I met up with my awesome friend Gillian McDunn and another incredible author, Frances O'Roark Dowell, for a wonderful middle grade event on a rainy Sunday at McIntyre's Books in Pittsboro, NC! Before the panel, we were interviewed by a lovely tween blogger! The panel was full of great questions and … [Read more...]
Folio Books!
While I was in San Francisco, I got to visit a charming and magical bookstore, Folio Books, and present to their Middle Grade Book Worms club! The kids got to enjoy pizza and drinks, participate in a smelling contest, get their copies of MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM signed, and sign my "yearbook" … [Read more...]
Kidquake!!
I was so fortunate to be invited to Kidquake at the San Francisco Public Library this year!! As part of the annual Litquake celebration, I got to present alongside amazing authors and illustrators Ellen Klages, Diana Toledano, and K-Fai Steele!! The auditorium full of students heard about our … [Read more...]
Greenbrier School!
I loved visiting wonderful Greenbrier School in Arlington Heights, IL, where I presented to over 200 4th and 5th graders thanks to my wonderful publisher and The Book Stall. The kids were attentive, appreciative, and amazing! … [Read more...]
Ivy Hill School!
Thanks to my awesome publisher and The Book Stall, I got to visit over 200 4th and 5th graders at the Ivy Hill School in Arlington Heights, IL! The kids were absolutely wonderful, and I loved visiting this fantastic school! … [Read more...]
Builta School!
Visiting the Builta School in Bolingbrook, IL was such a treat...just take a look at the incredible MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM art they created using their school mascot, the badger! The students also made cupcake art, described ingredients they'd use in their baked goods, and wrote about creating with … [Read more...]
St. Mary School!
Thanks to Anderson's Bookshop, I traveled to DeKalb, IL to visit fifth and sixth graders at St. Mary School! The students and teachers were absolutely lovely, and had some great insights and questions about writing! … [Read more...]
Carmichael’s Kids!
Another writer dream came true for me when I had the opportunity to have an author event at an iconic bookstore in the town where I grew up! Carmichael's Kids is full of delight for young readers...and I was so thrilled to talk about MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM there! … [Read more...]
St. Agnes School!
I wrapped up my Louisville school visits at lovely St. Agnes School, where I met with some super-enthusiastic students who asked excellent questions! … [Read more...]
Returning to Louisville Collegiate School!
I was incredibly fortunate to return to my own wonderful alma mater, Louisville Collegiate School, for a MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM school visit! This is the school I attended from fourth grade through the end of high school, the school that shaped me. I wouldn't be who I am without this school, and if I … [Read more...]
School Visit at St. Francis School!
I kicked off the MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM tour in my hometown of Louisville, KY with a visit to awesome St. Francis School! The students were full of energy and asked some great questions! … [Read more...]
MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM featured in the Nerdy Book Club!
I was delighted to see MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM mentioned in a Nerdy Book Club Post about "Top Ten Books For Current Foodies and Future Chefs!" The post mentions many books I admire and some that I have now added to my enormous TBR pile! … [Read more...]
KidLitTV Interview for Children’s Book Week!
I did an interview with KidLit TV as part of the ongoing CBC Children's Book Week celebrations! You can watch it here, and see interviews with more fabulous kidlit creators here. … [Read more...]
Panel at Books of Wonder!!
I was honored and utterly thrilled to be on a Great Middle Grade Reads panel at Books of Wonder in downtown NYC with my dear friends and tremendous fellow authors Chris Baron, Jessica Kramer, Josh Levy, and Cory Leonardo! At the packed event, we chatted about our novels, our writing processes, and … [Read more...]
My TWEENS READ Interview with Blue Willow Bookshop!
I am over the moon to be heading to TWEENS READ in Houston, TX this October!! In preparation for this incredible book festival, Blue Willow Bookshop interviewed me about writing, baking, and MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM! Read the interview here. … [Read more...]
The MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM Teaching and Discussion Guide!
I'm excited to share the teaching/discussion guide that I created for MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM!! I hope teachers, librarians, and readers of all types find the activities and questions fun and thought-provoking! Here is is!! You can find the guide on both my "Novels" and "Author Visits" pages as … [Read more...]
Kids’ Baking Contest at Belmont Books!!
Years ago when I was first drafting MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM, little did I know that I would get to go to a fabulous independent bookstore and hold A Kids' Baking Contest inspired by my book! That's what happened today, and it was more fun than I could have envisioned. I spoke about and read from … [Read more...]
A Meet and Greet at Barnes & Noble in Burlington, MA
I spent part of my afternoon at my local Barnes & Noble in Burlington, MA, where I got to meet so many wonderful kids who love books and baking!! … [Read more...]
The Pitch Wars 2019 Team PITA Mentor Wish List!
Welcome to Pitch Wars 2019!! This year, we are mentoring Middle Grade. What exactly is Pitch Wars? It’s a mentoring program for unagented writers. You can read more about it here. We’ll get to our wish list in a moment, but first, a little about us, your potential … [Read more...]
Great Baking Book Event at Red Balloon Books!
On a rainy Monday night in September, I had an amazing visit to Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, MN, where I participated in a "Great Baking Book Event," inspired by my middle grade novel, MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM, and (of course) the Great British Baking Show! I talked about my story, read a little from … [Read more...]