Summer of Lost and Found

Early Reviews of SUMMER

Mar 19, 2016 | Aladdin, books, everyone's a critic, news, rare Saturday post alert, readers/reception, Simon & Schuster, Summer of Lost and Found

It often feels like forever until a book comes out (thanks to all those hours spent writing, revising, and revising, and revising). And then suddenly the book’s first trade review arrives and, whoa! You realize publication is only two months away.

I’m excited to share the first two trade reviews for Summer of Lost and Found: Kirkus said, “the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke becomes an engaging backdrop for a preteen experiencing her own losses” and praised, “this blend of history with mystery and fantasy with realism is a good find indeed.” Hooray!

And School Library Journal noted, “Behrens’s deft writing gives the book substance. . . . This intriguing mix of historical and realistic fiction with a dash of the paranormal makes this well-written novel appealing to a wide range of middle grade readers.” Thanks, SLJ!

It’s always a little nerve-wracking to get early feedback, so I’m thrilled that these reviewers enjoyed Summer. I certainly had a wonderful time researching and writing Nell and Ambrose’s story, and I’m excited to share it with readers on May 24.

I’ll have some more news soon–about blurbs and book launches. Stay tuned!

24 Hours at ALA Midwinter

Jan 14, 2016 | agents, ALA, Aladdin, authors, book people, conferences, eventful, I talk about food too much, lets take this show on the road, libraries, New Leaf, PIE, Simon & Schuster, Summer of Lost and Found

Last weekend, I hopped on Amtrak and headed up to Boston for the ALA Midwinter conference. (The ride is actually pretty scenic, as the train hugs the coastline through Connecticut and Rhode Island, so you can see the ocean, ferries and fishing boats, and charming towns like Mystic along the way.) It was a quick trip–I got in on Friday afternoon and twenty-four hours later I was already chugging back to New York. But what a great twenty-fours hours they were!

On Friday I got to meet up with some fellow New Leaf Literary authors and our agents, Suzie Townsend and Pete Knapp. Here’s Team New Leaf:

We spent our evening enjoying wine and chocolate at a shmancy party with some fantastic librarians. And I mean enjoying it–the spread involved a make-your-own chocolate crepe bar! But the best part, of course, was getting to talk about books with our librarian friends. I love hearing about what they’re reading, what library life is like, and which books their readers adore.

The next morning, I got breakfast with the Aladdin/Simon Pulse team before heading to the exhibit floor. I’d say being on the floor is like being a kid in the candy store, but as a child my excitement level would’ve been at the same height for a candy store or a bookstore. It was so fun running around seeing all the shiny new titles on display and running into other book people. I gathered enough ARCs that I have a huge bruise on my left shoulder from the tote bag–but it’ll heal, and it’s worth it. (Once I finish them, I have a school librarian in mind to share them with.)

To top it all off, I had just enough time before my train to run into Faneuil Hall and grab a slice of Boston Cream Pie for the road. When in Boston, right? 🙂

AASL15

Nov 12, 2015 | AASL, audrey and alice, conferences, eventful, historical fiction, I talk about food too much, IRL, lets take this show on the road, libraries, middle grade, Sourcebooks, Summer of Lost and Found

Last weekend I made the trip to Columbus, Ohio (a lovely city!) for the AASL National Conference. My husband and I drove from NYC, and even though we aren’t really car people anymore, it was fun to wind through the Pennsylvania mountains and catch some late fall color. You can see the pretty red leaves behind this shot of a Summer of Lost and Found sampler:

Which was this gorgeous tree:

On Friday morning, Gayle Rosengren and I did our presentation, “Making It Real,” for a great group of school librarians. We shared historical-fiction programming ideas that appeal to many different types of learners, and if you’d like to hear about them, send me an email! I’m happy to share our slides and handouts, including a list of recommended MG historical fiction. Here’s an example of the LIBRARY planning template that Gayle created:

After our presentation, Gayle and I headed over to the Authorpalooza signing booth. I wish I’d thought to have someone take our picture, but sadly I was too focused on chatting with the awesome school librarians. 🙂 I do have some pictures of When Audrey Met Alice at AASL, though!

After the conference wrapped up for the day on Friday, I had just enough time to pop over to North Market for celebratory Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream–which was the perfect finish to a great day. And, of course, I had to pick up one of these for the road home!

