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Mama's Chicken & Dumplings: The Candy

12/17/2024

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Mary Jane ®

A Peanut Buttery Molasses Taffy Penny-Candy

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(C) Atkinson Candy Company. Courtesy The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts
It was in 1914 when Charles N. Miller, a Boston, Massachusetts, European American candymaker, who cooked up the first batch of Mary Jane® penny candies. And it was his family's candy factory, the Charles N. Miller Candy Company that made the bite sized rectangular chewy bits of yum with its molasses taffy outside and peanut buttery inside a popular delight. The Mary Jane® penny candy is a favorite of Allie, my main character in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings, and whenever there's a penny in her dress pocket she runs down to Mr. Inge's store to buy a few.
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(C) Atkinson Candy Company. Courtesy The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts
In 1989, Mr. Miller's company closed. But not so the production of the Mary Jane® candy. The recipe and rights for creating it moved into the hands of the Stark Candy Company, then the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO), and now the Atkinson Candy Company out of Texas. 
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"The new recipe," states Eric Atkinson on the company's website, "captures the flavor of Mary Janes, for it's the same components as it always was." 

Atkinson Candy Company still packages the candy with that familiar yellow and red wrapper adorned with an adorable little girl dressed in a bonnet, the same kind of wrapper Allie would have seen in 1935, though the candy is cylindrical in shape now, much smaller, and doesn't have the peanut butter center. (It's still a bite of chewy yum IMO!)​
Bibliography
Atkinson, Sarah. "Atkinson Brings Back Mary Jane Candy!" Atkins.com, April 22, 2021.

Birrell, Alistair. "Dear America, We Invented All Your Candy. Love, Boston." Boston.com, October 22, 2014, accessed August 31, 2023.

Daily Progress. "Progress Past." June 13, 2018, accessed August 13, 2023.

Garner, Nicole. "The Revolutionary Story Behind Mary Jane Candies." Mental Floss, October 29, 2015.

Kurland, Ann Trieger. "Mary Jane Makes a Sweet Comeback." Boston Globe, October 13, 2020, accessed August 31, 2023.

Library of Congress. "Inge's Store, 331-333 West Main Street Charlottesville, VA." Historic American Buildings Survey, HABS No. VA-1015, accessed August 31, 2023.

Library of Congress. "New England Confectionery Company (NECCO)." Local Legacies: Celebrating Community Roots--Massachusetts, accessed August 31, 2023.

Noennig, Jordyn. "NECCO Wafers May No Longer Exist, Echoing the History of Pewaukee's Stark Candy Co." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 19, 2018, accessed August 31, 2023.

The Cambridge Historical Society. "NECCO: 254 Massachusetts Avenue (1847-present)." The History of Candymaking, accessed August 31, 2023.

The Museum of Fictional Literary Artifacts. "Mary Jane (Candy)." Accessed August 31, 2023.

Tucker, Aimee. "Mary Jane Candy--Favorite Old-Fashioned Candy." NewEngland.com, June 29, 2022, accessed August 31, 2023.
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Giveaway to Educators a Success Times Ten!

11/16/2024

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I'm delighted to say that I gave away 10 copies of MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS to 10 wonderful Charlottesville City and Albemarle County schoolteachers and librarians during my educator giveaway, which I held from October 15, 2024, through November 15, 2024. I hand delivered signed copies to seven different local schools during my campaign! That was great fun!

But now I'm wondering: will the kiddos enjoy being transported back to 1935 Vinegar Hill as Allie sets out on her West Main Street adventure? I certainly hope so, especially since these particular readers attend schools located just minutes away from where the story takes place.

During my campaign, I also gave away a free classroom visit and am delighted to say the winner is Trailblazer Elementary School, with the visit set for February 5, 2025--World Read Aloud Day! 

THANKS OODLES to all the educators that participated!  
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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!
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​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:

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​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:

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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 Pub Day, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS!

8/6/2024

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What began as an 100-word personal challenge to write something for a first pages reading event held during the 2011 Virginia Festival of the Book, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS is at last a real live book, ready to be enjoyed by young and old readers alike. At least, I hope!
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Book Launch Celebration Success!

