I reconnected with Carolyn Dee Flores at the International Literacy Association conference this past summer. She was bubbling with excitement over her forthcoming book, The Amazing Watercolor Fish (Arte Publico/Pinata Books) and I couldn’t resist asking if she would share some of the story behind the book with my followers. She graciously agreed and it… Read more »
Emily Whitman is in the house! We both had sand between our toes the first time we met, at a now-defunct writing retreat at Cannon Beach, Oregon. Then, that retreat was moved to Reed College and I sat in on the most miraculous session, facilitated by Marla Frazee. Marla had recruited writers to submit works… Read more »
Mark Twain wrote in his biography that “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” But writing funny can be a challenge as today’s Friday friend, Lisa Papademetriou, shares in her essay below. It’s an honor to host Lisa today in celebration of her new book, Apartment 1986, HarperCollins, just out on Tuesday! Make Funny The first time I… Read more »
Please welcome Robert Wilder today and help me celebrate his new book, Nickel (Leaf Storm Press), with its can’t miss cover! When I handed an early draft of NICKEL to my friend Christopher to read, he said the first person voice of my narrator Coy was almost impossible to understand. I had based Coy and… Read more »
It is such an honor for me to host Sharon Mentyka. I first met Sharon through the (sadly now-defunct) Whidbey Island Writers MFA program. Her first book was B in the World, a sweet story of a gender non-conforming child; her newest is Chasing at the Surface (WestWinds Press), just out last week. Welcome, Sharon!… Read more »
Today is the book birthday for Liberty — hooray! Writing Liberty was like wrassling alligators in a vat of gumbo. My creative process is always messy but it was downright discouraging as I struggled to reel in the heart of this story. It wasn’t until I gave a young German POW his own space on the page that the… Read more »
I am so grateful to count Augusta Scattergood as a friend! She’s well-read (she reviews for the Christian Science Monitor), smart and a tiny bit sassy. And she tells a very good story, as evidenced by her newest book, Making Friends with Billy Wong (Scholastic). I’m going to let her tell you about it. Sometimes stories… Read more »
It’s such a pleasure to host Nancy J. Cavanaugh today in celebration of her latest book, Just Like Me (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky), a sleep away camp story which makes a perfect summertime read! Students in my school visit audiences often ask me how I get ideas for my books. I give the usual writerly answers: My inspiration comes… Read more »
I honestly can’t remember now where I met Megan Frazer Blakemore, but I’m so delighted I did. She’s funny, kind and caring and writes a heck of a good book! You’ll want to read her newest, The Firefly Code (Bloomsbury) which is fresh off the presses as of May 3. Her previous novel, The Friendship Riddle (Bloomsbury), is… Read more »
You are all in for the biggest treat of your lives when you read Susan Hill Long’s new novel, The Magic Mirror: Concerning a Lonely Princess, a Foundling Girl, a Scheming King and a Pickpocket Squirrel (Knopf), which pubs on Tuesday, May 10. Not only is Sue one of the warmest and wittiest people I know,… Read more »