Double Creature Feature: Trick or Treat with Heather Macht!

Hi, readers, writers and mutant lovers, too! We are closing out our Trick-or-Treat event with a Double Creature Feature interview with our own Heatherween Macht. Heather is here talking about her new 6-book chapter book series with ABDO, The Mutant Critter Sitter. Chloe's summer is ruined when her skateboard breaks in two and she's forced to get a job and earn a new one. After a morning of searching for jobs, she answers an ad to become a critter sitter for a not-so-mad scientist and ends up caring for her crazy gene-spliced creations all summer. Want to know more about Heather, her mutant-filled series, PLUS want to know if she's handing out tricks or treats? Read on if you dare...

Q: Hi, Heather! I am thrilled to be on this Trick-or-Treat path with you and honored to be the one to interview you about your latest books which fit right into the season with their creature features! 

First, can you share a little about how you started writing these chapter books. What do you feel is the difference in your mindset or approach between writing your picture books and chapter books? 

A: Hey, Lynne Marie! First, I absolutely love that we get to celebrate books and holidays together. We’ve seriously become BSFFs (Best Spooky Friends Forever, lol). 

For years I got told I often had an older writing voice and humor that would be good in chapter books. Around that time, I got sent a flier with an open call from ABDO and a wish list of what they were looking for: they were looking for chapter books. After reading over the requirements, I had a thought… I could totally write chapter books.

So, I wrote a book about two best friends investigating a monster mystery in their neighborhood. All their neighbor's chickens were missing one morning and all that was left behind were feathers and some strange pawprints.

I sat on this story for a while (as we often do as writers). When I signed with my amazing agent, Lynnette Novak, I saw she sold a series to ABDO and asked if she wouldn’t mind sending mine to them. I’m so glad she agreed! 

As far as the mindset in switching from picture books to chapter books - it can be a tough transition at first. You can no longer not rely on the illustrations and few words - you have to rely on the text/story. You need smooth transitions and age-appropriate language (as these books are read by the reader alone, without the help of a parent or teacher). If you’re looking to break into chapter book writing, you must read as many as you can get your hands on and study the language and transitions. Use a word calculator, too, to make sure your language is on track for the age range you’re writing for!

Q:  You mentioned that watching Creature Features with your dad and brothers inspired these terrifically mildly terrifying tales. In what ways did they inspire the stories? What was one of your favorites, and why?

A: My dad, brothers, and I would watch so many scary films growing up.  My favs were the creature features. Anything with a monster of sorts had me HOOKED. 

Some of my favorites were Tremors, Arachnophobia, and Little Shop of Horrors. They were spooky but not too spooky for kids. When I set out to write my series I did so with a goal in mind - to capture the thrill and the fun I had as a kid in a very light and accessible way.   

PS: My dad is an avid reader of #SeasonsOfKidLit and has read every single post so I’d like to take a moment to say, Hi, Dad! Thanks for letting me watch scary movies as a kid and encouraging me as a writer - you’re the best!

Q: You also mention that you loved science as a child as well. With STEM being a big draw for books in today’s market, how did you draw upon your science days to write these modern tales? 

A: We also loved watching sci-fi movies together. The Fly and Jurassic Park, and the way they involved gene-splicing/experiments (gone wrong), are not only some of my favorite movies but seriously some of the inspiration. Gene splicing has always fascinated me since!

Fast forward to the start of my series - I wanted to capture the 90s vibe of mad science, skateboarding, gene-splicing, and creature features in a cool way for kids. Many of the chapters also start with a STEM definition that will be used throughout the chapter, so that easily works into a science curriculum for young readers.

Q:  As the former owners of Venus Flytraps, I love love love the star of the first book, a Mean-us Flytrap! How did you come up with this idea? Did you actually have one of these plants, too?

A: I did! My kids and I had one named Frank. I personally bought him to get revenge on a fly that wouldn’t leave me alone. It would literally divebomb me on all my work meetings … when the cameras were ON, too. 

He inspired my series for sure. I had this idea of a pet flytrap and it blossomed from there.  In book 1, The Mean-us Flytrap, Chloe starts her summer setting out to spend every day skateboarding and every night watching creature features and eating pizza. But when her skateboard breaks in two, her summer is ruined when her dad tells her it’s time for her to learn responsibility and get her very first job to earn a new one. YIKES.

She answers an ad to become a critter sitter for a not-so-mad scientist, Professor Adams, and all her crazy creations. Chloe soon finds herself face-to-face with a three-headed Mean-us Flytrap named Bob who’s really hungry. Don’t worry, Bob turns out to be friendly and even has a starring role in the remainder of the series (and he might just eat a ton of pizza throughout the series with Chloe). ;) 

Q: What advice do you have for those wishing to incorporate spookiness into their stories?

A: I’d suggest keeping your audience in mind. Make it spooky but also make sure to incorporate mystery and fun, too. You definitely don’t want to go overboard on gore or horror for younger kids. Some good examples of spooky-but-fun picture books are Creepy Carrots, Creepy Underwear, and Street Monsters. 

