i heart the beach

ARCs have arrived!

I came home to a great surprise on Monday night: a package from Alyson Heller, my editor at Aladdin/S&S. I started ripping it open before I even got up the stairs. Inside, I found:

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ARCs! And a jacket proof–the first peek I’ve gotten at all the true colors and lovely effects (like shiny spot gloss).

I adore the book design–thanks to Laura Lyn DiSiena at Aladdin for making the book look beautiful, and to Robyn Ng for the gorgeous art.

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It’s really cool how the foliage and water continue onto the spine.

Inside, the book is just as lovely–and there’s even a map!

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Maps in books are one of my favorite things, and I’m thrilled that Summer of Lost and Found includes one of Roanoke.

Writing takes so much work, dreaming, and hope–and sometimes uncertainty. It’s kind of amazing when something that started as an idea and was slowly (or very slowly, in my case) nurtured into document finally shows up in your mailbox. It’s a special moment to hold the story, in book form, in your hands.

SUMMER Cover Reveal!

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!

 

SUMMER, Fun

In my mind, summer is full of lazy days and long nights, salt breeze and shooting stars, fireflies and fireworks. It’s a time for reading in the sunshine, ideally with an ice-cream cone or a Popsicle dripping down one’s hand but not onto the book. Basically, the season of fun and relaxation in a perfect balance.

In reality, it’s also full of busyness. Family visits! Weekend getaways! All while diving back into a story for a deep revision. Which makes it no less enjoyable–perhaps the rewards of summer are even sweeter if you’re working hard, too.

Last week I turned in Summer of Lost and Found, after an intense month of revision. I’m so excited for this story! Here’s how I’ve been rewarding myself for finishing my work:

Reservoir runs

Reservoir runs

Movies on the Hudson

Movies on the Hudson

Sunsets on the sound

Sunsets on the sound

Frozen in the park

Frozen in the park

2 quarts of cherries, pitted (yes, I consider this a reward!)

2 quarts of cherries, pitted (yes, I consider this a reward!)

How have you been celebrating this season?

New Year, Random News

I’m taking a break right now from revising–although one could argue that a break would be better spent not writing in another form, right? After this post, I’ll find something good to watch on my Netflix queue. But first, a two bits of news:

Scholastic Scope published my Jackie Mitchell short story in its January 2015 issue–retitled as”Girls Can’t Play!” If your school or library has a subscription, check it out.

When Audrey Met Alice got a Recommended review in the November/December issue of Library Media Connection! Here’s an excerpt: “Becoming empowered and independent with the help of Alice’s journal, Audrey creates a bit of mischief and mayhem of her own. Featuring Alice Roosevelt’s fictional journal entries throughout the story supplies an interesting comparison of Alice’s historical time period versus Audrey’s. Readers will enjoy Alice’s antics and cheer for Audrey’s transformation.”–Nick Petrosino, District Library Coordinator, Ravenna (Ohio) School District

Next week I’ll be trading revising under blankets for revising on a beach towel: I’m visiting family in Florida for the week. I do think it might help my work on this summer-set book to be in a place above freezing–descriptions of muggy days and trips to the beach are hard to visualize when it’s 9 degrees outside! It’s a working vacation, but I’m factoring in plenty of time for fun.

Hope you are staying warm with hot tea and a good book somewhere!

October Update

It’s October! How did that happen? And, more importantly, what am I going to be for Halloween?!

September was a busy month, but I still managed to sneak in a late-season beach day (and I have the Fire Island mosquito bites to prove it).

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I also read seven(!) books and wrote 15,000 words of my new project. Oh, and changed day jobs.

Now I’m still writing, anticipating edits for Summer of Lost & Found, and getting ready for some upcoming When Audrey Met Alice events. On October 20, I’m doing a panel with four fantastic MG authors—Tara Dairman, Lauren Magaziner, Laura Marx Fitzgerald, and Michelle Schusterman—at the Voracious Reader in Larchmont, NY. Later that week, I’m teaching a writing workshop for young readers at the New York Society Library. And I’m working on my school-visit presentations for some upcoming visits, too! (Check out my Events page for the details, if you’d like to know more!)

