Author Interview with Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo

Oh wow! My first author interview! This is amazing! Before anything, I would just like to say that meeting Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo was amazing. She talked to us about a lot of stuff and I can't wait to share with you. On Wednesday I went back to WEStseen Readers Book Club where I did get another book, Forge of Fire and Stars,  but also we got to meet Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo. At the bottom of this page, you can find her books.

Interview

  Before I start I would just like to say thank you to Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo for agreeing to do this interview with me.

Me: What inspired you to start writing? 

Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo: I've always loved writing as a kid. I kept journals. I never got to meet authors so it never dawned on me that I could do this until I started writing. 

Who has had the biggest impact on your writing? 

Meeting the refugees at IRIS (Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Service).  

What is your favorite part about writing your books? 

Hearing about how other people connect with characters. 

You've written some other books too, which has been your favorite? 

Not anyone because they have all just been different experiences. 

Do you use memories in your work? 

Definitely! Especially things from school, friendships, and my journals. 

What inspired your newest book, A Galaxy of Sea Stars? 

Not any one thing. Probably the idea of reaching for something magical and willing to go after it. 

What part of the book are you proudest of and why? 

I'm proud of everything. I'm proud that in A Galaxy of Sea Stars it had a very difficult deadline and I was going through Chemo and radiation. I didn't think I would be able to meet the deadline but I still managed to do it. 

What was the first book you got published? 

Ruby in the Sky. 

Was it hard to get published? 

Really, the first book I wrote was Silence in the Snow and it took years and years to get published. 

What is the most important thing you've learned throughout your career? 

Persistence and to never give up. 

What are your top tips for inspiring authors? 

Write- just try to write every day and don't worry about the beginning. Keep going with your stories. 

Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo Books

Ruby in the Sky

  When twelve-year-old Ruby Moon Hayes and her mother move to Vermont, Ruby's goal is to stay as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen sky. She doesn't want the kids at school to ask her about his missing father or discovering that her mother has been arrested. But keeping to herself isn't easy when she meets "The Bird Lady," a recluse named Abigail who lives in a ramshackle shed near Ruby's house. No one in town understands Abigail- people whisper about her, about her boarded-up house and the terrible secrets she must be hiding.

  As Mom's trial draws near and Abigail faces eviction, Ruby is forced to make a choice: break her silence or risk losing everyone she loves. Ruby's story is about the walls we hide behind and the magic that can happen when we are brave enough to break free. 

A Galaxy of Sea Stars

  Izzy lives in the small town of Seaside, Rode Island and it seems like everything is changing. But Izzy wants things to stay the same. She wants her dad to start acting like he used to before he was deployed to Afghanistan, she wants her mom to move back to the marina where they live, but most of all she wants to stay friends with Piper and Zelda (who along with Izzy were dubbed the Sea Star Posse) as they enter 6th grade. 

  Then Izzy's father invites his former army interpreter from Afghanistan and his whole family to move into the upstairs apartment at the marina. Along with them, is Sitara. When Sitara first arrives, Izzy doesn't know what to think of her. Along with her arrival, Sitara brings disruption to the Sea Star Posse. As Izzy gets to know Sitara more, she can't help but admire her self-confidence and pride in her Muslim faith. 

  When a hate message starts showing up at the girl's school and at the marina, Izzy and Sitara team up to discover the source of vandalism. But what Izzy learns will force her to make a choice: remain silent and betray Sitara or speak up for what she knows is right, even if it means losing the Sea Star Posse forever. 

Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo

  Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo is a two-time cancer survivor which I think is amazing! She has kept journals as a kid which largely inspired her current writing.