Terry Lynn Johnson, Author of Survivor Diaries: Overboard! | Speed Interview

The Children’s Book Review | July 14, 2017

The Children’s Book Review: Which five words best describe Survivor Diaries: Overboard!?

Terry Lynn Johnson: Intense. Chilling. Immediate. Factual. Exciting.

If you had to take a vacation with one of the characters from Overboard!, who would it be? Why?

Travis seems like a good guy to have around in any situation, even if there aren’t any emergencies on our vacation. He’s a quick thinker, he’s funny, he genuinely cares about others, and we have some things in common – such as a fascination with seals.

What has been the best reaction from a reader, so far?

A grandfather saying his 11-year-old grandson couldn’t put the book down and kept telling him what was happening at any given moment.

It’s so great to hear that because when I read books I love, I want to share them with everyone too.

What’s on your nightstand? Any books?

There are always books next to my bed – whether hardcover or in my Kobo. Currently reading The Living by Matt de la Pena.

For your writing energy: sugar or salt, tea or coffee?

Herbal tea and chocolate chip cookies!

Writing tools: computer, pen and paper, or all of the above?

I like to jot ideas down with pen and paper. But when the real writing happens, my thoughts are so fast I have to use a computer to keep up or I’ll lose the momentum.

Can you tell us one more thing we may not know about Overboard!, your writing style, or yourself?

I’ve gone through the ice three times, so I know how cold water affects your dexterity. It’s crazy when you look at your fingers and think they should be doing what you want them to do, but they aren’t. Though my experiences turned out to be good research, I’m really hoping there isn’t a fourth time.

Survivor Diaries: Overboard

Written by Terry Lynn Johnson

Publisher’s Synopsis: A high-stakes adventure series perfect for fans of the I Survived series and Hatchet.

Eleven-year-old Travis and his family are on a whale watch off the coast of Washington when disaster strikes. The boat capsizes, throwing everyone into the ice-cold chaotic waves. Separated from their families and struggling to stay afloat, Travis and twelve-year-old Marina must use all of their grit and knowledge to survive.

With seventeen years of hands-on experience and training in remote areas, survival expert Terry Lynn Johnson (Ice Dogs; Sled Dog School) creates on-the-edge-of-your-seat storytelling featuring the real skills that kids need to survive a disaster. This book includes Coast Guard-approved cold-water survival tips; you may have a better chance of surviving a real-life cold-water disaster after reading this book.

Stay calm. Stay smart. Survive.

Ages 7-10 | Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers | 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0544970106

Available Here: 

About Terry Lynn Johnson

Terry Lynn Johnson, author of ICE DOGS and the SURVIVOR DIARIES series, lives in Whitefish Falls, Ontario where for ten years she owned a team of eighteen Alaskan Huskies. Visit Terry at terrylynnjohnson.com and on Twitter at @TerryLynnJ.

This speed interview with Terry Lynn Johnson, author of Survivor Diaries: Overboard!, was conducted by Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Middle Grade Books, Survival, and Speed Interview.