4.14.2020: Livestream Event + Eviscerating Envy

If you’re home on Wednesday evening (as you should be!) I hope you’ll tune in to a livestream event I’m doing with Amy Jo Burns, author of the memoir Cinderland and the novel Shiner, which comes out on May 5 from Riverhead Books and is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. (The first sentence: “Making good moonshine isn’t that different from telling a good story, and no one tells a story like a woman.”)

Amy Jo and I have been discussing the ins and outs of the writing and publishing process over monthly lunches for the past five years, and we’re excited to continue the conversation in this free online event presented by Princeton Public Library and Labyrinth Books. It starts at 7:30pm eastern time on April 15. For more information and to register for the event, please click here.

P.S. Our wonderful local bookstore, Labyrinth Books, is offering a 10% discount and free shipping on phone orders for this event, so please call them at (609) 497-1600 ext. 1 to get your copy of Shiner (and, if you don’t have it yet or need a few extra copies for birthday parties, baby showers, and Mother’s Day, Love, Sophia on the Moon). Thank you!

And speaking of the roles creative friendships play in our creative lives: I have a new piece in the May issue of The Writer magazine (out now) called Eviscerating Envy, about ways to deal with professional jealousy. I don’t know if any of our feelings or worries from The Before are still relevant, but Rooga says it makes a nice blanket. You can judge it for yourself here.

3.31.2020: Love, Sophia on the Moon

Dear Mom,

I’m running away and won’t ever come back. From now on I live on the moon. Don’t try to stop me.

Love, Sophia

Mika Song’s and my new picture book, Love, Sophia on the Moon, goes out into the world today, and while it won’t be launched in the usual ways (our book party was canceled, and I won’t be visiting it in stores or going out for a celebratory milkshake), I’m still feeling proud and so grateful.

This epistolary story about anger, imagination, unconditional love, and moonicorns comes straight from my heart—and Mika Song’s beautiful illustrations are utter (and udder) perfection. Booklist called Love, Sophia on the Moon a “lovely, funny, tender story” with “incredibly clever storytelling,” and Kirkus Reviews predicts, “Readers will love it to the moon and back.”

If you’d like to judge the book for yourself, please call your local bookstore (many are offering curbside pickup, local delivery, or shipping) or order it using one of these links: Bookshop | Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | Target | Indigo | Book Depository (ships worldwide) | BAM. You can also watch and share this video of me reading it. Thanks, as always, for your interest and support.

P.S. The cows say no one gets sick on the mooooooon, so please join us there for moonberry tarts and asteroid tea at half past a comet 💙

2.19.2020: Ways to Level Up

“You are ready to art harder than you’ve ever arted before. But…how?”

I wrote a piece for the March 2020 issue of The Writer magazine called Ways to Level Up, on how to push your craft and career to the next level. It’s basically a two-page Pep Talk to Self that I hope other writers will find useful as well. (A sample: “Stop containing and confining this thing that is so important to you. Light it up. Let it roar. What if this were the day, the week, the month, the year that you let your burning ambitions take over?”) Find it here (PDF) or on newsstands now. Thanks for reading.

As a lifelong fan of libraries and librarians, I was thrilled to learn that Charles Santoso’s and my picture book Watch Out for Wolf! has been named to the Texas Library Association’s 2020 2x2 Reading List, “the best of recent books meant for children aged two to grade two.” The committee read 946 books and chose 20. Find the full list here, and a deck of suggested activities and discussion points for each book here. Thank you, Texas librarians!

ICYMI: Last week I revealed the cover of my next YA novel, Nobody Knows But You, a friendship-based thriller coming from HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books on September 8. (Writing this book was ridiculously fun. I am SO EXCITED for you to read it.) Find a plot summary, brief excerpt, and preorder links here. The illustration is by Hokyoung Kim, with cover design by Molly Fehr. Isn’t it gorgeous?

P.S. If you haven’t yet read my first YA novel, good news: Always Forever Maybe is now available in paperback!

12.11.2019: Finding Hope Through Story

“Other people’s stories have the power to help us understand our own—and sometimes, to change the narrative.”

I wrote a piece for the January 2020 issue of The Writer magazine called Finding Hope Through Story. It’s about what I thought I’d be writing when I started the book that became Always Forever Maybe, and how developing my first-draft clichés into something more nuanced led to a different story altogether—and unearthed some uncomfortable memories (which I still feel vulnerable sharing). Find it here or on newsstands now. Thanks for reading.

Always Forever Maybe comes out in paperback on February 4, and the hardcover, ebook, and audio versions are all available now. You can also find it in Danish!

Meanwhile, I’m hard at work on a fun secret project I hope to announce soon (but here’s a hint: boo!). And illustrator Mika Song’s and my forthcoming picture book, Love, Sophia on the Moon, received its first trade reviews, which have me beaming. Publishers Weekly praised how it “gently portrays the stubborn flight and the resulting plight of a frustrated child,” and Kirkus predicted, “Readers will love it to the moon and back.” (It comes out in March. Yes, you can preorder it now!)

Friends in NYC, please save the date for a Love, Sophia on the Moon launch party with Mika and me at Stories Bookshop in Brooklyn on Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 10:30am. There will be snacks!

Love, Sophia on the Moon F&Gs (advance copies), and hot cocoa on notes for my work-in-progress

11.5.2019: Magic tricks! Mix-ups! Mayhem!

