Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

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SUMMER Cover Reveal!

Aug 25, 2015 | , , , , , , , , ,

Last week, the fantastic Mr. Schu helped me share the cover of Summer of Lost and Found! Check out the post here:

 http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2015/08/cover-reveal-for-summer-of-lost-and.html

And here’s the lovely cover!

Summer of Lost and Found final cover

When I first saw the sketch from the designer, Laura Lyn DiSiena, and the color sample from the illustrator, Robyn Ng, I freaked out. They perfectly captured my main character, Nell Dare, and the watercolor beauty of Roanoke Island. I love how richly layered the foliage is in the illustration–just like it is on the island.

Biondo Studio also helped me put together the Resources page for Summer, which you can now find here.

Summer of Lost and Found will release in hardcover from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster on May 24, 2016. I can’t wait!

 

D.C. for a Day

May 29, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

On Wednesday morning I hopped on a bus and headed south so Audrey and Alice could meet some D.C. readers. Once I got into town, I decided to stretch my legs by taking a walk to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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What Would Alice Do with three free hours in the capital city? Admittedly, she probably would not take a bunch of book selfies. But sneaking onto the roof of the White House wasn’t really an option for me.

Then I took the Metro out to Arlington for a panel event with author friends and fellow 2014 debuts Jen Malone (You’re Invited and At Your Service) and Tara Dairman (All Four Stars and The Stars of Summer) at One More Page, which is the bookstore of my dreams. They have eight book clubs, an awesomely curated selection of books, and incredibly good local and artisanal chocolate. We had a full house for our panel, and the audience asked great questions!

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I also had the chance to meet up with some old friends (thanks for coming, Jocelyn and Lilia!) and to meet writer friend Jennifer Pickrell (who writes wonderful YA) in person, which was great.

Afterward I raced back to Union Station–worrying the whole way because D.C. friends had warned me I wasn’t giving myself quite enough time–and made it with twenty minutes to spare before my train. Unfortunately, my train didn’t make it (it was cancelled) so I had to cool my heels for an hour and a half. I didn’t get back to NYC until after 2:00 a.m., but I had a lot of books to entertain me on Amtrak.

Definitely a day that was worth traveling through five states and D.C., and back–although next time I hope to stick around a little longer!

Paperback Day!

May 1, 2015 | , , , , , , , ,

I came home to a fun surprise on Tuesday: paperback author copies. The first thing I did with them? Build a White House.

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As of today, When Audrey Met Alice paperbacks are now in stores! I stopped by Barnes & Noble to sign a few. It’s fun to see both editions together on the shelf.

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On my way home from a morning bookstore trip, I stopped for a couple of celebratory breakfast, of course!

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Because happy publishing days pair well with doughnuts. Specifically, Nutella-banana and blueberry-lime. Yum.

Class Set Giveaway

Apr 1, 2015 | , , , , , , , , ,

I wouldn’t be the reader–or the writer–I am today without the influence of many wonderful educators. As Alice Roosevelt would put it, I was “let loose in libraries” from an early age. My childhood teachers and librarians in Madison, WI–at Thoreau Elementary, the Sequoya Library, Cherokee Middle School, and West High–were always putting books in my hands and providing me with a welcoming space to read, learn, and dream.

So to celebrate the paperback release of When Audrey Met Alice, I’m doing a special giveaway for educators (including teachers, librarians, support staff, and administrators). Enter below to win:

  • a class set (25 copies) of When Audrey Met Alice paperbacks
  • copies of the CCSS-aligned educator guide, Women’s History Month lesson plan, and annotated diary (found here)
  • assorted WAMA bookmarks, stickers, and WWAD? rubber bracelets (great for reading incentives!)

The giveaway starts today, April 6, and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on April 30. I’ll announce the winner on Friday, May 1.

Good luck!

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Note: If you have trouble entering through the form below (via the email or Facebook options), feel free to leave a comment and I will manually put in your entry. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ETA: Thanks to all who entered and spread the word! Rafflecopter selected Connie LeFever as the winner. Congrats, Connie!

Women’s History Wednesday #2: Jane Goodall

Mar 11, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Wednesday, so it’s time for more Women’s History!

[One of my favorite things about writing historical fiction is getting to explore the lives of real, and sometimes famous, women—like Alice Roosevelt. When Audrey Met Alice allowed me to spend a lot of time researching the women who have made 1600 Pennsylvania a home in addition to a historic site. (Check out the Resources page of my website for more information on my research, along with a Women’s History Month lesson plan!) But this month, I wanted to devote some words to other female historical figures I find inspiring. Each Wednesday this March, I’m sharing a short post about a fascinating woman in honor of Women’s History Month. I’d love to hear which women interest and inspire you–please tell me in the comments! I’ll (randomly) choose one commenter on each post to win a preorder of the new When Audrey Met Alice paperback. Tweet about the women who inspire you with the hashtag #WomensHistWednesday for an extra entry.]

Last week, I wrote about Bessie Coleman. Rachel Sullivan won a WAMA preorder with her comment about nurses like Clara Barton and Florence Nightingale, and strong single working mothers everywhere. Thanks to everyone who shared about the women who inspire them!

Inspiring me today is: Jane Goodall

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Jane and Jubilee (Source: Jane Goodall Institute)

As a child, Jane’s father gave her a toy chimpanzee, Jubilee. It sparked her interest in and love of animals. Jane went on to become an expert primatologist, and now knows more than probably anyone else on earth about chimpanzees. She completed a famous 45-year study on chimpanzee social and family life at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, sharing with the world that other primates can show the personality, emotions, and rational thought that humans do. Today she advocates for animal rights and the environment through the Jane Gooddall Institute. And she still keeps her toy chimpanzee, Jubilee, on her dresser.

Learn more about Jane:

Jane Goodall: A Retrospective (a short National Geographic video)

The Jane Goodall Institute

Jane Goodall’s Journey (an interview with a Scholastic News kid reporter)

Jane’s Favorites

Which women inspire you?

When Audrey Met Alice–in paperback!

Feb 25, 2015 | , , , , , , , ,

I’m excited to share that When Audrey Met Alice will soon be in paperback! Personally, I love paperback books–they’re so much easier to read on the go (which makes up a lot of my reading time lately) and they are priced right for class sets, book clubs, and babysitting money. Also, it’s fun to see a different interpretation of the story on a paperback’s cover. Speaking of which, here’s the new look for this edition of Audrey and Alice:

 

 

 

I love it! It’s fresh and bold, and Audrey would love the yellow type. The shoes on the back cover mean that every cover for the book–from the ARC to the hardcover to this paperback–has played with footwear past/present, which is a cool unifying detail.

The paperback will be in stores 5/1/2015 for $7.99. Starting next week, I’ll be giving away a paperback preorder every Wednesday in March to celebrate Women’s History Month–check back on 3/4 to enter!

News: SUMMER found a new home!

Feb 17, 2015 | , , , , , , , ,

So you might have seen this in Publishers Marketplace (click to make big!):

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That’s right! The Summer of Lost and Found has a new home. And it will still be in bookstores in the first half of 2016 (right now, it looks like a May publication date). I am so excited to be working with editor extraordinaire Alyson Heller and the team at Aladdin/Simon & Schuster. Aladdin is one of the imprints that made a huge impact on me as a young reader–I have fond memories of looking for the colophon on the spines of some favorite books.

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(Yes, even as a kid I was into learning about different publishing imprints. It would’ve been tween me’s dream come true to publish an Aladdin book!)

More information to come, but for now I’ll just say how grateful and excited I am that Summer will be on shelves next year.

 *And by “I,”of course I mean my fantastic agent, Suzie Townsend. I’m incredibly thankful to her (and everyone at New Leaf Literary) for their support and enthusiasm, and skill at finding perfect homes for their clients’ books.

Superlatives for 2014

Dec 18, 2014 | , , , , ,

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Katy Upperman, Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, and Alison Miller, hosted this interactive blogfest in 2011, 2012, and 2013 with the hope of highlighting favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. They’re hosting it again, and dedicating this week to promoting awesome young-adult books!

Today’s the last day of the blogfest: Best in Show. Here are my picks from the books I read in 2014*:

Favorite Cover: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord. It’s beautiful, and it captures the summer season and dreamy mood of a road trip. Plus, the couple on the cover are married in real life!
Cutest Couple: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae. I’m not going to spoil anything by naming names, but I loved the sweet, thoughtful romance in this gem.
Most Likely to Succeed (Pick a Printz Winner): A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier. This book is amazing. The historical detail, the timeliness of the topic–and the very strong and brave female protagonist. I loved it. 
Most Likely to Make You Miss Your Bedtime: Pointe by Brandy Colbert. I am generally not someone who reads an entire book in a 24-hour period, but this one I did. I really, honestly, could not put it down. It’s heartbreaking and powerful.
Romance Most Worthy of an Ice Bath: One, Two, Three, by Elodie Nowodazkij. Swoonworthy!
Best Breakout Novel (Favorite Book by a Debut Author): Push Girl, by Jessica Love. But Push Girl has the distinction of being a really great contemporary YA that also has an important message. It’s so well done, and I can’t wait for Jessica’s next book.
Best Old-Timer (Favorite Book Published BEFORE 2014): Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. A beautiful story that takes the characters and world from Peter Pan and makes them entirely new. I think about this one a lot, and it’s been months since I read it.
Most Likely to Make a Grown Man Cry: The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson. An impactful story about family, addiction, PTSD, and love.
Sleeper Hit (Novel So Awesome I Wish It’d Been Hyped More): Hostage Three by Nick Lake. Technically, this published in late 2013, but I read it in 2014. An intense thriller/survival story that delves into socio-political issues, with well-developed characters and a compelling voice.
Favorite Outlier (Best 2014 Picture Book, MG, NA, or Adult Novel): I loved Yes Please. It was the self-help book I didn’t know I wanted to read. Amy Poehler is my hero.
Create Your Own Superlative!: Since I was lucky enough to read some 2015 ARCs this year, my superlative is: 2015 Book You Want Everyone to Read. And I’m picking The Forgetting by Nicole Maggi, which pubs in February.

