Chicken in the City
by C. L. Kovacik
Chicken wakes up in a backyard in the middle of the city with no idea who he is or how he got there. He meets Jack, a black squirrel who thinks he’s a dog, and Lupito, a possum. His new friends offer to help Chicken get through the fence in the backyard, but Chicken doesn’t know which way to go. Lupito decides to take Chicken to see the King, a rat who knows everyone and everything that happens in the city. But, along the way, the group encounters some dangerous situations they must escape before they can help Chicken with his memory.
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Lily: Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview C. L. Kovacik, Chicken in the City sounds like such a fun book! Can you tell us what inspired you to write this?
C. L. Kovacik: I used to live in Detroit and one day my husband and I found a chicken on our roof which was very surprising. I thought at that moment it would make a good title/story for a children’s book. Not long after, I started writing Chicken in the City.
Lily: That’s a great inspiration. I wouldn’t expect to see a chicken in the middle of a city. Which character would you want to be if you were transported into the story?
C. L. Kovacik: Well, I would hate to be Chicken because he loses his memory. And Jack is very jittery and nervous most of the time. So, I guess I would choose Lupito, the possum. He’s pretty calm and collected throughout much of the story.
Lily: Lupito sounds like a good friend to chicken. Were any of the characters inspired by anyone?
C. L. Kovacik: No, not really anyone in particular. I just tried to get a feel for the type of character I wanted and wrote their emotions to go along with that.
Lily: Sometimes that’s the best way to do it. Would you ever keep chickens as pets?
C. L. Kovacik: Ha! No. Growing up I had friends who had chickens. They can be very messy and not always so nice.
Lily: I have some friends who keep chickens, but I can’t say I’ve had them. Now we’d like to talk about you as a writer. What’s your favorite time of day to write?
C. L. Kovacik: Early morning is probably best, but I don’t always get that quiet time to myself since I have children. I sometimes don’t end up writing until evening after the kids are in bed.
Lily: I’m definitely a night person myself. What’s harder, writing or editing?
C. L. Kovacik: Definitely editing in my opinion. With writing, you can just let the pen flow and don’t have really any regards to what’s on the paper. It’s just your thoughts. But, as you go back to edit, now you have to really read and structure everything so that it all makes sense and sounds good and allows the reader to live in the story that you created.
Lily: I can totally see how editing would be harder. When did you first consider yourself an author?
C. L. Kovacik: I have been writing books and stories since I was in sixth grade, but I think the moment I really thought I was an author was in 2016 when I had my first horror novel published. Although, even with Chicken in the City being my third published book, it’s hard for me to really see myself as an author sometimes.
Lily: It’s awesome you’ve been writing so long. Let’s finish up with some fun questions and get inside your mind. What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
C. L. Kovacik: Honestly, doing nothing. Lol. That may sound strange but I work full-time, write, and take care of a three and eight year old. So, sometimes, doing nothing other than playing with my kids or watching a movie with them is better than going someplace.
Lily: I can understand needing some down time. What was the last thing you read? Did you enjoy it?
C. L. Kovacik: I used to read constantly, but I haven’t done much of that in many years. I’ve been busy in life and really just reading my own books trying to perfect them.
Lily: Totally understandable! If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
C. L. Kovacik: Sushi. I could eat sushi all day long every day.
Lily: I love good sushi, I might have to go out for some soon. What’s your favorite season and why?
C. L. Kovacik: Fall, because I love Halloween and also the colors on the trees. My family always dresses up together for Halloween so I enjoy it every year.
Lily: Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I can totally understand. Would you rather give up air conditioning and heating for the rest of your life or give up the Internet for the rest of your life?
C. L. Kovacik: I live in Michigan so I won’t be able to go without my heat. So I would give up the Internet. Maybe I would get back into reading books that way.
Lily: I couldn’t give up heating either, the winters here get too cold. Do you live by any piece of advice or motto?
C. L. Kovacik: I really love, “This too shall pass”. I have used that phrase throughout my whole life and it’s always true.
Lily: That’s a good thing to remember when things get tough. Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
C. L. Kovacik: Chicken in the City is the first book in a series and the second book will be published in 2023. And readers can purchase these books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, or Target websites.
Lily: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
C. L. Kovacik: I have a bio on Amazon.com. I also have my horror novel, My Daddy the Serial Killer, on all of the websites if readers prefer something more scary and thrilling.
Cindy Kovacik grew up in a small country town in Southern Illinois. She began writing horror stories containing all of her friends as characters when she was twelve years old. Her writing continued through school, winning the D.A.R.E. competition essay and also a writing competition that ended up with a spot on the local news. As she outgrew small town life and moved to the big city of Detroit, her writing also grew. She wrote her first horror novel, My Daddy the Serial Killer, and had it published in 2016. She is currently trying to publish that same novel as a second edition. On the other side of the spectrum, she also writes children books. Her children’s series, Chicken in the City, is in the process of being published.
When Cindy isn’t writing, she’s taking care of her two daughters, husband, and Chihuahua. Cindy is also pursuing her Associate’s degree in Business Management with a focus in Finance and will graduate in the fall of 2021. Cindy loves to sing and watches every scary movie she can get her hands on. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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