Interview with authors from Beware the LIttle White Rabbit Anthology

Today, two of the thirteen wonderful authors of the new anthology from Leap Books, BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT, have been kind enough to stop by for an interview! This is a delightful anthology in celebration of the 150 anniversary of Alice in Wonderland - and after reading through this in one sitting (yep, it's one I couldn't put down), I can only recommend all those of you who've wanted to slide down the rabbit hole yourself. (You can see my review over on Bookworm for Kids).

But before I dive into the questions, here's a glimpse at the book (and a fun short trailer is at the end too)

Curiosity often leads to trouble...

Thirteen powerful voices in young adult fiction invite you to journey into startling new Wonderlands in this nod to the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s timeless character, ALICE. 

Mystery. Madness. Mayhem. Each story in this collection will intrigue, bewitch, and enchant. Through rich historicals, castles and keeps, wild wormholes, secret workshops, deadly plagues, and gritty urban explorations, we present new tales of Alice and her white rabbit. 

Whether an intrepid reporter, a would-be car thief, or the last human in a world ruled by machines, at the heart of each story Alice is a girl discovering who she really is in worlds that never fail to surprise.

What wonders await, oh curious reader? Leap down the rabbit hole and discover the truth...


Available at:    ITunes / AMAZON / Smashwords


And here are two of the fantastic authors. C. Lee McKenzie and Jackie Horsfall!


First, I have to tell both of you how much I loved reading your stories! Although they share the same Alice, rabbit and hole, they are so different. Can you tell us a little about your story in Beware the Little White Rabbit?

McKenzie - I knew the Chinese myth about the rabbit and the goddess on the moon, and I put that together with a modern story of an adopted Chinese girl longing for her home. I guess this is an example of how my travel influences my writing. When I was in China I met several couples who were there to adopt orphaned girls, and this must have stuck with me. When I was invited to submit to Leap Book’s anthology, these two elements fused, and I wrote “They Call Me Alice”

Horsfall -  My story “Rabbit Fever” is set during the Great Plague of London (1665), the last major outbreak of plague in England. In a fever dream, the Queen and White Rabbit teach Alice how plague is transmitted, and Alice brings this information back to the world of the living. It’s a classic near-death experience and “hero’s journey.”



What did you think of Alice in Wonderland the first time you read it?

McKenzie - I loved it! I must have been seven. And since that first reading, I think I’ve read it a dozen times because whenever one of the kids in my family asked me read to them, I pulled out my copy of Alice. In fact, I was thrilled when I found a 1941 edition of both Alice In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass with some lovely black and white illustrations by John Tennile. I’ve posted some of those on my Pinterest page in the Pin Beware the Little White Rabbit.

Horsfall - When I first read AIW, I loved how sassy and bold she was, always speaking her mind. I’ve incorporated that sassiness into my story.



What advice would you give to young adults that want to be a writer “when they grow up”?

McKenzie - I just visited a high school this month and was asked this same question. I suggested they read tons of what they enjoyed most, then write a journal of their life experiences—some said they already did. I left them with the same advice I’ve heard forever, “Just write.”


And now for my personal favorite questions - the quick fire! Ready, set, go!

Favorite classic book - Horsfall - The Three Musketeers!

Favorite authors - McKenzie - I’ll restrict my choices to YA and say Rosoff and Stiefvater. . .

What you dream of writing - Horsfall - a rock opera

Favorite Easter candy - McKenzie - Peeps. I know, they’re the worst possible things to put into your stomach, but I allow myself this indulgence once a year. Do you know they dance if you put them in microwave?

No, I didn't know this tidbit about Peeps. . .and I bet the bunny shaped ones do something similar. Guess what I'm going to be doing tonight!


Thanks for stopping by!

And here's that fantastic trailer I spoke of earlier. . .