3 BYU authors talk about writing middle-grade books, raising families, and their faith.
0:00- Celesta Rimington, The Elephant’s Girl
2:14- Stories as friends, magical realism, and becoming a writer
17:09- Ending questions
22:53- Arianne Costner, My Life as a Potato
26:05- About Arianne
39:23- Ending questions
44:11- Sarah Allen, What Stars are Made Of
48:13- Family history (7 generations), writing as career, and Turner Syndrome
59:54- Ending questions
Celesta Rimington has lived in nearly every region of the United States, and while she can’t converse with the wind like the character in her book, she’s had several close encounters with tornadoes. Celesta is a musical theater performer, an elephant advocate, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. As a teenager, she worked in a Nebraska zoo, which inspired the setting for her middle grade novel The Elephant’s Girl. Celesta lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and two children where they have a miniature railroad with a rideable steam train.
Arianne Costner lives in the middle of the desert with her husband and three children. She is a former English teacher who believes that writers should crack up at their own jokes. When she isn’t writing, she can be found playing the piano and composing music. Her favorite kind of potato is the tater tot, with mashed potatoes coming in close second—as long as they’re not gluey.
Sarah Allen grew up in Utah and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest. Like Libby in WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF, she was born with Turner syndrome. She has an MFA from Brigham Young University, and in her spare time can be found writing poetry and watching David Attenborough documentaries or Pixar movies. She is a hardcore fan of golden retrievers, leather jackets, and Colin Firth.
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