Author Interview: P.J. Hoover Tackles Nonfiction With Problem Solvers

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Today I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Austin author P.J. Hoover to Cynsations!

P.J. may be best known for her fast-paced adventure novels like Homer’s Excellent Adventure (CBAY, 2020), The Hidden Code (CBAY Books, 2019) and Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life (Tor/Starscape,

Continue Reading Author Interview: P.J. Hoover Tackles Nonfiction With Problem Solvers »

Author & Illustrator Interview: Patricia Newman & Natasha Donovan Reflect on A River’s Gifts

By Linda Joy Singleton

Spotlight image: Patricia Newman signs a book for Bebe, the narrator of A River’s Gifts book trailer.

I’m excited to celebrate an amazing new book by Sibert Honor award winning author Patricia Newman and acclaimed illustrator Natasha Donovan. I’ve been lucky to be in a critique group with Patricia for over a dozen years—she’s one of the best critique partners ever.

Continue Reading Author & Illustrator Interview: Patricia Newman & Natasha Donovan Reflect on A River’s Gifts »

Author Interview: Kellye Crocker Uses a Light Touch for a Serious Subject

By Gayleen Rabakukk

I’m thrilled to welcome author Kellye Crocker to Cynsations! Like me, she’s a Vermont College of Fine Arts alumnx more than a decade past graduation. Her debut middle grade novel, Dad’s Girlfriend and Other Anxieties (Albert Whitman & Company, October 2022) features practical tips on mindfulness and managing anxiety shared through a hilarious,

Continue Reading Author Interview: Kellye Crocker Uses a Light Touch for a Serious Subject »

New Voices: Jacquetta Nammar Feldman & Sean Petrie: From Poetry to MG Novels

By Gayleen Rabakukk

I’m thrilled to welcome two Austin/VCFA authors with debut middle grade novels. I met Jacquetta Nammar Feldman at an intensive at The Writing Barn, and Sean Petrie and I were Vermont College of Fine Arts students at the same time. It’s very exciting when passages you’ve read in a workshop become a published book!

Continue Reading New Voices: Jacquetta Nammar Feldman & Sean Petrie: From Poetry to MG Novels »

Guest Post: Laura Sibson on Finding a Writing Process That Fits Each Book

By Laura Sibson

Hello! I am thrilled to be here as a guest reporter chatting with you about the writing process and how it changes for each book. I wondered if this was only true for me, but it turns out that lots of other authors experience the same phenomenon. In this post, I’ll share with you the distinctions in drafting my manuscripts and over the next few days,

Continue Reading Guest Post: Laura Sibson on Finding a Writing Process That Fits Each Book »

Author Interview: Jennifer Ziegler on Word Play and Developing Characters

By Gayleen Rabakukk

Today I’m thrilled to welcome fellow Austin author and friend Jennifer Ziegler to the Cynsations blog for a chat about writing and teaching. Her latest middle grade novel, Worser (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House, 2022) has received several starred reviews and lots of positive buzz.

Tell us about your new release,

Continue Reading Author Interview: Jennifer Ziegler on Word Play and Developing Characters »

Writing Chapter Books: Claudia Mills Chats About the “Between-ness & Betwixt-ness” of Chapter Books

By Stephani Martinell Eaton

Today we continue our focus on chapter books by talking with Claudia Mills, author of more than 60 books for young readers, including dozens of chapter books.

What appeals to you about writing chapter books?

Oh, so many things! But if I were to distill them into one,

Continue Reading Writing Chapter Books: Claudia Mills Chats About the “Between-ness & Betwixt-ness” of Chapter Books »