Maggie Bean, Behind the Scenes

Maggie Bean in Love hits bookstore shelves in ONE MONTH! Here are some fun factoids to help pass the remaining time:

1. Maggie Bean was originally named Lucy Moon. My agent suggested a name change because she knew of another book with another Lucy Moon.

2. The Melting of Maggie Bean started as an assignment in graduate school. The assignment was to write the first 30 pages of a young adult novel, but I had so much fun, I kept going!

3. In earlier drafts of The Melting of Maggie Bean, Maggie was a freshman in high school. My editor asked me to make her younger to fit Aladdin M!X, Simon and Schuster's line for tweens. Which is why, if you happen to have one of the first editions, the cover tag line reads, "It's freshman year—can Maggie withstand the heat?" That error was fixed in subsequent printings.

4. Aimee McDougall, Maggie's best friend, was inspired by another Aimee, who was one of my nearest and dearest friends in middle school.

5. Peter Applewood, Maggie's first crush, was inspired by another Peter, who was a good friend and had the locker next to mine in high school.

6. Both Real-Life Aimee and Real-Life Peter know the very important roles they played in shaping Fictional Aimee and Fictional Peter. This meant finally coming clean to Real-Life Peter about the years-long crush I had on him!

7. Like Maggie, I used to dread the annual mile run in gym class.

8. Unlike Ms. Pinkerton, my gym teachers were actually quite nice.

9. In The Melting of Maggie Bean, Maggie works out to Richard Simmons exercise tapes. Back in high school, I did, too...at least until I discovered Gilad, who wore all black, jogged in place on the beaches of Hawaii, and was generally way cool.

10. Maggie's experience as a junior camp counselor in Maggie Bean Stays Afloat was inspired by my experience as a lifeguard at a local water park.

11. Arnie, Maggie's first true love, loves Guitar Hero. So do I.

12. Ben, Maggie's crush in Maggie Bean Stays Afloat, loves "American Idol" karaoke. So do I.

13. In Maggie Bean Stays Afloat, Maggie goes house-hunting with her mom and little sister, which is something I used to do with my mom and little sister. While Mom talked to realtors, my sister and I raced upstairs and chose our bedrooms. I still remember my favorite house: a blue colonial on Amber Lane.

14. My middle school didn't have a synchronized swim team, but if it had, I totally would've wanted to be on it.

15. In Maggie Bean in Love, Maggie and Arnie go on several romantic dates. My favorite involves corn, scarecrows, and a twisted ankle.

Want to know more about how Maggie came to be? Ask away at triciarayburn@gmail.com!

Monday Maggie Mini!

Here's another peek at what's to come in Maggie Bean in Love!

Maggie would never tell him so, but the more time she spent with Arnie, the more he reminded her of chocolate. It wasn’t just because he was sweet, or that each time she saw him was like being presented with a beautifully wrapped box of Valentine’s Day candy. It was because being near him seemed to make all her problems disappear and her stresses melt away, just like bags of Milky Ways and Snickers used to, not long ago.

And the Winner is (part 2)...

Christina, from Kenmore, New York!

Christina answered question #2:
What's your favorite school subject and why?

Her response:
"My favorite subject is ELA because I love reading and writing!"

A girl after my own heart!

Thank you to all who entered! And CONGRATULATIONS, CHRISTINA!