Authors: L.D. Harkrader

Airball (19 page)

What was your worst subject in school?

P.E. I loved playing sports (I did want to be second baseman for the Royals, after all), but I just found the whole P.E. experience humiliating, especially after I got into junior high and had to start showering with sweaty girls I barely knew.

What was your first job?

Detassling corn. There were about twelve of us in the corn crew, and we rode behind a tractor in this contraption that had big, metal buckets spaced just far enough apart to slide between the cornrows. We stood in the buckets, and as we chugged along, we had to reach out and pull the tassels off the tops of the cornstalks. I don't know all the science behind it, but if we didn't get the tassels off, the corn could pollinate or something. And apparently, pollinated corn is bad corn.

Where do you write your books?

I get lonely at my house all by myself, so I like to take my laptop and write in other places, like bookstores or coffee shops. My favorite place is the mall. Our mall has these cushy leather chairs scattered about in seating groups with tables and potted plants. If I get there early enough, I can get one of the chairs by the fountain. I hunker down with my laptop and my latte and write for hours. I actually get more written at the mall than I do at home because at the mall I can't get upâif I do, I'll lose my chair. So, I just sit there and keep writing.

Which of your characters is most like you?

Kirby, definitely. He's kind of gawky, kind of geeky, not completely sure of himself, but determined to get the job done anyway. That pretty much describes me.

When you finish a book, who reads it first?

My sister. She's not a writer, but she's a lot like meâtwelve years old on the inside. So, if she likes it, I know middle-schoolers will probably like it.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a night owl, which is pretty inconvenient since the rest of the world seems to be on a morning-person schedule.

What's your idea of the best meal ever?

The best meals always start with dessert, and the best desserts are usually chocolate. So for me, the best meal would be anything that started with chocolate.

Which do you like better: cats or dogs?

I can't pick. If I said cats, my dogs would get their feelings hurt, and if I said dogs, my cats would make me move out. Actually, I have two dogs, and they both like the cats better than they like each other.

What do you value most in your friends?

A sense of humor.

Where do you go for peace and quiet?

The mall (see above).

Who is your favorite fictional character?

Nancy Drew (see above). I also love Miss Marple.

What time of the year do you like best?

Fall. There's something about that time of yearâthe crispness of the air, maybe, or getting ready for Halloween, or maybe all the fresh school supplies in the storeâthat makes me feel that anything is possible.

If you could travel in time, where would you go?

I think about this a lot. I'd go back to my own growing-up years and spend more time with the people I no longer have in my lifeâmy mom and my grandparents.

What's the best advice you have ever received about writing?

Just keep doing it. Even if it's hard, even if every word you write stinks, even if it feels like you'll never reach the end, if you keep going, you'll eventually end up with a story you can be proud of.

What do you want readers to remember about your books?

I want readers to remember characters who stand up for the things they believe in and go after the things they wantâcharacters who don't give up just because it's hard or because somebody else tells them they can't.

What would you do if you ever stopped writing?

I get really cranky when I'm not writing, so I would never stop.

What do you like best about yourself?

I like to think I'm like my charactersâI don't give up on things I believe in.

What is your worst habit?

I like to wear my pajamas. A lot. Which is fine when I'm here by myself writing, but it can be a little embarrassing when the FedEx guy shows up at two o'clock in the afternoon and catches me in my bathrobe.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

My kids. I have a son who's thirteen and a daughter who's twenty-three, and they're both terrific people.

What do you wish you could do better?

Sing.

What would your readers be most surprised to learn about you?

I love big-band music.

About the Author

L.D. Harkrader
never played underwear basketball, but did have a recurring nightmare about walking into the school cafeteria wearing nothing but pajamas. "I'm sure the dream meant I was afraid people would see who I really was," says L.D. "In telling Kirby's story, I hope I show readers they shouldn't be afraid to let people see who they are. Who they are is okay." L.D. lives in a small town in Kansas and, like Kirby, is a rabid Jayhawks basketball fan. You can sign up for email updates
here
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ISBN 978-0-312-37382-5

Originally published in the United States by Roaring Brook Press

First Square Fish Edition: 2008

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eISBN 9781250111241

First eBook edition: December 2015