8/5/2024

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Delighted to share that the book launch celebration for my debut novel for young and old readers alike, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, was a complete success. The turnout at the central branch of the Jefferson Regional Library in CVIlle on August 3, was more than expected, the two young flautists played their duet beatifully, and everyone said they LOVED my chicken and dumplings!
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Book Launch Day for MAMA'S CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS Coming Next Week!

7/27/2024

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Book Launch Celebration Day!

If you're in my neck of the woods, please come by and celebrate with me!

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(C) Vanessa Brantley Newton, vanessabrantleynewton.com

Saturday, August 3, 2024, 2-4 pm
Jefferson Madison Regional Library, Central Branch
201 E. Market St.
Charlottesville, VA, 22902

I​n honor of historical fiction, wear vintage from any decade before the 1990s for an extra chance to win a gift basket of goodies worth $200!

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Free swag & stuff
Snacks
Fun activities
Munch on chicken & dumplings 
Learn more about the setting, Vinegar Hill
Listen to local youths play a flute duet
And more!

​Young ones, enter my coloring contest by bringing a drawing of yourself cooking together with a family member.
The winner will be chosen by kidlit professionals.

Order your copy from your favorite indie or from mine, Buebird & Co. HERE.
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Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Preorder Campaign Begins!

6/3/2024

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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!
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(C) Tara Anand, taraanandart.com

"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

​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

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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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My Aunt Johari

4/7/2024

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(C) Lauren Mann
Since April is National Poetry Month, I thought I'd share two poems--one written by my daughter, and one written by my aunt Johari who passed away at 88, a few months back. Though Aunt Johari was a co-founder of Third World Press and a gifted poet during the Black Arts Movement in Chicago during the 60s, I only knew her as my dad's sister whose given name was Jewel, and that she was a retired chiropractor who moved back to Chicago to be closer to her son (a gifted cadiologist) after I had moved away.

So sadly, I did not grow up knowing my aunt, and as an adult only met her a few times, though I did my best to get to know her by calling her on the phone. Whenever I did, I'd have to remind her who I was--'I'm Dionna, your brother Don's oldest'--and she'd acknowledge me. I'd try to find a common ground by talking about her poetry. Unfortunately, that was not a topic of interest to her whenever I tried. I guess her days as a poet were something she wanted to stay in her past.

Anyway, not long after my aunt's passing, I was reading one of my daughter's poems. It reminded me of one of my aunt's! Can a voice be inherited? I don't think so; and yet, there the two poems were, quite similar, at least to me. So that's why I've shared them here.

What do you think of them? In your opinion, do they have a similar voice?

Complement
by my aunt Johari M. Amini

​here i am in the sweet evening
and bamboo reeds wave into
rhythms of the seventh pulse
honey stars shine
wide in a warm sky
dark sounds humhum patterns of the long grass
and heap me into beads of waiting
the big leaf moves
and the tree is heavy with it
come bring me my seeds 

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Courage
by my daughter Lauren 

​​the firework
knew its nature
yet set itself 
ablaze
for the joy 
of shining
the worm knew 
the agony 
of metamorphosis
yet still grew wings
the leaf 
broke its neck 
from the tree
to drift 
down 
in circles 
and so we too 
can live
giving thanks 
to the darkness
with its womb full 
of light

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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!
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”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!
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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!
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​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!
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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!
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“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!
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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

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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?
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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!
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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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COVER REVEAL for Mama's Chicken and Dumplings!

12/10/2023

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I am super excited to share the cover for my upcoming novel for children, ages 8-12, entitled, MAMA'S CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS, which releases from Margaret Ferguson Books, an imprint of Holiday House Books for Young Readers, August 6, 2024!

I was thrilled when I found out the cover art would be done by the amazing kidlit creator, Vanessa Brantley Newton, who is the author and illustrator of one of my favorite picture books, GRANDMA'S PURSE. And she did not disappoint!
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Look how Vanessa captures my main character's mischievousness--those eyes, that smirk! Can't you tell that there's a lot going on beneath those gorgeous braids? I also love the design done by Holiday House art director, Kerry Martin. There's such a vintage vibe going on. It perfectly captures my historical setting.