*As a 2014 debut author myself, I know a few authors on my list. I admit to being a little biased–but that doesn’t change the fact that these are all great books!

What were some of your best 2014 books?

New Book News!

Jun 12, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So you might have seen this in Publishers Weekly this afternoon (click to make big!):

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That’s right! I* sold my second book! The Summer of Lost and Found will be in bookstores in 2016. It’s full of everything I loved to read about as a middle-grader: history, mystery, beach towns, and ghost stories.

I’m so excited to be working with the uber talented Jordan Hamessley and everyone at Egmont to tell this story.  The way it feels when Jordan shares her editorial vision for your book can only be expressed with a Liz Lemon GIF:

 

Liz Lemon, 30 Rock, self high five gif

 

I’ll leave you with a picture of the beach at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, on Roanoke Island. I was there doing research while this deal was coming together, and while a trip to see such a beautiful and historic place would always be special, this serendipitous timing made it even more so.

 

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*And by “I,” I do mean my fantastic agent, Suzie Townsend. I’m incredibly thankful to her for being such a great advocate for my writing, and to everyone at New Leaf Literary for their amazing support.

ETA: The announcement also ran in the June 13th Publishers Marketplace deal report (you can click to make big). Hooray!

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What’s Up Wednesday, 4/30

Apr 30, 2014 | , , , , , , , ,

KITERUFFLED2What I’m Reading

I just finished up Louise Galveston’s By the Grace of Todd, a hilariously gross and inventive MG. Thanks to it, I will be deep-cleaning my apartment this weekend. Now I’m reading Jennifer Mathieu’s The Truth About Alice, which is an amazing contemporary YA told from four perspectives. All of the characters feel so very real–the voices in this book are so, so good. I’m having a hard time putting it down.

What I’m Writing

I am finally done (for now) revising that old manuscript. YES! So I’m back to researching/outlining, and I’m having lots of fun with that, asking myself lots of “what if?” questions and imagining what this story could be.

What Inspires Me Right Now

It’s tulip time again!

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What Else I’ve Been Up To

I’m busy getting ready for a see-your-setting-in-person research trip next week. More on that–with pictures–when I’m back.

I also did an interview with Keith Muchowski, who volunteers at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site. (If you’re ever in NYC, you must stop by the site for his tour!) The first part of my interview is here.

 

So what have you been up to lately?

 

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. You can find the link widget (and cute buttons!) on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts.

Bookanista Rec: The Secret Side of Empty

Apr 24, 2014 | , , , , ,

It’s time for another Bookanista recommendation: Maria E. Andreu’s  The Secret Side of Empty.

18079898Here’s the jacket copy from the publisher:

As a straight-A student with a budding romance and loyal best friend, M.T.’s life seems as apple-pie American as her blondish hair and pale skin. But M.T. hides two facts to the contrary: her full name of Monserrat Thalia and her status as an undocumented immigrant. 

But it’s harder to hide now that M.T.’s a senior. Her school’s National Honor Society wants her to plan their trip abroad, her best friend won’t stop bugging her to get her driver’s license, and all everyone talks about is where they want to go to college. M.T. is pretty sure she can’t go to college, and with high school ending and her family life unraveling, she’s staring down a future that just seems empty. In the end, M.T. will need to trust herself and others to stake a claim in the life that she wants.

Author Maria E. Andreu draws from her personal experience as a (formerly) undocumented immigrant to explore an issue that affects over one million children in the U.S. But while the subject matter is timely, it is M.T.’s sharp, darkly funny voice and longing for a future that makes this story universally poignant.

Protagonist M.T. was one of those rare characters that I felt an immediate connection with–I loved her wry and funny, pitch-perfect teenage voice. I cared about M.T. from the first page, and so reading her story was intense and sometimes painful but ultimately rewarding. This is a powerful story about immigration, abuse, and suicide–but it’s an equally powerful story about hope and resilience. And the romance between M.T. and first boyfriend Nate is so achingly sweet and real. I loved this book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to read a good contemporary YA–the fact that it’s also an important and honest about about some big social issues makes it even better.

See what my fellow Bookanistas are recommending today:

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