ARCs have arrived!

Nov 3, 2015 | Aladdin, ARCs, book publishing, covers, feel the love, gratitude, happy happy joy joy, i heart the beach, IRL, Simon & Schuster, Summer of Lost and Found

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:

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.

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!

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.

Fall Update: Copyediting, Review Copies, and Columbus

Oct 31, 2015 | AASL, Aladdin, conferences, DRCs, eventful, I talk about food too much, IRL, it has come to this a post about soup, lets take this show on the road, libraries, middle grade, pumpkin addict, rare Saturday post alert, Simon & Schuster, Summer of Lost and Found

Happy Halloween!

Fall has been flying by. I’ve been busy with revising a new project (which feels like it might finally be coming together), working on a short story, and copy edits. Apologies to my production editor, but I did end up making quite a few tweaks to the end of Summer:

But now the copy edits are complete, and Summer is actually available for preorder and digital review copies are up on Edelweiss! You can request a DRC here.

And links to preorder at various retailers are all here, on Simon & Schuster’s website: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Summer-of-Lost-and-Found/Rebecca-Behrens/9781481458962

During copyediting/revising breaks, I’ve been cooking. My husband and I challenged ourselves to eat an unprocessed, plant-based diet for 22 days. It was hard, but we did it–and came away with some new favorite recipes, like this green lentil soup garnished with avocado and tomato. So nice on a chilly fall night–and I found you can get a lot of writing work done in the kitchen, while it simmers.

11219225_10101565749387495_7600260922160453730_n

This week, I’m heading off to Columbus, OH for AASL 2015. Gayle Rosengren and I have worked hard on our presentation, and we’re looking forward to sharing our ideas about MG historical fiction! If you’re at AASL, please stop by and say hi. I have some shiny new postcards for Summer to hand out, too!

Upcoming Event: AASL 2015

Oct 8, 2015 | AASL, ALA, audrey and alice, authors, Class of 2K14, conferences, eventful, IRL, lets take this show on the road, libraries, news, Summer of Lost and Found, swag, talking about writing, teachers are the best

I’m going to AASL 2015 in Columbus!

Friend and fellow Class of 2K14 author Gayle Rosengren and I are presenting on Friday, November 6 from 11:20-12:20 (Room C212). Here’s a little about our presentation:

Making It Real, authors Gayle Rosengren and Rebecca Behrens will suggest creative ways for librarians to help bring history to life as they prepare students to meet Common Core State Standards. Strategies include multimedia displays, interactive library programming, writing workshops, author Skype visits, and outreach with local historic sites. The authors will provide tools such as a multimedia planning template that can be filled out for any title, book talks, and recommended media lists.

We’ve had a lot of fun creating this presentation, and hope you’ll join us if you’re attending the conference.

We’ll also be in the Author Signing Booth from 1:00-1:30 on Friday. Stop by and say hi! I’ll have my first pieces of Summer of Lost and Found swag, and plenty of When Audrey Met Alice bookplates, stickers, and more.

SUMMER Cover Reveal!

Aug 25, 2015 | books, covers, gratitude, gushing, i heart the beach, pairs well with a hammock, pretty pretty, sensory overload, Simon & Schuster, Summer of Lost and Found

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!

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 | balancing act, i heart the beach, in defense of lazy, IRL, pairs well with a hammock, relax, revising, sensory overload, slightly incoherent due to revision brain, Summer of Lost and Found, summertime, treat this post as evidence of procrastination

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

Movies on the Hudson

Sunsets on the sound

Frozen in the park

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

How have you been celebrating this season?

Time Flies

Jun 28, 2015 | hello, IRL, please excuse the jet lag, revising, slightly incoherent due to revision brain, Summer of Lost and Found, treat this post as evidence of procrastination, writing

It’s summer! And if the saying is true, this week the corn will be knee high–it’s almost the Fourth of July. It feels like yesterday I was lamenting Arctic cold and unmelting snowpiles. Now I’m itching mosquito bites as I write.

Last week I traveled back to Wisconsin for a relaxing visit with family, including my favorite picture-book reader:

I came back to some editorial notes, and now I’m busy revising Summer of Lost and Found. (The heat and humidity is really helping me with the summertime atmosphere.) This is the fifth or sixth draft–I kind of lost track–and right now the document looks like this:

Writing is editing, right?

