AH: When I began to dip my toes into the kidlit community I had no idea who I would meet or where those relationships would go. I could have never known that one of my first critique partners via Mindy Alyse Weiss' critique train, Melissa Trempe, would be joining me on my blog four years later with her debut picture book, LADYBUG LAUNCH: INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY OF CHINITAS IN SPACE, co-authored by Natalia Ojeda and illustrated by Manuela Montoya. It is always amazing to see writing friends from critiques, contests, and social media finding their well-deserved success and getting a chance to share their stories with the world. So let's not wait any longer, here's the story behind the story on LADYBUG LAUNCH.
AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the
inspiration behind LADYBUG LAUNCH: INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY OF
CHINITAS IN SPACE!
First off, please tell us a little bit about your story.
MT: Natalia is a chica, an ambitious girl with dreams of becoming a scientist.
Luna is a chinita, an adventurous ladybug who dreams of visiting the stars.
Neither dream is easy to reach, yet together anything is possible. The story is
inspired by the determined group of Chilean high school girls who convinced
NASA to send their ladybug experiment to space!
AH: Wow! I am hooked immediately. This is an incredible premise for a story and the fact that it is based on real events takes it to a whole different level.
AH: What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the
idea come from?
MT: At first, this book started out as a completely different manuscript. It was not
co-written with Natalia, and it was not based on her true story. While doing a
personal retreat at The Highlight’s Foundation in 2020, I read that NASA had sent
ladybugs to space. I knew that was a great idea for a picture book, so I wrote a
humorous STEM story about a ladybug engineer building a rocket for space
travel.
I wanted to include back matter about the real ladybugs and why they went to
space. As I dug for answers, I struck back matter gold! I learned that the
scientists behind the experiment were not NASA researchers, but kids! Girls, no
less, from a modest school in Chile. A gentle breeze could have knocked me
over!
Everyone who read my manuscript liked my humorous ladybug story but told me
that my back matter was the real story that needed to be told. At first, I resisted. I
thought, I can’t write nonfiction. I write humor. Period. I didn’t have confidence in
myself to try something new. But over and over I heard the same feedback.
AH: Now that is what I call a backstory! This story has been on quite a journey from conception to publication. There is a great lesson here in following the path our story leads us on. I can imagine that must have been hard taking on the challenge of writing in a genre outside of your comfort zone, but we are glad you did.
AH: How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now LADYBUG
LAUNCH? Was it something undeniable you had to write immediately, or did you
need to sit with this idea and let it grow for a while before it found its way to the
page?
MT: This story wouldn’t let me go, so I finally gave in to everyone’s advice and
tried a version that focused on the actual girls who sent ladybugs to space, but I
needed to learn more. Timing was everything, and fate seemed to be on my side.
A Chilean newspaper had just featured the 20th anniversary of the project and
interviewed the women involved to see where life had taken them after high
school. Thanks to Google translate, I discovered one thing was clear—the
ladybug project changed their lives.
Many of the girls grew up with few resources, including Natalia Ojeda, my
eventual co-author. Her father was a waiter, her mother cleaned homes, and
Natalia helped look after her brothers. She dreamed of becoming a doctor but
doubted she could ever achieve such a lofty goal. After working with NASA,
Natalia realized she was capable of anything. She and her classmates became
determined women who wanted more for their lives. (The word
more—más—became a word Natalia and I wanted to repeat through the story for
this reason.) Many of the women went on to attend universities, which is no easy
feat in Chile. They chose careers in science, astronomy, engineering, law,
education, psychology, and yes—medicine.
After reading the 20th anniversary article, I scoured Facebook searching for the
names and faces of any of the women. A bit of ladybug luck led me to Natalia. We
started working together, and the rest is history!
AH: Incredible! For someone who didn't write nonfiction your ability to research certainly paid off. I love that you were able to not only touch base with one of the girls, but to connect in such a way as to become coauthors I am sure elevated the story while also bringing authenticity.
What this experience over 20 years ago did for Natalia and her friends, is what I hope your book does for children today. I hope it inspires them to see that no future is out of their grasp.
AH: Did LADYBUG LAUNCH continue to undergo any major changes/revisions once
you and Natalia were working together? If so, what led you to make these
changes?
