Tiny Treasury

It’s the Friday Fifteen! Today’s guest is children’s author Amy Timberlake who wrote one of my girls’ favorite books, The Dirty Cowboy, illustrated by Adam Rex. Her newest book, That Girl Lucy Moon, is winning awards left and right:

1. Where are you now?
In my office staring at my laptop. There are a bunch of maps of southeastern Wisconsin to my right, a photo of an old cowboy named Bill Graham (not the preacher) in front of me. Piles of drafts of the book I’m working on now are all over my desk.

2. What were your favorite books as a kid?
Thurber’s Many Moons, The Nancy Drew Books, Agatha Christie Mysteries (Hercules Pie-rot only — that’s how I said his name). I also loved fairy tales (read those over and over again) and the King Arthur stories. Growing up, I was always at my local library — my library card was my prized possession. If you had a library card you were allowed to read ANYTHING. That’s how I saw it. I did get questioned now and again by my choices. (I couldn’t see over the edge of the check-out desk when I was reading Agatha Christie mysteries for instance — a few of the librarians thought I was a little young to be reading about murder.)

3. What are you reading now?
Some books for the book I’m writing. Also Katharine Weber, Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear and Anne Lamott’s Grace (Eventually), and some books on playwriting.

4. Do you have kids?
Haven’t seen any around lately.

5. What projects are you working on now?
A middle grade novel for Hyperion Books for Children. I just published a middle grade novel with them this fall called That Girl Lucy Moon.

6. What is your biggest writing or illustrating luxury?
My macintosh laptop. I love macs. They’re more expensive, but I believe everything is more enjoyable on a Mac. It’s kind of an emotional thing.

7. Coffee or tea?
Coffee if my husband makes it. Tea (with milk and sugar) if I make it.

8. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Keith Jarrett, Zap Mama, Blind Boys of Alabama, Mistsuko Uchida, and Woody Allen.

9. What would I be surprised to know about you?
I’m addicted to technology blogs.

10. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
Mount Holyoke College — graduated with a B.A. in American History

11. If you weren’t working with kids’ books, what would your dream job be?
A historian — I love the research and the writing, but I’m not crazy about academia, so I’m not sure how that would work out. Maybe I’d be one of those local historians who keeps records in their basement.

12. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
Old Westerns — anything Clint Eastwood. Sergio Leone is particularly great. By the way, I want Clint Eastwood’s poncho from those movies. If anyone has a knitting pattern, please pass it along — you can reach me through my website: www.amytimberlake.com.

13. How did you get your “big break” into the field?
I read 5 minutes of The Dirty Cowboy at an open mic during an SCBWI-Illinois Conference and an editor there came up to me and told me he wanted to see it. It was an amazing moment. This was in 2000.

14. Which celeb would you want most to meet?
Seriously? Seeing someone like Mother Theresa in action would change my life. For fun? Patricia Routledge seems like a hoot. Or maybe Emma Thompson — I love that she does her own adaptations, had her own show, and continues to be an amazing actor. I’d actually like to be like her. I don’t want to be an actor, I’d just like to be that good at what I do. For writers, I’d have to say I love Toni Morrison’s writing, though I don’t want to meet her. I mean what would I say? “You’re the best author ever!” Ugh. I just want her to write more and more and more books please.

15. Who is the best book character EVER?
Pippi Longstocking! Hey, that just came out. Funny how when you said “EVER” my favorite character as a child came out. I see I forgot to mention Pippi above. Read Pippi Longstocking everybody! Ha!