Category: The 24/7s

The 24/7s Say Farewell to a Very Good Year

1/1/2025

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The seven traditionally published middle-grade books authored by my debut group The 24/7s received stellar industry reviews, were on end-of-the-year best book lists, and were selected as JLG Gold Selections!
WOOT for the group!

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Happy Pub Day for BIRD NERD!

10/22/2024

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Congrats, Jennifer Ann Richter!

Salutations, Jennifer! I'm delighted to have a small share in celebrating the release of your debut MG, BIRD NERD! I remember when your book was just a twinkle in your eye.

Thanks, Dionna! I remember reading some of your first chapters of MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, too. We've stayed the course, haven't we?

We have! It was a double pleasure for me when I learned that not only would our debuts be coming out in the same year, but that we'd also have the same publisher, Holiday House Books for Young Readers. How cool is that?

Very cool. And thank you for creating our debut group, The 24/7s! You've been doing yeoman's work for our group and have been an enthusiastic supporter of our books.

It seemed like the appropriate thing to do. Okay, so down to business. Please share how your kidlit journey began.

I’d have to go way, way back for that one! Of course, like a lot of authors, I enjoyed writing as a child. Mainly poetry and the occasional short story attempt. But writing was just one of my gazillion interests, and one that I never thought I’d do as a profession. Then a little over twenty years ago, between unsatisfactory career choices, I found myself dabbling in writing again. Then I got to thinking maybe I could write for a living. So I started coming up with article ideas and fiction pieces and flooded the market with them. In 2004, I thought I’d gotten my big break when I published two stories—one suspense, one with more of a literary bent. But the streak ended quickly, and that made me stop and focus on what it was I really wanted to write.

I thought back to my most positive reading experiences and realized they were all books I read during my tween/teen years. Then I figured, if I enjoyed reading those books so much, maybe I would enjoy writing them. That was also a time when world events were such that I wanted to write novels that gave young people hope.

From that point on I took fiction courses and workshops, joined SCBWI, wrote a bad novel, then a better one. Then a third. And my fourth is what ultimately got picked up. I’ve also published children’s short fiction and poetry along the way.

Very interesting journey! So what inspired you to write BIRD NERD? Was birding your jam as a kid?

Surprisingly, birding was not one of my gazillion interests growing up. Once I discovered it as an adult, though, I became quite an obsessed birdwatcher. Birds then began to naturally show up in my writing. In fact, I think something bird-related has appeared in every one of my novel manuscripts and in quite a bit of my poetry.

I suspect birds were off my radar as a kid because I grew up in a big city and never knew anyone who was interested in birds. This inspired me to write a novel about city kids discovering the world of birding. The novel took on many forms and initially was set in middle school and didn’t involve a competition. During my latest re-start, more than one writer friend brought up the idea of a competition. I decided to go with that and make it between city and suburban kids as a vehicle to demonstrate our commonality and to bridge differences in race, socio-economics, etc.

Sounds like a perfect combination to a winning book for middle-grade readers!

What was the revision process like as you worked with your editor Della Farrell?

My first round was big picture stuff. The next time around, I received a more detailed chapter-by-chapter feedback. A good deal of it had to do with timeline issues, which were mainly due to some changes I’d made on my own during the first round. (Note to self: Don’t change what’s not broken!) I must admit, when I first opened Della's second editorial letter, my jaw dropped. All I could see was the work that lay ahead of me. To reach my deadline, I immediately went into advance-planning/full-planner mode.

Advance-planning/full-planner mode? Explain, please.

At an SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Conference, author Pamela N. Harris had encouraged writers to create an electronic chart or binder to keep track of any editorial notes and suggestions you might get to improve your manuscript. Alongside each comment, she suggested you list ways you would address the suggestion. Long before I received my first editorial letter from Della, I had that virtual chart up and ready to use. I had even included things that I myself wanted to change in order to enrich the story. While waiting for my second editorial letter, I created a new binder to include things I learned from my first editorial letter. This helped me stay grounded and keep track of things.

Hooray for authors helping authors! Well, thanks so much for catching us up on your Bird Nerd journey, and allowing us to be part of your big pub day. It was fun!

Thank you for celebrating with me!

The Author:

Jennifer Ann Richter is a former diplomat, teacher, investment representative, editorial assistant, voice captioner, and audio description writer for TV (with a few odd jobs in between). Somehow, she managed to focus long enough to get serious about her writing—a love that had always been simmering in the background. Her big break came after novel attempt number four. Jennifer’s interests are as varied as her employment history, and they often find their way into her poetry, short stories, and novels. Her debut novel, BIRD NERD, was inspired by the birding hobby she picked up as an adult. Astronomy, space travel, and her experiences living and working in Germany have also featured prominently in her writing.
Check out jenniferannrichter.com for more, including Jennifer's Bird of the Month.

The Book:

Bird Nerd is about thoughtful, nerdy fifth-grader Nyla sets out to win her school’s bird watching competition, while balancing old friends with new in this heartfelt debut.

Nyla Braun has always been called a nerd at her Philadelphia school. But that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her nerdy hobbies, especially when she has best friend Tasha by her side. When a birding tournament between Nyla’s class and a class from a suburban school is announced, Nyla sees her chance to get the respect she deserves. If they win, that is. The Burb Birders will be tough competition.

With the contest underway, Nyla soon catches the attention of the most popular girl in class, who also wants to win, setting off a chain of small disasters as Nyla tries to balance old friends and new and the pressure to be cool when you really just want to be yourself.

Told with warmth and gentle humor, debut author Jennifer Ann Richter’s Bird Nerd combines a deep love of nature and birding with the story of a young girl learning to discover her own confidence and values.

Purchase your copy today!

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Happy Book Launch Day for Ritu Hemnani!

5/7/2024

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Congrats, Ritu, and Welcome!

So delighted to have you here today, your book launch day for LION OF THE SKY!

Happy to be here, Dionna. Thanks for inviting me!

Inquiring minds want to know. How did you find your way to becoming a kidlit author?

I have always loved to write, just for the joy of creating with words. As a child, I kept a secret diary and wrote letters to pen-pals, but what I loved most was writing poems whenever I took public transport. One day, I won a poetry competition in high school with a poem that I’d scribbled from the top deck of a moving double-decker bus and won a cash prize! I entered every writing competition I could after that and, to date, my poems have won me money, tickets to Paris, tickets to the cinema, furniture vouchers, and even a Kindle! Though I always seemed to find myself in bookstores and even asked for a typewriter for my twelfth birthday, it didn’t occur to me that writing was written in my future. Then one day, many years after I had become a high school English and Drama teacher…my 8-year-old daughter asked me a homework question...

You’ve piqued my interest! What did she ask you, and how did her question lead to you writing LION OF THE SKY, your debut MG novel-in-verse?

It was a homework question she needed help answering. Why do people migrate? I decided it was time to share with her our family's history. No matter how tragic, I believed she needed to know it.

Share the history, please!

Sure! It began in 1947 as India became independent from British rule, the subcontinent was divided into two countries—a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority Pakistan. The divide left millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims living in the "wrong" country. Hostilities grew. Mass killings ensued. Millions had to flee to safety, including my grandparents and parents, who survived the largest mass migration in world history.

To help my daughter understand that dark, chaotic, and tumultuous time, I took her to the library. Though we found books about the Holocaust and the World Wars, we couldn’t find one children’s book about the Partition of India. My daughter accused me of making the whole thing up. It broke my heart. For days after our library visit, I thought about the fourteen million people who lost their homes and the one million who died. I decided to write the children’s book I couldn’t find for my daughter. I joined the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and in 2017 self-published a picture book about our family’s history, GOPE AND MEERA–A MIGRATION STORY.

That's an incredible story, a sad slice of history, one many living in the United States may know little about. It's understandable you wanted your daughter to know about it. What does she think of her family history now?

Now all three of my children feel like they’re experts on the Partition! They are very proud of their elders for the determination and resilience they showed in adapting to new cultures and languages, whilst making sacrifices so their children could thrive. My kids also feel empowered with a new understanding that adversity of all kinds can be overcome with courage and the right mindset.

True this!

"Drawing from family history, Hemnani delivers a wrenching historical verse debut...Compelling stakes ratchet up the tension in this illuminating and harrowing story about displacement, grief, and hope."
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review for LION OF THE SKY

Though the setting of LION OF THE SKY is based on your family’s history, did you still have to do a lot of research?

Yes it did! It was years of research focusing particularly on what happened in Sindh. Unlike the provinces of Punjab and Bengal which were split in two, Sindh was given intact to the newly created nation of Pakistan, where both my maternal and paternal grandparents lived. Like my grandparents, many Sindhis were forced to leave their homeland and rebuild their lives in Hong Kong as immigrants. I dug deep into the research and unearthed many treasures. It was important for my family’s narrative to be historically accurate because it’s an inheritance worth sharing.

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing. Why did you decide to use the novel-in-verse format for LION OF THE SKY?

I fell in love with novels-in-verse after reading INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai. I marvel at how each poem captures a concept, scene, or feeling in a few crafted words using language that’s distilled and powerful. I also appreciate how the format uses blank space to give room for the reader’s discovery of meaning and interpretation. I knew that a novel-in-verse would be the perfect vehicle for telling the story of Raj, my main character, and as I explored this format, the seed of lION OF THE SKY was born.

It sounds like a tug-at-heart read. Despite its setting, does LION OF THE SKY include rays of hope?

Hope is at the heart of this book. It is my hope that this will be what my readers are left with.

Changing the subject a little bit, what did you enjoy about working with your Balzer + Bray editor Alessandra Balzer?

Alessandra was so enthusiastic about working with me that I couldn’t quite believe it! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the editorial process! Alessandra is extremely organized and systematic, and each round of edits was specific, so whether I was working on big-picture edits or focusing on character, setting, or various themes, I never felt too overwhelmed. Alessandra skillfully asked exactly the right questions that helped me distill what I was trying to say. She was quick to respond with insightful comments and enthusiasm, motivating me to dig deeper and infuse nuance into my writing. Her understanding of the heart of my novel helped me enhance its emotional impact, and her ability to see the potential in every scene, pushed me to explore new creative avenues and take risks with my storytelling. Our collaborative effort has resulted in a middle-grade novel that has exceeded my wildest expectations! I learned so much from the process and am grateful for the invaluable lessons and growth it has brought to my writing journey. I am so incredibly grateful to have worked with such a brilliant and insightful editor and am truly honored to join the fantastic list of authors and titles at Harper Collins/Balzer & Bray!

To be sure! Well, thanks for sharing the story behind your story. It will no doubt inspire many young readers and shine the spotlight on a slice of history that should be learned from and not forgotten. Thanks so much for stopping in, and do keep in touch when your next novel for young readers is ready to roll off the press.

The pleasure has been all mine.

Purchase your copy of LION OF THE SKY today

Ritu Hemnani is a journalist, teacher, voice actor, motivational speaker, and a storyteller who hopes every child will discover books where they can see themselves on the pages within, and will know that their stories matter. Ritu recognizes herself as ethnically Indian, and is a British national who calls Hong Kong her home, where she lives with her husband and three children. Ritu is passionate about promoting diversity and nurturing inclusivity and empathy through writing stories that center marginalized communities and encompass universal truths. She is also passionate about spotlighting human interest articles with heart, and collaborating with local literary and charity organizations to promote literacy. Ritu is the author of the picture book, Gope and Meera--a Migration Story. Her debut historical middle-grade novel-in-verse, Lion of the Sky, is set for publication in the Spring of 2024. When not writing or teaching, Ritu delights in family game nights, strumming the strings of her guitar, and paddling through Hong Kong waters on her carrot-colored kayak. Ritu is represented by Rubin Pfeffer of Rubin Pfeffer Content, LLC. To learn more about Ritu, tune in to "An Inheritance Worth Sharing" on TEDx Talk, where she shares the seeds of her writing journey and what inspired her deep dive into her family’s history. FInd her online rituhemnani.com.

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THINGS THAT SHIMMER Book Launch Party!

4/2/2024

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Happy Book Launch Day, Deborah Lakritz!

I'm excited to have you here to talk about your journey toward publication with your debut middle-grade, THINGS THAT SHIMMER!

Delighted to be here! It's truly satisfying to think back on the journey!

Awesome! To get started, tell us how you found your way to becoming a kidlit author.

Way back when I was a preschooler, my mother took me religiously to our public library to check out books and attend story time programs. She instilled in me a love of reading that has accompanied me throughout my life. As a social worker, I used books extensively with children to help them navigate divorces and deaths in their families, as well as fears and friendships.

Once I became a parent, one of my greatest joys was buying books for my own five children and introducing them to wonderful literature. Writing kidlit was just a natural extension of all of those experiences. For me personally, I had to wait until the timing was right and my youngest child was in school full-time before I could seriously try to get published. In the meantime, I took writing classes, read great award winning titles, and started to do the hard work of learning the craft.

Wow! A mom of five, and now a published author. That's an amazing accomplishment! Was THINGS THAT SHIMMER the first manuscript you had acquired by a traditional publisher?

Actually, no. I was offered my first book contract shortly after my youngest daughter started school. With raising a large family, however, there were times when I had to step away from writing for months at a time. But now my children are all grown and out in the world, I’m agented, and I just released my third picture book, and now have this exciting debut middle grade novel set to enter the world!

That's amazing. I'm sure your kids are proud! So What inspired you to write for middle-grade readers?

The summer I turned nine years old, my family was in a horrific car accident that sent reverberations throughout our family for the rest of my childhood. Back then, the understanding of trauma and its impact on individuals was still in its infancy as PTSD hadn’t even been given its name or been identified as an actual condition. As soldiers began to return from Viet Nam, there was this understanding, a recognition, that they were suffering psychological trauma due to their wartime experiences. Soon mental health professionals began to see the commonalities between war veterans and others who’d been through life threatening experiences. That was the starting point for THINGS THAT SHIMMER; two friends united by their deep understanding of what it’s like to grow up in a family dealing with trauma. But something has to pull them apart—right? That’s what makes a plot interesting!

”A tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.”
—The Horn Book Magazine

I'm sorry to hear your family had to go through that. It must have been a real challenge for you as a child. Your characters' emotions will no doubt ring true, and your story sure to be a real heart tugger because of it.

THINGS THAT SHIMMER is the story of my heart, the idea I had on the very first night I walked into my very first class on writing for children. While it is definitely a work of fiction, emotionally it feels very true, and I hope it resonates for readers wading through the murky waters of friendships, popularity, family relationships, and identity.

Important themes to be sure. Did you have to revise much after THINGS THAT SHIMMER was acquired by Kar-Ben Publishing?

Actually, most of my revising work came before my manuscript was acquired. While querying agents, I got a full request from Susan Cohen, who at the time was an agent at Writers House. Susan liked what she read, but offered me an opportunity to revise and resubmit my manuscript. Both she and her assistant provided me with very specific feedback on how to improve the project, and I spent six months doing two rounds of revisions for them. Afterward, Susan offered me representation and started submitting it to editors! So by the time my editor, Amy Fitzgerald, read it, she didn’t have a lot of requests for big changes. Mostly we cleaned up sentences--an occasional word being replaced or eliminated.

That says a lot about having an editorial agent. I'm sure you're thrilled you got a chance to work with Susan before she retired. So now that your publication date is here, are you nervous about how kids will receive your book?

I am nervous, but I hope they will enjoy the ride as Melanie Adler navigates the world of the 1970s, while desperately wanting to be accepted by the Shimmers, the popular kids in her class.

I'm sure they will! Well, thanks for stopping by and for allowing us to share in your book launch day!

Thanks for the invite, Dionna!

Deborah Lakritz is the author of A PLACE TO BELONG, a picture book biography of beloved Jewish singer/songwriter, Debbie Friedman. Her debut middle grade novel, THINGS THAT SHIMMER (Kar-Ben 2024), is set in 1973-74, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of tennis legend Billie Jean King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes, the Watergate scandal, and President Nixon’s resignation. Her first book, SAY HELLO, LILY, was a Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Young Readers, and PJ Library selection. A former school social worker, Deborah lives in Wisconsin where she and her husband raised five children. Find Deborah online at deborahlakritzbooks.com.

