Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Today I’m excited to share my interview with debut author Ginger Reno (Cherokee) about her path to publication and her middle grade novel, Find Her (Holiday House, Oct. 15, 2024). From the publisher’s website:
Five years, three months, and twelve days.
That’s how long Wren’s mother has been missing.In dreams, Wren can see her again: her eyes, her hair, her smile. She can even hear her laugh. Her mother, one of hundreds of Native Americans considered missing or murdered in Oklahoma. Sometimes it seems like Wren and her grandmother are the only people still looking. Even more frustrating, Wren’s overprotective father won’t talk about it.
Wren refuses to give up, though. And an opportunity to find lost pets seems like a real way to hone her detective skills. But everything changes when one of the missing pets is found badly hurt. Soon, there are others.
With help from an unlikely friend, Wren vows to unmask whoever is behind the animal abuse. If she can do this, maybe she can do the same for her mother’s case. She’ll just have to keep it secret from her father who will certainly put an end to all her sleuthing if he finds out.
Find Her explores the crisis of missing Indigenous women from the perspective of a sensitive young Cherokee girl who yearns to find her mother, while also navigating a chilling town mystery, a new friendship, and a family in need of healing.
What first inspired you to write for young readers?
Growing up, I loved to read and believe that planted the first seed, but it wasn’t until years later when a woman came into the kitchen store and cooking school I managed (funny, because I can’t cook), with her son in tow. He looked to be about ten-to-twelve years old and was so engrossed in the book he was reading that he was running into the racks. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I remember thinking how awesome it must be to write something that could do that. That’s when the bug really bit.
Please describe your pre-publication craft apprenticeship. How did you take your writing from a beginner level to publishable?
I’m 100 percent convinced this whole journey is a God thing—opening the right doors at the right time—so I must first give credit where credit is due. That said, I still had to be willing to put in the work.
I wrote a complete first draft of a novel having absolutely no idea what I was doing before spotting a notice in a local paper for a Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) conference in Tulsa. I joined in 2009 and began my education.
A few years later, I was fortunate that the then Oklahoma regional advisor for SCBWI and award-winning author, Anna Myers, offer to mentor me. She really made me put in the work.
What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?
Hearing about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Movement (MMIWG), I couldn’t believe the heartbreaking statistics I read. For instance, the murder rate for Indigenous Women and Girls is ten times that of the national average, and murder is the third leading cause of death. I kept asking myself, “What if it was my loved one that was missing?” Then the question became, “What if I was a twelve-year-old Cherokee girl and my mother was missing?”
Just trying to imagine that situation was gut-wrenching. But imagining pales in comparison to those who actually live it.
What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing the text to life?
I was nervous during writing and still am. Given the seriousness of MMIWG and associated movements, it was vital the story be respectful of the real missing and their families. I pray I succeeded.
It was also very important to me that any Cherokee language and cultural references be accurate. For this, I needed help. It was intimidating to reach out . . . admitting that, although I had been working toward reconnecting with my Cherokee heritage well before the idea of this story, I still don’t know as much as I feel I should. But thankfully, those who do know, are more than willing to share their wisdom. I am proof positive that it is never too late to learn.
In terms of publishing, how did you navigate the process of finding an agent and, with his or her representation, connecting your manuscript to a publisher?
Actually, my story unfolded in reverse. Back in 2021, I submitted a picture book directly to Holiday House publishing and they made an offer. (Spirit Shadow is scheduled to release fall of 2026). Working on Sprit Shadow with Holiday House editor Della Farrell was fabulous and once we finalized that manuscript, I was eager to keep my foot in her door, so to speak.
I asked if she would be willing to look at a few pages of my middle grade work-in-progress (Find Her) and let me know if she thought the story had promise—my hope being she might be interested enough to want to see it when it was finished.
She agreed to take a look. So . . . on a Thursday evening, I sent her the first ten pages—which was pretty much all I had— and got an offer the following Monday! Needless to say, I was blown away. I didn’t know an offer for a work-in-progress was even a thing. For a well-established author, maybe, but for me??? To say I was in shock was an understatement.
These two manuscripts and other writing samples helped me connect with my also fabulous agent, Kathleen Rushall with Andrea Brown Literary Agency. My jaw still drops when I think of how everything has played out. I am beyond grateful.
What advice do you have for beginning children’s-YA writers?
Gosh, I could write a book on mistakes I’ve made and lessons I learned the hard way, but here are my top five tips:
- Join SCBWI.org and get involved with your regional chapter. There is A LOT to learn and if you’re serious about writing, they can help guide you.
- Find a critique group, (SCBWI can help with this too), but make sure at least one member is a stronger writer so they can elevate your work. And once you become that stronger writer, remember to return the favor.
- Read. A. Lot. Starting out, I pretty much stopped reading – afraid of accidentally taking in the ideas of others. What I should’ve been doing is reading even more. I now know there’s no better way to learn than to draw from the success of others. As Stephen King said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”
- Stay positive. Develop patience. Sometimes it can be hard—really hard. But believe in yourself enough to know there are stories that only you can tell. Trust that it’s just a matter of getting it into the right hands at the right time. Surround yourself with supportive people and keep the faith!
- Check your spam folder. My first email contact from Della with Holiday House publishing went straight to spam. How different my story would be had I missed it.
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The view from Ginger’s writing desk.
Do you have other books we can look forward to?
Yes! Thanks for asking!
Spirit Shadow (Holiday House, Fall 2026) is a picture book illustrated by Mary Lupton (Cherokee), the same very talented illustrator who did the beautiful cover of Find Her. Spirit Shadow in many ways is my story. A girl who has always felt her ancestor’s spirit around her, nudging her to remember her Cherokee heritage. A trip to Diligwa, a replica of a 1700s era Cherokee village, helps her on that journey – And helps her see that everyone has their own ancestor’s spirit tugging at their sleeve.
Many Ways Of Being Native (Charlesbridge, Fall 2026) is my latest picture book project (no illustrator yet). Through dreamlike visions, a red-tailed hawk shows a young boy and girl that being Native isn’t about looking a certain way while encouraging them to dream big. There’s no limit to what the Native spirit can achieve!
I can’t wait to see these two stories come to life!
Cynsational Notes
Ginger Reno has always been a writer—it just took a while for her to figure that out. (Her first clue should’ve been her family always calling her “the wordy one.”) An enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, her desire to learn about Cherokee history and culture has naturally spilled over into her writing. Find Her, her debut novel, is part of that journey.
Her picture book debut, Spirit Shadow, will be illustrated by Mary Lupton (Cherokee Nation). Ginger lives in northeast Oklahoma within the Cherokee Nation and spends a lot of lakefront porch time with her two favorite people—her husband and their German shepherd.
Gayleen Rabakukk holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma. She has published numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and two regional interest books for adults. She is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.
She serves as board member for Lago Vista’s Friends of the Library and also leads a book club for young readers at the library. She’s active in Austin SCBWI and has taught creative writing workshops for the Austin Public Library Foundation. She loves inspiring curiosity in young readers through stories of hope and adventure. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.