Tag Archives: sybil nelson

Feb12

Interview with Sybil Nelson

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Sybil Nelson

I am pleased to present to you the interview with Sybil Nelson. Sybil is the author of the “Priscilla the Great” series and several other YA books. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband and two children. She is currently working on her PHD in Biostatistics. She graciously took time out of her busy schedule to answer the following questions.

1) How did you get your idea to write about a preteen super hero?

Do you want the real answer or what I tell everyone? I’ll give you both and let you choose.
Truth: Due to a change in birth control, I ended up having my period for a month straight. I was so annoyed and wished that my period could bring me something besides cramps and chocolate cravings. I thought it would be cool if my period could also bring me superpowers. So I got the idea for a girl who got super powers on her first period. I wrote the entire book in less than 30 days. When HarperCollins showed interest in the book, The Adventures of PMS Girl, they convinced me to get rid of the period concept and to change the book to Priscilla the Great. After eight months of editing with them, they ultimately rejected the book.

What I tell everyone: I really wanted there to be a book that triumphed the power of being a girl. There are lots of great action books for boys, but not so many for girls. I used to love reading comic books as a kid and I am addicted to the X-Men. I thought there needed to be a superhero book for girls that are like me when I was young.

2) What is your favorite characteristic about Priscilla?
I love her sense of humor. She really tells it as she sees it. She might not always see it correctly, but her way of viewing things is definitely amusing.

3) What kind of books did you enjoy reading while growing up?
I read anything and everything when I was growing up. I even went through a Harlequin romance phase. Hey, maybe that is why Priscilla’s mother’s name is Quinn.

4) What advice would you give to young writers?
Write every day. That is the way to hone your craft. I find that if I skip a few days of writing, it’s harder to get back in the flow of things. But when you write every day, you are sharpening your skills. And you can’t edit an empty page. You have to have something written. So just write. Write anything all the time.

5) What is your writing routine?
I try to write at least 1000 words a day. I keep a journal with me where I jot down ideas all day long and then at night before I go to bed, I type out those ideas.

6) In one sentence, how would you describe what it is to write?
Writing is freedom.

7) Any new projects in the works? Future events?
Ha! I have so many ideas I don’t have time to write them all. Here is what I’m currently working on.

Dark Marco – Spin off of Priscilla the Great
La Cienega’s Smile – Short story prequel to Nothing Else Matters
Somehow Someday – YA romance

I have more projects, but I have to limit it to three at a time.

Sybil Nelson’s books are available on Amazon.com, Smashwords and Barnes and Nobles.com.

*Read the book review of Priscilla the Great.

Jan28

Kids With Super Powers Rule

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Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson

What if you’re 12 years old with Super Powers? Which super power would you have? Pricilla Sumner doesn’t have a choice. She discovers the hard way that fire can shoot from her fingers. And the fun continues from there.

Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson is a book that combines a comic book heroine with a Spy Kids plot. Priscilla likes to hang out with her best friend, Tai, and talk about boys. But when she discovers a secret so intense it can fry her friends, literally, that’s when things get interesting.

Unlike some comic books, it seems more realistic. Ok, really. There’s a nice emotional connection that comes from the first person narrative of Priscilla. You feel you have the super powers with her. Suddenly, fire shooting from your fingers is a problem along with a possible first kiss with a boy.

Priscilla and her mother don’t get along well. Her mother is so busy with work, she seems to hardly know Priscilla exists. But as her powers grow, she realizes her mother is the key.

Noting clues, such as her father upset she appears on a local TV show and her mother gone for long periods of time, Priscilla starts to put together a bigger picture. Everything is revealed when she finds herself in mega trouble. And it will take trusting her mother, figuring how to use her powers, and relying on herself to save her family.

Though I’m not a big super hero fan, I enjoyed the realistic, narrative writing style. I started to get sucked in relating to the fact most teens try to wish they were something else. Along with the combination of teen and super hero problems, Nelson combines an adventurous plot.

Though I might have chosen different super powers, I found relating to Priscilla easy and fun. There are some older teen issues. Priscilla and her mother have a simliar talk about boys that most preteens should have. If you have a child that hasn’t had Family Life ed in school, you might want to look through to see if you want them to wait until they are a bit older. In the end, I was won over by the witty and super Priscilla. This an enjoyable first book to a super series.

Rated 4 Stars ****
Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

*Read the interview with Sybil Nelson.