Jennifer Sommersby started writing rom-coms (romantic comedies) under the pseudonym of Eliza Gordon as she was in the waiting game of edits/revisions/publication for a young adult novel. She has penned 8 books under that name, the latest a three-part series – Planet Lara. Welcome to Planet Lara is an enviromance – environmental romance – with […]
Podcast
Season 2, Episode 6: Non-fiction that’s hard to swallow – Mary Boone, Bugs for Breakfast
Mary Boone is the author of more than 60 non-fiction books for young readers. She has written about everything from boy bands, the Biebs and in her latest book, bugs. Bugs for Breakfast is an informative, engaging book, not just for middle grade readers, but for adults as well. It will open your eyes (and […]
Season 2 Episode 5: Releasing the badass – Laura Ballerini, The Green Velvet Chair
When first-time author and full-time business owner Laura Ballerini sat down to write some stories, she didn’t anticipate the transformation that would take place inside her soul. From a very young age, Laura was introduced to art through her mother’s skill with crafting, fixing, and cooking. Now, as a graphic designer, Laura realizes just how […]
Season 2 Episode 4: The worst best part of high school – Kalena Miller, The Night When No One Had Sex
Kalena Miller’s debut novel will take you back to everything that was horrible and awesome about high school. There’s junk food, fighting, texting, and prom night. You know what’s missing? Sex. The night that was carefully planned goes horribly wrong. You’ll laugh out loud, but also feel deeply connected to the characters in The Night […]
Season 2, Episode 3: The feminist voice in print – Christina Dalcher, Femlandia
As the author of 3 bestselling dystopian novels with strong female characters, Christina Dalcher is often painted as a feminist. There are so many more layers to this linguist-now-author. While her first novel, Vox, brought the issue of silencing women to the table, her latest, Femlandia, examines life in broken-down world, where women are building […]
Season 2, Episode 2: Using fiction to teach kids about death – Joanne Levy, Sorry For Your Loss
Sorry For Your Loss is a poignant, touching and sometimes funny story about Evie, a girl whose family runs a Jewish funeral home. In this episode, Joanne and I talk about how kids can learn about hard topics through reading, what some of the challenges are when writing for middle grade and why the feedback […]