Tag: Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo

Earlier today, I had a few things to say about the very entertaining debut novel from Amy Maren Rice, Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo, and this summer she participated in a Q&A about writing in Idaho with me. Since I met her earlier this year at the Nampa Library’s local author event, I’ve run into her at a couple of other events in the area. Getting to know her a little bit these last few months is a highlight of the year, I hope you enjoy the the As she provides to me Qs below (as well as the previous batch).

Beverly Cleary and Toni Morrison have both said things like, “write the book you want to read.” The last time we did a Q&A, you suggested you wrote the book you wanted your kids to read. Talk about that thinking process a bit, if you could. How long did it take to get from that decision to having Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo in your hands? Were there some abandoned books along the way?
A long, long time! I started daydreaming about writing Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo almost ten years ago. I’d always wanted to write a book but never felt confident enough in myself to pursue it. The push to write came when my boys (about 9 and 11 at the time) and I had difficulty finding books for their reading levels that were also age appropriate and fun. Something sparked inside me, and I finally felt like I could do it.

Once my brain got the go-ahead I was addicted. I started by jotting down the flood of ideas floating around in my head. Often, my favorites came from exhaustion; when I was too tired to think straight but still had parenting duties that demanded my consciousness. The words began to flow, and I didn’t want to stop. There were some casualties along the way (my kids were fine I swear) but ideas were begrudgingly cut as I found my voice and style.

I had a few goals in mind as I wrote. I wanted to challenge my kids’ vocabulary a bit, but not swamp them with it, so I sprinkled a few less commonly used words in there, like eccentricities and melodious, to get their brains whirring. I purposely made the chapters short, some as brief as two pages, each one a small scene to keep their attention. And I made the two main characters relatable to them. I don’t remember where I heard it, but I’ve always liked the saying, “Because I have a brother, I’ll always have a friend.” The plan was to teach the brothers in my story to value each other’s differences and embrace their built-in friendship. I hoped my boys would see the lesson in that.

I was only ever focused on writing one book. There wasn’t room in my brain for more as I was also currently also keeping myself and three small humans alive.

Students at Hogwarts have just the right pronunciation (“It’s Leviosa, Not Leviosaaa”), Samantha Stephens twitches her nose, and your Fuzzwiggs—ahem, pass gas (I whisper, so my older relatives don’t get the vapors). Where did that choice come from? You mentioned you wrote the book with your pre-teen sons in mind, so I’m sure that played a significant role. But can you remember what led up to that?
At the time, my life was my three young boys. Little boy humor, as you may know, is very … unique. There was never a fart that wasn’t funny, so naturally I had to incorporate that. As this was to be a book for “family eyes only”, it never occurred to me to consider the consequences of having to utter the phrase, “my characters have fart powers” in public, but here we are.
That got an audible laugh from me. 🙂

Were you drawing on particular myths or stories when you came up with the tree and the guardians? (I can’t remember the proper name for either, sorry, feel free to edit/correct me) It feels a little Norse myth-with a twist to me. Or am I off-base there? )
You may find this hard to believe but I was just making it up as I went along! It’s very cool that you get that Norse myth-with a twist vibe, I do have Germanic heritage…ha!

For me, trees have always symbolized life and family. Growing up, my own family was big into genealogy, which is often represented with a tree, the branches stretching out into each family line. I often imagined the roots as nourishing and nurturing, tethering us to our ancestors who watch over us and support us. I think it was because of this sense of family and ancestry that I chose the tree as the home of my portals and the family as guardians.

I love how even the baby gets in on the action (at least to a degree). Is this a reaction on your part to the way that younger siblings/parents are frequently pushed to the side for stories with this age group—or was it more of a “it just seemed fun” kind of thing?
It does seem like parents and siblings are often forgotten about or mentioned only briefly, but I’m always looking for things to be resolved. Who’s watching the baby? Where are the parents? For my story, I wanted there to be a feeling of family. Even though the family is struggling emotionally with a loss and the boys are having difficulty getting along, I tried to show them as being together and being there for each other—even the baby, who provides a source of joy for them in a time of sorrow and transition.

Who are some of the bigger influences you have in your writing—whether or not readers can see them, you know they’re there?
One Christmas (back in my teen years) I received a hardback copy of The Belgariad (books 1-3) by David Eddings. I couldn’t put it down and, consequently, was very sleep deprived that December. I became hooked on epic fantasy and soon discovered Robert Jordan— who introduced me to Trollocs (eek) and the one power, and R.A. Salvator—whose character Drizzit Do’Urden captured my heart in his Dark Elf Trilogy. Later in life, after I became a mother, I found Brandon Mull and Tyler Whitesides who inspired me to write a fantasy book for the younger generation of readers, one I would love for my own kids to experience.

