Inspirational HS relationship.
The fourth in a series of four posts celebrating the Oct. 9 release of my realistic contemporary YA novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick). Spoiler alert.
Let’s talk about teen love, romance, passion!
Which of course means talking about awkwardness,
Writing is rewriting.
The third in a series of four posts celebrating the Oct. 9 release of my realistic contemporary YA novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick).
We’re all the heroes of our own stories.
The same is true of our fictional friends and foes.
Continue Reading Hearts Unbroken: Writing Well-Rounded Secondary Characters »
Learn more about Cynthia Leitich Smith.
The second in a series of four posts celebrating the Oct. 9 release of my realistic contemporary YA novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick).
We’re all living in the past, present and future.
Perhaps that’s never so true as on the page.
Continue Reading Hearts Unbroken: Writing (Sort Of) Timeless Contemporary Realistic Fiction »
On our way out to a high school winter dance.
The first in a series of four posts celebrating the Oct. 9 release of my realistic contemporary YA novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick).
My senior year of high school, “Back to the Future” was a hot new release,
Continue Reading Hearts Unbroken: Writing Stories “Loosely Inspired By” Your Real Life »
Learn more about Samantha M. Clark,
photo by Sam Bond.
Today we take a peek behind the curtain at the planning and preparation required to organize a successful Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators chapter.
I chatted with Austin’s Regional Advisor,
click image to enlarge
My deepest thanks to distinguished authors An Na, Joseph Bruchac and Guadalupe Garcia McCall for sharing their thoughts about my forthcoming contemporary realistic novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick, Oct. 2018).
Here’s what they had to say:
“I loved her irreverent,
Continue Reading Full Cover & Author Quotes (Blurbs) for Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith »
By Ann Jacobus
It’s an unusual moment when our writing group is in full agreement. But in this case, we knew we had to bring our friend Frances Lee Hall’s wonderful middle grade story to young readers.
The question was how?
Frances Lee Hall
We had all just attended her memorial service.
Laney Nielson is the debut author of Peppermint Cocoa Crushes (Skypony, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Sasha is so excited for her school’s Winter Variety Show! She and her best friends, twins Karly and Kevin, have been working on a song and dance routine for it,
Continue Reading New Voice: Laney Nielson on Peppermint Cocoa Crushes »
Wow! Today, BookRiot is hosting the official cover reveal for my upcoming realistic YA novel, Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick, Oct. 2018).
Click this link for the inside scoop on my initial inspirations for the story. You can also pre-order the book from Indiebound,
Continue Reading Cover Reveal: Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith »
Shelley Ann Jackson, Chris Barton, Jennifer Ziegler, Cyn & P.J. Hoover
Writers put so much emphasis on that first children’s-YA book sale, the debut launch—but maintaining an active publishing career is arguably a much bigger challenge than breaking into the business.
