Q & A with Ridley Pearson

#1 Nationally Best Selling YA and Adult author Ridley Pearson is at Books on the House, chatting with us about his latest Kingdom Keepers book, Disney in Shadow, and much more.

Enter to Win a copy of Kingdom Keepers III, Disney in Shadow!

Learn more about Ridley at his various web sites:

Ridley Pearson

The Starcatchers

Kingdom Keepers

Books for Adults

BotH:

Welcome to Books on the House, Ridley!  I’m very excited to be featuring you and your latest release, Kingdom Keepers III, Disney in Shadow.  Whether writing about Peter Pan, the incredible adventures of Steven “Steel” Trapp, or writing for adults, you are a master entertainer!  How did you get your start as a writer?

Ridley:

I had a long haul in the school of Hard Knocks before being published as a writer. Years and years of rejections and multiple drafts of multiple projects.  It has been a long road.  And I don’t take a single day for granted.

BotH:

Many of your books are collaborations.  What do you enjoy about the collaborative process verses writing a book by yourself?

Ridley:

My only collaboration has been with my bandmate, Dave Barry.  We’ve written a number of books for younger readers together now, and have really enjoyed the process.

BotH:

You have several series for kids.  Do you have a favorite series, or character, or is it too hard to choose?!

Ridley:

Writing anything with Dave Barry is my favorite writing! But I’m so enjoying the Kingdom Keepers series, in part, because Disney gives me full access to their theme parks in order for me to write them!

BotH:

Ah, so do you go to Disney parks with your notebook or laptop and take lots of notes, or just let the kid in you take over while you soak it all in?  Sounds like a great gig!

Ridley:

Working with Disney Books and Disney Imagineers I plan research trips to the parks when they are closed. Usually about 4 trips for each book.  I enter at 5 in the morning and visit attractions key to the story.  Attraction Cast Members show me around, and educate me on the history of the ride, interesting and unknown facts, and their own experiences. All this time I take detailed notes and photograph.  Then I take that experience and transfer it to the Kingdom Keepers in the novels.

BotH:

You are a musician at heart, right?  Part of The Rockbottom Remainders (LOVE this!).  How often do you get the chance to play your music?

Ridley:

The all-author band, the Rockbottom Remainders, performs about twice a year to raise money for non-profits. We aren’t any good, but no one seems to care.

BotH:

What do you see as the main difference/challenges between writing for kids verses writing for adults?

Ridley:

The only true difference for me is that the young reader novels are rated PG or PG-13 instead of R, which my adult novels often are.  Young readers are FAR smarter than we adults give them credit for.  They know a good story and they know interesting characters.  I never write “down” to young readers.  I try to keep the story electric and the characters believable, and trust that if I do my job well my readers will stay with me.

BotH:

What’s the next Ridley Pearson project?

Ridley:

I have an adult suspense novel, In Harms Way coming out in early August. Dave and I have a 5th Starcatchers novel arriving in the fall of 2011 and I have Kingdom Keepers 4 arriving in April 2011.  A big year!

BotH:

It’s been great having you here on Books on the House.

Ridley:

Continued success to you!