I always appreciate a great story about family. By that, I don’t mean I specifically search for books on this literary theme. Rather, when I read a book about family that resonates deeply or refreshes my perspective on the theme, I’m often thinking about that book for weeks, months, even years later. Maybe it’s because… Read more »
As an author, the sole act of completing and finishing written work can be a daunting task all on its own. Throw in marketing and outreach and the entire process can become overwhelming. Books require countless hours of ideation and rounds of editing. Crossing the finish line alone is enough cause for congratulations. However, the… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I am so excited to be hosting Brazilian author Tony Bellotto on the show! As some of you may know, my parents are from Brazil and my first language is actually Portuguese. Though I was raised in the U.S. I consider myself as much Brazilian as American so I am… Read more »
Award season happens every December-February, and with it comes a wave of happy authors and illustrators who get to proudly pin a medal on their covers. But what does each award really signify? Who gives them out and who do they give them to? How does a book earn an award? It’s worth studying up… Read more »
Sometimes, creativity and inspiration can be elusive things. Though I’d like to think I’ve come close to mastering how to evoke my imagination whenever I need her, I still run into instances where all of my flowing thoughts and ideas dry up. Then I’m stuck metaphorically banging my head against the table of whichever coffee… Read more »
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. Who doesn’t? I love the aesthetic prettiness of Instagram, and taking pictures of coffee and books. I love that I can keep up with people from high school and college on Facebook. I love reading the minute-by-minute quips of my favorite thought leaders and writers on Twitter…. Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Kevin Brooks on the show! Kevin is a critically acclaimed young adult novelist whose first book, Martyn Pig, was named a Publishers Weekly “Flying Start” selection. Kevin has written many books since then including Black Rabbit Summer, which was shortlisted for the 2009 Carnegie… Read more »
This is the first of a set of articles I plan to do from time to time on ways to provide details that immerse the reader ever deeper into your story in a way that is fully authentic for the time period. I chose this one first because it’s near and dear to my heart,… Read more »
If you already have a blog on your author website (or are thinking about starting one), you might have heard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And if you’re anything like I used to be, you might be freaking out a little bit over it. So, what is SEO? SEO isn’t just for big, shiny businesses… Read more »
Creating characters of color, especially when you yourself are not of that ethnic group, is an issue most writers will grapple with at some point in their careers. While we could debate the issues of cultural appropriation that occur when white authors produce diverse characters—or how those efforts impact writers of color attempting to share… Read more »
