New Voice & Giveaway: Donna Janell Bowman on Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness

New Voice & Giveaway: Donna Janell Bowman on Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Donna Janell Bowman is the first-time author of Step Right Up:  How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World About Kindness, illustrated by Daniel Minter (Lee & Low, 2016). From the promotional copy:

A Horse that can read, write, and do math?

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Guest Post: Joy Preble on Life as an Author-Bookseller…or Bookseller-Author?

Guest Post: Joy Preble on Life as an Author-Bookseller…or Bookseller-Author?

Joy’s first full day at Brazos Bookstore

By Joy Preble

Last month, I became the new Children’s Specialist at Brazos Bookstore in Houston. I hadn’t planned on it, but when you stumble into your dream job, well, you take it!

It’s a balancing act: Selling books and buying books and merchandising and creating store events,

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Guest Post: Amy Bearce on World-Building Woes (& Wows)

Guest Post: Amy Bearce on World-Building Woes (& Wows)

By Amy Bearce

Confession: I have a terrible time with world-building. So, naturally, I consistently write fantasy, where world-building is critical.

You gotta be kidding me! Credit: Pixabay, mintchipdesigns, CC0

In real life, I’m not very observant about the space around me. I notice people’s emotions, but not what they are eating or what they are wearing.

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Guest Post: P.J. Hoover on The Awesomeness of School Visits

Guest Post: P.J. Hoover on The Awesomeness of School Visits

By P.J. Hoover

OMG an author visit! It’s a huge, exciting time for students, teachers, and the author. We, the authors, are honored to be visiting your school.

Aside from the fact that it gives us an opportunity to get out of the house (and change out of our pajamas), there is nothing better than connecting with our target audience about a subject we love: books.

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New Voice & Giveaway: Paige Britt on The Lost Track of Time

New Voice & Giveaway: Paige Britt on The Lost Track of Time

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Paige Britt
is the first-time author of The Lost Track of Time, illustrated by Lee White
(Scholastic, 2015). From the promotional copy:


A magical fantasy, an allegorical cautionary tale, a feast of language, a celebration of creativity–this dazzling debut novel is poised to become a story for the ages.

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Guest Post: Cory Putnam Oakes on The Seven Deadly Sins of Sequels

Guest Post: Cory Putnam Oakes on The Seven Deadly Sins of Sequels

By Cory Putnam Oakes

When I sold my first middle grade novel, I was super excited when my publisher asked me if I would also write a sequel.

A sequel! Squee! 

Because two books were obviously twice as awesome as one book and now I’d get to spend more time writing in the world I had painstakingly constructed for Book #1.

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