Author Interview & Review: The Scoop on Jen Calonita

Jen Calonita is no stranger to writing. Having found success with many of her other novels in the past, she’s about to release yet another series this October! Misfits is the first novel in her Royal Academy Rebels series and we were lucky enough to get an advanced copy of it! Check out our review of it here:

Review of Misfits by Jen Calonita

Jen Calonita’s Misfits is an enchanting and charming story that takes place in the same world as one of her other series, Fairy Tale Reform School. Unlike that series however, this one takes place at a school meant for royals. While the school might be meant for those who are traditional, not every student is ready to take on that type of role.

While this story might seem like one of only pure magic, it reflects real life. In a school that is old fashioned and teaches kids out-of-date practices, these kids rise up and go against the grain. The children are told that the princesses are only there to be rescued, while the princes get all the glory. However, these kids aren’t ready to let that be their reality. So as the world is becoming more progressive, so is this royal universe!

Misfits, while fun and magical, is also a story about determination, strength, and believing in yourself. The novel is just the start of the series, Royal Academy Rebels. With the first in the series being so incredibly powerful and entertaining, the rest of the series is without a doubt going to follow suit.

There is something to be said for kids these days who know that they need to have their voices heard. Misfits shows that kids aren’t dumb, that they shouldn’t just wait around until they’re older to make a difference. This novel shows that kids, even royal kids, are complex with complex wants and needs. Misfits is the type of book that all of us, kids and adults alike, have been waiting for.

Q&A with Jen Calonita

After reading Misfits, we were able to talk to author Jen Calonita herself! We learned about her other books, her love for Post-It notes, and how she sees things from a different point of view. Check it out here:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?

My name is Jen Calonita and I’m a middle grade and young adult author. I started out in entertainment journalism and spent my days interviewing young stars on their first projects such as Chris Pratt (long before Guardians of the Galaxy) and Zac Efron on the High School Musical 3 set. My kids love hearing me talk about Dwayne Johnson and Justin Timberlake. It gives me some cool mom cred! I started wondering about what it would be like to be a teen star – and this was pre-social media. It felt so hard trying to navigate your teen years and stardom and it made me wonder what it would be like to write a book about it. My first series, Secrets of My Hollywood Life, was about that world. I started writing books then and thankfully, haven’t stopped!

When did you first realize that you had a passion for writing? What encouraged you to be a writer?

I was a very reluctant reader in elementary school untill my teacher Ms. LaPaola encouraged me to find the right books for me. (If you hate ghost stories, then you don’t take a ghost story out of the library just because your best friend did.) Once I found books that were comedic (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume) and adventurous (A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle) it all changed. I started reading more and that grew into a love of writing.

Can you tell us a bit about your books and what you enjoy writing about?

I’ve written novels about Hollywood starlets (Secrets of My Hollywood Life), camp counselors (Sleepaway Girls), acapella groups (Turn It Up) and kids sentenced to a Fairy Tale Reform School. Even after writing twenty novels, I’m never quite sure what type of idea will strike next!

What inspired you to write your current series?

I’ve always been a big fairy tale fan and as a kid I adored Disney’s version of Cinderella. But I always cried at the end of the movie and one day my mom asked me why. I told her it wasn’t because I was happy for Cinderella. I was nervous for the Wicked Stepmother! I didn’t want her to wind up in fairy tale jail or be banished and I feared for the wicked stepsisters’ future. I’ve always wondered what would happen if villains turned over a new leaf and tried to prove they could be trusted. I figured if that happened they’d all work at a school where they try to help kids on the path to learn how to be good, like Fairy Tale Reform School! It all came together from there.

What do you want people to gain most from your novels?

I hope they will have fun and escape into a new world for a bit. The Fairy Tale Reform School books also have a great message about never judging people and my characters are always growing and changing, slipping up and making strides, a lot like my own boys and kids in today’s world.

How far do you see your current series going? Are you interested in any other projects right now?

Right now, I’m working on Fairy Tale Reform School’s fifth book: WISHED. Wished is about what happens when the kids find a magic lamp and make a wish at their school. Things go haywire! I love working on fairy tale stories and have a new series coming out in the fall. But yes, I’m always interested in exploring new ideas and new worlds. You never know when your next idea will strike.

Which writers have inspired you the most?

When I wrote my first novel fourteen years ago, I was reading Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series’ and I was amazed at how she captured a teen’s voice. She was both comedic and deadpan and entirely relatable. I knew I wanted to find a way to do that myself. I love several middle grade and young adult authors now like Ally Carter, Elizabeth Eulberg, Chris Grabenstein and Soman Chainani. I try to read all different genres and I find I learn something new every time I check out a new author.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing process and how you approach a new novel?

I’m the Queen of Post-It notes! I’m always on the hunt for new sizes and colors. I spend weeks post-it noting my plot and then I stick all the notes on the whiteboard in my office. I think of every novel like a puzzle that needs to be solved. Sometimes you don’t know where the pieces belong so I’ll move them around till a plot starts to take shape. My husband and kids find post-it notes all over the house!

Is there a fun fact about yourself that might surprise our readers if you were to share it with them?

I started running a few years ago, but I only do organized races at Walt Disney World! Seriously, if you tell me there will be character meet-and-greets, fireworks, and I can wear a costume, I’m there. For the Disney Princess Half-Marathon, I dressed as Cinderella, and last fall I dressed as Snow White for the Wine and Dine Half-Marathon. I always stop for character photos along the route!

What’s the best part about writing for kids and young adults?

I love hearing from readers. They’re always insightful and have such great questions about the books and writing, and sometimes they point things out to me that I’ve never even thought of before! I love how engaged they become with the world and the characters and it makes me want to make each book better than the last for them.

What advice would you give to struggling writers out there who are trying to accomplish their dreams?

Don’t give up. All you need is one “yes” in a world of “no”. Not everyone is going to want your robot beach adventure-romance mash up, but you don’t need everyone to love it. You need one person to have faith in it and take it on. So keep looking till you find that person.

Where do you see yourself going from here?

I’m actually starting a new series in the fall that is a companion to the Fairy Tale Reform School series. For years, kids have asked what goes on at the sister school in the kingdom, Royal Academy, and I thought it would be fun to explore the other side of the coin. Royal Academy is a school specifically for royals and it’s run by a very traditional fairy godmother whose aim is to teach princes to rescue princesses with the princesses waiting to be rescued. The new crop of students who are enrolled there find this system very behind the times! They’re like my own personal breed of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle! They’re trying to reinvent the world… and maybe uncover some villainy afoot at the same time. MISFITS is book one in the Royal Academy Rebels series and it’s out this October.

Do you have any final words of wisdom that you would like to share with our readers?

The more you read, the better you’re going to write. I learn something new every time I pick up a new author’s novel.

Misfits will be released to the general public on October 2nd, 2018.