MT: Yes! Only two months after Natalia and I connected, I had a critique with an
agent who felt she could sell our manuscript. Deep down I worried that the
manuscript wasn’t quite “there” yet. It was still so new! But I was excited
someone had faith in it and we moved forward. For eight months the rejections
from round one trickled in. For eight months, I kept revising and sending
revisions to Natalia for feedback.
At the end of round one, we had a new version that I knew in my gut was “the
one.” Our agent sent it out and within 24 hours we had interest, and within a week
we had two offers! It sold to Margaret K. McElderry, an imprint of Simon &
Schuster, and we couldn’t be happier!
AH: Having that validation from and agent or editor is so motivating and confirming. It doesn't make the rejections sting less, but it helps you keep hope and put in the work which you certainly did!
Are there any books/authors that you feel influenced your work on LADYBUG
LAUNCH?
MT: I read a lot of books that had a dual narrative because our book starts out
with Luna dreaming of flying to the stars and Natalia dreaming of becoming a
scientist. It isn’t until spread 7 that the two characters come together. This was
extremely difficult to get “right” and feel seamless. Honestly, it’s hard for me to
remember the titles, but I do remember that most of the dual narratives I read kept
the two characters separate for the whole story. Ours wasn’t this way. I’d love to
just shout out my favorite dual narrative—THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY by
Hannah Holt and Jay Fleck.
AH: Where do you tend to find your inspiration or your sparks for ideas?
MT: My son is now 9, but many book ideas come from funny things he says. I also
love participating in Tara Lazar’s Story Storm every January! Having time away
from my phone and walking my dog in nature really helps clear my mind and
welcome inspiration!
AH: Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?
MT: I signed with Amy Nielsen at The Purcell Agency a few months ago and we
just went on submission with an astronaut biography I wrote about Eileen Collins,
NASA’s first female pilot and mission commander. She’s the astronaut who led
the mission to space that carried the ladybugs, and that’s how I learned about
her! She’s an amazing woman with a fascinating life. She overcame so much as a
child and pursued her dream of flight at a time when few women were pilots and
women were initially not allowed in the astronaut core. I’m very hopeful her story
sells! I was lucky enough to connect with Eileen, and she fact-checked my
manuscript and gave it her seal of approval… BEST. FEELING. EVER.
AH: I was wondering if your stint in NF was going to begin and end with LADYBUG LAUNCH. I see that is not the case. I wish you the best of luck on submission and hope you receive quick and positive responses!
Where can people connect more with you?
MT: My website has info with my socials, critique service, book
events—everything! Go to www.melissatrempe.com.
X/Twitter: @melissa_trempe
Instagram: @melissatrempe.author
Facebook: @melissaluerytrempe
AH: Readers be sure to connect with Melissa over on Instagram and Twitter to
hear about her latest publishing news. While you are at it, please consider
supporting Melissa, Natalia, and LADYBUG LAUNCH in any way you can.
This could include:
- ordering from your favorite indie
- marking as want to read on Goodreads
-leaving a review
- making a library request
Melissa, thank you so much for sharing all about LADYBUG LAUNCH! I loved
learning the inside scoop on how this book came to be, and I can't wait to pick up
my copy!
GIVEAWAY!
Melissa is generously offering a picture book manuscript critique to one lucky winner!
Ways to enter:
1. Retweet my tweet about this blog post. Additional entry for tagging friends!
or
2. Leave a comment on this post.
or
3. Post about this interview on social media and tell me in the comments that you did.
Each method earns an extra entry!
ABOUT MELISSA TREMPE
Melissa Trempe has hiked a volcano and swum with sharks, but she has yet to travel to outer space. Like her coauthor, she had few resources growing up and is a first-generation college graduate. As an educator, she’s passionate about equality and helping children find their inner strength to achieve anything. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her wonderful husband, song-writing daughter, animal-loving son, and hole-digging husky. Visit her at MelissaTrempe.com.
ABOUT NATALIA OJEDA
Natalia Ojeda grew up in a simple home in the southernmost country of the world: Chile. Her family had few resources, yet her faith, determination, and experience in the ladybug project helped her to overcome the odds and achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. She is a doctor in the Palliative Care Unit of San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santiago, Chile. As a mother of four girls, she wants to share her story of strength and hope with children around the world.
ABOUT ANDREW HACKET
Andrew Hacket is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of the upcoming Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.