How’s the reception to Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo been? What kind of surprises have you encountered?
it’s been an interesting year for sure. When I started writing, I hoped that I would be brave enough to put it out into the world but was never sure it would happen. When I finally took the leap, it was both exhilarating and terrifying. I’m surprised every time someone has something nice to say about it. The little girl who stopped by my table to tell me about her favorite parts in the book, the lady who shouted across the room as she entered, “I came just to see you!”, and the young man who asked me (very politely) to “hurry up and finish book two” …those where huge surprises. I’ll always have those memories to build me up through life and I’m grateful to have met all of those people.

I’ve had my moments where my anxiety gets the better of me, but my growth has been a surprise too. Every time I’m able to attend a book event and talk to strangers about fart powers is a good day. My hope is that by sharing my anxiety struggles I will be an example of pushing through, working to overcome, and allowing myself to be vulnerable— especially to my sons.

How’s the process in working on your second book compared to the first?
Wow, what a different experience! This is my first “second book” and it’s been interesting to see how I respond to challenges as I write it. I can’t just go back and change the first book to match where my imagination wants to go, so there’s a lot of compromising going on in my brain. Lots of ideas in the save for later pile but also lots of new ideas competing for attention. I’m enjoying the creativity and challenge of it.

It’s also very surreal. I wrote a book. I’m writing a second book. How’s that for dreams coming true!

What’s next for Amy Maren Rice, author?
I find that if I imagine too far ahead, I don’t finish what I’m currently working on. I see all the sparkly things and want to explore them all and can become blind to the carnage of forgotten ideas and projects left in my path. I do know that this will be a six-book series, which I’m looking forward to writing, and currently I’m just basking in the glow of having done something way out of my comfort zone and not perished.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo—I’m eager to see what’s next for this family.

A Few Quick Questions

Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo by Amy Maren Rice: A Silly (and Odorous) MG Adventure Sure to Please

By HCNewton

On December 5, 2023

In Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Locals, YA/MG/Children's Books

I’ve got a Q&A with the author, Amy Maren Rice, coming up this afternoon, come back and give it a read, will you?

Fuzzwiggs:
The Switcheroo

by Amy Maren Rice

DETAILS:
Series: Fuzzwigs, #1
Publisher: Covenant Books
Publication Date: July 14, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 294 pg.
Read Date: August 31-September 2, 2023

A Brief Introduction/Disclaimer

When I type (and when I read), I always insert an “i” between the “z”s and the “w”. I don’t know why, it just got into the back of my head that way. I believe I caught them all in proofreading, but I may not have.

Apologies in advance. Also, next time she comes up with a race of extra-dimensional characters, I hope Rice consults with me about the vowels she should use.

…the bowl shifted.

Slowly the crimson crockery began to rise. Twig like fingers curled around the edge. A pair of furry arms followed and then came two frightened golden eyes that blinked rapidly at them. A triangular face with a soft puppylike nose was next. It twitched as a strand of pasta slid off it to the floor. Oversized tufted ears slowly unfolded as the creature spoke…

“Please, we are needing your help.” It repeated, its eyes large and pleading like a puppy begging for a treat.

Jasper rubbed his own eyes in disbelief. “W-w-w…” he stuttered. He licked his lips he tried again. “What are you?”

“We are being the Fuzzwiggs,” the creature replied.

“Whose [sic] ‘we’ and what are, uh, those?” Milo asked, brushing the lettuce from his hair.

The animal made a gesture with his long fingers and several other big-eyed furry creatures shuffled forward, filling the room. They came from behind doors and under furniture. One was even inside a kitchen cabinet. Their rabbit like feet stepped carefully around the food-splattered floor…

What’s Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo About?

I’ll try to keep this brief…but no promises.

When we meet them, Jasper (12) and his brother, Milo (10), are moving to a new home. Their father died in a plane crash, and their mother can’t support the family as things are. So they, their mother (Emily) and baby brother (Wyatt) are going to live in tiny little town in Idaho to live with their grandfather and aunt. The brothers really don’t know their family well, but the house their father grew up in is large enough for them and the change will be good for the family (or so Emily hopes).

When they arrive, no one is home. They didn’t expect their grandfather to be there—he travels a lot and doesn’t do a great job of keeping the family updated on his location. But their Aunt Delilah should’ve been there. In her place is a note welcoming them to the house, telling them to choose their own rooms, make themselves comfortable, and to do a few specific things—follow some rules and do some chores. Some of the chores and rules are odd, but whatever.

The house is large and wonderful—the boys really want to go exploring some of the strangeness, but their mother makes them focus on unpacking and whatnot. Perhaps the strangest thing about the house is that there is a large, old tree in the center of it—words like “mega” and “ancient” are used by the boys to describe it. Their dad used to joke about being raised in a tree house. Now they get it. Sort of.

