Between moving, a cycle of colds throughout the house, and the holidays, sharing news here really got away from me. But I’ve been doing a lot of book-related stuff and have more exciting stuff coming!
Where I’ve Been
I’ve had a few great events over the last few months, including the Young Adult Author Symposium (YAAS) in Concord, MA, back in November with a bunch of other amazing YA authors, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years and some of whom I got to meet that day. The organizer of the event is Kip Wilson, a fellow YA author and the school librarian at Concord-Carlisle High School. With the Boston Teen Author Festival having closed its metaphorical doors post-COVID, it was so great to be at a YA-specific event in the Greater Boston area. There were multiple breakout sessions throughout the day centered around different topics and Concord-Carlisle High students got to be the moderators. This was only YAAS’s second year so I highly recommend keeping an eye out for next year’s schedule.
January kicked off with the launch of Beth Is Dead, a fabulous retelling of Little Women that reframes the story as a YA thriller. I got to talk with the author, Katie Bernet, about retellings and writing a mystery and the winding path to publication, at her launch event at the Silver Unicorn. The weather wasn’t ideal but the crowd was warm and enthusiastic and the Silver Unicorn staff did such a great job with this event. Plus, I got to see fellow 2014 YA debut author Jenny Martin!
And then last week I was part of this amazing panel on reproductive rights at Brookline Booksmith. Honestly, it was so humbling to be on a panel with so many people making a real difference for reproductive rights both in Massachusetts and beyond. Fellow panelists Meghan Elizabeth Kallman , Marlene Fried, Loretta Ross, and Mason Dunn were so thoughtful and passionate about helping others. One theme that kept coming up was the importance of community–how we need to keep showing up for each other, refusing to back down in the face of fear, and finding ways to connect.
Where I’ll Be
Winter White is coming out on Tuesday, January 27 (less than a week from today!), which means I’ve got book-related events coming up.
First, I’ll be at Books on the Square in Providence, RI on Saturday, January 31 at 6pm. This is my first event in Rhode Island in forever, and I’m so excited to be at the bookstore I thought was the coolest back in the day. Come to hear a little about Winter White and get a signed copy!
Thursday, February 5 at 7pm is the launch event for Winter White at Brookline Booksmith. I’m so excited that my conversation partner is none other than the aforementioned Kip Wilson. I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about, especially around writing YA novels that deal with heavy topics but provide hope. And seriously, get Kip’s books! They’re gripping historical YA novels in verse about fortitude and heart and how we keep moving forward.
What I’ve Been Into
I finally caught up on the Wolf Hall miniseries, the first season coming out in 2015 and the second in 2024. I’d heard it was good but y’all, this was so fantastic. It’s stellar writing, excellent acting, phenomenal production design, all wrapped up in some great historical storytelling. Super recommended and you can watch it all on PBS Passport. Other good viewing includes Poker Face, Wake Up Dead Man, Traitors, and The American Revolution.
It was a good end to the year/start to the year with reading, including:
- Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley. Boulley does not miss, y’all.
- Hear Her Howl by Kim DeRose, the ’90’s sapphic werewolf boarding school book you didn’t know you needed.
- Truth Is: A Novel in Verse by Hannah V. Sawyerr, which is powerful and gorgeous and a must-read for any young writer.
What have you been reading/listening to/experiencing? Share your recent favorites in the comments!