Thanks, Vanessa and Kerry, for giving my story such a gorgeous cover!
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2024 KidLit Events: VA, MD, DC, and Beyond

12/9/2023

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(c) Lauren Mann

2024 Kidlit Events
 Virginia, Maryland, DC & Beyond

January

ALA LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, Baltimore, MD
Roanoke Regional Writers Conference at Hollins University

February

​SCBWI Winter Conference
Williamsburg Book Festival

March

CityLit Festival, Baltimore, MD
Virginia Festival of the Book, Charlottesville, VA
Virginia State Literacy Association Conference, Norfolk, VA
Washington DC Awesome Con, DC
Women’s Storytelling Festival, VA  

April

Annapolis Book Festival at Key School, MD
​Annapolis Comic-Con, MD
Color of Children’s Literature Conference
Black Child Book Fair, Charlotte, NC
​Frostburg University Spring Children’s Literature Festival, MD
State of Maryland Literacy Association Conference
Royal Book Bash in the DMV, Woodbridge, VA
​Sound of the Mountain Storytelling Festival, Fincastle, VA 
YAVA Awards & Celebration, Richmond, VA​

May

Baltimore Book Festival, MD
Gaithersburg Book Festival, Gaithersburg, MD
Maryland Librarian Association Conference
​Tidewater Comicon

June

ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, San Diego
Children's Book & Learning Festival, Washington DC 
Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival
Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival
Hollins University Kidlit Summer Symposium
Shenandoah University Children’s Literature Conference
Turning the Page Children's Book & Learning Festival

July

Kweli International Literary Festival

August

National Book Festival at the Library of Congress, DC
Back to School Book Festival in the Parks at Walter Reed 

September

Baltimore Comic Con, MD
Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, Burnsville, NC
Latinx Virtual Kidlit Book Festival 
Literary Hill Book Fest, DC

October

​Black Authors and Readers Rock Conference (BARR), MD
Children’s Africana Book Awards & Festival, DC
Fall for the Book, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
​Herndon Children's Book Festival, Herndon, VA
James River Writer's Conference, Richmond, VA
Old Dominion University Literary Festival, Norfolk, VA
Virginia Children’s Book Festival, Longwood University, Farmville VA
Virginia Literary Festival, Richmond VA
West Virginia Book Festival, Charleston, WV

November

Hampton Roads Writer’s Conference
NCTE Annual Convention, Boston, MA
Texas Book Festival
Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) Annual Conference
YALLFest Charleston, SC
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Find a comprehensive list of Book Festivals compiled by Publishers Archive HERE.
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Welcoming Kidlit Creator Lisa Mezoff

9/20/2023

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(C) Lisa Bronson Mezoff, lisamezoff.com
Absolutely delighted to have you stop by, Lisa! Your work fills me with the happiness of sunshine after a gloomy day!

I’m so glad my work makes you smile! 

It really does! Do tell. How did you find your way into becoming a kidlit illustrator?

It was a long journey! When I graduated college, I decided that as much as I loved illustration, the freelance life was not really for me. So, I chose to pursue a career as a designer and creative director. I did lots of illustrations in the context of my corporate design work, but it wasn’t until my kids left for college that I decided to finally focus on illustrating for children. I used evenings and weekends to take online courses to help build my portfolio and started going to SCBWI conferences and engaging with the kidlit community. It’s been a huge effort to pursue a second career, but it’s so rewarding! 
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(C) Lisa Bronson Mezoff, lisamezoff.com
SCBWI is a nurturing place for kidlit creatives! Now that you've arrived to the kidlit path, what do you love about illustrating children's books?

It’s actually a joy on multiple levels! First, I just really love to draw and paint—to imagine people and places and make them come to life. I’m also a truly passionate reader, so it’s a thrill to contribute to the world of books and use art to tell stories that are meaningful to kids. I have to say though, the biggest surprise has been how much I have enjoyed sharing my work on school visits. When Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose my debut picture book written by Lauren Tarshis came out, I did dozens of school visits with the author. We had conversations with kids not only about the story itself—its inspiration and meaning—but also about the creative process and our collaboration. The kids were so excited! They went on to draw their own pictures and tell their own stories. Often, teachers sent me the kids’ drawings and thank you notes later—that was amazing!

