Sandy Deutscher Green’s poetry has appeared in children’s, university, national, and international journals. Her children’s work is included in Chicken Soup for the Child’s Soul, Highlights for Children, and poetry anthology Words and Other Wild Things.
Sandy’s a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the author of two children’s novels and two poetry collections. Her middle grade horror-in-verse, Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy, will be published in May 2024.
She lives with her husband in Virginia, USA and has two grown children and four rescue pets.
1. What did you like to write and read as a kid?
I wrote poetry and short stories as a child. In high school, I did the same and was an editor for my high school’s literary magazine, The Nutshell. I liked to read short stories, poetry, biographies, mysteries, and creepy stories with surprise endings.
2. Where do you like to write?
Weather permitting, I write outside under a giant maple tree, even in cold weather, because I have a heated stadium seat! Other times, I write on a sofa inside my house.
3. Who is your favorite author?
I love Eva Ibbotson’s books. They are beautifully written with great characters and clever narratives.
4. How do you come up with titles for your books?
Sometimes I look at the ending of the book to come up with a title. Sometimes it’s the theme of the book. My current book—Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy—was originally named The Haunted Mailbox. While the mailbox is haunted, I thought since the story takes place at a lake resort, it was spookier to include the whole area.
5. Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?
I have three rescue cats and a rescue dog. They provide a lot of company, stay close by, and usually nap. Stanley, the black cat, occasionally demands a snack.
6. Do you prefer ebooks, printed books, or audiobooks most of the time?
I like to read printed books, but since I walk thirty to forty minutes almost every day, I love
listening to audiobooks.
7. Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?
I danced in a regional ballet company in high school, then went on to earn a dance degree from Florida State University and taught ballet and choreographed for several years.
8. Do you only write for one genre?
I also write poetry and have been published in many university, national, and international journals. I was intrigued by middle grade novels-in-verse and decided that was the vehicle I wanted to use when writing my ghost story. The poems are concise and able to carry the narrative, as well as offer a moment of reflection for the characters when something shocking occurs.
9. Do you write on the computer or freehand?
I prefer to write on the computer. It’s so easy to edit and rearrange whole chunks of text. Each morning, I almost always have a handful of illegible notes I write by hand. I get ideas before I fall asleep and write notes in the dark because I’m afraid I won’t remember what I thought of in the morning.
10. Do you carry around a journal to note inspiration?
I don’t carry a journal, but I’ll take a picture of something that inspires me, like a creepy creek or one tree that looks like it’s swallowing another tree. If I have an interesting idea, I’ll email myself.
Thanks for chatting about your writing, Sandy! Please check out Sandy's website and keep an eye out for the release of Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy, coming May 14th to our Bookshop! Keep shining!
Website: www.SandyDGreen.com
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