I’m also following a lot of FiDo-related news, good and not as good: the scary security breaches at the White House (although kudos to the off-duty officer on the First Daughters’ detail for stopping an intruder) and the happy arrival of former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton’ new baby, Charlotte. And, of course, I’m slowly making my way through The Roosevelts, the excellent 14-hour Roosevelt documentary on PBS. (Watching an hour is my reward for getting new words on paper.)

What have you been up to?

Fall Refresh

Summer passed in the blink of an eye, right? I’m sad to see the season of outdoor movies, beach days, and ice cream go. But I’m also excited about fall. Even though spring is the season of growth, I feel like fall is when I make a lot of my progress. Maybe it’s the nudge from all those “back to school” ads. But here are some of the things making me feel reinvigorated right now:

–Back to Kid Lit: In August, I didn’t read any kid lit. It was a month for beach reads and grown-up books, and I loved diving into some literary fiction. After reading so many fabulous ARCs and new releases so far in 2014—along with filling some of the gaps in my backlist reading—I needed a chance to read out of the MG/YA categories. Since September started, though, I’ve already read great MG books by two panelmates, K. A. Holt (Brains for Lunch) and Jennifer Ziegler (Revenge of the Flower Girls). I’m loving The Scar Boys by fellow Egmont author Len Vlahos right now. And next on my list: an ARC of Kristin Levine’s historical MG The Paper Cowboy.

–Back to work: Summer hours are over, and while I loved them, it’s a lot easier to fit writing in my weekday schedule now. And get to bed on time-ish!

–Back in the kitchen: Can I use the heat as an excuse for why I barely touched a pot or pan this summer? (Even if it was a pretty mild summer?) There was a lot of pizza . . . and nachos. Anyway, I have a stack of new recipes and a resolution to make my own dinner at least 3 nights a week. Even if it’s a sandwich. Baby steps.

—Back to pumpkin: In truth, I am far less obsessed with pumpkin spice lattes than I used to be–but I remain a huge fan of baking with pumpkins. Or putting them into soup. (Or fermented beverages.) I like that this time of year, you can eat pumpkin-everything.


–Back to writing: I spent a lot of time this summer traveling to talk about When Audrey Met Alice, which was super fun. I wrote two historical short stories that will appear in Scholastic’s classroom magazines Storyworks and Scope, and also Cricket. I also revised Summer of Lost & Found and sent that off to my editor last month. Now, I’m finally writing a new book. I’ve only put 5,000 words on the page so far, and first drafts can be a little scary. But it feels so good to be finding a new story to tell.

 

Not-So-Lazy Days of Summer

How exactly is it July 22nd already? I swear, I was staring out the window at slushy snow just days ago. And now back-to-school ads are popping up . . .

But even though this has been a busy summer so far, it’s been busy in delightful ways:

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Pre-fireworks in my beautiful hometown, Madison, WI

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Quality time with my adorable nephew

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Sunny days at the beach

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Exploring the Catskills (not pictured: black bear encounter)

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NY’s gorgeous waterfalls

I’ve also read some amazing books lately, like Ann M. Martin’s Rain Reign and the short-story collection This Is Paradise.

From now until I head off to Texas, I’m working very hard on edits for The Summer of Lost and Found. I’m a little nervous about making this the best book it can be, but revising is also my favorite part of the writing process. I’ve had a few lightbulb moments in the past week, and I’m excited.

How’s your summer?

 

New Book News!

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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Research Trip

Last week I hopped on a train and in a car to make my way to coastal North Carolina for a research trip. Here’s some of what I saw and did:

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I went belowdecks in a 16th-century ship!

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I hiked in historic woods!

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I wandered a shoreline!

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I stood inside an excavated fort–and got chills!

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I checked out an ancient live oak!

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I visited a charming town–including its awesome indie bookstore!

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And I climbed the tallest lighthouse in the nation! Take THAT, fear of heights.

I didn’t think I could get more excited about working on this story, but I did. There’s nothing quite like writing about a fantastic, historic, mysterious, beautiful setting–and then getting a chance to see it in person.

