| Interview with John J. Bonk |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com!
My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time
out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers
and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
It hadn’t occurred to me to be a writer until well into adulthood. After getting my degree in theatre, I spent
more than a decade as a professional performer in the musical theatre – acting, singing, tap dancing in
New York and around the world. That lifestyle eventually took its toll and I began searching for an
alternative career. (You can only tap dance so long before your feet fall off.) One day I was at a temp job
transcribing a radio broadcast of children’s book authors reading from their published works. It was
inspiring, and I thought, “Hmm . . . I wonder if I can do that?” The next thing I knew, I was writing poems
and short stories and submitting them to various magazines. After the first one was published, I was
hooked.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Bumpy, winding, and uphill. First I took some writing classes; joined a critique group with a few of my
classmates; wrote a novel; revised it, and revised it, and revised it; sent it out to various agents;
rejections, rejections, rejections; finally snagged an agent; revised the manuscript yet again before he
sent it out to various publishers; rejections, rejections, rejections; ACCEPTANCE! Revised the novel a few
hundred more times and – (drum roll) my first book was born!
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
Dustin Grubbs: Take Two! is the “laugh-out-loud” sequel to Dustin Grubbs: One-Man Show. It’s about a
quirky 12-year actor wanna-be living with the world’s weirdest family. After starring in last year’s school
play to critical acclaim, Dustin is stoked about his school’s upcoming musical production of Oliver! The
“twist” is that phys-ed funds are being cut to do it, sparking an all-out-war between jocks vs. drama geeks.
What’s worse, Dustin realizes he’s no “triple threat”. (He’s only sung and danced in the shower. Badly.)
Things start looking up when he reconnects with his wacky absentee dad on a fieldtrip to Chicago, where
they both have the opportunity of a lifetime – a shot at appearing in a TV commercial! Is there stardom in
Dustin’s future? A reconciliation between his parents? Or will everything come crashing down around
him? You’ll have to read it to find out.
One thing to convince readers to buy the book? Geez . . . okay. Dustin gives mouth-to-snout resuscitation
to a Doberdoodle in the backseat of a speeding cab.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Family, friends, acquaintances, childhood memories, life.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I basically have two families – my genealogical family who reside in Chicago, and my family of friends who
surround me in New York City. I’m the youngest of two boys and my brother is the complete opposite of
myself. (In our teen years he was into motorcycles and mayhem – I was into musical theatre and marching
bands.) I grew up around tons of colorful uncles and aunts, some of whom have morphed into composite
characters in my books. My “family” in New York consists of actors, singers, dancers, writers, graphic
designers, lawyers, teachers, and an actual doctor.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
But there are so many! Okay, if I had to narrow it down, I guess I’d say pizza. I’ve found a way to turn it
into a not-so-guilty pleasure. Instead of dialing Domino’s, I make it myself using whole wheat pita bread
topped with olive oil and spaghetti sauce, turkey pepperoni, low-fat mozzarella and sautéed veggies. 10
minutes in the oven at 400 degrees and voila!
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Put on a pot of coffee; turn on the computer; smooch up the cat.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
There’s an entire office in my walk-in closet. Space in NYC is at a premium and I‘m lucky to have it. No
window, but plenty of room for a desk, computer, two file cabinets, and my bike.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
That shade of blue somewhere between turquoise and teal. Just ‘cause I love it. It has a visceral effect on
me. Don’t I get to be a tree, too? I’m leaving. (Leaving – get it? Ugh.) Where’s Barbara Walters when you
need her?
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Oh, that’s a tough one. I like the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister Dot from the “Animaniacs”. (Is
that still on?) And I always liked Tweety-Bird. Which cartoon character is most like me? That’s an even
tougher one. A cross between Charlie Brown and Daffy Duck?
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history,
where and when would it be—and why?
