Tag: Kay-9 The Robot Dog

A Few Quick Questions With…J.M. Gulmire

Back in September (about the time I should have been sending him my part of this Q&A), J.M. Gulmire stopped by with a Guest Post, “Shaping Smiles with Kay-9 The Robot Dog,” giving a little BTS about the book I posted about this morning. Last week, I finally got around to sending the questions that have been rattling around in my brain since then–and he was gracious enough to get the answers back right away, so I can talk about this charming book a little bit and bring you this post. I hope you enjoy.


Why don’t you take a moment to introduce yourself to the readers, and tell us about your path to publication?
Sure sure. Well, I’ve been a storyteller for about 300 years now, it feels like. About a dozen years ago I started querying agents. I submitted mountains of work as I kept writing during this period, and got some great responses praising my work but no takers. I usually received comments about how great my stories are but that they’re not what agents are looking for.

I fell in the “too different” category. That tends to happen when you live with elves and have conversations with your dog.

So last year, the elves and my dog demanded to read my books in book format and that drove me to test out self-publishing.

My first title, “A Vacuum for my Birthday” hit #1 in its genre on amazon and since then I’ve released two other books that have all become Amazon bestsellers.

In addition to writing, your other big artistic endeavor is claymation. What kinds of things have you learned from claymation that have helped your writing—and vice versa?
I love swimming in clay. When I decided to self-publish a little birdie told me that marketing is super tough and that I’d have to do something different so I decided to practice making shorts so I could create my own book trailers. I grew up on Will Vinton and always had a strange obsession with claymation and stop motion work.

Claymation is super tough. The elves lent me some play-doh and I started writing scripts. Script writing helps get right to the action. It keeps things moving and filming reminds writers that timing matters. Thankfully I’m now actually working with clay, which doesn’t dry out as fast!

On the opposite end, writing has helped me realize my characters and bring them to life onscreen. The shorts I created for my “Kay-9 the Robot Dog” trailer were so fun to make, even when the clay took on a mind of its own.

So every book I’ve read for the MG audience about a kid who creates a robot/super-computer/etc. focuses on the end result—and the creation (or most of it) happens “off screen” or in the literary equivalent of a montage. But you don’t take that approach—the book is almost all about the creation-stage. Was that a conscious choice on your part to depart from the norm, or was that just the way it came about?
That was a pure choice. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

One of my elves asked me to get them a robot dog book, but I couldn’t find one. Worst of all, most of the robot books were all about the robot’s experiences instead of its creation.

I was overly aware of this while writing “Kay-9.” Thankfully the subject was so fun and my dog offered a few suggestions because I love finding untold stories. That old saying, “every story has already been told” or something like that was created to be proven wrong. I think Mark Twain or some old timey author started that rumor just so people would work harder to make something new.

There’s a recurring theme (at least I think there was) about what makes a good parent running throughout the book. Frequently it’s Ryan’s mother telling/reminding him something like “I’m your mom, of course I’m going to ____.” Was that something you set out to layer in or did it just come up organically and you decided to run with it?
I’m so glad that came through. Yes. Raising a house full of elves and critters, I know how often little ones need to be reminded that they are supported by their family, especially their parents.

I also hoped that the children who read “Kay-9” would feel more connected to their parents through Ryan’s relationship with his mom, and how important his connection with his dad was even though he was gone.

What was the part what was the biggest surprise about the process of writing Kay-9? Either, “I can’t believe X is so easy!” or “If I had known Y was going to be so hard, I’d have skipped this and watched more TV”?
I found myself spellbound at how desperately the book seemed to want to be written. I would sit down and write and it poured out so well and so fast that I had to slow down and stretch my fingers to keep from losing my head. I didn’t want to rush it but knew that I was on to something.

This is typically where I ask about what’s next for an author, but your next is already here—tell us a little about Monster Camping Trip.
Yay. Thank you! “Monster Camping Trip” is my third best selling Amazon new release.

This one didn’t exactly know what it wanted to be called. The original title was, “Too Many Kids” because it’s about the ups and downs of being part of a big family, but it’s also about how families support each other even if they’re a little crazy at times.

This one sets Ava on a search for a mysterious cryptid that lives in Wisconsin. She learns about the legend of the hodag and ends up going on an adventure with her twin brother in search of it on their family camping trip.

