Meet Harley Nelson

Today at The Write Way Cafe, meet ten-year-old Author Harley Nelson, co-author with Lynda Rees for their middle-grade children’s novel Freckle Face & Blondie.

Thanks for joining us today, Harley. Tell us how you came to co-author Freckle Face & Blondie with your grandmother, Lynda Rees.
     Thanks for having me. It’s a blast being here. I can’t wait to Tweet about it.

Rumor has it there’s a sequel coming out soon. Is it true?
     We’ve actually got one in the works. It’s a big production, but it’s fun working with my MamMa. She’s really supportive of my writing.

Tell us about you, Harley.
     I live in California, Kentucky in a rural area. I go to school at Campbell Ridge Elementary. I have a little brother and I love sports. I’m a cheerleader for the football team, play soccer and I love to fish and swim.

What inspired you to become a writer?
     I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on since I started school. I love reading fun stories. My MamMa is an author, and she always typed short stories for me when I dictated them. Then she’d print them for my scrapbook. One day she decided my ideas were becoming print-worthy, so suggested we do a real book together.

What made you think you could become published?
     MamMa told me I could, so of course I believed her.

What books did you read that made you want to write, and what do you like reading for enjoyment?
     I’ve read every Baby-Sitter’s Club and Dork Diary book published. I even read every Harry Potter book. I’m always looking for new books to read. There aren’t enough books out there to fill my need for them. So we decided to take a shot at a few.

Do you enjoy school? Do people at school know you’re a published author?
     I love school, my teachers and friends. Yes, they know. In fact, my Principal was one of the first to buy my book. He even got copies for the library. I did a signing at school where I signed books for him and some other kids who purchased Freckle Face & Blondie. He put pictures on the school website. It was pretty cool. I sent the link to MamMa. She Tweeted it out and put it on her website and Facebook page.

How has being a writer changed your life?
     It hasn’t, except that now I’m always thinking of new ideas and looking for a hook to start a new book with.

Do you intend to keep writing?
     Oh sure. There are lots of things I want to do, including becoming a doctor. Writing is something I can continue, no matter what else I do. It’s so fun. I can’t imagine not doing it.

What are you working on now?
     We don’t have a name for it yet. We’re leaning toward The Thinking Tree. It’s Book 2 of Freckle Face & Blondie Series.

What is your writing process like?
     MamMa and I talk a lot about the story and decide how we want it to flow, what the big moments and turns of events are going to be. We talk about the characters and how they act and react. It’s important before we start writing that we know them well. Then we put together an outline of the story. MamMa does the typing. Then we start filling in the chapters within that outline. We write the dialogue. I’m the expert on how kids talk, so I go over and over dialogue to get it right.

How do you manage having a full, normal life as a child and balance that with being a professional author at the age of ten? 
      I’m almost eleven. I’ve got a birthday coming up next month. MamMa and I get to see each other often and we talk a lot. She does most of the typing, the formatting and pre-editing work. I do some of the typing but MamMa checks format and grammar. I’m pretty good at grammar, though. She edits a lot, and we both re-read and edit. Then she brings in the professionals to get the book ready for publication.

Tell us about Freckle Face & Blondie, Book 1. 

Freckle Face & Blondie by Harley Nelson and Lynda Rees
     Rambunctious girls, Freckle Face and Blondie, dream of becoming detectives. They open a private investigation company to start solving mysteries so they’ll be experts by the time they’re adults. When their friend Katy disappears suspiciously and her mother is frantic police search for the girl. They should stay out of it, but Freckles and Blondie follow leads and reveal new clues. Sharing discoveries with authorities, they’re told to stop looking. Timing is critical and could mean the difference between life and death to Katy.

What other books has Lynda Rees written?

     Two are suspense novels about descendants of mobsters—God Father’s Day and Madam Mom. Her debut was a historical novel about a woman’s struggle during the savage 1890’s Alaskan Gold Rush called Gold Lust Conspiracy. She co-authored our middle-grade children’s book with me, her granddaughter, Harley Nelson, called Freckle Face & Blondie. MamMa also wrote a series about normal people facing dangerous circumstances in a quiet, rural horse farm community in Kentucky. The Bloodline Series consists of Parsley, Sage, Rose, Mary & Wine; Blood and Studs; Hot Blooded; Blood of Champions; Bloodlines & Lies; The Bloodline Trail; and Horseshoes & Roses. She’s got a couple more books in the works due to come out next year.

Where can we purchase Freckle Face & Blondie and stay tuned so we know when your next book comes out?
Get it and join Lynda Rees’s VIP Group using the links below.

Amazon        Website        Facebook           Twitter        Pinterest         BookBub 

Email: lyndareesauthor@gmail.com

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