Some good examples of chapter books are The Alien Next Door, Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol, and Goosebumps (these are a little more intense but still fun).

Q: With these books releasing this fall and a promotional hat on, how will you be celebrating the season? Will your costume tie into them? Will you be painting any themed pumpkins or giving any themed treats?

A: Great question! We’ve got our halloween costumes picked out but may incorporate Bob into a pumpkin (and might be looking for a new pet flytrap, too!). I suggested an entire yard filled with flytraps but was sadly overruled. 

Q: The Mutant Critter Sitter: The Mean-us Flytrap is just one of the books in your fabulous series. Do you have a favorite? Why? 

A: Such a great question - they were all so fun to write. It’s hard to pick but if I had to, I’d say book 4. 

Book 4, The Drawfish, involves a huge gene-splicing experiment gone wrong where an entire lake’s worth of crawfish have turned into drawfish (or pinch-cassos as Professor Adams likes to call them).  They are giving the town an aquatic makeover by drawing and painting all over it, and the Mayor isn’t quite happy about it. So, Chloe and Bob must team up and develop a plan to make sure the makeover comes out just right.

I also really love how this book starts with Chloe and her dad watching a creature feature in a theater when they realize there is an invasion of drawfish going on.

Q: What's one takeaway you hope kids will have from this series?

One of my favorite things about the series is watching Chloe's progress. She starts out fresh to the workplace, gets her very first job as a Lab Assistant, works hard and receives multiple promotions to Lead Lab Assistant and even Honorary Scientist for her hard work and out-of-the-box thinking. Believe it or not, Bob even evolves throughout the series and helps Professor Adams (and gets promoted, too!).

I really hope this inspires young kids everywhere! You can be anything you put your mind to and work hard for.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite Halloween Candy?

A: Candy corn and Butterfingers are my favs. My kids know this too and always set aside this candy for me when they're trick-or-treating. They're the best!

Thanks again for joining us, Heather! I had a blast hearing about your mutant critters.

Readers, want to know what I thought about The Mutant Critter Sitter: The Mean-us Flytrap? Check out this Peek-a-Boo Review!

You can also find our reviews on Amazon and GoodReads.

Q: Would you like to leave a Trick or a Treat for our readers?

A: I'd love to leave both!

Trick: Try changing the font style of your MS to a different one as part of the revision process. Believe it or not, your eyes get used to the font you use so switching it from Times New Roman to Comic Sams for example will help you catch something you might have missed before (as you're seeing your MS in a new way). PS - don't forget to change it back before sending it to your agent/publisher (I'm pretty sure Comic Sams font is frowned upon in publishing, lol). BTW - this is a trick I learned as an art major in college. I'd hold my drawings/paintings in front of the mirror to see them from a new perspective.

Treat: As a HUGE thanks to everyone for reading along with us this month, I’d like to offer either a PB MS critique or first 3 chapters of a Chapter Book critique OR Books 1-3 in The Mutant Critter Sitter series to a reader. :) Their pick!

Wow, thanks for such a terrifyingly-sweet treat!

Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter to win this sweet treat 1) share this post on social media and 2) leave a comment below to thank Heather for stopping by and let her know which gift you'd like, too. Flytrap or mutant GIFs are totally appreciated.

Winners for the Trick-or-Treat event will be drawn on or about 10/22!

*Books will be shipped in the US only.*

Note: Those who leave a comment on all posts will be eligible to win one (1) of ten (5) Rate Your Story Speed Passes, perfect for quick MS feedback, provided by Agent Mentee Lynne Marie & Author Heather Macht.

About Heather Macht

Heather Macht's always had a niche for storytelling.  Ever since she was a young girl, she'd spend her free time writing imaginative stories for friends and family. 

​As an adult, her passion for writing and her imagination has grown and taken off.  Macht is the author of 15 books including The Mutant Critter Sitter, a six-book chapter book series featuring #girlpower, responsibility, spliced mutant creations, and science-filled fun! (ABDO, 2024), The Woodlot Monster Mysteries, a six-book chapter book series featuring less-common monsters and promoting #girlpower, problem solving, and teamwork (ABDO, 2023), Rex the...We-Don't-Know (Pelican, 2020), The Ant Farm Escape! (Pelican, 2019), and You May Just Be a Dinosaur (Pelican, 2015)!

​Macht has a degree in Fine Arts, her other passion, is the creator and owner of SeasonsOfKidLit.com, and is also an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. 

​She's happily married and currently resides in Florida.   When she's not writing, Macht enjoys time outdoors, watching scary movies, and spending time with her husband and children.  

 Heather Macht is proudly repped by Lynnette Novak at The Seymour Agency! For more, visit The Seymour Agency.

For more about Heather, check out the below links:

Heather Macht

Twitter/X: @AuthorHMacht

Instagram: @heatherauthormacht

Website: heathermacht.com  

To purchase Heather's books on Amazon, or to leave a review for them, click here.

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A special thanks to David Rodriguez Lorenzo for the amazing custom-signatures!