Tuscany – right now. Just because of its sheer beauty. I have a calendar of Tuscany hanging next to my
desk and I want to dive right in. I also think it’d be fun to don a powdered wig and visit 18th Century
France. But definitely not during the summer. I hear people rarely bathed and tried masking their odor
with gallons of perfume, so I wouldn’t want to stick around too long.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
I like most music, but prefer classical and Broadway show tunes. Favorite musical artists would include
Mozart (do dead geniuses count?), Kelly Clarkson, Barbra Streisand, Harry Connick, Jr., The New York
Philharmonic, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, and so many Broadway performers I’d run out of room listing them
all. I also make my own music – I’ve played the piano all my life, tackling everything from classical to
Gershwin to ragtime. I like the idea of music softly playing in the background as I’m writing, but
unfortunately, I need complete silence ‘cause I’m easily distracted.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I like “American Idol,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Project Runway”, “Top Chef”. They appeal to my
competitive nature I suppose. I also like “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives” and basically any
sitcom that can make me laugh. Movies I watch over and over again...? Well, “The Wizard of Oz” is a
given, and I’ve seen “Singin’ in the Rain” a bunch of times ‘cause I did the stage show twice. What else?
“A Christmas Story” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” around the holidays, but they lose something after the
100th time. The last movie I saw at the theatre was “Arctic Tale”, the documentary about the polar bears
and walruses. Before that was “Ratatouille” and before that was “Meet the Robinsons” in 3-D.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
It’s probably the usually answer: “If at first you don’t succeed – switch careers.” Kidding! “Try, try, try, TRY
again.” It’s a cliché but so true. I have to keep repeating it to myself on a daily basis.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently working on a novel called Boondoggle about a sister and brother, Lexi and Kevin McGill,
visiting their aunt in New York for the summer. It’s centered around a mystery in Grand Central Station – a
hunt for stolen jewels – a teenage runaway. Danger, drama, deceit! It’s a lot “deeper” than the Dustin
Grubbs books but still has plenty of humor thrown in. Gotta have humor – it’s in my DNA.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Right back 'atcha! It was fun.
My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time
out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers
and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
It hadn’t occurred to me to be a writer until well into adulthood. After getting my degree in theatre, I spent
more than a decade as a professional performer in the musical theatre – acting, singing, tap dancing in
New York and around the world. That lifestyle eventually took its toll and I began searching for an
alternative career. (You can only tap dance so long before your feet fall off.) One day I was at a temp job
transcribing a radio broadcast of children’s book authors reading from their published works. It was
inspiring, and I thought, “Hmm . . . I wonder if I can do that?” The next thing I knew, I was writing poems
and short stories and submitting them to various magazines. After the first one was published, I was
hooked.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Bumpy, winding, and uphill. First I took some writing classes; joined a critique group with a few of my
classmates; wrote a novel; revised it, and revised it, and revised it; sent it out to various agents;
rejections, rejections, rejections; finally snagged an agent; revised the manuscript yet again before he
sent it out to various publishers; rejections, rejections, rejections; ACCEPTANCE! Revised the novel a few
hundred more times and – (drum roll) my first book was born!
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
Dustin Grubbs: Take Two! is the “laugh-out-loud” sequel to Dustin Grubbs: One-Man Show. It’s about a
quirky 12-year actor wanna-be living with the world’s weirdest family. After starring in last year’s school
play to critical acclaim, Dustin is stoked about his school’s upcoming musical production of Oliver! The
“twist” is that phys-ed funds are being cut to do it, sparking an all-out-war between jocks vs. drama geeks.
What’s worse, Dustin realizes he’s no “triple threat”. (He’s only sung and danced in the shower. Badly.)
Things start looking up when he reconnects with his wacky absentee dad on a fieldtrip to Chicago, where
they both have the opportunity of a lifetime – a shot at appearing in a TV commercial! Is there stardom in
Dustin’s future? A reconciliation between his parents? Or will everything come crashing down around
him? You’ll have to read it to find out.
