Author Natalie Lloyd

Natalie Lloyd is one of the friendliest and funniest people you'll ever meet. She dropped by to chat with me about A Snicker of Magic, ice cream, Full House, Sharon Creech, and her dog. I wrote the words in red, and she wrote the words in black. Thank you, Natalie! :) 

Felicity and Jonah are best friends. They look for the best in people, and they bring out the best in each other. Even though they just met, they feel like they’ve known each other forever. Most of their adventures begin, or end, with ice cream.

If you visited Midnight Gulch, Mr. Schu, they would name an ice cream after you. It would be called Mr. Schu’s Bookalicious Brownie Bonanza. Whenever people take the first bite, they would immediately imagine the title of a book they’re going to love. If I visited Midnight Gulch, I would go by Jewell Pickett’s Lube & Dye for an oil change. Then I would ask Big Bruce to do my nails, of course. I might explore downtown for a while, and listen to Elvis Phillips howl out a song on the corner. Then I would buy an ice cream cone from Dr. Zook’s, and eat it while I watched the sun sink down behind Snapdragon Pond.

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Dr. Zook’s famous ice cream is Midnight Gulch’s claim to fame. Well … there’s a certain curse that’s a bit infamous in Midnight Gulch as well. But the ice cream factory is what put the town on the map. There is one magical flavor in particular, Blackberry Sunrise, that’s only sold there in The Gulch. Whenever someone eats Blackberry Sunrise, they always remember something important. The problem is that they don’t know if the memory will be sweet or sour until they take the first bite. . .

Spindiddly means better than awesome! I think it’s a word best used in context when you’re describing a friend, family member, or beloved pet. For example: My dog, Biscuit, is spindiddly.

Family Matters, Full House, and She-Ra have the most fantastic and humm-able theme songs EVER. I knew we were kindred spirits, Mr. Schu, but I was delighted to discover we were also TV twins back in the day. I lived for TGIF on Friday nights. Saturday morning cartoons (like She-Ra, My Little Pony, Heatcliff and Popples) were my jam. I count a Jem & the Holograms t-shirt among my prized possessions.

School libraries are safe places, dreaming spaces, and wide-open windows to the world. I still remember where the Judy Blume books were shelved in my middle school library. Blubber helped me survive middle school. One of the most amazing dream-come-true-author-moments happened for me this spring, when I was invited back to my old school for an author visit. Mrs. Goss, the fabulous librarian who stamped the Judy Blume books a zillion times for me, is still there. This time, she asked me to put A Snicker of Magic on the school’s shelf.

Sharon Creech’s books are total works of heart, and such inspirations to me. I was so excited to hear her speak in Nashville a few years ago. When I got there, the door to the auditorium was still closed because it was early. An excited hum of chatter filled up the hallway, thanks to all the readers (of all ages) waiting outside. It took a few minutes for me to realize Sharon Creech was out there, too; sitting on the floor against the wall, surrounded by a group of young readers. She was so engaging, personable and kind. I was too shy to say hello that day, but the way she interacted with her readers, and the amazing talk she gave, have stuck with me ever since.

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me why I put my dog in the book! Felicity has a dog named Biscuit. As I mentioned above, Biscuit also happens to be the name of my dog. I love animals, and wanted the Pickles to have a pet. But I also put Biscuit in the pages because I knew she would help me finish the story. I get so excited about new story ideas, that I sometimes abandon a story midway through. I thought if I could imagine sweet, feisty Biscuit scampering through the scenes, I would be excited to finish. And it worked!

Thank you so much for inviting me over! 

I am giving away one copy of A Snicker of Magic. 

Rules for the Giveaway 

1. It will run from 9/19 to 11:59 p.m. on 9/21. 

2. You must be at least 13. 

3. Please pay it forward. 

Borrow A Snicker of Magic from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops.