On a gorgeous May morning, Abhi Alwar and I launched our sweet summertime story, SUMMER IS FOR COUSINS, at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn, NY! We talked about the inspiration for the story, did a reading, and Abhi did an illustration demo with ALL SEVEN COUSINS in the story! Afterwards, we enjoyed … [Read more...]
NCTE National Convention!
I had an amazing time in Anaheim, California, at the NCTE National Convention. I had the pleasure of being on two super-star-packed panels: "Book Banning and Erasure of the Whole Child" and "Underrepresented Authors on Diversity in STEM/STEAM Fiction and Nonfiction." It was a real treat to see old … [Read more...]
New York State Reading Association Conference and a Charlotte Award nomination!
I was so excited to attend the NY State Reading Association Conference, where I presented, signed books, and mingled with other authors and book-lovers. I'm thrilled that my picture book SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS is a 2023 New York State Charlotte Award nominee! … [Read more...]
VCFA WCYA Alumnx Mini-Residency!
I had a fantastic time at the Vermont College of the Fine Arts' WCYA Alumnx Mini-Residency. I was honored to be the Guest Author at this four-day conference, and it was fun spending time with agents, editors, VCFA faculty, and alumni. We gave and listened to lectures, chatted about craft and the … [Read more...]
River Bend Bookshop!
I had a ball hanging out on a lovely fall Sunday with friends Josh Funk and Elly Swartz at River Bend Bookshop, a wonderful independent bookstore in Glastonbury, CT! We read our books aloud, met readers, signed books, and had so much fun! … [Read more...]
Chappaqua Book Festival!
I had a ball at the amazing, incredible Chappaqua Book Festival on a perfect fall day! I joined over a hundred other authors and met so many amazing readers! What a celebration of children's literature! … [Read more...]
Project Literacy in Midland, TX!
I had an amazing time visiting schools and libraries in Midland, Texas and participating in their Project Literacy programming. I had a magical experience, which included arriving on a fire truck; spending time with beautiful kids, educators, librarians, (and Clifford!); visiting the gorgeous area … [Read more...]
2022 Newbery Celebrations!
The most exciting part of the ALA Annual Conference was celebrating the Newbery Awards! On June 25, I got to attend the #Newbery100 Celebration — which, as you might guess, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Newbery Award, the oldest children's book award in the world! We learned about … [Read more...]
TLA 2022!
What an incredible time I had at my first in person Texas Library Association conference! The weather was beautiful in Fort Worth, and I had such a great time meeting wonderful librarians from all over Texas! I got to sign copies of RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE (at my first in person conference!), I'LL GO … [Read more...]
An Amazing Time at the Oxford Children’s Book Festival!
What an incredible time I had in Oxford, MS on March 31 for the Oxford Children’s Book Festival, where I presented about WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET to first graders, and MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM to fifth graders! Huge thanks to the University of Mississippi Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the … [Read more...]
Bath Book Bash 2021!
I had such an incredible time at the 2021 Bath Book Bash! We were blessed with gorgeous weather and a huge crowd of book lovers! There were panels, arts and crafts, and lots of book signings! I was so grateful to see writer friends in person on a beautiful September day! … [Read more...]
A Beautiful Book Birthday for WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET!
I was so delighted to celebrate the Book Birthday of my picture book, WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET! This picture book of my heart is about a road trip, a family, and love that crosses oceans. I'm so delighted that it's out in the world! I got to visit Silver Unicorn Books and sign books in person, and … [Read more...]
My Interview on Mutually Inclusive!
I loved talking with Devyn at Mutually Inclusive about WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET and writing in general! You can read the whole interview here. … [Read more...]
Unboxing Finished Copies of WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET!
Finished copies of my next picture book, WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET, arrived, and they are absolutely GORGEOUS! Check out my unboxing video of this book of my heart, and preorder a copy today! … [Read more...]
A Beautiful Book Giveaway to Thank Joy McCullough!
Three years ago, I entered Pitch Wars with my book, MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM. I was nervous, and I didn't expect to get in, but I figured I didn't have anything to lose by trying. And then, at the end of August, I found out that Joy McCullough had chosen to mentor me! Her suggested edits weren't easy, but … [Read more...]
My TV Baking Dreams Come True!
I loved being on Kidlit TV's StoryMakers in the Kitchen with host Rocco Staino to live out my fantasy of being on a fun baking show!! Watch the episode to see me make gulab jamun cupcakes straight from the pages of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM!! And check out the full post to learn more about the book, … [Read more...]
The Story Seeds Podcast Bonus Episode: My Interview with Betsy Bird!
I had an absolute ball chatting with super-librarian Betsy Bird on this bonus episode of The Story Seeds Podcast! Listen below to hear us dish about becoming an author, writing tips, and our favorite foods, then subscribe to the podcast to hear more stories from authors collaborating with kids! … [Read more...]
The Story Seeds Podcast!
Last September, I met with 12 year-old Liyana and wrote a story inspired by the idea she gave me! You can hear some of our conversation at Pippin Vintage Home and hear the story (which involves magic and food, of course) that came from that "seed" by clicking below. Check out more photos and … [Read more...]
WhirliKids Book Fest!!
I loved visiting beautiful McIntyre's Books, just south of Chapel Hill, NC this past weekend for the WhirliKids Book Fest! I got to catch up with friends (including my Pitch Wars 2019 mentee!), make new ones, appear on a panel of wonderful authors, and sign copies of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM! A wonderful … [Read more...]
School Visit at Indian Springs School!
I had the wonderful privilege of visiting with 150+ 4th and 5th graders at Indian Springs Elementary School in Columbus, OH! After an "assembly-style" large presentation and Q & A, I got to run two writing workshops with smaller groups of students! This school is filled with book … [Read more...]