Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

pairs well with a hammock

Summertime

Jul 5, 2016 | , , , , , , , ,

Summer of Lost and Found is out in the world, so I’ve started catching up on some of my favorite summer activities. Like chasing the ice cream truck. They’re not hard to chase in NYC because Mister Softee is ubiquitous, but an old-fashioned Good Humor truck is harder to find.

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And sneaking out to the country, where I can read and write in a backyard cottage. Tiny house = big word count. Who knew?

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In other news, I signed the contracts for The Last Grand Adventure; hooray! I’m excited to dig into this story.

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Coming up in July: I have two bookstore panels scheduled. On July 21, I’ll be in Arlington, VA, at One More Page with author friends Tara Dairman and Jen Swann Downey. Then on July 28, I’ll be in Larchmont, NY, at The Voracious Reader with a bunch of fantastic MG authors: Tara Dairman, Laura Marx Fitzgerald, Lauren Magaziner, and Michelle Schusterman. Check out my Events page for updated info.

Happy summer!

 

 

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!

 

SUMMER, Fun

Jul 31, 2015 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Jan 9, 2015 | , , , , , , , ,

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!

Not-So-Lazy Days of Summer

Jul 22, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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?

 

Friday Five

Mar 21, 2014 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

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. 🙂

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