If you are doing a report on Deborah Wiles and her books, this is a good place to start.

The Wikipedia entry on Deborah Wiles is accurate (and evolving) and contains links to interviews and press as well:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Wiles

 

When and where were you born?

 

May 7, 1953 in Mobile, Alabama. I am the eldest of three children. My brother is Mike, and my sister is Cathy.

 

Where did you grow up?

 

My dad was an Air Force pilot, so we moved a lot. I started kindergarten in Hawaii and graduated high school in the Philippines, at Clark Air Base. I lived in Charleston, S.C. for two years, and for seven years I lived in Prince George’s County, Maryland, while my dad was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, in the early-to-mid sixties. I spent part of my childhood summers in Mississippi, in the town where my father was born, and where my grandmother lived. Her name was Miss Eula — just like the grandmother in Love, Ruby Lavender.

 

Where do you live today?

 

I live in Atlanta, Georgia today in a small brick house painted purple, chartreuse and red. Before I moved to Atlanta in 2004, I had lived in Frederick, Maryland for 25 years, where I raised a family. I go back to Frederick to visit often.

 

Are you married? Do you have children?

 

I am married to Jim Pearce, a piano player and composer. I have four children: Alisa, Jason, Zachary, and Hannah. They are all grown up now.

 

What do you do when you aren’t writing? Do you have hobbies?

 

I read, garden, sing, play banjo and piano very badly, cook, tell stories with my friends, and take pictures. I keep a blog, www.deborahwiles1.blogspot.com, where I chronicle my writing and my life.

 

How many books have you written?

 

I have written two picture books and four novels.

 

What are they?

 

The picture books are Freedom Summer and One Wide Sky.

 

Three of the novels are Love, Ruby Lavender, Each Little Bird That Sings, and The Aurora County All-Stars. These three books are called The Aurora County Trilogy. They are companion novels, which means that they take place in the same location, and feature cross-over characters.

 

The fourth novel is Countdown. It is book one of The Sixties Project, three novels of the 1960s for young readers. Countdown takes place in 1962 outside of Washington, D.C. during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 

What are the themes in your books?

 

It’s best to read a book and decide about themes for yourself, although I can tell you that, in general, every book I’ve written is about friendship and family — kinship. I write about community, and how important love is, how essential kindness is, and how we are all connected.

 

My books are all personal narrative turned into fiction.

 

Do you have pets?

 

My old dog Sandy, who died in 2004, was the model for Dismay in Each Little Bird That Sings.

 

I have two cats now, Shiva and Cleebo. And yes, Cleebo is named after Cleebo in The Aurora County All-Stars.

 

What has influenced your writing?

 

My writing comes out of my life. I write about my childhood summers in Mississippi and my life as an Air Force kid. I take what I know and remember, mix it up with how I felt, and imagine that into a story. I always keep a notebook with me, and use it daily – I put everything in it, even my grocery lists. You never know what will turn into a story.

 

How did you learn to write?

 

I learned to write by reading. I am still learning. I also had good teachers.

 

What were your favorite books?

 

I loved Nancy Drew, Little Golden Books (especially Mr. Dog), and the Reader’s Digest Treasury for Young Readers. As an adult, my favorite novels are Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty, Deliverance by James Dickey, and the trilogy of novels by Conrad Richter called The Awakening Land: The Trees, The Fields, The Town.

 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

 

I wanted to be a mother, a teacher, and Nancy Drew. I got to be two out of three. I didn’t know I could be a writer, growing up. I’m glad I discovered that possibility as a grown-up.