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Happy Book Launch Day, Monica Mancillas!

4/2/2024

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Happy Pub Day, Monica Mancillas!

I'm super excited to be interviewing you today as your debut MG, SING IT LIKE CELIA is released from Penguin Workshop!

My pleasure! Happy to be here.

Do tell! How did you find your way to becoming a kidlit author?

I have always known I wanted to be an author, but my love of kidlit really blossomed after my daughter was born. We spent countless hours reading and exploring our local libraries. I found myself suddenly bubbling over with picture book ideas of my own. I joined the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in 2017 and began attending conferences and critique groups in order to learn more about both craft and the business of publishing. In 2018, I won the Andrea J. Loney Mentorship that was hosted by my region of SCBWI. That same year, I connected with my agent through #DVpit, an annual pitching event for un-agented, self-identifying historically marginalized authors and illustrators. In early 2019, after a few short rounds of revision, my agent sent my debut picture book MARIANA AND HER FAMILIA out on submission. The book quickly sold at auction, and I officially became a kidlit author!

Your first book sold at auction?! That is amazing!!! MARIANA AND HER FAMILIA went on to win some honors, yes?

It did! School Library Journal named it a Best Picture Book of 2022. Booklist gave it a starred review, and it received a Junior Library Guild Gold Star!

Wowsie!

So, what inspired you to write your debut middle-grade novel, SING IT LIKE CELIA?

SING IT LIKE CELIA was inspired by both my younger sister’s experiences navigating the unexpected disappearance of her mother from her life and my own experiences growing up with parents who were divorced. In writing the book, I strived to empower children confronting similar challenges to speak up for themselves and set healthy boundaries with the people in their lives. It was also a delight to incorporate my own love of music (and, specifically, legendary salsa singer Celia Cruz) into the book. I grew up singing in choirs and playing the piano, and for a long time was an avid salsa dancer. Music was a way through for so much of my life that I felt it important to give young readers the inspiration to use their own gifts as a means of self-expression and inner strength.

Sounds like a project of the heart, to be sure! So, who acquired SING IT LIKE CELIA, and how did it get acquired?

I had just sold another picture book, HOW TO SPEAK SPANGLISH, to Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop, when my agent mentioned to her my interest in writing IP (essentially, work for hire). Elizabeth was new to the imprint and, in building her list, was extremely excited to work on contemporary MG fiction featuring marginalized voices. However, she felt it important that her authors retain copyright and receive a standard advance and royalties, so rather than IP, she offered to work with me on what she called “proactive publishing” terms. We set up a call to discuss ideas and I submitted sample pages and a detailed outline. Elizabeth and her team were so enthusiastic about the book that they offered me a two-book deal!

A two-book deal?! This just keeps getting better and better! What was it like working with Elizabeth?

Working with Elizabeth has been absolute perfection. I could not be happier that this book was written under her direction and have thoroughly enjoyed working with her on book two!

Your experience makes publishing sound like fun! Well, thanks again for stopping by on your Book Launch Day, and for sharing your kidlit journey up to this point. We're looking forward to learning more about book 2 soon!

Happy to be here, and will do!

Mónica Mancillas, born in the small coastal town of Ensenada in Baja California, México, moved with her parents to the United States when she was two-years-old. As a child, she loved nothing more than to study and explore self-expression through writing and music. After graduating Valedictorian from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, she earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley, after which she moved to Los Angeles where she worked for ten years in the recording industry. Today, Mónica runs her own business teaching children how to play the piano. She spends her days writing, reading, and tending to her much-adored daughter, husband, and dog, Annie. Mónica's work includes picture books: Mariana and Her Familia, The Worry Balloon, and How to Speak Spanglish. Her debut middle grade, Sing It Like Celia, will be released in 2024, with a nonfiction middle-grade, Leyendas/Legends! to follow in 2025. All of Mónica's books center on themes of identity, culture, and mental health, and challenges outdated tropes that have historically left Latine voices in the margins. Monica is represented by Melissa Edwards at Stonesong Literary. Find Mónica online at
monicamancillas.com.

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Happy Book Launch Day, Anna Lapera!

3/5/2024

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Happy Book Launch Day, Anna!

Welcome, Anna, and congrats on the release of your debut MG, MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE!

Thanks, Dionna! Happy to be here!

Such an exciting day! May 5, 2024, the day your debut novel for kids ages 10-14 publishes with Levine Querido! Please share what your book is about.

Absolutely! It's about a young girl who wants two things: to get her period, and to thwart her mom's plan to take her to Guatemala, a place that has always been more of a mystery than an answer. One day, she discovers secret letters between her mom and a disappeared feminist-journalist aunt, giving Mani both a lesson in Guatemalan history, but also in how to stand up to some of the injustices going on around her. While at school, Mani and her best friends, Las Nerdas, take action and speak up, demanding the right to feel safe while the administration turns a blind eye to the way they are constantly being harassed, assaulted, groped, bullied, recorded, abused, and humiliated by other students. As the story unfolds, Mani finds her voice.

Wow. Some might say that's a tough topic for young readers. What do you say?

It's true, that the topic may me "tough," but girls as young as 12 are up against tough circumstances, and they, like Mani, may be shy and need to find the courage to speak up.

True this. What inspired you to write your book MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE?

So many things! It all started with a question. Someone asked me if I remember the first time I got my period. All of a sudden, it came back to me. I was eleven and visiting my mother's side of the family in Guatemala City. I was standing on top of a slide in Burger King. My second cousins were taunting me for my (at the time) thick accent in Spanish. The question and memory inspired me so much that when I got home I wrote a story about a Guatemalan-American girl obsessed with getting her period and eager to enter womanhood. Over a year, it morphed from a story about periods into a story about discovering secret letters from disappeared journalist aunts, mother-daughter relationships, coming into activism, and exploring the question about what it means to be a feminist at any age. As someone who has Guatemalan, Hawaiian, German and Filipino heritage, I was also inspired to write a character whose interest in her history and heritage is more of a journey with plenty of ups and downs.

It's been said that to make a book that's full of heart and authenticity, we should write what we know, and more importantly what we feel. You certainly did that! No wonder your book has gotten so many stellar reviews!

“Anna Lapera expertly voices a young girl’s middle school trials, but with a voice so unique and heartfelt you will be cringing one moment and cheering the next. She weaves a distinctive story filled with humor, family heartache, and secrets while a young girl releases the fear of her voice and grasps its power.” --Newbery Medalist Donna Barba Higuera

What did you enjoy about working with your editor as you revised MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE?

I have been so lucky that the people who have helped bring MANI to life REALLY loved and understood her voice. My editor, Irene Vázquez at Levine Querido, helped MANI's voice to really shine. It was so clear to me that they understood Mani as a character. I NEVER had to clarify or explain something about why Mani would say this or that. They just got it. In fact, they showed me ways we could push Mani's voice and Mani-isms even further. Each round of edits got closer to the heart of the story and to Mani's voice. I had so much fun with the editing process!

No doubt the fun spilled out from the process and onto the page! As an ESL middle-school teacher, a mother of a 6-year-old and 1-year-old, and a wife, how do you juggle your responsibilities and still find time to write?

The answer to this question always changes! I am constantly trying to find how and when to write. It's day by day. Thankfully, my husband does most of the cooking, which gives me some writing time. That helps! I wrote the first draft of MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE from 4 to 6 a.m. every single day over the course of one year. Some people are impressed when I tell them how early I wake up to write, but I am impressed with people who are able to stay up late writing! I have not been able to be a night-writer. As a teacher and mom, that was literally the only time I had available to me. Now that I have another little one, there are days when I simply just don't get to write more than one sentence.

What are you working on now, besides taking care of your little one, and promoting your new release?

I am working on book number two, so I am slowly getting back to my morning writing sessions, because that is my time when no one else is awake. That doesn't mean that I feel super inspired every morning. I keep telling myself that what I am working on is just a first draft and that it doesn't have to be amazing right away. I am really into running and I've heard people in the sports and running world talk about how discipline is more important than motivation. I remind myself that sometimes when the writing doesn't sound pretty!

Perspiration and pushing through accomplishes much! Well, Anna, congrats once again on your release, and for allowing me to have a small share in celebrating it's release today, and please do check back in when I can celebrate Book 2!

Thank you, Dionna! And will do!

Purchase your copy of MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE today!

Anna Lapera is a writer, educator and sometimes runner based in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world. She teaches by day and writes stories about girls stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning before the teaching day begins. She is a member of Las Musas, a 2022 Macondista and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received financial support from Tin House, Kweli Journal and SCBWI. When she’s not writing or teaching, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in DC and Maryland, where she lives with her family. MANI SEMILLA FINDS HER QUETZAL VOICE is her debut novel, Find Anna online HERE.

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THE UNBEATABLE LILY HONG Book Launch Party!

1/2/2024

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Let the Party Begin for Diana's Debut!

So nice to have you stop by on your book launch day!

Happy to be here!

Do tell. What inspired you to write The Unbeatable Lily Hong?

It would have meant the world to me to read a book like The Unbeatable Lily Hong when I was a kid! Like my main character Lily, I was a Chinese-American kid who was good at school and into nerdy fandom stuff. Another similarity that I share with Lily is that I also went to Chinese school and did competitive Chinese dance. But those things made me an outsider when I was a kid, so I wanted to write a story about a Chinese-American girl whose differences and interests make her nuanced, irresistibly fun, and unbeatable.

Sounds like a story all kids could relate to, and that you had fun writing this book!

The Unbeatable Lily Hong was so much fun to write! Drawing on my own interests while creating Lily, her friends, and her family, I got to immerse myself in Chinese mythology, school competition, debates about the best dumplings (Lily’s mom makes the best dumplings, duh). Plus, there's a tween frenemy/maybe-more-than-friends dynamic, which I would have loved to have read as a kid.

"A delightfully adventerous romp with a lovably scrappy protagonist." Kirkus Reviews

Thirteen-year-old Diana in her competitive Chinese dance dress.

How did the revision process for The Unbeatable Lily Hong go? What was it like working with your editor?

My revision process was surprisingly smooth! I say “surprisingly” because I usually agonize over revisions, but The Unbeatable Lily Hong was just so much fun to write that it didn’t feel like it took a lot of time or energy to revise. However, when I look at my drafts, I can see a lot actually did change.

I was fortunate enough to work with two great editors! Angela Song was my first editor for the bulk of my editing process. Then Alessandra Preziosi took over when Angela left Clarion. I found Angela’s insights to be completely spot-on, and I was happy to say that it was the same with Alex. I also had so much fun bonding with Angela over similar childhood experiences as she edited my book!

Having an amazing editor step in when an amazing editor steps out sounds like a blessing to be sure! What skill sets did they have that impressed you?

I was most impressed by how they gave feedback that made the story much stronger while still trusting me with the direction of the story. It’s not always easy to balance the author’s vision with needed developmental edits, but they both did it beautifully! I am so grateful to have worked with such brilliant and genuinely lovely editors.

We bet they were mutually pleased when working with you! I really love your cover, by the way. Were you pleased when you first saw it?

Ooh! I cannot gush enough about this amazing cover by Rebecca W. Chan. It’s so fun and vibrant. I cannot wait to see it on the shelf of my local indie, and more importantly, in the hands of young readers.

That will be the icing on the cake! Well thank you for stopping by and for sharing a little behind-the-scenes talk about The Unbeatable Lily Hong.

My pleasure!

Diana Ma is a Chinese American author of young adult and middle grade books who teaches at North Seattle College. Her debut young-adult novel Heiress Apparently was a 2021 Washington State Book Award finalist in the young adult literature category. Diana was also a 2019 We Need Diverse Books mentee and is a Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellow. With a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington and an MA with a Creative Writing focus from the University of Illinois, Chicago, Diana is represented by Christa Heschke and Daniele Hunter of McIntosh and Otis. The Unbeatable Lily Hong is Diana's middle-grade debut. Find her online at dianamaauthor.com, and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DianaJunYiMa.

