"Bog" – The 2015 Crystal Kite Interview with Karen Krossing

In the Canada division, the 2015 Crystal Kite Award goes to "Bog" by SCBWI Canada East member Karen Krossing.

Karen shared that the cover of her Crystal Kite-winning book is by Quebec artist Félix Girard

Author Karen Krossing (photo credit: http://owencaptures.com/)

Lee: Please tell us about your Crystal-Kite winning book!

Karen: In the midnight forests of the north, a cave troll named Bog has spent his young life hunting with his father and avoiding humans whenever possible. When his father is mercilessly turned to stone by the Troll Hunter’s followers, Bog sets out to find the murderers and avenge his father. But with no leads and little knowledge of the human world, Bog knows his journey won’t be easy. Along the way, he meets a huge forest troll named Small and a young human girl named Hannie. Together, they venture deeper into human territory, where they learn of the legendary Nose Stone—a rock rumored to bring a stone troll back to life. Hope fills Bog’s heart, but when he discovers the Troll Hunter is also going after the Nose Stone to destroy it, his quest becomes a race of cunning, trickery, and wits. 

School Library Journal called Bog "an intriguing, fantasy world of deep forests, magic, and friendship." You can listen to an excerpt from Bog here, and view the book trailer here. 

Lee: How long have you been involved with SCBWI, and can you share what you feel you’ve gained by being a member?

Karen: I've been a SCBWI member since 2011, and I've attended conferences in New York and Canada. Membership gives me camaraderie with like-minded creators, industry insights, and ways to improve my craft. If you're a writer or illustrator for children, joining creator organizations like SCBWI is a must. 

Lee: Do you have any advice to share with other children’s book writers and illustrators?

Karen: Child readers are honest. If they don’t like a book, they’ll simply stop reading it. Authors for children must write a compelling first sentence that captures readers’ attention. Then they must entice readers to turn each page until they finish the story, breathless and ready for more. 

Hone your idea before beginning to write. A brilliant premise, deeply developed characters and at least a rough plot are the foundations of great writing. Once you have an exceptional idea, remember that the craft of writing lies in the revision process. I like to get constructive feedback from fellow writers whose opinions I trust. I evaluate their feedback to determine how to polish the work, including rewriting multiple times. 


Thanks, Karen!

I also contacted SCBWI Canada East RA Alma Fullerton to hear more about their region:

Canada East covers half of Canada - From Ontario eastward to maritime provinces. We hold a major conference once a year - our next one being April 29 - May 1, 2016 in Ottawa. We have several different critique groups throughout Canada East and hold monthly Get togethers in three different cities throughout our area - Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. We are always looking for people in other areas who would like volunteer to help organize Get Togethers or critique groups. Canada East is finalizing together last minute details and will be launching our joint mentorship program with SCBWI Florida within the next week. We are also teaming up with CANSCAIP to have a children’s writer’s presence in the upcoming Canadian Writer’s Summit in June 2016 in Toronto. The Canadian Writer’s summit is being organized by 18 Canadian writer’s organizations.

Find out more about Karen at this website.

You can learn more about SCBWI Canada East here.

Congratulations again to Karen on "Bog" winning the 2015 Crystal Kite Award!