Aaron Starmer on the Toe Beast and Family Secrets | S5 EP243: Book Banter
Behind my interview with Aaron Starmer about You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This and the childhood memories its mystery brought back.
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Bleeped words (done to make sure we do not get censored anywhere): murd3r
Hello My Happy People,
I had been looking forward to interviewing Aaron Starmer for months. Naturally, the night finally arrived, and I was exhausted, stressed, and having trouble concentrating. When that happens, my neurological issues become more noticeable. I had also left my questions in a 10-point font, so I could barely see them and kept losing my place.
Luckily, Aaron and I still had a lovely conversation.
Before becoming a full-time author, Aaron worked for a travel bookseller, creating reading lists for people preparing to travel internationally. He described the job as a second education in reading and shared what nonfiction taught him about organizing facts into compelling stories. He later ran the documentation department for an African safari company and went on safari with his wife for their honeymoon. An African photo safari is still on the bucket list for my husband and me, so I was understandably envious.
Our main focus for the interview was Aaron’s latest middle grade novel, You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This. The book follows twelve-year-old Roman, who is sent by himself to organize and catalog everything in his late grandfather’s home. In the attic, he discovers strange objects connected to a family legend known as the Toe Beast.
The book hooked me from the first chapter because Roman’s older brother tells him he was adopted.
My sister is five years older than I am, just like Roman’s brother, and she did the same thing to me. However, she created an entire backstory. According to her, my real name was Sheryl, my real parents were in prison, and our parents had changed my name to hide my identity. She told me the police told my parents that if I ever started telling lies to call them, they would come get me and put me in prison with my real parents. As you might imagine, I was the most honest child you could ever hope to meet.
Reading Aaron’s book made me wonder how many older siblings have used adoption stories to torture their younger brothers and sisters. That immediate connection had me invested in Roman before the real mystery had even begun.
Aaron builds suspense without relying on graphic content. He keeps the story appropriate for his intended readers while revealing just enough to make you keep turning the pages. I understand why parents want to read this book with their children. My girls are now in their mid-twenties, but this is the kind of story I wish I could sit down and read with them.
I also asked Aaron about his novel Spontaneous and what it was like to see it adapted into a movie released in 2020. Given the unfortunate timing, it is understandable that the film may not have had the impact everyone involved hoped for. I was surprised to discover that even with a movie adaptation, Spontaneous has only around two hundred ratings on Amazon. This led to a larger conversation about how difficult it is to turn readers into active online supporters. Even an established, traditionally published author with a film adaptation can struggle to engage their followers enough to leave ratings and reviews.
During the Five Quick Questions, one of my favorite moments was Aaron’s story about the traditional Welsh cookies his mother-in-law makes for the holidays. They sounded so good that I am considering finding a recipe and making them for my neighbors this year. The saddest moment was a revelation about the tidal pools near his family home off the coast of Maine. As the environment changes, so does the sea life he is able to observe.
Before we finished, Aaron gave us a preview of his current young adult work in progress, inspired by real events involving the swans in the town where he grew up. The book is expected sometime next year. I have already invited Aaron back to Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, and I am looking forward to reading it. The story sounds intriguing.
Listen to my full interview with Aaron Starmer and learn more about You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This. Just click the purple microphone below.
Enjoy,
Dianne
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