Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

The Last Grand Adventure news & events!

Mar 15, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been a busy couple of months–more on that soon! But I’m belatedly excited to share a few more snippets from trade reviews for The Last Grand Adventure:

“Informed by history, Behrens’s narrative treasures family relationships and celebrates courage.” —Booklist

“Normally unadventurous twelve-year-old Bea (“I left my adventure journal empty and my worry journal full”) is a sympathetic narrator as she frets about her place in her newly blended family and her grandmother’s wavering memory. The tantalizing thread of possibility about Amelia Earhart and the letters she—or somebody—has been writing to Pidge adds alluring mystery.” —BCCB

“Historical fiction lovers are in for a treat with this heartfelt tale of discovery and hope. . . . This story has much to love, from the touching development of Bea and Pidge’s relationship to Bea conquering her fears and discovering the appeal of adventure. . . . VERDICT An excellent purchase for readers who enjoy a strong dose of adventure and solid character development in their historical fiction.”—Darla Salva Cruz, School Library Journal

I’m blushing, SLJ! It’s always a great feeling when a reviewer seems to really get the story you were trying to tell. I’m grateful to these reviewers for their thoughtful and insightful reviews.

The Last Grand Adventure will be out next week, and it’s only fitting that I hit the road to share Bea and Pidge’s story with readers. Here are the places I’ll be in March and April:

More events for the summer are in the works: I’ll be at Bethany Beach Bookstore in June and I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be at the Amelia Earhart Festival in Atchison, Kansas, this July! I’ll keep the Events page of my site updated with all the details. 

Pre-order giveaway for THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE

Feb 20, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , ,

The Last Grand Adventure will be out in a month, and I can’t wait!

But did you know that you can buy a copy today? Pre-ordering books is a great way to support both authors and booksellers. Author Lisa Schroeder tells all the reasons why in this helpful post, but in short:
–Pre-orders can help a bookstore decide whether to stock a book
–Pre-orders can help the author get more marketing support from a publisher
–Pre-orders can help a publisher decide whether to sign up more books from an author

Basically, readers who pre-order books are helping out all the people who make and sell books! As a thank-you, everyone who pre-orders a copy will receive The Last Grand Adventure swag:

–a signed and personalized bookplate
–stickers featuring both the beautiful cover art and the adventure map
–a bookmark
–a super shiny postcard
–bonus pieces of When Audrey Met Alice and Summer of Lost and Found swag 
How to pre-order and get your swag:

1. Order The Last Grand Adventure from the retailer of your choice. Here are links to major retailers:

If you’d like to purchase from your local indie, that is extra great! Just ask a friendly bookseller to order you a copy. In case you need it, the book’s ISBN is: 9781481496926.

2. Email me before March 20, 2018 with the following info: Name, mailing address, instructions on how to personalize your bookplate, and proof-of-purchase (e.g., screenshot of an order confirmation or receipt, or forward the order in your email). Feel free to delete or blur any personal info, but I promise I will not use or save any info you send me.

Also let me know if you’d like to be added to my mailing list. I send out a newsletter about 4 times a year, and I will never share your email.

3. That’s it! I will email you to confirm once I’ve put your pre-order swag in the mail.

Thank you for your support, and happy reading!

2017 in Books

Jan 3, 2018 | , , , , ,

Every year, I keep a reading log in my planner–and on Goodreads, mainly because that way I can easily collect images of the covers and get a tabulation of my pages read (and other fun stats) at the end of the year, such as:

Fewer pages than in previous years, which surprised me–until I remembered that this is the first year I haven’t had a commute in a long time. Public transportation is a great opportunity to read a book! Here are the titles that I enjoyed in 2017:

(Look at those covers. Can you tell that I’m drawn to stories that involve the sea?)

By my count, 30 adult fiction titles, 17 MG, 4 YA, and 7 nonfiction–I traded some YA for nonfiction apparently. 

In 2018, I’m going to try to stay away from reading goals and challenges–other than to make sure I’m reading books by and about people whose life experiences are different than mine and that I’m supporting authors from marginalized communities. So I guess you could say my goal for the new reading year is to focus on the books and the pleasure of time spent reading. 🙂

 

THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE’s first trade review

Dec 10, 2017 | , , , , , , , ,

Last week, The Last Grand Adventure got its first trade review! Which is always a nerve-racking moment for an author–after so many hours spent crafting a story, it’s time to see it through a reader’s fresh eyes. To my delight, Kirkus loved it, calling Bea and Pidge’s story “a quirky, heart-rending journey” that’s “infused with warmth and brightly developed characters and locales.” My favorite part? That they called its end “a heartbreakingly surprising . . . conclusion.” Surprising and heartbreaking are two adjectives I love to read, so it’s a treat to have a critic apply them to my book.

You can read the full review on Kirkus‘s website here.

 

 

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