Leave it to me to say something is rare and then I have TWO picture book interviews in the same week with science fiction plots!

Josh Funk has visited my blog numerous times over the last eight years that I’ve known him.  He is the co-creator of the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, including Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, The Case of the Stinky Stench, Mission Defrostable, Short & Sweet, and The Great Caper Caper. His other works include How to Code a Sandcastle, Lost in the Library, Albie Newton, and more. Josh lives in Massachusetts and invites you to learn more about him at his website or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

ATTACK OF THE SCONES is book number six in the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series and I swear they just get better and better with each new addition.  This time Sir French Toast spies something mysterious in the sky and runs to tell Lady Pancake.  She is busy getting read for Baron von Waffle’s birthday bash, is startled by him, then rushes off with him to see the evidence, only to find nothing is there.  She doesn’t believe him and becomes angry at his shenanigans.  Did Sir French Toast imagine it all?  No.  This is a story of an alien invasion and some of the plot twists were so brilliant, I dare not speak of them!  I really want you to discover them on your own and be wonderfully surprised.  Let me just say this: OF COURSE that would be an alien in this series!  LOL!

Welcome back Josh!

Me: If every book in this series is a different movie genre, you’ve done the chase, the mystery, mission impossible thriller, sci-fi comedy, ocean’s-11 type con, and now?  Would you say this book is horror?  What made you want to try that genre for this series?

Josh: I would say this is a “Sci-Fi Alien Invasion” (the horror one would be Cabinet in the Woods, release date probably never). There are references to your favorite “war” and “trek” star-based space films, along with E.T., Close Encounters and more.

But if I had to say this was based on any pop culture references in particular, I’d say the first half+ is more like an X-Files Mulder & Scully situation (where Sir French Toast is the boy who cried wolf with UFD sightings and Lady Pancake is the logical one who doesn’t believe until she sees proof).

And the second half gives off Independence Day vibes (with the alien invasion part – although it ends very differently, of course). 

Me: I absolutely love all the different characters from various books in the series making an appearance (and some new ones).  I love the light saber Jedi (?) hidden in the background of one spread.  What’s your favorite illustration addition from Brendan Kearney this time?

Josh: Alas, you saw the unfinished copy of the book with character who was definitely NOT holding a light saber (it was more of a “saber of light”, if you will) and was definitely NOT named Obi Wan Cannoli (because he was never mentioned in the text). The final version of the text will have a gap on the page where that “Unknown Cannoli” currently stands.

As far as Brendan’s illustrations, where do I begin? There are so many great ones starting (or ending?) with the gatefold – which folds UP this time – like a movie poster with all of the characters.

Of course, Brendan’s [redacted – spoiler] characters are brilliant and hilariously spot on.

But I think one of my favorite illustrations is the one where Baron von Waffle gets abducted, and all the characters are watching. If you look closely, Tofu is on their side knocked over like a turtle on its back and can’t get up (cause they don’t have arms). And just beside him, Fruitcake is running away scared. Those two just crack me up every time.

Me: There are some very clever references to both Star Wars and Star Trek in this story.  I laughed out loud at one of the alien character’s names.  Some fans tend to be one fandom or another.  Where do you fall?  Are you a fan of one or the other, or both?  Why?

Josh: I like them both. I’ve never been one more than the other. I always saw Wars as being the Beatles of the two, while Trek is like the Stones. Both great in their own ways.

I have vivid memories of seeing Star Trek IV in the theaters as a kid (the one where they go to the ‘80s and save the whales). And I enjoyed Next Generation in rerun form in the ‘90s.

When I showed Episode IV to my oldest in elementary school and mentioned the title of the sequel, they said, “Oh, no! The Empire? It strikes back?!?” Sadly, my kids like parts of Episodes I-III more than anyone should.

And I’ve always loved the spoofs, too. Galaxy Quest is a classic in its own right. And Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville is poignant, hilarious, and brilliant.

I’m an equal opportunity Star connoisseur.

Me: I agree about Galaxy Quest.  That movie is brilliant.  Good for you being an equal opportunity Star connoisseur!  (Me too.) I thought the idea of your aliens’ composition was genius!  What else would food fear?  I have to ask, what gave you that idea?

