Hello and welcome to Telling Stories.

Today, in addition to a middle grade book review, I’m excited to share with you an interview with the author, Rachel Selle.

Rachel is from New Hampshire, by way of Alaska, and currently lives in Germany, where she teaches second grade.

This is her first published novel.

Gail: Thank you for chatting with me, Rachel.

Would you tell me a little bit about your writing journey?

How did you become interested in writing?

Rachel: I love to tell stories and had always had it in the back of my mind that I would love to write a book someday.

I have an 11-year-old daughter, Matilda, to whom I have told stories since she was a baby.

She always told me I made up the best stories (I mean, it’s possible that she’s biased, but I’ll take the compliment).

One year, I made a New Year’s resolution that I would finally write my book.

The year came and went with no book.

I had a few ideas, but nothing that ever made it past the initial stage of brainstorming and perhaps a few pages.

In 2019, I was visiting my parents in New Hampshire, and I found an old certificate from my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Gonsalves, who thanked me for being in her class and also wrote, “I fully expect you to write a book someday…I wonder what it will be about?!”

I took this as my “sign” and started getting serious about a book.

I wrote her an email when I published, and she is really excited for me and is, of course, reading the book.

G: I think it’s so interesting where we get our push to write.

Why middle grade?

R: I love middle-grade fiction.

I am always reading at least two MG books at a time.

It’s still innocent enough for my tastes, personally, and I enjoy the nostalgia that comes along with a lot of the MG books, as well.

G: What inspired you to write “The European Adventures” series?

And how many more do you plan to write?

R: I loved reading Nancy Drew when I was younger.

I enjoyed going with her on her travels/adventures.

I also liked that there was a mystery to be solved.

So when I thought about what I wanted my book to be about, it made the most sense to write something I would have liked to read as a child.

I wanted to see and discover new places while being involved in a fun mystery.

Since I live in Germany, I thought it made sense to start there.

I am currently writing the second book, which takes place in France.

The third book is also mapped out, and I am collecting ideas and writing in my “idea book” every day.

I hope for the children [in the books] to explore as many countries in Europe as the readers are willing to read.

G: Why did you choose the self-publishing route?

R: I chose self-publishing because, and I am being very honest here, I was rejected by every single publisher I sent my manuscript to, and, no matter how many times you read that major and successful authors were rejected for years before their big break, it’s disheartening.

I had one publisher tell me that my book series was “too history-based and children would not be interested in reading that.”

As an educator, I was shocked by that.

The response from children has been wonderful, so I’m happy I trusted my instincts.

In terms of the self-publishing process, that can be time-consuming, at times tedious and frustrating, but I knew I would never give up the dream.

G: Disheartening is a great word.

Self-publishing can be a dream-changer.

I have to say that you did a great job editing your book.

I didn’t see spelling errors or grammatical errors—which are commonplace in so many self-published books and even in many traditionally published books.

Beyond reading, children are also interested in writing their own books and stories.

A friend and I led a couple of writing workshops for elementary-school kids and their enthusiasm was heartening to see.

Do you have any tips or advice for kids who want to be authors?

R: Take time to write down your ideas and map them out.

There are a lot of great resources online that help children learn about the writing process and how to write a great story.

Don’t be afraid to try.

G: Solid advice.

What about for kids and other writers who just can’t seem to push past a certain point in their story?

R: Be open to the process!

I sat down to write a story that was completely different than the one I ended up with when I published.

Just speaking from my experience, I learned to be open to where my research led me and let myself be inspired by things that I learned along the way instead of being married to my initial ideas.

G: Exactly!

I still marvel at the magic that happens when a character that you’ve planned to behave in a certain way does something completely different, affecting the entire story.

It’s like they’re real people with minds of their own.

What are some of your favorite middle-grade books, Rachel?

R: My favorite series is Ramona Quimby by Beverly Cleary.

She is such a genius when it comes to writing from a child’s perspective.

[As] an elementary-school teacher, I love seeing Ramona’s journey with her teachers throughout the series—the good, the bad, the ugly.

I also love the book The Silver Crown by Robert C. O’Brien and Matilda by Roald Dahl.

My daughter’s name is Matilda because it was the first book I ever read on my own, and it opened my eyes to the magical world that books can give us.

I haven’t stopped reading since.

G: That’s so sweet about your daughter’s name.

I’ll bet Roald Dahl would have loved to know that.

Thank you so much, Rachel, for talking with me today.

I love to hear about the journey of other writers.

R: It is my pleasure.

About the Book

Title: The European Adventures: Mystery at Mouse Castle
Author: Rachel Selle
Publication Date: March 2022
ISBN-13: 979-8423658540

This book is a perfect quick read for kids 8-12 years old who like to get their history in story form and enjoy armchair travel (is that even still a thing?) and an intriguing mystery.

In this story, a family of children hop on a plane to meet up with their mother in Germany.

On their first day there, they hear about thieves who are stealing rare and valuable circa-1562 coronation coins with ties to the Roman Empire.

A series of coincidences leads them to the medieval Mouse (Maus) Castle on the Rhine River where the thieves are plotting to steal a precious coin.

It’s up to the kids to solve the mystery and thwart the thieves before an important piece of history is lost forever.

The book is family-friendly and wholesome.

It is the first in the author’s series which will feature the children as they explore the culture, language and history of European countries—and solve other mysteries.

~gail

Before you go, don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list, below: