Magic and Misogyny, Kitties and Fatphobia: Christine Hartman Derr Discusses Raven, Rising

How to Pitch a Middle Grade Novel: A Quickie 101

First and foremost, if you’ve got a good book on your hands then you need a good hook. Now generally speaking, authors don’t write their own ad copy. They don’t write the pitches or the jacket flaps or any of that. So when I read a description like the following, I discover that someone in those publishing offices knew how to do their job:

“Heartdrum author Christine Hartman Derr blends magic realism with timely discussions and conflicts that tweens can relate to seamlessly in RAVEN, RISING, making her an important new voice to watch in children’s literature. Not only does she tackle conversations around dress codes and how wrongful violations are at the root of racial discrimination, fatphobia, and misogyny, but she celebrates Indigenous-representation and culture from the perspective of a white-passing protagonist and uses cooking as a catalyst for social justice.”

I haven’t seen a lot of white-passing protagonists in Indigenous young people’s literature before. Plus, Kirkus and PW both starred Raven, Rising (out July 7th) and that’s something special. Here too is the plot description:

Raven Miller only just moved to Bear Creek Falls, but she already hates it. There’s a clique that has it out for her, a vice principal who keeps targeting her for dress code violations, and a cruel rumor going around that Raven is a witch who killed her parents. If it weren’t for her new friends Laurel and Hazel, she’d be lost.

The “witch” stuff would be easy to shrug off, but Raven does possess magical powers in the kitchen—the treats she makes can mysteriously change the lives of those who eat them. Though she doesn’t bake anymore—not since the accident that took her parents’ lives.

Then the clique’s bullying and the vice principal’s watchful eye intensifies. When the girls’ attempts to retaliate fall flat, Raven wonders if the magical sweets she used to make could whip up a justice so powerful it would set everything right. In order to find out, she’ll have to face the things she’s been avoiding. Can Raven rise above the pain of her past to secure a better future?

So, yeah. I wanted to know more. And directly asking authors questions is, I have found, a rather effective way of doing that. Christine Hartman Derr, for the record, is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She’s also a graduate from VCFA’s Writing for Children MFA program, where she was selected as a DEI Fellow and a Center for Arts and Social Justice Fellow.

Betsy Bird: Christine! Hey, it is such a pleasure to ask you some questions about your middle grade debut today. And man. You are not starting with anything easy. You’ve everything from dress code violations, magical baking ala LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, fatphobia, bullying, and Indigenous representation. Whew! Considering the sheer amount you have to cover in this book, please start us off by telling us where this book came from in the first place. What is its origin story? 

Christine Hartman Derr: Thank you for these thoughtful questions! Well, when you mention all these big issues all in a row, it seems rather silly to admit it all began with two black cats. But that’s the truth! My vet posted a photo of two bonded cats in need of a home, and it just so happened to be right when my family was looking to adopt a cat. Their names were Hocus and Pocus, and I knew immediately they were meant to be part of our family. The very day we brought them home, I got to thinking, and Raven’s voice popped into my mind. I knew she was Cherokee, like me; that she was new in town; that there were witch rumors; that friendship would be a magic element of its own; and that the black cats would play a part in her healing journey. The rest unspooled from October of 2020 to June of 2022 as I learned her full story. But at the heart, at the center, are these two black cats.

BB: Part of what makes this title so interesting is that you’re mixing very real world issues and problems with very light fantasy. That’s gotta be hard. From a writing perspective, how do you balance out the realism and the fantastical? As you were working on this manuscript, would you ever tip too far in one direction or another?

Christine: They were always inextricably braided together for me. Thankfully, Raven’s magic is food-based, so that provided plenty of opportunity for hints of her magic to weave throughout! As additional magical elements came into play, it felt organic and right. This was very much a process of trusting my intuition to guide me, and then following up with intentional revising to make sure it all made sense.

BB: Speaking of the manuscript, how has this book changed since your earliest drafts? Were there thoughts and ideas you had early on that you loved but eventually, for one reason or another, had to cut? Or would you say that the book has remained essentially the same since the early days? 

Christine: The opening line has stayed almost exactly the same—the town name changed, and so I updated that, but otherwise it was the very first line that introduced me to Raven and her world that fateful October day. At first, I thought this would be a YA title—but the voice was quite middle grade from the start. When I asked myself what would change if I shifted Raven from ninth grade into eighth, I realized that only minor plot details would shift. That’s how I learned Raven was a smidge younger than I thought! (Which honestly makes sense, because grief can certainly prematurely age a person). Much stayed the same, including Binx and the cat/kitten rescue, grief, Raven’s close relationship with her aunt, the presence of therapy, and the power of friendship to help heal.

BB: Tell us about the elements of the book that are the most personal to you. While I would love to learn that you have the ability to bake truth serum cupcakes, I suspect that there may be some other parts of this story that are drawn from your own life or the lives of people you’ve known. How much of this book was autobiographical?

Christine: I’m not at liberty to divulge if I’m able to bake magical treats, wink-wink! I wouldn’t say any of Raven’s story is autobiographical, but I do pull from emotional truths to inject realistic details. I am a lifelong baker, a trait that was instilled in me by my Grams, Mom, and Dad. I’ve also lost a parent, a culture-keeper in my family, and that experience allowed me to more deeply understand Raven’s emotional journey. And of course, I do have several furry family members who inspired their literary counterparts!

BB: Right out the gate (as of this interview) you’ve two starred reviews for your debut, so well done! I know you also contributed to the multi-award-winning title LEGENDARY FRY BREAD DRIVE-IN. But you’ve been writing for quite some time until now. When other writers look to you and hope for publication, what advice would you give? 

Christine: Wado, thank you! My advice is to keep moving forward. With reading, with writing. Learn from others, learn from your own mistakes, and focus on improving your own craft. The other side of that is to lean on your writing community—and if you don’t have one yet, start looking and building one! They’re out there! I found mine through my grad program and the WNDB Native Children’s-YA Writing Intensive, and my work—and heart—are all the better for knowing them.

BB: Finally, what’s next for you? What else can we look forward to?

Christine: My debut picture book, Until We Meet Again: Donadagohvi, will be releasing from Heartdrum in September. It’s illustrated by the incredible Morgan Thomspon. We’re both citizens of Cherokee Nation, and her art is absolutely breathtaking. There are other things in the works, but none that I’m able to share quite yet! To keep up to date, I recommend checking out my website, ChristineHartmanDerr.com. Wado, thank you!

And a big thank YOU to Christine! RAVEN, RISING is, as I mentioned, out July 7th. And special thanks to Kelly Haberstroh

Filed under: Interviews