Josh: I’ve had this idea since Brendan turned the art in for book #3. I noticed that there was only a single [redacted – spoiler] in the entire series (it happened to be in book #1).

But I had reasons to write Short & Sweet (I had lots of questions about how Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast didn’t go stale, so I needed to explain that) and The Great Caper Caper (this was a great title and we didn’t have the title Attack of the Scones yet) beforehand.

Some of the other books in the series are about things that would strike some sort of fear into foods like going moldy (Short & Sweet) or freezing over (Mission Defrostable).

This one was less about what food fears and more about what would invade the fridge. Or in other words, what is something that doesn’t belong in the fridge, but still sometimes ends up there…

Me: Ha!  Yes.  Brilliant!  After the 6^th book in this series, is it easier to write these characters and their stories?  Or harder?  Why?

Josh: Easier. No doubt. I know what aspects of the characters I’ve explored (although they all tend to center a little bit on friendship).

I have a good feel for the format and pacing. The first spread is the introduction of the scene. The second introduces the problem. The third or fourth usually introduces a new character (Scones actually diverges a bit in that aspect here). The final spread is a wordless spread with a party. The one before that is the summary spread. The one before that is where the story really ends. And everything else just falls into place along the way.

And I know what to expect from Brendan’s illustrations. I have a feel for where I can push his creativity and also point him in the direction where he can have fun and add more silliness on his own.

Me: After writing so many books by this point in your career, is there still room to be surprised in your writing?  Were there any surprises with this sequel that you hadn’t encountered before?

Josh: This one, specifically, was actually a challenge to write. As I mentioned in the previous answer, Scones doesn’t have the same format as some of the other books in the series. While there are new characters, they’re actually the surprise at the climax (the aliens riding the scones).

And as I noted up top, this book is part X-Files (or boy who cried wolf), but then the plot shifts and becomes more Independence Day (alien invasion). And that first part is where Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast have their biggest (and only) fight since the book #1 in the series when they raced for the last drop of syrup.

In books 2-4, Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast were essentially a connected pair of main characters. Their interpersonal relationship was never really explored. We didn’t really learn all that much about either character and any differences they might have.

In the previous book (The Great Caper Caper, #5), they definitely had differing feelings about the light bulb going out. Toast was afraid of the dark. Pancake took the lead in the heist to steal it back from the evil Count Caper. But they were still a team.

But here they have at it. And it gets personal.

Once they clear the air and Pancake takes the lead during the alien invasion, they become a team again. And the format generally returns to normal.

Me: Seeing so many familiar characters woven throughout the book felt like a finale.  Is there still room to explore in this series?  Or is this the final book (at least as far as you know)?

Josh: I love and appreciate that Brendan always brings back the characters from other books – although I forced his hand literally and figuratively with the couplet:

Once again, Toast ran as fast as he could

to Chocolate Chateau where a dozen friends stood.

This will not be the final book. There will one more – and that will be the last … for a while at least. I’m not closing the door forever on the BBU (Brunch Bunch Universe).

And I promise, book #7 will definitely feel like more of a finale. And I think it wraps things up well in a lot of ways.

Luckily you’ll only have to wait about a year for (drumroll please) … WHODONUT: A HOLIDAY MYSTERY, featuring the new character (showing up on the third or fourth spread, of course) … Agatha Crispy (she’s a donut).

Thank you, Jena, for inviting me back for seven more questions (how many have I answered at this point? Am I closing in on 50? Or past that?). And thank you for all of your support!

Oh my gosh!  I love that title!  And of course that character name is brilliant!  I cannot wait to meet her.  And wow.  You just turned the tables on me to ask me a question.  LOL!  Okay, let me math.

I’ve known you for 8 years.  I’ve interviewed you … 10 times over that span.  10 interviews at 7 questions a piece is 70 questions and answers!  No wait!  We have to add this interview too.  This is interview number 11.  That’s 77 questions!  Goodness!  Thank you so much for all your answers Josh!

Dear readers, this book was released into the world just this week too.  If you’re a fan of science fiction with a heaping helping of humor, you will NOT want to miss this one.