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 we welcome authors Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith to Cynsations to discuss their collaboration on a new middle grade graphic novel series,
We’re thrilled to have Author Will Taylor on Cynsations today.
Congratulations on winning the Washington State Book Award! How has winning the award changed or affected your creative life? What hasn’t changed?
Thank you so much! I remember attending the Washington State Book Award ceremony the year before my first book came out and thinking “Maybe someday!” It’s truly wild that it’s actually happened.
By AJ Eversole
I’m thrilled to have Nasugraq Rainey Hopson (Inupiaq) today on Cynsations! Hopson has contributed to three short story anthologies, Rural Voices (Candlewick, 2022), Tasting Light (Miteen Press, 2022) and the forthcoming Boundless (Inkyard Press, 2023). Also an accomplished illustrator, Nasugraq also designed the logo for HarperCollins Heartdrum imprint.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Nasugraq Rainey Hopson is Drawn to Stories Celebrating Unity »
Thirteen and In Between
The year I was 13, I grew from five-foot-seven to five-ten and three quarters. One day, a seventh grader gazed up at me and snapped, “Move, you big palooka.” You could say that moment I felt pretty small.
That year I also ran our school carnival.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Lyn Fairchild Hawks Advocates for Thirteen-Year-Old YA Protagonists »
Congratulations to Bethany Hegedus on the upcoming publication of You, Me, We: A Celebration of Peace and Community, co-written with Arun Gandhi, illustrated by Andrés Landazábal (Candlewick Press, June 2023). From the promotional copy:
Peace is you. Peace is me.
Peace is the great big We of community.
By AJ Eversole
Today we get to hear from Brian Young, author of American Indian Youth Literature Award Winning Healer of the Water Monster (Heartdrum, 2022). The sequel, Heroes of the Water Monster (Heartdrum, 2023) will be released May 23. From the promotional copy:
An unmissable companion to Healer of the Water Monster,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Brian Young Discusses The Joy of Writing His Second Book »
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.
Congratulations to Diana López on the publication of Felice and the Wailing Woman, book 1 of the Los Monstruos series (Kokila, April 18, 2023). From the promotional copy:
When Felice learns that she’s the daughter of La Llorona, she catches a ride to the magical town of Tres Leches, where her mother is said to be haunting the river.
Continue Reading Throwback Thursday: Diana López on Confetti Girl »
My journey in calendaring my manuscripts did not begin with a calendar. It began with a list—a lengthy, elaborate document I had created to cross-reference dates, settings, and activities for my main character Yasmeen in my debut middle grade novel, Wishing Upon the Same Stars (HarperCollins, 2022). I thought my list was perfect.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Jacquetta Nammar Feldman: Your Manuscript Needs a Calendar! »
When I was brand-new to Austin, my fellow Vermont College alumnx welcomed me to the local kidlit community, especially Anne Bustard. At a writing retreat six or seven years ago, Anne told us she was working on an intergenerational story set in the 1960s, with a small Texas town planning a UFO welcome festival.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Anne Bustard’s Advice on Historical Fiction & Far Out! »