Today I talk with Jenn Bailey, the Schneider Award-winning writer of one of my very favorite picture books A Friend for Henry (Chronicle, 2019), illustrated by the wonderful Mika Song.
I’m so excited to see that Henry’s journey continues in Henry,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Jenn Bailey on Writing Early Readers & Henry, Like Always »
I’m thrilled to welcome Sangu Mandanna to the Cynsations blog today!
Could you tell us about your latest book?
My latest book, Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom (Penguin Random House, 2022) is a middle grade fantasy about what happens when a young girl’s sketchbook world comes to life.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Sangu Mandanna Reflects on her Publishing Journey »
I have been a fan of Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s work for decades now. We’ve been together in a writing group since 1997. I can’t imagine letting a manuscript go to my agent without having this amazing writer and friend cast her eyes on it first. I feel so fortunate that she is in my writing circle—my life circle.
I am so pleased to welcome Juliana Brant to Cynsations today to chat about her writing habits, creative life, and how she finds balance. She is the author of The Wolf of Cape Fen (Sourcebooks, 2020) and A Wilder Magic (Sourcebooks, 2021), which was released last week!
Continue Reading Author Interview: Juliana Brandt on Writing & Balance »
Today I am excited to introduce our readers to Carrie Firestone. Carrie is the author of two YA novels, The Loose Ends List (Little, Brown, 2016) and The Unlikelies (Little, Brown, 2017). Recently, her middle-grade novel Dress Coded (G.P. Putnam’s Sons,
Continue Reading Carrie Firestone on Youth Activism & Dress Coded, Her Debut Middle Grade Novel »
Alex Sanchez is a successful tween-YA author 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.
Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer-artist’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?
As an author, poet, and chronicler—and clinical social worker—my writing tends to explore social-emotional learning (SEL). While I deeply value the STEM and STEAM frameworks (and poetry and stories!) my own commitment and abilities lean toward creating work that handles issues that promote and build on SEL, without which STEM and STEAM learning cannot thrive.
Continue Reading Heart and Spirit: An Interview with Lisa Jenn Bigelow »
Anne Bustard is a successful children’s author with a long, distinguished career.
In children’s-YA writing and illustration, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field. Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer-artist’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?
Laura Ruby is a successful author 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.
Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed to defy the odds to achieve continued success?
By Kate Messner
I’ll start this post with a confession. I don’t really have any secrets.
The truth is, when my first novel came out in 2009, I made all of the same overeager mistakes other debut writers make when that first book is released–over-promoting and dragging my wonderfully supportive family to book event after book event for an entire season.