By Kelly Jensen
It was mid-2014 when I got a rush of frantic messages on Twitter from a number of authors telling me to be in touch with Elise Howard at Algonquin Young Readers (AYR). She really wanted to talk with me.
One talk quickly led to a group call with Krestyna Lypen,
By Kim Rogers
Today, I’m happy to chat with award-winning Choctaw and Cherokee author Gary Robinson. He is also a film maker and digital artist. His young adult book Standing Strong (7th Generation Books, 2019) is part of the Pathfinder series and won the 2019 Moonbeam Children’s Book Gold Award.
By Gayleen Rabakukk, photo above Cameron Kelly Rosenblum, flanked by her Writers House co-agents Bri Johnston and Allie Levick and foreign rights agents Aless Birch and Cecilia de la Campa.
K.T. Mather
What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?
So my character,
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?
After twelve years of writing and hundreds of rejections as I learned to write, I can’t quite believe my first novel is coming out in just eight weeks.
My biggest struggle had always been my characters. I read dozens of character craft books and asked for advice from character gurus like Coe Booth and Sandra Nickel.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Abigail Hing Wen on Character Development the Brutally Hard Way »
Author P.J. Hoover‘s latest book, The Hidden Code (CBAY Books, 2019), is a fast-paced adventure thriller. From the promotional copy:
Eleven years ago, Hannah Hawkins’ parents disappeared while traveling abroad. Presumed dead, Hannah and her uncle are shocked when a letter from her mom arrives right after Hannah’s sixteenth birthday.
Continue Reading Author Interview: P.J. Hoover on Writing (& Publishing) the Stories You Love »
By Traci Sorell
Memoir is one of my favorite genres to read. When Nikki Grimes shared some poems from hers last summer, I knew I must read Ordinary Hazards (Boyds Mills & Kane, 2019), the entire book.
Written in verse, her words captivated me much as the act of writing did her at an early age.
Continue Reading Author Interview: Nikki Grimes on The Power of Words »
By Stephani Martinell Eaton & Gayleen Rabakukk
Today we welcome two debut YA authors with powerful stories grown from personal experience. Natasha Diaz‘s novel, Color Me In (Delacorte, 2019) explores the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.
Ann Rose is the author of two YA novels and an agent with the Prospect Agency, where she represents middle grade and young adult authors.
You’re a writer and an agent. How did you come to literature for young readers?
Years ago, my niece had asked me to read books with her.
Continue Reading Author-Agent Interview: Ann Rose of Prospect Agency »
By Cori McCarthy & A.R. Capetta
Hello dear readers (and, in many cases, writers)!
A.R. and I are here today to interview each other in celebration and—let’s be honest—promotion of our debut coauthored YA novel Once & Future (Jimmy Patterson, 2019), a genderbent King Arthur retelling in space,
Continue Reading Guest Post: A.R. Capetta & Cori McCarthy Share Craft & Career Insights »