Firecrackers follows a fourteen-year-old boy and his friends who investigate strange cries coming from a neighborhood house and find themselves in the middle of a real-life treasure hunt. What drew you to the classic idea of kids exploring their neighborhood and stumbling into a mystery much bigger than they expected?

I wanted to do something a little different: a humorous thriller.  I thought the misadventures of four young friends focused on pirates, bi-planes, firecrackers, and mischief would present some pretty funny situations as they uncover the truth and outwit the criminal they call “Blackbeard” and his accomplices.

What qualities did you want each member of the group to bring to the friendship, and what do their homemade inventions, experiments, and elaborate plans reveal about how they approach the world?

All of them have a strong sense of adventure and loyalty. They are smart, energetic boys in a fairly open environment, left to explore and experience summer on their own but also as a team of friends. Nash approaches the world with a strong sense of friendship and humor. Stevie approaches it with an engineer’s innate ability to construct things. Leroy is a bit of an entrepreneur and outlaw. Bug is excitable, a bit younger, and less mature than the others. They approach the world with a lot of imagination, but they also must confront the very real dangers and mysteries surrounding Alice, Blackbeard, and the other “grown-ups” they encounter.

Why was the idea that “not everyone is who they seem” important to the story, and what do they learn about the difference between imagining who someone is and actually getting to know them?

They learn that not all “authority figures” are automatically worthy of their trust; genuine trust must be earned through direct experience.

Do you have more adventures planned for Nash, Bug, Leroy, and Steve?

I hope so!

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