I can imagine it would be! So nice you were able to join with the author, too!
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(C) Lisa Bronson Mezoff, lisamezoff.com
Why did you especially enjoy illustrating Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose that features a boy whose dog has nothing but unconditional love for his not-so-perfect human? 

Most of the time, in the children’s book industry, a publisher buys a manuscript and then chooses an illustrator—the author and illustrator rarely even meet. This book was a little different. The author and I are good friends and we collaborated on the project from the beginning. Lauren came to me with just the title (which I love!) and we worked together as the story took shape. We often went back and forth, deciding which elements of the story really needed words, and which ideas could instead be conveyed visually. I feel so lucky to have had that experience—it was so much fun to work together, and I think our partnership made the book much better than it would have been if we had we worked separately.  

You're right. An author and illustrator creating the book before it's acquired is not how it usually happens, but so cool that Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic did acquire it as a complete project! I just love the hilarity of the text and illustrations--a perfect picture-book blend!

Glad you enjoyed it! You can learn more about how I made the illustrations HERE in the blog post I wrote for Scholastic.
 
I'll check it out! Well, thanks oodles, Lisa, for stopping by and for sharing a little about yourself and your process. May Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose become a classic in the years to come!

Thanks, Dionna!
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Lisa Bronson Mezoff loves to paint people and scenes that are filled with energy and joy. When she is not drawing and painting, Lisa is busy creating award-winning design projects as the creative director at Pappas MacDonnell, a marketing and communications agency. Besides painting, Lisa also loves to read and eat desserts. Only My Dog Knows I Pick My Nose, written by Lauren Tarshis a New York Times best-selling author, and published by Orchard Books, is Lisa's first illustrated children's book. Follow Lisa on Instagram @lisamezoff to see her latest work, and learn more about her HERE. 
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Purchase your copy today!

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Welcome, Sarah Whang, Kidlit Creator!

8/17/2023

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Interviewing Sarah Whang
Member of Kelly Dyksterhouse's Kidlit Crew 

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(C) Illustration: Sarah Wang
Welcome to my blog, Sarah, and to Kelly's kidlit crew of clients!

Hello, Dionna! Thanks for inviting me!

My pleasure! I'm wondering, did you love illustrating and making comics as a kid?

I did! Though I was painfully shy, art was the one thing I always felt confident in. I’ve been drawing as long as I could remember, and I had a fondness for writing as well. I spent most of my day at school in the library, reading everything that I found interesting. The most memorable finds were intricately illustrated picture books by Robert Munsch, Jan Brett, Beatrix Potter and others. As a child, I would read and write little picture books for myself.

​When I grew older, I sent out a printed book to my relatives as gifts that I assembled with my home scanner, a stapler, and PowerPoint. I wrote comics as well, sometimes in collaboration with my brother who would draw the panels. Comics were harder to come by, but to this day I read my hand-me-down Archie comics and manga as much as possible.

I'm sure your family enjoyed those gifts more than store bought ones! What types of books for children would you like to create as an author/illustrator or comic book author?

Though my art aligned with kidlit very well, I thought that children’s books could only be written by people with rosy childhoods. My children’s books professor in art school changed my perspective. More often than not, children are smart enough to know about the sad, scary, and unfair aspects of the world. I would love to create work that acknowledges these tough subjects with kindness and help kids understand them as my favourite childhood books have done for me.

Those types of topics are needed in this sad, scary, and unfair world. Is there anything in particular that inspires your art?

Not to be cliché, but nature is my greatest inspiration. At the onset of the Pandemic lockdown, I reevaluated my unhealthy relationship to art and took a long break. I would go on multiple walks a day with my dad who I moved back in with briefly. Being from Vancouver, British Columbia, there was no shortage of natural beauty to draw from. But aside from mountains and oceans, I found joy in the curious sights of everyday life, like the flowers that survived through an unusually warm winter, or an owl perching snugly on a stop sign.

I forced myself only to create with the old paint and coloured pencils in my childhood home. I fell back in love with making art. Most of my work features nature, especially flowers. My family was in the flower business for years and I grew up surrounded by blooms, and I worked as a florist for them occasionally. It’s great to be able to draw so many different kinds of flowers from memory!
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(C) Illustration: Sarah Wang
I love flowers, too! Please describe your process.

