Trick or Treat with Lynne Marie!

Welcome to #SeasonsOfKidLit, all you zany zombies! Have you met Moldilocks yet? Lured by an enticing aroma, this adorable little zombie stumbles upon a large house one night that belongs to three scares: Papa Scare, Momma Scare, and Baby Scare. After a wobble around the house, she finds some things that are...just right. But how will the scares feel with a zombie wandering around? I'm excited to have the wonderful Lynne Marie here today to share her story, Moldilocks and the Three Scares (illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo). Want to know more about Lynne Marie, Moldilocks, and the three scares? Read on...

Q: Hi, Lynne Marie. Thank you for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit! I’m thrilled to have you! For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting you, you’re a multi-published author, owner of Rate Your Story, and help fix manuscripts that need a little TLC as The Picture Book Mechanic - how cool. Can you share a little more about yourself with everyone, and how you became a children’s book writer?

A: Thanks for inviting me to the #SeasonsOfKidLit party! I’m thrilled to be here, especially since we share a huge passion for Halloween and creatures of all kinds! The seeds to becoming a children’s were planted a long, long time ago at the age of 7, when I co-authored a book with my best friend, entitled, “The Wumples’ Shiny Little Box.” Basically it was an origin story for a toaster! My career path took me to writing pleadings as a Paralegal in a Law Office for many years, and finally, I wanted to get back to writing things that were fun and changed lives in a positive way, rather than winning a lawsuit. So I went back to college and took all the courses I believed necessary: Literary Theory, English Literature, Writing for Children, Writing, Short Stories, The Holocaust in Children’s Literature, Mythology, Folklore and Fairy Tales, to name a few. I became a paid children’s book reviewer and started to climb the ladder, rung by rung.

Q: Your book Moldilocks and the Three Scares is a fun retelling of Goldilocks. What elements are the same and what have a frightening-new twist added?

A: Moldilocks was tougher to write than one might think. I never really liked the Goldilocks story (a young girl going uninvited into a Bear’s house – YIKES!) and I wanted to make it more likable. So I had that challenge, as well as keeping the familiar aspects that readers love intact. I actually wrote this idea down for PiBoIdMo and it took about two years before all the elements came together in my head and I sat down to write it. I flipped the script on some things – I made Moldilocks an answer to the Scares’ prayers, rather than an intruder, for one. And I gave the Scares each needs that Moldilocks would eventually fill. So it’s subtly about the fulfillment of wishes and putting your needs out there in the universe. And it’s also about that you don’t have to be blood to complete a family (adoption/fostering). So there are a lot of layers that no one really picks up on, but I think it all lends to making the story more satisfying in the end. As to what’s the same, of course there had to be some sort of porridge – which I morphed into Alphabat Soup. And I also kept the structure of eating, trying a chair and then going to sleep, but I mixed it up a bit by playing around with the language to make it fun, and, adding a bloodhound and a lot of art notes to make it interesting. The new ending has Moldilocks completing the family, rather than running away like a thief or being thrown into a fire as Goldilocks did in some original versions. You can tell my studies in fairy tales played into this book! So learning always pays off!

Q: What characters can we expect to meet in your book?

A: Oh, I’m glad you asked! Here’s another way I flipped the script. I made the father (Papa Scare) the homemaker/cook, and put the mother (Mama Scare) to work in the lab. Inspired, of course, by the song, The Monster Mash. And then the child, Baby Scare, had more of an active role as he had needs, too, in that he longed for someone to play with. And of course there’s Moldilocks, who despite being quiet and hardly speaking, changed a family for the better. There’s a message there, too. And ultimately, her desires were fulfilled as well, as an orphan who wanted a family. So basically we are meeting an adoptee and adoptive parents and I am hopefully enlightening several minds to the importance of giving a child a home and family and how it can be a wonderful experience for everyone.

Q: Your story not only has spooky elements; it also has a sweet and tender message for the readers. Can you share more about that?

A: Well, with the original being such an awful story, really, it was important to me to bring heart to my version. I think that on some subconscious level I identified with Goldilocks with her being a possibly parentless child, whose life throws her into a situation where she only wants basic needs met and encounters bears. Oh, did I mention I also took Psychology? LOL So I guess, being an adopted child, this story was horrific to me, both in what Goldilocks encountered and also that she was portrayed as an intruder and a thief. So I decided to fix that. I realize there’s bad in the world, but there’s also good, too, and I wanted to share that as well as inspire.

Q: What makes Moldilocks and the Three Scares the perfect fall or anytime read?

A: This is a great question! Moldilocks is not, as you can tell even by this interview, not even a Fall or Halloween book. But because the main characters are monsters (another message that what looks like a monster on the outside may not be a monster on the inside – so we need to judge each other by actions, not appearances) this book is right away pigeon-holed as a Halloween book. Not that I mind though – Halloween is a favorite holiday and I love that the season’s decor fits right in with the book! I just don’t want the book or its messages to be overlooked year-round.

Thanks for such a frightfully fun interview, Lynne Marie! We can't wait to check out Moldilocks!

Q: Would you like to leave a Trick or a Treat for the readers?

A: I would love to leave a trick and a treat!

Anyone who books a one-hour consultation with me as The Picture Book Mechanic and mentions this Interview will receive a signed paperback copy of Moldilocks and the Three Scares in the mail!

And, I will give away a Rate Your Story Speedpass to Three (3) Lucky Winners who follow me on Twitter and comment on / share this post.

And as treats for everyone, click here for fun Moldilocks-related activities.

What terror-iffic tricks and treats, Lynne Marie! Thanks SO much!

Contest Details: To enter to win one of three Rate Your Story Speedpasses, follow Lynne Marie on Twitter and comment below to let Lynne Marie know why you're excited to read Moldilocks and the Three Scares! Share this post, too! Winners will be announced on or about November 4th.

Reminder: Those who leave a comment on all posts will be eligible to win one (1) of ten (10) Rate Your Story Speed Passes.

About Lynne Marie:

Lynne Marie is the author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten (Scholastic 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School (Scholastic 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares, (Sterling/Scholastic 2019), Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World (Beaming Books 2019), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), and The Palace Rat (Yeehoo Press, 2023), forthcoming. She’s also the Owner and Administrator of RateYourStory.org, ThePictureBookMechanic.com, and a Travel Agent. She lives close to the magic in Central Florida with her family and a Schipperke named Anakin. Visit her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com. Lynne Marie is represented by Marisa Cleveland of www.theseymouragency.com.

PHOTO: Children’s Author Lynne Marie getting her Morticia on with Douglas Sills (Gomez in the touring cast of The Addams Family) and her daughter, Kayla, as Wednesday.

For more about Lynne Marie, check out the below links:

Twitter: @Literally_Lynne

Instagram: @literally.lynne.marie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiterallyLynneMarie

Website: https://www.literallylynnemarie.com

To purchase Lynne Marie's books on Amazon, or to leave a review, click here.