Illustrator Interview: Ale Díaz Bouza on Publishing in Spain

By Elisabeth Norton

Spotlight image: Ale Díaz Bouza at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy.

Today I’m talking with Ale Díaz Bouza, an illustrator who also serves as the Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators chapter in Spain, about publishing for young readers there.

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The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to A.S. King About How Poems Are “The Truest Thing”

By Carol McAfee

I am excited to speak today with author A.S. King whose books about trauma and resilience are so powerful, they hit you like a lightning bolt.

Welcome here today, Amy. Please tell us about you as a writer. Your aesthetic.

I write weird-to-surrealist novels about young adults in order to help readers of all ages face and heal from their trauma.

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The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to Jasmine Warga About How Poetry Can Heighten Emotion

By Carol McAfee

I am delighted today to speak with author Jasmine Warga, whose books have always deeply moved me, from her very first book, My Heart and Other Black Holes (HarperCollins, 2015) to her recent Other Words For Home (HarperCollins, 2021). As recent events unfold and we feel we swim in a choppy and dehumanizing sea,

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The Power of Poetry: Carol McAfee Talks to Martine Leavitt About How Poetry Can Improve Our Prose

By Carol McAfee

I am delighted today to speak with author Martine Leavitt whose books always make me cry in the way a sunset can make you cry, for the sheer beauty of it.

Martine, please tell us about you as a writer. Your aesthetic. What do you care most about that you want to share with the world?  

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Author Interview: Jennifer Ziegler on Word Play and Developing Characters

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Today I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Austin author and friend Jennifer Ziegler to the Cynsations blog for a chat about writing and teaching. Her latest middle grade novel, Worser (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, 2022) has received several starred reviews and lots of positive buzz.

Tell us about your new release,

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Guest Post: Author Julie Lee on Remembering & Writing Forgotten History

By Julie Lee

Julie Lee is the author of the middle grade historical novel Brother’s Keeper (Holiday House, 2020), a story inspired by her mother’s escape from North Korea during the Korean War.

History has always eluded me. The longer it gets, the more there is to know, and so we distill it into digestible bits,

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