My process really depends on the project, but recently, I really like to get as much worked out in the early stages as possible. It’s a rather structured process, which I’ve developed from a hectic schedule during school days and working full time. I start with research of course, making a board of reference photos. The Notion app has been my recent obsession for keeping track of information and files. 

In my first book, which I am currently working on, I kept a sketchbook full of all the research and sketches pertaining to the story. Then, I did a close read of the manuscript and sketched out scenes and pages. I made a template for thumbnails with the right ratio and rough text placement and filled this in using Photoshop since they get revised over and over. Working digitally saves time.

I took each thumbnail, enlarged it to make a tighter sketch, and chose a colour palette for the page. (I stole this step from my partner who is a fantastic artist. He finishes an entire painting digitally first, and then paints it on canvas.) This type of precise groundwork gives the final artwork a clean, purposeful look instead of being overworked or having to restart many times. Next, I printed out the sketch, transferred it to watercolour paper for the final mixed media painting, which I like to do completely traditionally as I love the warm look and soothing process.

Wow! Sounds like a labor intensive process, but one that pays off in the end! Last question, how did Kelly discover you and why are you glad to be represented by her?

Kelly and I actually found each other after a good friend had joined The Tobias Literary Agency as a client. He kept telling me how his agent was great to work with, so I asked him for more info. Though my friend's agent wasn’t taking on any new clients, she referred me to Kelly, her colleague at TLA.

Kelly had a great list of artists and seemed very experienced, so I reached out, and she promptly responded. She led me through the agenting process and the contract step by step. I became intrigued by the idea of being in a community of other children’s book artists. Luckily, soon after we signed, our first project that went out on submission was acquired! It’s only been a little while since we’ve worked together, but I’m excited to see where Kelly and I will go.

Kelly is awesome, and I'm excited to see where your work will go too! Well, thanks for chatting with us, Sarah, and do stop by again!

You're welcome, and I will!
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Sarah Whang is a Korean-Canadian illustrator and comic artist based in Toronto. She graduated from the Illustration program at Sheridan College with a strong focus on picture books and graphic novels. She loves to mix texture, light, and color to create magical yet cozy scenes. She is available for graphic novels, picture books, covers, and licensing. She can be found online at sunhawhang.com, on  Instagram and  on Twitter. Sarah is represented by Kelly Dyklsterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.  
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An Exclamation Point Interview with Amanda Vacharat!

7/14/2023

4 Comments

 
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 (c) Amanda Vacharat, amandavacharat.com

Amanda Vacharat: Artist, Author ​&
Member of Kelly Dyksterhouse's Kidlit Crew

Welcome to my blog, Amanda! What a delight to have you here!

Thank you for inviting me.

The pleasure is all mine! Do tell. How did you find your way into the kidlit world, and why do you love it?

Oh, there are so many pathways that all led here! But, the simplest (shortest) one is that I encountered M.T. Anderson’s YA Novel FEED, and it opened my eyes to the opportunities there are in kidlit to be weird and genre-less and playful, even if darkly so. I love that it gives us (the authors) that freedom to write for readers that don’t have formed expectations of what literature should or shouldn’t look like yet. We get to show them how expansive that definition could be. 

FEED also helped me see that kidlit can focus on asking questions rather than giving answers. Because you are engaging with readers who are encountering concepts and themes, often for the first time, they are open to questioning the ideas behind them, and perhaps come up with their own thoughts and opinions in response. I like to think I’m creating those types of books—the kind that asks the reader questions, and asks the reader to ask questions—but even if not, I’m glad I get to try.
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​Very intriguing reply! It's so cool that you enjoy writing books for young readers that include dashes of science, plus technology, along with a helping of whimsy. Why is that combination a good fit for you as a writer? 

Ah, well, thanks for thinking it’s cool! I have a science and tech background, and I’m a programmer for my day job, so tech stuff is rather constantly on my mind. But science and tech can get a bit serious (*cough*, AI), and I think when you get too serious in storytelling, you can lose people; they will check out before they understand. Perhaps that assumption is wrong, but to me, it seems as if when stories get too serious, the audience starts to become more restricted to the people who already agree or understand. I don’t know. Maybe I just like making things a little playfully weird!

Can you give us an example, please, of something whimsical you're working on?

​An example: I’m currently revising a YA novel about government-led psychiatric experimentation, which has some borderline silly and unrealistic locations and settings. And often my illustrations have cute animals doing silly things with industrial or technological props. Actually, I’ve been wondering lately whether “whimsical” is the right word for this kind of story; if instead I should be saying “absurdity.” But there’s overlap there, right? Both are breaks from logic or reality, a sense of being off kilter, though with slightly different overtones.

It sounds like your books will be wonderfully weird, absurdly abstract, and fantastical fictional yarns that young adults will love to read!

Haha! Thanks, I think.
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  (c) Amanda Vacharat, amandavacharat.com
So how would you say your characters speak to the younger you?
 
On the simplest level, I’m writing books which feature characters who have one Asian parent, and characters who are autistic, whether or not they are labeled as such. There weren’t characters like this in books or movies growing up, and we’ve come a long way with representation, but we aren’t there yet. Having books with these characters would have helped validate my own ways of thinking and existing, and I hope seeing characters like this will resonate with others still missing themselves in current media.

On a more complex level, many of my characters are a little hopelessly in love with the world. They also tend to want to restore relationships and find their place with friends or family. I’ve been told that desire is quintessentially middle grade (and not YA), but I disagree, partially because of my own experience as a teen, and even adult. And so I’ve stubbornly kept on with it. 

Those are themes that resonate with folks of all ages, I think. As an illustrator, what are your favorite subjects to draw, and why.

Oh dear, illustrating. Even though at the very start of this journey, I wanted to be an illustrator, I’ve gotten totally derailed by writing (see answer number 1.) I’m just now getting back into illustrating, and at the very beginning of defining what types of subjects I want to focus on. What’s remained consistent for me is I love drawing almost any types of animals. I’ve always loved animals. Almost all creatures. Except stink bugs.

I'm with you on the stink bugs! Anything else you like to draw?

I once had an art director question why so many of my illustrations feature children who are afraid. So, I guess I like drawing terrified kids? I’m not sure what this says about me.

Haha! Not sure about that one. Last questions: What medium do you enjoy using in your art? And what's your process like?

My go-to medium used to be pencil with scanned wallpaper and photographs, which I would paint over digitally. That process was extremely time consuming, so lately I’ve been playing around with what I can manage digitally to recreate the same sort of look.

Well, Amanda. This has proved to be a most interesting interview, and I foresee some very unique illustrated young-adult novels on the horizon--those inside a genre created by you!

Perhaps so!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Pop in anytime!

Will do!
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Amanda Vacharat holds an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA). Her books include elements of science, technology, and usually at least a little whimsy. She includes characters that her child-self yearned to see and portrays worlds beyond those most often seen. She is represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse at The Tobias Literary Agency. Find Amanda's website and portfolio  at amandavacharat.com, her tweeting @AmandaVacharat, and her make-you-smile doodles on Instagram @quillypig.
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4 Comments

POTTY PARTY! Launches Today!

6/13/2023

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(C) Olivia Duchess and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023

Let the POTTY PARTY! Begin!

I'm super excited to share that POTTY PARTY!, my board book published by LB Kids, an imprint of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, comes out today, June 13, 2023! I'm thrilled at how fun, unique, and colorful this work-for-hire book turned out, and I hope it will help many little ones become Potty Training Graduates.

Parents can easily turn the fun, rhythmic text into a chant or song to encourage the milestone. Little ones can imagine the Potty Queen ready to admit them to the party so they can pass under the plunger and exchange diapers for underwear. And surely, when little ones find a potty trainer who looks like them drawn inside the vibrant illustrations of Olivia Duchess they'll be ready to flush some poo like big kids do!
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To win a free copy of POTTY PARTY! (along with several other books published by fellow members of The 24/7s, my middle-grade debut group), pop on over to The 24/7s Blog, and enter our Six-Month Anniversary Giveaway by leaving a comment during the month of June on any one of our interviews.
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Order a copy of POTTY PARTY! for your little trainers HERE. 
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Craft Tips Learned from Watching Chopped

5/19/2023

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(c) Cynthia Cliff, cynthiacliff.com
​I love watching Chopped, a reality Food Network show that invites four chefs to prepare an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, each within a limited amount of time and by using a basket with mystery ingredients. A panel of judges rates each dish based on creativity, taste, and presentation. At the end of each round, the chef with the weakest palatal delight is placed on the proverbial chopping block, leaving a Chopped champion by dessert’s end. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking—Dionna, why are you wasting your writing time watching the veg-tube? My reply? This is writing research, not time wasted! I’ve gleaned a lot about the writing process by watching Chopped. Really.

For example:

Don’t forget the salt

We all know how important it is to add the right amount of salt to a dish, right? But I’ve seen many an episode when a classically trained chef forgets the essential dash, leaving the food, while beautiful, full of blah. Writing lesson learned? Don’t forget to add sensory delight to every scene by engaging all five senses, including taste!
 
Transform the ingredients

Chefs on Chopped are often given the strangest of mystery ingredients. Sometimes, I’m like, really? Artificial spray cheese? But a skilled chef can do it! He can turn that gloopy yellow goo into yum. How? Creativity combined with freshness. (FYI: artificial spray cheese makes delicious creamed kale.) My takeaway? Writers can spin original plot lines into something new by being creative.
 
 Add some fat 

I’ve seen quite a few chefs rise to the challenge when the basket is inherently lean, like say there are Rocky Mountain oysters in there. (Can you believe people actually eat bull testicles? Ewww!) A chef will slice them thin and deep fry them in sizzling oil. Readers like the taste of “fat,” too. They want stories full of emotion. Fat is where it’s at in a good way, at least when it comes to writing.

Sauce it together

I’ve seen chefs on the show rise to the top by using the unique flavor profile of an ingredient, like preserved rice juice, to create a delicious sauce that ties their dessert together. Writing lesson? We can tie our scenes together with a “sauce,” a theme, a setting, a mood.
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Use the pantry wisely

Besides the basket ingredients, chefs on the show are encouraged to use fresh ingredients from the Chopped pantry in their dish. But if they add too many—say, a whole lot of chocolate to mask the taste of durian—the judges will ding them. They actually want to be able to taste the ingredients found in the basket, even if it’s a foul-smelling Asian fruit. Lesson: as writers, we should remind ourselves not to overwhelm a scene or dialogue with unnecessary details or description. Less is more basket.

Be true to yourself

Chopped champions are often those who stay true to their own style of cooking, like the one who borrowed his babcia’s chrusciki recipe, or the one who created her naani’s curry blend. The recipe for success as writers? Take a lesson from Granny. Mine from your culture, your homeplace, your language, your ancestry to create stories uniquely your own.

Tantalize the taste buds

I love it when chefs on Chopped create something so yummy, so scrumptious, that it leaves the judges saying, “I can’t stop eating this.” As writers, shouldn’t we try to do the same—leave our readers not just satisfied by the story’s end, but wishing for a sequel?

Remember all the ingredients

To avoid leaving a mystery ingredient off the plate, I’ve seen many a chef on Chopped count their ingredients before Ted, the host, says, “Please, step back.” (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been left holding my breath, hoping that chef won’t forget those caramelized hot dogs hiding beneath their station!) As writers, we should enumerate, too. Have we included all that makes a story a story? Do we have a main character wanting something and doing something to get it; does he have an obstacle in his way and something at stake if he doesn’t obtain it? 

Count. 

Taste your food

Tasting as you go along is a secret to success in any kitchen. Writers should also “taste” their words as they go along by reading them out loud.

There are many more writing lessons from Chopped begging to be shared.

Writers cookbook, anyone? ​
Images, used with permission of the illustrator, Cynthia Cliff.
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    About Me

    I am a children's book author who loves learning about lesser known individuals shining in the margins of African American history. My debut novel for young readers, Mama's Chicken & Dumplings (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2024), received a starred review from Shelf Awareness and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. I am 
    represented by Kelly Dyksterhouse of The Tobias Literary Agency.

    Copying, reposting, or otherwise republishing anything on this blog without permission is strictly prohibited.
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