Oh, and I can’t not mention the most incredible donuts I ate.

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I had one every single day. Because DELICIOUS.

I can’t wait to go back.

Friday Five

1. This has been a long winter. (That seems like an understatement.) I got some relief from the snow, cold, and gray last week when I went on a nice warm trip. I read a lot of books; I even hung out in a hammock. It was excellent.

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2. But now it’s back to work! I’ve started research for a brand new book (lips zipped on what it’s about, for now) and I’m doing some revising on a less-brand-new one.

3. This Saturday, I’ll be back at Books of Wonder in NYC for a panel with Laura Marx Fitzgerald (UNDER THE EGG) and Aaron Starmer (THE RIVERMAN). More info here: Great Middle Grade Reads!

4. This past week, I’ve gotten my first pieces of mail from readers. There is nothing quite like the joy of opening a card from a young reader. Thank you to Annabelle and Erin for making my day with their notes!

5. When Audrey Met Alice was featured in the March/April issue of Middle Shelf magazine! Check out the whole issue for great interviews, articles, and reviews.Middle Shelf_Last Words

6. Okay, I lied. It’s not Friday Five. It’s Friday Six.* But because I like alliteration, I’m not changing the title of this post. Anyway–huge congrats to my friend Jessica Love, who sold another book this week! Read all about In Real Life here.

*See my inability to cut content? This is why I have my lovely and talented editor. 🙂

What’s Up Wednesday, 1/8

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What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends. If you’d like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime’s and Erin’s blog posts. I love this idea because it gives a structured, easy way for me to keep up with blogging. Also, the buttons are cute. Thanks for the idea, Jaime and Erin! 

What I’m Reading 
Escaping the Polar Vortex by reading Printz winner Nick Lake’s Hostage Three, a smart, addictive, and chilling-in-a-figurative-way contemporary thriller about a teen girl on a yacht boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.

What I’m Writing   
After taking December off from writing (which was wonderful in the way that you start longing to write again and sneakily daydream about characters, but also really enjoy the time to watch movies and read and sleep), I’m back to revising a MG manuscript. I love this story, and since I’ve had a long time away from it, I’m full of fresh ideas.

What Inspires Me Right Now

The new year! Reading everyone’s words for 2014 has given me so many great ideas on what to focus on this year. My word is open–what’s yours?

What Else I’ve Been Up To 
Lots of yoga, lots of work on promo for When Audrey Met Alice, and lots of time Googling images of beaches and warm places to distract myself from the temperature outside.

So what have you been up to lately?

Hello, hello!


Hi! You made it over here to my blog’s new home.

I figured now would be a great time to mention how wonderful working with Biondo Studio has been. I was pretty scared about leaving my comfortable Blogger home and venturing into the world of WordPress and a static website. For a while, I researched web designers and drooled over other authors’ websites. It didn’t take that long of a while before I realized that my favorite sites were always created by–you guessed it–Biondo Studio. So I sent them an email, and here we are now, at my shiny new website, which I love.

Denise and John at Biondo Studio are awesome. When we first started discussing what I wanted my site to look like, I think it sounded like I was creating some kind of bizarre word-association poem: “Doughnuts. I love the beach. Orange cats are my favorite. I write historical and contemporary fiction. I live in NYC. Did I mention that I love doughnuts?” If had made a homepage from that, it would look like this:

bad art

But Denise and John took that jumble and made something perfect (and coherent) (and really cute). I hadn’t really known how to communicate what I wanted, but it didn’t matter: Biondo Studio has design ESP.

From there, it was smooth sailing. Denise and John were patient when it took me approximately twenty-seven tries to figure out a) who I had registered by domain with, and b) how to access it.  And they didn’t bat an eye when in true production-editor form, I kept finding the tiniest things to tweak, and tweak, and tweak.

So if you find yourself wanting a new website or a blog tuneup, I can’t recommend them highly enough. I’m grateful and happy that they created such a nice home for me online, and that they made the process so easy for someone as scattered and web-designophobic as me!

 

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