Author & Editor Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith & Rosemary Brosnan on Heartdrum & Successful Author-Editor Relationships

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!

Spotlight Image: HarperCollins Publisher and Vice President Rosemary Brosnan with Heartdrum Author-Curator Cynthia Leitich Smith

By Gayleen Rabakukk

On a Wing And A Tear,

Continue Reading Author & Editor Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith & Rosemary Brosnan on Heartdrum & Successful Author-Editor Relationships »

Career Achievers: Don Tate on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author, Illustrator & Author-Illustrator

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!

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Don Tate is a successful children’s-YA creator with a long, distinguished career.

In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.

Continue Reading Career Achievers: Don Tate on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing Children’s-YA Author, Illustrator & Author-Illustrator »

Co-Author Interview: Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith on Collaboration, Careers & the Joy of Creating Children’s Books

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!

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Today we welcome authors Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith to Cynsations to discuss their collaboration on a new middle grade graphic novel series,

Continue Reading Co-Author Interview: Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith on Collaboration, Careers & the Joy of Creating Children’s Books »

Author Conversation: Angeline Boulley talks with Cynthia Leitich Smith

By Gayleen Rabakukk

At the recent Texas Library Association Conference, authors Angeline Boulley, interviewed by Cynthia Leitich Smith, headlined the closing keynote. The authors appeared in conversation, discussing books, writing, and their shared love of libraries. I’m thrilled to share highlights from their conversation with our Cynsations readers.

Continue Reading Author Conversation: Angeline Boulley talks with Cynthia Leitich Smith »

Guest Post: Author Michael Leali on Retellings & His New Middle Grade Novel Matteo

By Michael Leali

As much as I’m a reader, I also love movies and television. As I recently told my boyfriend, “I’m addicted to story,” and I have been for as long as I can remember. Growing up, Disney animated features like The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin were some of my absolute favorites.

Continue Reading Guest Post: Author Michael Leali on Retellings & His New Middle Grade Novel Matteo »

Authors in Conversation: Adrianna Cuevas & Cynthia Leitich Smith on Eerie Books

Two award-winning Austin authors have ghostly books publishing this month: Adrianna Cuevas and Cynthia Leitich Smith. We couldn’t resist the opportunity for insight on eerie stories from these authors, so we arranged for them to ask each other questions. First up, Cynthia asks Adrianna questions about The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto (Farrar,

Continue Reading Authors in Conversation: Adrianna Cuevas & Cynthia Leitich Smith on Eerie Books »

Announcing Davy June’s Legendary Fry Bread Drive-In Anthology

By AJ Eversole

Hello there! It’s AJ here to ecstatically introduce the next anthology out from Heartdrum

Heartdrum, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, offers a wide range of innovative, unexpected, and heartfelt stories by Native creators, informed and inspired by lived experience, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes.

Continue Reading Announcing Davy June’s Legendary Fry Bread Drive-In Anthology »

Guest Post: Lyn Hawks on How YA Is Literary: The Search for an Abundant Canon

By Lyn Fairchild Hawks

As a young adult author and former high school teacher who loves reading lists full of unique voices and identities, I find recent news about banned books heartbreaking.

Back in 1986, I wrote a high school research paper about book censorship, and here we are again. I dived back into this problem as an MFA student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts,

Continue Reading Guest Post: Lyn Hawks on How YA Is Literary: The Search for an Abundant Canon »

Guest Post: Patricia Morris Buckley on the We Need Diverse Books Native Intensive

By Patricia Morris Buckley

Not too far off the beaten track in Austin, visitors are welcomed to The Writing Barn retreat center, a place where deer wander the meadows, the buildings are air conditioned and rooms are filled with bookshelves. There, thirteen Native participants gathered the weekend of Aug. 4 to Aug.

Continue Reading Guest Post: Patricia Morris Buckley on the We Need Diverse Books Native Intensive »

WNDB Native Children’s – YA Writing Intensive Applications Open

By Gayleen Rabakukk

A writing community can make all the difference in navigating the long and often frustrating journey of becoming a published author. Whether it’s sharing craft tips or submission opportunities, writing buddies provide the encouragement and support needed for going the distance. But connecting can be a challenge, especially if a given community represents a small percentage of the population.

Continue Reading WNDB Native Children’s – YA Writing Intensive Applications Open »