Soon I’ll have exciting news like a pub date and jacket copy and maybe even a cover to share. In the meantime, I’m sequestered with my revision.

What’s new with you?

News: SUMMER found a new home!

Feb 17, 2015 | Aladdin, AWESOMENESS, books, happy happy joy joy, New Leaf, news, Simon & Schuster, Summer of Lost and Found, Uncategorized

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

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.

(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.

Egmont’s Last List

Feb 15, 2015 | authors, blog touring, book people, Egmont, feel the love, Summer of Lost and Found, Uncategorized

Publishers Weekly had a great article about the next steps for some Egmont USA employees (congrats, Jordan, Alison, and Michelle!) along with information on Egmont’s Last List.

The Last List is a publicity and marketing campaign for Egmont’s Spring 2015 titles–all of which are still being distributed and sold by Penguin Random House. These authors need all the support they can get with launching their books, so please check out the blog hop hosted by Cuddlebuggery and the group’s Tumblr. Here’s a handy reference for the great Egmont USA books still TK:

In the midst of the sadness of Egmont’s closing, it has been heartening to see how the kidlit community has banded together to help the affected publishers and authors–myself included. Thanks for all the support and well wishes!

(And stay tuned for news I can’t share quite yet on Summer of Lost and Found.)

Manatees, an MG dream come true

Jan 24, 2015 | AWESOMENESS, deepthoughts, easily startled, Egmont, happy happy joy joy, IRL, middle grade, mildly maudlin, off topic, random, rare Saturday post alert, Summer of Lost and Found, Uncategorized

A lot went on in publishing this week,* but this post isn’t about that. Because the week before, I did something that middle-grade me would’ve been over the moon about:

I met a manatee.

I first read about manatees in a random Sleepover Friends super special (Super Beach Mystery) when I was in elementary school. I couldn’t believe that I’d never heard about this “sea cow” creature before, considering how much I loved marine mammals. The more I read about manatees, the more curious I became. They are vegetarians who eat 10% of their body weight daily! They are related to elephants! The communicate with a language of clicks and chirps! I ended up fundraising for the Save the Manatee club (through which I adopted my first manatee, Boomer), and I even wrote my first “book” about them as a school project, MANATEES: PROBLEMS HELPS.

My first book

I am unsure whether I did not know the word “solutions” or whether I didn’t have the right sticker letters for it.

My early nonfiction writing

I even wrote manatee poetry.

But being a kid in Wisconsin, there were no manatees near me. Years went by, I never stopped finding them delightful–but I never had a chance to see one.

Last week, my husband and I were in Florida to escape the cold. We took an hour to drive inland from Sanibel Island and found the Manatee Park. I ran down the path (dodging a very realistic statue of an alligator–you would’ve shrieked, too!) and up to a river, and then I saw my first ever manatee.

Later on in the trip, we took a special tour at the Miami Seaquarium, which is one of three facilities that can rehabilitate injured manatees. (Sadly, part of the reason why manatees are an endangered species is because they are frequently harmed or killed by speeding boats.) That was where I got to meet Julia and Phoenix and feed them some of their favorite treats (sweet potatoes and grapes).

It was so cool to get to interact with them–manatees are friendly, curious, and smart. They are also HUGE. Somehow, all the photos I’ve seen over the years did not do justice to their size.

As a thirtysomething it was a great way to spend an afternoon, but I kept thinking about how ridiculously excited middle-grade Rebecca would’ve been about talking to people who care for manatees–and getting to feel manatees’ whiskers as they gobble up lunch. It reminded me how awesomely curious and passionate kids are–one of the many reasons I love writing books for young readers.

Every grown-up should remember something that they loved fiercely or studied enthusiastically as a kid, and reconnect with it. It’s good for the soul.

*A brief note about the sad news from Egmont USA. Yes, Summer of Lost and Found was affected by the decision to close the US operations. Hopefully, I will be able to share more information on what’s next for my book soon. Until then, I’d like to acknowledge how wonderful it was to be an Egmont author, and what a privilege it was to work with Jordan Hamessley and the rest of the team. Published and Spring 2015 Egmont books will still be distributed by Penguin Random House–go and check them out!

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction