Please welcome Sneed B. Collard III, author of Double Eagle. Hope will be chatting on LibraryThing until November 18th.

Hey Everyone! Sneed here. Thought you might like a little background on me to start off. I've been writing now for 26 years, which seems impossible! I studied marine biology at U.C. Berkeley, but decided there were enough scientists and the world and sunk all of my money into one of the first IBM PCs and began to write. I tried a lot of things at first, but moved quickly into science writing for children. I've always kept an interest in fiction, though, and have focused more of my attention there the past few years. I have three novels out: Dog Sense; Flash Point; and Double Eagle, all from Peachtree Publishers. I am happy to discuss any of my books on this chat--or any other pertinent topic!

Hi Sneed,

What big projects are you working on next?

Which do you prefer - writing fiction or non-fiction? Why? Is the research process similar for both?

Erin H - Calgary

OMG--a question! Thank you Erin! As far as Big Projects, I do have a new novel swirling around in my head, but have to revise another one and get it sent out before I can tackle it. I'm also working on a picture book about an unusual reptile and finishing up a book about global warming. I hope to get to something new by January, though.

Hm...for some reason, that posted before I had finished. Anyway, I like both fiction and nonfiction, but my head is leading me more toward fiction these days--probably because I've written so much nonfiction in the past 25 years. For both F and NF, though, it's the stories that interest me, and I think that's true of most writers. The research process can be similar, but is definitely a bit easier--or maybe more fun--for fiction because you get to feed off of rumors and ideas in addition to hard facts. To research Double Eagle, I took my family to Dauphin Island, Alabama for a month and it was delightful. We explored the old fort next door, talked to historians, and just soaked up the ambiance. Contrast that to my new global warming book, where I was assiduously tracking down hard data sets, news reports, photos and other reliable information. A very different experience, but also rewarding.

So I have three sort of related questions for you....

Is Double Eagle for adults, or is it for kids - or both? I looked it up and one library blog recommended it for ages 8 and up.

I note you've written a lot of children's books about the natural world. Do you think this will continue or are you evolving into a different kind of writer?

And finally: Which book is your new global warming book? I am always on the lookout for new ones that are not too depressing.

Hi Anna (in Portland?), Thanks for writing. It's a snowy day here in Montana, but to your questions:
Double Eagle is written for middle-grade and young adult readers, but adults seem to be enjoying it just as much.
I will continue to write about the natural world, but only as subjects really inspire me. Expect to see more and more fiction from me in the coming years.
I wrote the Global Warming book for a company that wanted to build a curriculum around the topic. The book focuses on solutions and is, I hope, more inspiring than depressing. The book is not out yet, but look for it in the spring. I'll make an announcement when it's out.
Thanks!