This week YA Author Janet Key took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Janet Key is the author of Twelfth (See YEM’s interview of Janet Key here.) See highlights from the takeover below.
Hi there! I’m Janet Key, author of the new middle grade novel TWELFTH and here for #YAauthorTakeover! I’ve actually never tweeted before…so this might be more entertaining than expected!
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I’m going to tell you a little bit about me, the book TWELFTH, and my firsts, but feel free to hit me up with questions and I'll try to answer as we go! #YAauthortakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
TWELFTH is a mystery set at a theatre camp – there’s a diamond ring hidden somewhere on the grounds; campers, a ghost, and an evil corporation trying to find it; and clues buried in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (…see where I got the name?) https://t.co/gL7HCNnmce
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
This book was inspired by my childhood growing up a complete and total theatre nerd! I absolutely loved everything about the theatre – singing, dancing, even Shakespeare – and I drew on it all for TWELFTH, though I really don't remember the first play I saw…#YAauthortakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Looking back, perhaps the funniest part of community theatre is how they often have more actors than parts…so kids end up playing inanimate objects. Please enjoy this picture of me (in there somewhere) as a villainous poppy in the Wizard of Oz. #YAauthortakeover pic.twitter.com/IZsi7YeVyJ
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Were you a #theaterkid? Would love to see your worst part pictures! #YAauthortakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I went to Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts @HSPVA as a theatre major, but it's also where I got serious about writing after taking a playwriting class — as much as I love the stage, I wanted to create stories instead of portray them. #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
It’s worth adding: I did a report on Charlotte Cushman, one of the inspirations for a character in TWELFTH, for a 9th grade assignment. So aspiring writers, always pay attention! You never know where you’re going to use what you learn! https://t.co/Q6iO9IfyO1#YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I studied fiction in college and for my MFA, but my writing path has ended up being wilder than I could have imagined. It includes a few books being rejected (4…or 5?), but I'm a big believer that if writing is what you love, you can't give up. #YAauthorTakeover
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I didn’t plan on writing MG, but I can truly say I would have loved to read TWELFTH when I was a kid. This is my first published book and I’m so excited to share it with you! Here are some pics that show bits of the process from early drafting to end result #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/Rms3seiKyt
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
This is also probably a good moment to add that if you are a HSMTMTS fan and can’t wait for July, reading TWELFTH will help you pass the time… #HSMTMTS #YAauthorTakeover pic.twitter.com/BTbXlpO3IK
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Any summer campers out there? Pretty sure TWELFTH counts as a ghost story, so feel free to read s'more! #YAauthortakeover#twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Let’s talk about some other firsts! First movie: the first one I remember seeing in the theater was The Lion King. With the villainous uncle and indecisive prince, it's basically "Big Cat Hamlet." #YAauthorTakeover#twelfthbook pic.twitter.com/vsAE4BlY6E
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
First movies: I also loved Sound of Music and would go around singing my thoughts the rest of the day, and I’m still teased at home for thinking The Jungle Book was called ⚡️Thunder Butt ⚡️(said with a dramatic, thundery voice) #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
First TV show I loved was Reading Rainbow — @levarburton is an absolute legend#YAauthorTakeover #Twelfthbook pic.twitter.com/nJ7eBWZeRP
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
First *adult* TV show I remember my parents letting me watch and loving was The Pretender — a brilliant show about an escaped boy genius, the evil corporation trying to capture him, and trying to use brains to save the world #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
First beloved MG book: probably A Wrinkle In Time. Gotta love the power of three angry witches and one angry girl. Here is my very 90s cover…#YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook #awrinkleintime #middlegradebooks pic.twitter.com/ZM3P8Nm1At
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I also loved and studied Louis Sachar's Holes like a textbook when I was writing TWELFTH, trying to figure out how to write past and present storylines together…but I also wanted my past story to have a happy ending (spoilers!) #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook pic.twitter.com/CFiSgaDQrE
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
MG books: I would add The Chronicles of Narnia, but I’ve never forgiven those books for Susan… still, there are some fun Narnia/Twelfth Night crossover posters about "greatness" out there, if you want to check them out 👀 #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
First music: the first CD I bought with my own, saved-up pocket money was Ace of Base …oh no, do MG readers even know what a CD is?? #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook #middlegradebooks
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I also remember listening to my parents' copy of Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits on repeat. What can I say, the rhythm did get me…😉#YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
And even though it wasn’t a first, I wouldn’t be true to my 90s childhood without acknowledging The Spice Girls — don’t mess with a generation of women who grew up fully in their girl power, y’all! #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook #girlpower pic.twitter.com/uKtaRrcz5u
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Speaking of #girlpower: I made a point to pull some queer and feminist icons into TWELFTH and want to take a moment to highlight some facts in the fiction #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Dorothy Arzner was the only woman director in Hollywood for most of the 30s. I have a scene in TWELFTH set during the filming of her amazing movie Dance, Girl, Dance #YAauthorTakeover #Twelfthbookhttps://t.co/g7aFOq6qqk
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Helen Gahagan Douglas was a politician who lost the 1950s senate race to Richard Nixon after he used a smear campaign, falsely labeling her a communist. History has a way of repeating itself…#YAauthortakeover #twelfthbook #middlegradebookshttps://t.co/GaM472hwaB
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
I've been researching Helen Gahagan Douglas for a few years now and plan on writing something about her — stay tuned! #YAauthortakeover #twelfthbook pic.twitter.com/ZjBwzQifoA
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Today is the last day of pride month and there is a lot about gender diversity in TWELFTH — Dr. Jennifer Feldman is a modern-day icon and gender health specialist, check out my interview with her in the back of the book! #YAauthorTakeover #Twelfthbook #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/sk0pNPu1NU
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Enough about me, let’s talk about some other 2022 MG books I've loved! First up (in the order I read them) is The Mirrorwood by @devafagan — it’s one of those fairy tales that feels classic and brand new at the same time, you have to check it out! #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook pic.twitter.com/HxxorvDDQw
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Another 2022 MG releases I loved: @brownbookworm Dhonielle Clayton’s The Marvellers. If you love magical worlds and want them to look more like our world as far as representation goes, this is a book for you! 🪄#YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Quick a shout out to OwlCrateJr while I’m here — I was introduced to many great MG books through their fabulous subscription book box! #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbookhttps://t.co/gzuKn6HmLC
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
And, OK, OwlCrateJr made an excellent pick for June, too… their TWELFTH special edition jacket is yellow to go with the purple on the original book jacket, both in homage to the nonbinary flag#YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
And my favorite MG book of 2022 so far: SHINE ON, LUZ VÉLIZ! by Rebecca Balcárcel @r_balcarcel! I adore Luz and loved meeting her shiny author, you have to buy this book! #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
The next MG book on my TBR list: The Last Mapmaker by Christian Soontornvat @soontornvat! I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book, I can’t wait to check it out! https://t.co/zF2F0ZNOle#YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
Any MG or YA books recs for me before I sign off?#YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
That's it for me! Thanks YE for sharing your twitter account, and thanks to you out there for reading!🥰If you want to keep up with me in the future, you can find me on Instagram @janetkeybooks and my website https://t.co/DwnaF8496M #YAauthorTakeover #twelfthbook
— Young Entertainment Magazine (@YoungEntmag) June 30, 2022
