Nashua Telegraph Interview

Author's Name: Joshua Patrick Dudley

Hometown or local connection: Previously Hooksett, NH – Now, Nashua, NH

Title of your book: Lost in Oz

Synopsis:
"Lost in Oz" follows the adventures of high school student Joshua Dudley, his twin sister Tamara, and their two best friends Laura and Tommy down the famous yellow brick road. After mysteriously arriving in the Land of Oz, the four teenagers must stick together to try to find a way home. But how can they find a way home when they don't know how they got there?

Publisher: LuLu

Price/where is it available?: $13.99 Paperback, $26.00 Hardcover, only available on http://www.lostinozbook.com/

Web site: http://www.lostinozbook.com/

Brief biography:
Joshua Patrick Dudley was born and raised in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Son of Laurel Levesque and Michael Dudley, brother to Tamara, Meghan and Caitlin Dudley, Joshua has always been exposed to the arts.

His fascination and love for the stories of Oz started when he was two years old; he and his mother shared his first viewing of the MGM classic, "The Wizard of Oz." From that point on Joshua was obsessed with the magical land and its inhabitants.

Previous published works: None


Upcoming events at local bookstores: None


1. What motivated you to write this book? How long have you been working on it?

I was motivated to write the book as I discovered things in life aren't always what they seem. I wondered what would happen if I had a chance to start all over again in a new place. Would I want to stay and make it work? Or would I want to hurry home? I also wanted to address a few issues, without causing a major uproar. I wanted to address racial discrimination, stereotypes, and politics in a way that anyone could read and understand.

I worked on the book for about three months total, with a few brief pauses in the middle.

2. Is the book geared to a particular type of reader? What do you hope readers will take from the book?

The book is geared toward anyone. Children, Teenagers, Parents, Grandparents, and all their dogs will enjoy it and get something from it. What I hope they get from it is a sense of who they are. When they read the story, I want them to ask themselves "Would I do that or would I try it this way?" I want to stimulate identity growth and knowledge in all my readers.

3. Name some of your favorite books and authors.

I love the Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling. Wicked by Gregory Maguire is also a good read. My favorite author currently is Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and my favorite author of all time is L. Frank Baum, who, of course, wrote the original Oz stories.

4. If you have to give an aspiring author three bits of advice, what would they be?
Work through it. If you have to, act out the scene that you are writing in the room that you are in. Always be creative.


This interview will be in Sunday, January 14, 2007 issue! We'll update when it's posted!