What the family is going to learn, is that the Great Tree is a vitally important object beyond their comprehension. It’s guarded (in part) by some strange and magical creatures called the Fuzzwigs. The odd thing about these creatures (well, one of the odd things) is that their magic comes from their flatulence.

But before they learn that, as is expected in stories where people are given oddly specific instructions and warnings—Emily and the kids don’t really heed them as they should. The consequences of that are going to bring a lot of trouble—and the Fuzzwigs—into their lives.

Fuzzwiggs

This is going to be the crux of the book for (at least) most readers—what do you think of these creatures? Even the Middle-Grade readers of this book are going to be familiar with a lot of the things in the novel—the bickering brothers, the family tragedy that makes them move, the mysterious extended family members they have to rely on, the strange thing in the new house that comes with a lot of rules, etc. And sure, silly intelligent (or at least sentient and capable of communication) creatures will be familiar, too—but the Fuzzwiggs are what’s going to draw the attention and keep it or lose it.

For this reader, they kept it. It helps once you get to the point you can see beyond the obvious comedy and get to something deeper (not much deeper, it’s not that kind of book)—I don’t know how much the target audience will respond to that, probably more than I reflexively give them credit for. Also, this will be easier to talk about when we get to Book 2 in the series and I can talk about some of these deeper ideas without spoiling things.

I think the easiest comparison I can make to help one of my readers to understand the Fuzzwiggs is the lemurs from Madagascar movies and the spin-off movies/show. They have a similar kind of manic energy and attitudes. As I make that comparison, I realize that the humor that comes from them reminds me of DreamWorks Animation movies in general.

We might as well segue to:

The Humor

Yes, it’s largely juvenile. So what? The book is directed at people who are juveniles. Can adults appreciate it? Yes, but only if they are willing to find humor in bodily functions and whatnot.

I think of it similarly to that line of C.S. Lewis’ about Fairy Tales, about one day being old enough to start reading them again. Or, “When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” Human bodies are silly things that can make gross noises—at a certain age, we pretend it’s not amusing, and at a more advanced age we can chuckle at it again. Sure, I might not find the sounds and this book as amusing as a ten-year-old will…but I’m okay with that. Actually, I’m a little jealous.

So, to get back to the DreamWorks Animation idea—if Shrek and its counterparts are too juvenile for you—skip this book. And give it to someone who will enjoy the humor.

There is one character in particular I’d love to talk about on the comedy front, but it would spoil too much. Let’s just say that there’s a Hollywood hopeful in these pages that deserves a spin-off novella.

So, what did I think about Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo?

I really enjoyed the way that the whole family got involved—at least in some way—with the story. It’d have been very easy for Rice to focus on Jasper and Milo—or the boys and their aunt. But Rice got their baby brother rather involved in the story to great effect—Wyatt’s antics elicit some good chuckles and also brought some sweetness into things. I also appreciated the way their Mom was handled—we get a little from Emily’s perspective, we understand how everything we see here is difficult for her and yet she knows it’s best, and so on. And then she’s largely sidelined because this is a MG book and it’s a rule. Or, to put it less cynically, otherwise, the boys couldn’t get into adventures. But it’s a comical sidelining that Rice used well.

The adventure story itself is exactly what you want in this kind of story—there’s a great trek through the wilderness, hazards from within and without, some villains that really don’t realize what they’ve gotten themselves into (they’re both rotten and comical, a great combination for this kind of book), and some great battles (or scenes that are battle-ish and I don’t know how else to characterize them) and some nice story resolutions with hidden life lessons in them. It’s a good balance between comedy and adventure that I’d imagine would appeal to a broad range of middle-grade readers.

I had a few quibbles with the book and feel like I should mention them. There’s a museum in town that was established before Lewis and Clark stumbled through the area. I assume that was an editorial slip, or there’s going to be a great explanation eventually given for that. I do wonder if some of the descriptions of the magic/abilities of some of the creatures could’ve been explained a little better. Some (all?) of the scenes that cut away to things not directly involving the main events of this book were really hard to follow, yes, they’re establishing the world for this series and setting up future books. But I think a little more finesse would’ve helped a lot here. Neither of these are fatal flaws, and I anticipate that Rice will do this kind of thing better as she writes more. But they dampen my enthusiasm a bit.

Just a bit, though. I had a ball with this book and I think my readers would enjoy it—and the kids in their lives would enjoy it even more. I’m eager to see where Rice takes this series and I really want to see the scenes that follow the Epilogue. I imagine most readers will be with me there.

Pick this up—I think you’ll be happy you did.

3.5 Stars

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