Author Interview: Nora Shalaway Carpenter on Crafting Short Stories & Editing “Cli-Fi” Anthology, Onward

By Mitu Malhotra

Today we are excited to welcome to Cynsations, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, contributing editor of Onward (Charlesbridge Teen, 2026) a collection of sixteen short stories published on Feb. 24. While reading Nora’s latest anthology, I was reminded of Amitav Ghosh’s words: “The climate crisis asks us to imagine other forms of human existence—a task to which fiction is the best suited of all cultural forms.” Kirkus Reviews called this book “A powerful look at a shifting world,” and in a starred review,

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Author Interview: Byron Graves Explores Skating & Relationships in Medicine Wheels

By AJ Eversole

Today we welcome author Byron Graves (Ojibwe/Lakota) whose debut novel, Rez Ball (Heartdrum, 2023) won the William C. Morris Award, the American Indian Youth Literature Award and multiple student-choice state awards. His new book, Medicine Wheels, publishes June 2 from Heartdrum.

What drew you to explore skateboarding culture after the success of Rez Ball?

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Author Interview: Carole Lindstrom on Longer Narrative Fiction & Red River Rose

By AJ Eversole

Today we’re welcoming award-winning author Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe/Metis) to discuss her new middle grade novel, Red River Rose (Bloomsbury, March 2026) and the importance of presenting authentic experiences in historical fiction.

You’re making your middle grade debut with Red River Rose. What drew you to expand into longer narrative fiction,

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Author Interview: Varsha Bajaj on Writing, Restructuring Rejection & her Latest Novel

By Suma Subramaniam

I connected with Varsha Bajaj through her books long before we became friends online. I have read every one of them and shared them with kids. It’s an honor to celebrate Varsha at Cynsations as she welcomes her new novel, Roar (Nancy Paulsen Books, May 2026).

Your forthcoming middle-grade book,

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Author-Illustrator Interview: Deborah Marcero Shares Her Creative Process

By Mitu Malhotra

Today I am excited to welcome author-illustrator Deborah Marcero to Cynsations to talk about her seventh picture book, The Great Escape (Penguin Random House/Putnam, February 2026). Reading The Great Escape took me back to the moment in time when I first met Deborah during an exceptionally cold Vermont winter.

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