All About Middle Grade Interview: Mary G. Thompson (Author of Evil Fairies Love Hair)

I am very excited to welcome Mary G. Thompson back to the blog to discuss her latest book Evil Fairies Love Hair, which is hilarious and a must read. Want to catch up on her previous book Escape from the Pipe Men then be sure to check out her interview from last year.

About the Author:

Credit: John Thompson

Mary G. Thompson was born and raised in Cottage Grove and Eugene, Oregon. She was a practicing attorney for more than seven years, including almost five years in the U.S. Navy, before she moved to New York City to write full time. This is her third novel. Visit her website at marygthompson.com.

You can haunt Mary G. Thompson at-
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1. In five words, tell us about Evil Fairies Love Hair.

Grow fairies, get your wish.

2. Now this questions has been on my mind since I read Evil Fairies Love Hair...why did they love hair and why did you choose that as their 'punishment' for trying to change their role?

The fairies love hair because hair is silly. It's very easy to make somebody look ridiculous just by messing up their hair. Wigs are silly. We have silly ideas about hair, such as that it's beautiful on someone's head and gross when it falls off. We care way too much about it. There are many myths about hair having special power. The hair eating is an unexpected consequence of the fairies being greedy and trying to get too much from their spell. In this world, there are consequences for being greedy. I don't know if it's punishment so much as a natural consequence.

3. Mary, what is your personal favorite line that Ali uses in the book?

I like the part where the fairies have succeeded in taking over the parents' bodies, and Ali tries to convince a fairy named Bleachie that she doesn't really want to be an adult. She tells her "but if you stay in Mrs. Winthrop's body, you'll have to work every day." Poor Bleachie has made the mistake of taking over the body of a parent whose kids are in college, but she doesn't want to work. All she wants to do is have birthday parties and eat candy. The fairies think that's what being human is all about!

4. What was the easiest and hardest parts of the book to write? Can you share with us a two sentence teaser from your favorite chapter?

The opening chapter is always the easiest for me.That's the point when the idea is fresh and anything could happen. It's hard to say whether the middle or the end is harder. They each have their own challenges.

For some reason my favorite part of the book are the chapters with a relatively minor character, Jared, who is the victim of a hex. Of course, you can only hex someone who deserves it, so the fairies present him with a long list of offenses, including "pollywogs in sister's soup" and "bra snapping." These lines show up while Jared is fuming about it at the end of Chapter 22: "He wasn't the one who went around hexing people. What had he ever done to anyone? All they had were a bunch of lies, misstatements, and insinuations. Besides, if he had known what was going to happen, he might not have done any of it."

5. If you could chat over to tea with any author, dead or living, who would you choose and why?

Roald Dahl. He was a pilot and a spy and a cad.

6. Last book that kept you reading late into the night?

I've been reading a lot of nonfiction lately. I like to read history and popular science and current events.

7. From any, middle grade or young adult, book that you've read character would you befriend in a heartbeat? Why?

Dorothy. She's very sensible.
Mary, thanks so much for stopping, yet again.

Curious about Mary G. Thompson's Evil Fairies Love Hair than be sure to check out my review of her delightfully fun read.

Evil Fairies Love Hair by Mary G. Thompson, August 5, 2014. 320 pages. Published by Clarion Books.

Ali and her middle school classmates are raising flocks of fairies to make their wishes come true. But growing a flock is harder than it sounds: the fairies eat only human hair, and the rules for dealing with them are confusing, misleading, and subject to change. As Ali and her friends struggle to earn their wishes, mistakes are made, spells go awry, and soon Ali is up against hundreds of two-inch-tall imps who have very big plans. Comedy and fantasy intertwine in this lively tale of intrigue, magic, and the power of hair.

Don't forget, you can add Evil Fairies Love Hair to your Goodreads shelves.