And there’s no end to writing with me. I plan to release my fourth book, “Keku’s Mission,” in September. It’s my Lord of the Rings, but with all animals and a lot less wandering through the forest because the animals are small and can’t go as far. Imagine Frodo as a girl toad who is on a mission to find a plant that will heal her friend who is sick.

All of my books are about overcoming the odds and the importance of supporting others and being supported. They all have jokes and silly situations in them as well, because I don’t like cough medicine but laughter (and pineapple juice) are the best cure for everything.

Thanks for your time and participation! Thanks also for introducing me to Ryan and his friends/neighbors!
THANK YOU so much!! I love writing and am always happy to spend time giving my manuscripts time to cool off. LOL


Readers, go check out all of Gulmire’s books at Amazon!
A Few Quick Questions

Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire: The Name Says it All

Be sure to come back later this morning for a Q&A with the Author.


Kay-9 The Robot Dog Kay-9 The Robot Dog

by J.M. Gulmire

DETAILS:
Publication Date: September 2, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 160 pg.
Read Date: September 16, 2023

What’s Kay-9 The Robot Dog About?

Ryan is having a rough time. His dad is overseas with the military—and Zoom calls just aren’t cutting it (actually, they may be making it worse). His mom’s allergies prevent them from getting a pet—and all Ryan really wants in the world is a dog.

So, he gets the idea of making one. Not in a bio-chem laboratory or editing genes to create a truly hypo-allergenic canine or something. But a robotic dog. His friend/neighbor Marcus helps out when he can—and Marcus’ little sister, Mariah, pushes her way into the project, too (and actually has some good ideas and contributions).

It’s not long before Ryan has moved beyond making a toy—between experimentation, online research, spare computer parts, and a little luck—he’s on his way to creating a real artificial pet.

Gulmire Zags Where Others Zig

It was in the 1980s that I first discovered stories where a kid/young person created computers, robots, androids, or spacecraft far beyond the capabilities of most professional computer engineers/corporate entities.* And while I rarely seek those out, I keep stumbling across them in various media to this day. I typically enjoy them—and have little trouble disengaging my disbelief for them, too.

* True, it was in the 1980s that I discovered pretty much everything, but that’s beside the point.

On the surface, Kay-9 The Robot Dog is one of a long line of those stories. But there’s something different about Gulmire’s approach to the creation of the Robot. Typically, most of the creation-stage happens off-screen (with maybe some comedic moments of trying it out in real life). But not here, the focus of this novel is on the creation. Trial and error. Going back to the drawing board. Thinking of a new feature and figuring out how to add it. Learning about processes necessary to get from Point A to Point B—and then beyond.

Sometimes, Ryan has to ask for help—and typically, that’s just a nudge in the right direction for research, not someone telling him what to do. The book could be titled “How to Build Your Dog” or something like that—it’s that focused on the process. I was perfectly fine with the “oh, I’ve seen this before” feeling—Gulmire was doing a good job with the usual pattern—but then when it became clear that he was taking the road less traveled, I became strongly invested.

Parenting

One of the big questions that every Middle Grade author has to deal with is “What do I do about the parents?” Often, they’re written out of the book somehow—the protagonist is at camp, or boarding school, lost in the woods, or whatever. Maybe they’re so busy at work that the protagonist rarely sees them (but generally in that case there’s some other authority figure to contend with). Sometimes, they’re written as witless or befuddled people who have to be avoided (which isn’t difficult), or they’re overbearing to one degree or another.

Ryan’s mom, however, is just a good mom. She’s involved, she makes sure he eats reasonably well, does his homework, and whatnot. They can enjoy a little back-and-forth in their conversation, but at the end of the day, she’s his mother, and he will act accordingly. She’s supportive and understanding of Ryan’s desire to have a dog, his difficulty without his father around, and then for his Kay-9 project. She’s his biggest cheerleader—but she makes sure to communicate the limits she’ll tolerate.

Marco and Mariah’s mom is also a great example of what a mom should be. The two of them together could be the focus of a TLC reality show.

So, what did I think about Kay-9 The Robot Dog ?

There’s this strong theme of a community supporting Ryan, running throughout this—and it only builds as the novel goes on. It’s understated, for the most part, but it’s there—and it generates more heart-warming energy than it should for the space it takes. I really appreciated that.

