We’re psyched for the launch of Winged Pen member, Kristi Wientge’s, middle grade debut. Karma Khullar’s Mustache will hit bookstore shelves on August 15th! We invited Kristi and her agent, Patricia Nelson of the Marsal Lyon Agency, to talk about Karma and how this story became a book.
Patricia, what first drew you to Karma Khullar’s Mustache?
Patricia: I knew when I first started reading that this novel was the whole package. First of all, as a huge Judy Blume fan, I’m always drawn to contemporary middle grade that deals with the uncomfortable realities of growing up, and I had never seen an MG novel about body hair before, so that made me intrigued right from the pitch. Then, on top of having a great concept, Kristi’s writing had a fantastic specificity – every character in the book, from Karma’s best friend to her obnoxious brother, felt perfectly real, like they could just step right off the page. I was struck by what a great job the book does of braiding together issues of family, friendship, culture, and body image to show all the layers of Karma’s world. Plus, perhaps most importantly of all, Karma’s voice stood out—as a narrator, she’s funny and insightful and has a very unique way of looking at the world that’s relatable while also being completely her own. I loved her right from the first chapter!
Kristi, what made you feel comfortable putting the sale of your story in Patricia’s hands?
Kristi: I actually spent the few days between my email with her and the day we had the call set up scouring every blog post for lists of questions I should ask. Can you believe it that straight away Patricia basically ticked right down my list of questions without me even having to ask a single one?! Not only did that win me over, but it was also her complete excitement for Karma. I felt that she really got what I was going for.
Patricia, what are middle grade readers looking for in a story?
Patricia: Voice is a huge part of it! Kids have exceptionally well-tuned BS detectors, so the 
voice really needs to feel genuinely and authentically “kid,” not like an adult trying to sound like a kid. Beyond that, pacing is key in this category—the story needs to move along swiftly, with enough exciting plot developments going on to keep a young reader turning the pages.
Kristi, does Karma have a superpower? If so, what is it?
Kristi: Karma is resilient, super hero resilient.
Patricia, what would you say Karma’s superpower is?
Patricia: I’d say Karma’s superpower is how inventive and imaginative she is—she definitely has no shortage of creative mustache-elimination ideas. 🙂
Kristi: I understand you have a surprise for Winged Pen readers today.
Kristi: We have a giveaway! Win a copy of Karma Khullar’s Mustache by commenting below by 5 p.m. EST on July 17th. The name of one lucky winner will be pulled from the Tri-wizard cup!* International entrees welcome!
Thank you for being on the Winged Pen, ladies!
You can find out more about Karma Khullar’s Mustache or pre-order on the following sites:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indiebound
Want to know more about Kristi and Karma? Here’s a link to our first interview of Kristi Wientge.
* This is not an advanced reader copy but the actual publication copy of the book, so it may take a couple weeks to ship, depending on when Kristi receives her copies.
Congratulations, Kristi on your MG debut! Looking forward to reading Karma Khullar’s Mustache
Thanks you,Tracey!
Congratulations, much luck with the book.
Thanks, Eileen! x
This book sounds fantastic, Kristi! As someone with Armenian and Italian heritage, I have been waiting ages for a middle-grade novel about body hair. Can’t wait to read this 🙂
Christina, you sound just like me!! I waited all these years for a hairy girl book. x
Congratulations! How exciting.
Thank you!
Congratulations! It takes talent to tackle body image in a humorous way and authentically capture that middle grade voice. Way to go!
It does! Thanks for entering.
Please enter me! I’m intrigued by the title alone! On to twitter!
Thanks for entering!
This sounds like an amazing book! I can promise to share with my students in the media center. 🙂 <3
Thanks for wanting to put it in the hands of kids!!! x
This sounds like such a fun mg premise!
Thanks and best of luck winning a copy! x
I was a big Judy Blume fan as a child. I agree that middle grade readers want to read about realistic characters and that voice is important. I look forward to reading this one!
Thank you! x
Congratulations on you debut! I love Karma already and I can’t wait to read this. Plus, the cover illustration is so fun.
Yes, the cover cracks me up! x
A book about body hair?
Yes!!! Cannot wait to bring this book home!
Congrats!
Lol!!!! Thank you! x
I love the idea of this book. My sons are half-Indian(their dad was born in Northeast India). Even for a boy, the “mustache” thing is an issue! My 9 year old has been teased for a couple years, on the school buses, for what kids see as a mustache above his lip. “Dude, you already have a mustache?!” He hates it, but mostly let’s it roll off his back. But he’s a boy, and it’s socially acceptable for him to have a real mustache one day, hehe. I feel for Karma!! I relate to the hair issue myself too. Oh yes. Thank you for writing this and congratulations!
Thank you for sharing this! Love hearing these stories! x
I’ve been looking forward to this book for a long time! During the first phone call I had with my editor (also Kristi’s editor, Liz Kossnar), she gushed about this book being on her list. So excited for it to be out soon!
Oh wow!! Thanks for sharing this!! Off to check out your blog now! x
AND Liz sent me NOOKS AND CRANNIES in a surprise package!!!!
This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered! We’ll be pulling one winner’s name from the Tri-Wizard Cup!