Happy holidays to you! This has been a difficult and strange year for so many, but I hope that you're finding comfort and joy in this special season. I also hope you're buying books for yourself and your loved ones! The American Bookseller Association has been campaigning for readers to shop local this holiday season to help keep independent bookstores open and thriving. |
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To support this initiative, I'm offering free gifts to everyone who purchases one of my books from an independent bookstore in the month of December. Just reach out to me through my website contact form, and I'll send you a signed bookplate, sticker, bookmark, and postcard matching the book you purchased. Follow the link below to buy my books from the retailer of your choice! |
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And Now...Exciting News! In November, I learned that QUINTESSENCE was chosen as one of NCTE's 2021 Charlotte Huck Honor Books! |
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The NCTE Charlotte Huck Awards for Outstanding Fiction for Children recognize fiction that "has the potential to transform children’s lives by inviting compassion, imagination, and wonder." I was thrilled and so honored that the committee felt that Alma's struggles with anxiety, her shifting relationships with her friends & family, and her journey to find her place in the world fit that description. The winner of the award was the powerful and beautifully-made I AM EVERY GOOD THING written by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordan C. James, and alongside QUINTESSENCE, there were four other incredible honor books. See below to learn more about the award and the honorees! |
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Up Next Coming up on May 4, 2021—the publication of my third middle grade book, THE ADVENTURE IS NOW! |
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THE ADVENTURE IS NOW is a fun-filled, action-packed story about a boy who learns about protecting the environment, finding real friends, and living in the now while spending the summer on a remote island. The book includes an illustrated field guide full of clues that Milton has to solve in order to find a treasure left by the island's first explorer, Dr. Ada Paradis. There won’t be any paper ARCs this year, so I’m encouraging everyone who’s interested in getting a sneak peek at Milton P. Greene’s wild & wondrous journey through the Lone Island jungle to request an e-galley on NetGalley right here. And follow the link below to learn more and pre-order THE ADVENTURE IS NOW! |
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Coming Soon Educators, I've heard from many of you that budgets are tight, and the stress of this year means extras like author visits are often just too overwhelming to coordinate. So I'm in the process of creating a virtual author visit landing page. |
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Exclusive content on this page will include my 40 minute from Brain to Bookshelf presentation and four Frequently Asked Questions videos (1 about writing, and 1 for each of my 3 middle-grade books). Other resources will include: —Teaching and activity guides —Book Trailers —First Chapter Read Alouds —Book Talks —And more as I create it! My plan right now is to offer access to this site for the rest of the school year for a very low fee. I'll be launching this site in January, so keep an eye out for a follow-up announcement email. And I'm also still available for regular virtual visits! |
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That's all my news! Thank you for reading it. And thank you for reading my stories and sharing them. Have a wonderful December! Merry and Bright, |
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