Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Amalie Jahn!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Amalie Jahn
USA Today bestselling author Amalie Jahn is the recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for her debut YA novel, The Clay Lion. Her first YA contemporary, The Next to Last Mistake, won the prestigious IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award in 2020 and A Walk Between Raindrops was selected by Kirkus as one of the Best Indie Books of 2023. A TED speaker, human rights advocate, and active promoter of kindness, she lives in North Carolina with her husband, two children, and three extremely overfed cats.
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About the Book: Team Canteen 1: Rocky Road
A hot pink boa that might be magic bonds four unlikely friends from summer camp and gives them the courage to face down the challenges they face back home.
This sassy, diverse series debut for tweens is perfect for fans of XO, Kitty, The Baby-Sitters Club, and Julie and the Phantoms.
On the final night of summer camp, Tasha, Raelynn, Claire, and Billie get busted stuffing themselves with ice cream in the mess hall’s walk-in freezer. But when they slip away without being punished, they’re convinced the pink feather boa Billie put on to stay warm is magic.
Back at home, each member of Team Canteen tests the boa’s powers as they face their own challenges. When her little cousin moves in with her destructive dog, Tasha struggles to find her place inside her adoptive family. Claire’s scared the kids at school will find out how hard life’s gotten since her dad lost his job. Raelynn longs to be someone other than her sister’s twin. And with a hockey-obsessed family charting his every move, Billie’s worried he’ll never be able share his dream of becoming a figure skater.
It’s going to be a rocky road from the start of the school year back to Camp Happy Hollow. Will the boa continue to protect Team Canteen, or will their friendship end up being the most magical find of all?
Alternating among the friends, Rocky Road is a smart, soaring celebration of the highs and lows of middle school, and the unbreakable friendships that see you through, no matter what comes next.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
The inspiration for Team Canteen: Rocky Road came from two other book series from my youth—The Baby-Sitters Club and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. As a middle schooler, The Baby-Sitters Club series was one of the main reasons I became a capital R Reader. As a child, I loved how the members of the club could count on each other no matter what life threw their way. I was also inspired by the idea of how a mundane object could become magical in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, tethering the four main characters to one another as they went their separate ways over summer break. I decided to mesh the two series together, turn them both upside-down, modernize them for today’s kids, and that’s how Team Canteen was born.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Since Team Canteen: Rocky Road is a book with not one or two but FOUR main characters this is absolutely the worst question you could possibly ask—like making a mother chose her favorite child! So, I’ll answer diplomatically. They are ALL my favorite in their own way. I love Raelynn for refusing to succumb to peer pressure and ultimately staying true to herself. I admire Billie for the courage he shows in pursuing his dreams even when he faces rejection from those he loves the most. I’m a huge fan of Tasha’s spunky attitude and the way she’s able to evaluate situations from other people’s perspectives. And of course, I have a soft spot for Claire and her ability to reinvent herself. They’re all great kids who I hope lots of real readers will see themselves in.
YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?
I’m a sucker for a satisfying ending, so I typically race to the end far before the manuscript is actually finished. I don’t think I’ve ever written a book where I didn’t need to go back and flesh out the last several chapter because I’ve rushed through the third act. I also tend to draft really light, with my emphasis on character development and plot, so I always need to go back through in the editing stage and layer in setting and mood and visual details. I usually know I’m done editing when I keep changing sentences only to find the same sentence in the paragraph below. Or when my editor tells me I’m done.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
In my experience, two things really help with keeping an authentic middle grade voice: reading widely in the genre and channeling my inner twelve-year-old. Reading widely is the easy part, but luckily, I’m the type of grown up who has never really felt like an adult on the inside (despite the wrinkles and age spots on the outside). As a former educator, I also spend a lot of time with young people, and I think that experience also helps me connect with my younger voice. And, of course, when all else fails, I rely on my tremendous editor to help keep my voice authentic.
YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?
I love writing banter scenes where two or more characters play off each other. They’re easy to write and can really help move a plot forward while developing the characters’ personalities at the same time. I tend to only write these scenes when I’m alone because it can be embarrassing for others to witness the way I mimic what the characters are doing with their hands and facial expressions as I type.
YABC: What hobbies do you enjoy?
I have quite a few hobbies outside of writing, and others have told me that’s not unusual because creative people love to create! I grew up spending a lot of time with my dad in his workshop and seemed to have inherited his love of woodworking. I also enjoy home renovation, and my newest hobby is throwing pottery. I’m not great at it but the good thing about hobbies is you don’t need to do them well to enjoy them!
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
What don’t I do? Wash baseboards. Scrub toilets. Weed gardens. Clean cabinets. There is no job too menial when I am actively procrastinating on a project. I do tend to multitask while I’m procrastinating, though, and will often work through difficult plot points in my head or listen to audiobooks while I’m not actively writing. So, I guess, truthfully, procrastination is just part of my process!
YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?
Pride is my favorite! Give me all the parades. All the glitter. All the joy. There’s nothing better than getting to watch others unapologetically being their authentic selves.
YABC: What other age group would you consider writing for?
In addition to drafting the rest of the books in the Team Canteen series, I’m also working on a couple of adult projects on the side—one thriller and one historical fiction. It’s a huge jump going from middle grade to adult. Adult motivations are far more complicated (and often less honorable) than children’s, so I’m having to really dig into the darker side of the human psyche, but it’s been fun tackling some edgier topics.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Team Canteen Two needs to be edited, and if I’m very lucky, I’ll be given the green light to start drafting book three!
Title: Team Canteen 1: Rocky Road
Author: Amalie Jahn
Release Date: 9/3/2024
Publisher: Pixel+Ink
ISBN-10: 1645952568
ISBN-13: 9781645952565
Genre: Contemporary Middle Grade
Age Range: 10 and up
~ Giveaway Details ~
One (1) winner will receive a copy of Team Canteen 1: Rocky Road (Amalie Jahn) ~US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
