We interviewed P.A.W.S. saga author, Debbie Manber Kupfer! Read on to learn about the books that inspired her, what she does when she’s not writing, and other exciting stuff!
Hi Debbie! What are your three favorite books that inspired your writing?
The Harry Potter series and in particular book 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It was in this book that Rowling first introduced animagi and the concept intrigued me, but I wanted to go further. I wanted to understand what it involved to become an animagus, what the change felt like, how the magic maker chose their animal form and did it ever go wrong. So many questions – and those questions started me on the road to writing the P.A.W.S. Saga.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This is my all-time favorite book and every one of my P.A.W.S. books contains Easter Eggs relating to Hitchhiker’s if you know what to look for.
Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I read Alice over and over again as a kid and it was my introduction to fantasy. In P.A.W.S. it is also my main character, Miri’s favorite book, the only one she carries with her from her old life to P.A.W.S.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I write puzzles. All kinds of word and logic problems. My puzzles are mainly published in Penny Press magazines and on my web site, Paws 4 Puzzles. I also published a book of puzzles, Paws 4 Logic with my son, Joey.
What is the hardest thing about writing, based on your experience?
Staying on track. I’m get really distracted by the internet, particularly Facebook. Often the only way I can get my words in is to turn off the internet altogether and only let myself go back on once I’ve got my daily words in.
What are you excited about right now?
The release of Londinium, book 4 of my P.A.W.S. Saga that comes out in December (and is now on presale, in case anyone’s curious). In this episode Miri travels to London which is the city I grew up in. It was particularly cool writing about my hometown.
I also have a picture book coming in April for Earth Day. Adana the Earth Dragon was a little tale I wrote quite a few years ago, but is finally coming to life as I met an awesome illustrator online, Tina Wijesiri. She brought my little dragon to life and I’m super excited to share her with the world.
Which book of yours would you recommend a reader start with?
P.A.W.S. (Book 1) where the Saga begins or if you’d like to catch up before book 4 comes out in December you can pick up a box set of books 1 to 3 on sale currently for just $4.99.