I also really appreciated the way that Gulmire addressed Ryan’s dad being overseas with the military and the stress it puts on everyone in the family. Like with so many of the things he succeeds with in this book, the depiction is strong and relatable. He never dips the toe into a “very special episode” kind of feel. But we see Ryan struggle with it, we see his mom struggle, too (we can imagine Dad’s struggle, but it’s not something the reader gets first-hand). Most importantly, this was dealt with honestly and compassionately.

This is a quick, light read (particularly for those not in the intended 7-12 year old audience). It’s full of joy and heart, with some good (and subtly delivered) life lessons. It’s a celebration of imagination, grit, and experimentation—all things we need more of. It’s also a tribute to the power of a kid-sister (your own or your friend’s) in getting things done. Best of all, it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Check it out—or at least help the kid in your life give it a peek.


3 Stars

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GUEST POST: Shaping Smiles with Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire

I recently shared a Spotlight for J.M. Gulmire’s MG novel Kay-9 The Robot Dog. Gulmire was kind enough to send along this guest post about the creation of the book. I’ll have more to say about the book soon, but for now, let’s whet our appetite with this bit of behind-the-scenes.


Shaping Smiles with Kay-9 The Robot Dog

Writing is magic. Reading is all about discovering that magic, but getting the words out is quite an adventure.

I learned this after 12 years of writing and submitting work. I played the agent querying game so often you’d think I’d have at least earned some kind of annoyance award. And I have to admit, my first children’s chapter book was a bit off the rails.

I mean how many kids are dying to read about getting A Vacuum for my Birthday?!

But I live with a house full of elves and they wanted to laugh. They like the outlandish and absurd. I’m quite fond of it too so I just kept writing.

Then one day, my favorite impish little elf asked me to write a story about a robot dog. I’d never heard of a story like that so I was all about it. I love dogs and writing, but I didn’t know much about robots, so we started playing with some kits and instead of just writing a story however the words came I sat down and sprinkled some fairy dust on my manuscript.

This helped me to list out what I wanted to happen and how the characters would come to life. I had no idea that an outline could be so shiny, but once it was done I couldn’t stop writing.

I began the story right away and suddenly something amazing happened. No more plot holes, no more hang ups. Everything came together as I sat down at the same time every day. I wanted to let my characters speak for themselves so I talked to them like I would anyone else and their voices called to me from the page.

Before I knew it my elves were reading and laughing at Kay-9 The Robot Dog. We had so much fun that I queried all the agents and papered the indie publishing world with submissions. I’m happy to say that the story got a lot of love. Despite this, the gatekeepers stood over me shaking their heads.

My book was too different, they said.

How could this be? Kids like the weird, the new, the exciting. I knew my story was alive and wagging its tail, just waiting to be loved.

It made me sad to know that so many great books are forgotten before they have a chance to be read, all because someone said, “No.”

I fell into a mystical sleep for a few years, waiting for this awful spell to wear off. Thankfully, when I came to and rubbed my eyes the elves were waiting for me. They patted my back and handed me my book and said, “Make it yourself!”

So that’s what I did.

Kay-9 not only came to life on Sept. 5 this year, the world of claymation sucked me in so I could create fun cartoon shorts to go along with the story. I didn’t need to fly around the world. All I wanted was to make someone smile and maybe start some laughter.

And that’s just what happened. My silly story, Kay-9 The Robot Dog hit #1 in its genre on Amazon and the clay keeps dancing.

Books are silly like that. They live in us every day. We just have to do what we can to properly shape them and share them with other booklovers.

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire

I’m very pleased to bring you this spotlight for J.M. Gulmire’s book for younger readers, Kay-9 The Robot Dog this morning. It was just released Tuesday, and I’m looking forward to getting to dive into it soon.

Book Details:

Book Title: Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire
Release date: September 5, 2023
Format: Paperback, ebook
Length: 154 pages
Kay-9 The Robot Dog Cover

About the Book

Ryan is lonely. He’s an only child and his dad is away serving in the military. He can’t have pets and all he wants is a dog. So he decides to make one. He loves computers and building things, but everyone thinks he’s just playing around, making a toy. He focuses on creating the best Kay-9 he can but can he prove that his robot dog isn’t just a toy?

Book Trailer

Purchase Link

Amazon

About the Author

J.M. is a kid at heart and private educator with a house full of critters and elves. Also a screenwriter and claymation animator, Gulmire loves inspiring laughs and is the author of “A Vacuum for My Birthday.”

Social Media

YouTube ~ Goodreads

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