Pick a card, any card…

…and prepare to be amazed by the tricks up Anna’s sleeve in Anna, Banana, and the Magic Show Mix-Up. The eighth book in the Anna, Banana chapter-book series is *waves magic wand* *POOF!* out today in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

What’s it about? Friendship! Magic tricks! Secrets! Surprises! Rivalries! Problem-solving! Party planning! A lop-eared rabbit named Miss Fluffybutt! And, of course, Banana, the best dog ever.

Here’s a summary:

Anna and her friends are putting on a magic show!

When Justin dazzles his classmates with a mysterious, magical card trick, Anna, Sadie, and Isabel are determined to figure out how it’s done. They set out for the best place to find answers—the library!—ready to learn every trick in the book. If they can perfect their acts in time (with Banana’s help, of course), they will put on a show of their own at the neighborhood potluck party.

But the tricks aren’t as easy as they look, even with instructions. And with Anna still determined to figure out Justin’s secret as the big show approaches, things are getting more and more mixed up. Can Anna perform some magic and get the mix-ups under control before—presto—it’s showtime? 

And here’s a peek at chapter three:

I didn’t look at Justin during the science experiments, or pay him any attention during geography, either. But by the time we went outside for recess, my curiosity was so hot, I thought it might boil over. It was finally time to see the trick! 

Sadie, Isabel, and I ran to the merry-go-round. Its flat surface would be good for spreading out playing cards. “Justin! Over here!” Sadie called.

Justin walked up to us and swept one arm through the air dramatically. “Behold!” he said. “Prepare to be shocked and amazed!”

The book is full of magically adorable illustrations by Cassey Kuo. Here are some of my favorites:

If you'd like to purchase a copy (thank you!) please ask for it at your favorite local bookstore, or use one of these retailer links: B&N | Indiebound | Amazon | BAM | Apple Books | Indigo | Target | Book Depository (international) | S&S

Happy reading!

10.11.2019: How to Critique on the Moon

New article! And new picture book!

I wrote a piece for the November 2019 issue of The Writer magazine (on newsstands now) called How to Be a Good Critique Partner. It’s full of best practices to apply when you don an editorial cap—strategies and approaches that will improve how your feedback is delivered and received. I hope you’ll take a look.

Those who follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook may have already seen this news: Illustrator Mika Song and I have a new picture book coming in spring 2020, and I am bursting with love for the art. Love, Sophia on the Moon is a mother-daughter story about anger, imagination, unconditional love, and moonicorns. It comes out on March 31, and it may be the best thing I’ve written.

If you’d like to preorder a copy (thank you!), please request it at your local bookstore or library, or follow one of these links: Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | Target | Indigo | Book Depository (ships worldwide) | BAM. Learn more about the book here.

Life on earth isn’t fair, so Sophia is off to the moon…

8.5.2019: Magic Show Mix-Up Cover Reveal

And now, for our next trick…

I’m delighted to share the cover for Anna, Banana, and the Magic Show Mix-Up—book eight in the Anna, Banana chapter-book series—which comes out November 5, 2019 in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

Ta-da!

The adorable cover art is by Cassey Kuo, and you’ll find many more of her fun illustrations inside.

What's it about? Friendship! Magic tricks! Secrets! Surprises! Problem-solving! Party planning! A lop-eared rabbit named Miss Fluffybutt—and, of course, a wiener dog named Banana. To learn more about the plot and read a brief excerpt, click here.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy (thank you!) please ask for it at your local bookstore or library, or use one of these retailer links: Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | BAM | Apple Books | Indigo | Target | Book Depository (international) | S&S. You can also add or review it on Goodreads.

Thanks for reading!

1.22.2019: Strive to Fail

Writing about Writing (and Talking about It Too)

I wrote a piece for the February 2019 issue of The Writer magazine (on newsstands now) called Strive to Fail (published online as Six Counterintuitive Goals to Shake Up Your Writing Routine), in which I suggest some attainable—and perhaps surprising—objectives to set, such as Aim Lower, Seek Rejection, Slack Off, and Read Terrible Books, to aid in the pursuit of your writerly ambitions.

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with author Mindy McGinnis for her podcast, Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire. We discussed redirecting anxiety into creativity; writing across age categories; the nuts, bolts, and vulnerabilities of publishing personal essays; and more. You can stream or download the episode here, or find it on your favorite podcast app.

I’ve been spending January away from social media, burrowing deep into my YA draft (and giving Anna, Banana book 8 a final polish), and exploring nearby trails with my favorite pup, Arugula. Here’s a photo from a recent adventure:

Happy trails to you, too!

12.5.2018: Books for Underfunded Schools and Libraries

Always Forever Maybe has been out in the world for six months today, and to celebrate, I’m hoping to donate some copies to underfunded school and public libraries. Will you please help spread the word?

If that’s your school or library, please request the book at https://tinyurl.com/AFMdonation (that link brings you to a google form). If you know of an underfunded school or library in need of YA books, please share this post with them. You can also find a shareable version of it on my Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages. Thanks for your help!

I’m so grateful to all of you who have read, shared, borrowed, bought, or talked about the book this year. Your support means the world.

P.S. The Anna, Banana chapter-book giveaway has closed, and I’m in the process of sending more than 100 new books to Title I public schools in eighteen different states.

P.P.S. If you’re in NYC, come see me tonight at my last public event of the year: Teen Author Reading Night at the Jefferson Market branch of the New York Public Library. I’ll be sharing the stage with some incredible writers, and reading from and talking about Always Forever Maybe. More details here.