One thing to convince readers to buy the book? Geez . . . okay. Dustin gives mouth-to-snout resuscitation
to a Doberdoodle in the backseat of a speeding cab.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Family, friends, acquaintances, childhood memories, life.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I basically have two families – my genealogical family who reside in Chicago, and my family of friends who
surround me in New York City. I’m the youngest of two boys and my brother is the complete opposite of
myself. (In our teen years he was into motorcycles and mayhem – I was into musical theatre and marching
bands.) I grew up around tons of colorful uncles and aunts, some of whom have morphed into composite
characters in my books. My “family” in New York consists of actors, singers, dancers, writers, graphic
designers, lawyers, teachers, and an actual doctor.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
But there are so many! Okay, if I had to narrow it down, I guess I’d say pizza. I’ve found a way to turn it
into a not-so-guilty pleasure. Instead of dialing Domino’s, I make it myself using whole wheat pita bread
topped with olive oil and spaghetti sauce, turkey pepperoni, low-fat mozzarella and sautéed veggies. 10
minutes in the oven at 400 degrees and voila!
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Put on a pot of coffee; turn on the computer; smooch up the cat.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
There’s an entire office in my walk-in closet. Space in NYC is at a premium and I‘m lucky to have it. No
window, but plenty of room for a desk, computer, two file cabinets, and my bike.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
That shade of blue somewhere between turquoise and teal. Just ‘cause I love it. It has a visceral effect on
me. Don’t I get to be a tree, too? I’m leaving. (Leaving – get it? Ugh.) Where’s Barbara Walters when you
need her?
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Oh, that’s a tough one. I like the Warner Brothers and the Warner Sister Dot from the “Animaniacs”. (Is
that still on?) And I always liked Tweety-Bird. Which cartoon character is most like me? That’s an even
tougher one. A cross between Charlie Brown and Daffy Duck?
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history,
where and when would it be—and why?
Tuscany – right now. Just because of its sheer beauty. I have a calendar of Tuscany hanging next to my
desk and I want to dive right in. I also think it’d be fun to don a powdered wig and visit 18th Century
France. But definitely not during the summer. I hear people rarely bathed and tried masking their odor
with gallons of perfume, so I wouldn’t want to stick around too long.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
I like most music, but prefer classical and Broadway show tunes. Favorite musical artists would include
Mozart (do dead geniuses count?), Kelly Clarkson, Barbra Streisand, Harry Connick, Jr., The New York
Philharmonic, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, and so many Broadway performers I’d run out of room listing them
all. I also make my own music – I’ve played the piano all my life, tackling everything from classical to
Gershwin to ragtime. I like the idea of music softly playing in the background as I’m writing, but
unfortunately, I need complete silence ‘cause I’m easily distracted.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I like “American Idol,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Project Runway”, “Top Chef”. They appeal to my
competitive nature I suppose. I also like “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives” and basically any
sitcom that can make me laugh. Movies I watch over and over again...? Well, “The Wizard of Oz” is a
given, and I’ve seen “Singin’ in the Rain” a bunch of times ‘cause I did the stage show twice. What else?
“A Christmas Story” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” around the holidays, but they lose something after the
100th time. The last movie I saw at the theatre was “Arctic Tale”, the documentary about the polar bears
and walruses. Before that was “Ratatouille” and before that was “Meet the Robinsons” in 3-D.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
It’s probably the usually answer: “If at first you don’t succeed – switch careers.” Kidding! “Try, try, try, TRY
again.” It’s a cliché but so true. I have to keep repeating it to myself on a daily basis.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently working on a novel called Boondoggle about a sister and brother, Lexi and Kevin McGill,
visiting their aunt in New York for the summer. It’s centered around a mystery in Grand Central Station – a
hunt for stolen jewels – a teenage runaway. Danger, drama, deceit! It’s a lot “deeper” than the Dustin
Grubbs books but still has plenty of humor thrown in. Gotta have humor – it’s in my DNA.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Right back 'atcha! It was fun.