**Order your copy of The Unbeatable Lily Hong today!**

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THE 24/7s: 7 Kidlit Authors w/ MGs Debuting in 2024

12/24/2022

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I'm super excited to share that I'm a member of THE 24/7s--a group of seven kidlit authors with middle-grade novels debuting in 2024!

I wouldn't call us a debut group, per se. All of us have had something traditionally published already. Some have written novellas, young-adult books, picture books, and work-for-hire projects. We've published poems, nonfiction articles, and fictional stories in children's magazines. But we are all debut authors in this sense: none of us have published middle-grade novels that are projects of the heart before.

My debut middle-grade novel, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, will be forthcoming from Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House, in 2024. It's set in a thriving Black Southern community during the Jim Crow era. My main character, Allie, wants more than anything to have an unbroken life, and so she devises a Man-for-Mama Plan, a scheme to find her Mama a good man to marry. And so, with her Daddy Map in one hand and a jar of chicken and dumplings in the other, she sets on a quest within her neighborhood to locate the perfect fix-it-man–one who kind-smiles, who knows how to sing, and who loves her mama’s chicken and dumplings.

Throughout 2023, 2024, and beyond, THE 24/7s will be posting interviews, doing cover reveals, hosting book launches and giveaways, and celebrating when our books receive any kidlit kudos. I'm super excited I won't have to be launching my book alone, and hope you'll hop on over to our website to get to know about all seven of us and to learn about our books. I already have an interview posted. Check it out HERE!

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The 24/7s Say Farewell to a Very Good Year

The seven traditionally published middle-grade books authored by my debut group The 24/7s received stellar industry reviews, were on end-of-the-year best book lists, and were selected as JLG Gold Selections!
WOOT for the group!

Happy Pub Day for BIRD NERD!

Congrats, Jennifer Ann Richter!

The Author:

The Book:

Happy Book Launch Day for Ritu Hemnani!

Congrats, Ritu, and Welcome!

"Drawing from family history, Hemnani delivers a wrenching historical verse debut...Compelling stakes ratchet up the tension in this illuminating and harrowing story about displacement, grief, and hope."
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review for LION OF THE SKY

Purchase your copy of LION OF THE SKY today

THINGS THAT SHIMMER Book Launch Party!

Happy Book Launch Day, Deborah Lakritz!

”A tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.”
—The Horn Book Magazine

Happy Book Launch Day, Monica Mancillas!

Happy Pub Day, Monica Mancillas!

Happy Book Launch Day, Anna Lapera!

Happy Book Launch Day, Anna!

THE UNBEATABLE LILY HONG Book Launch Party!

Let the Party Begin for Diana's Debut!

"A delightfully adventerous romp with a lovably scrappy protagonist." Kirkus Reviews

**Order your copy of The Unbeatable Lily Hong today!**

THE 24/7s: 7 Kidlit Authors w/ MGs Debuting in 2024

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The seven traditionally published middle-grade books authored by my debut group The 24/7s received stellar industry reviews, were on end-of-the-year best book lists, and were selected as JLG Gold Selections! ​WOOT for the group!

Congrats, Jennifer Ann Richter!

The Author:

The Book:

Congrats, Ritu, and Welcome!

"D​rawing from family history, Hemnani delivers a wrenching historical verse debut...Compelling stakes ratchet up the tension in this illuminating and harrowing story about displacement, grief, and hope." ​Publisher's Weekly Starred Review for LION OF THE SKY

Happy Book Launch Day, Deborah Lakritz!

”A tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.” —The Horn Book Magazine

Happy Pub Day, Monica Mancillas!

Happy Book Launch Day, Anna!

Let the Party Begin for Diana's Debut!

"A delightfully adventerous romp with a lovably scrappy protagonist." Kirkus Reviews

About Me

Archives

Categories

The seven traditionally published middle-grade books authored by my debut group The 24/7s received stellar industry reviews, were on end-of-the-year best book lists, and were selected as JLG Gold Selections!
WOOT for the group!

"Drawing from family history, Hemnani delivers a wrenching historical verse debut...Compelling stakes ratchet up the tension in this illuminating and harrowing story about displacement, grief, and hope."
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review for LION OF THE SKY

”A tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.”
—The Horn Book Magazine