it's all worth it. Every second of it.