This July I had the great pleasure doing a MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM west coast tour with my wonderful friend and fellow debut novelist, Chris Baron, and his gorgeous novel in verse, ALL OF ME! Our first stop was Third Place Books in Seattle, WA. We met up and baked with my Pitch Wars mentor, Joy … [Read more...]
Children’s Institute!
I had such an incredible few days from June 26-28 at the American Booksellers Association Children’s Institute (Ci7), held in Pittsburgh this year! Thanks to the incredible team at little bee books, I got to meet wonderful booksellers, including my own awesome local stores—The Concord Bookshop, The … [Read more...]
Awesome Midsummer’s Eve Panel at Silver Unicorn Books!
On June 23, Midsummer's Eve, I joined awesome MG authors Jarrett Lerner and Susan Tan for a fantastic Middle Grade Author Panel at the Silver Unicorn Bookstore! There were lots of great questions, laughter, and, of course, delicious treats!! I think the folks at the While Away Cafe would have been … [Read more...]
Release Day for MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM!
On June 11, 2019, MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM officially released to the world! I spent part of the day visiting two of my favorite local independent bookstores, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore and The Concord Bookshop, gazing at my book on the shelves and signing copies: . . I made sure … [Read more...]
A Dream of a Book Launch and Party!
On June 2, 2019, my writing dream came true! I was privileged to launch MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM at The Concord Bookshop, the fantastic independent bookstore in my lovely hometown! It was an incredible event, with a packed store was packed full of family and friends from near and far, and we sold out of … [Read more...]
Book Expo 2019!
Book Expo 2019 in NYC was a blast! I got to hang out with my editor and the rest of the publishing team at the Little Bee Books booth. I visited other publisher's booths, including the publishers of some of my friends' books, and my forthcoming picture books! . . … [Read more...]
Summer 2019 Kids’ Indie Next!
I'm thrilled that MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM is on the American Booksellers Association Summer 2019 Kids' Indie Next List! It's a huge honor to be supported by wonderful independent bookstores! Paul Swydan from the fantastic Silver Unicorn Bookstore is quoted: "An enchanting treat of a middle grade novel, … [Read more...]
MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM Preorder Gifts!
My debut middle grade novel MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM releases four weeks from today on June 11, 2019! I'm so grateful for your support of me and my book, and I'm thrilled to celebrate preorders by giving away some fun swag! Preorder You can preorder MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM by 11:59 p.m. EST … [Read more...]
Indies Introduce!
I'm overjoyed to announce that MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM is an American Booksellers Association Summer/Fall 2019 Indies Introduce selection! Twice a year, a committee of booksellers across the country read hundreds of titles and choose 10 debut books as Indies Introduce titles. I had a thrilling moment a … [Read more...]
Another Picture Book Announcement!!
I'm overjoyed to announce that Abrams will publish my picture book about the love between mothers and daughters how it endures across distance and time. WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET will be illustrated by the enormously talented Archana Sreenivasan and will publish in 2022! You can read the announcement … [Read more...]
A Star from Kirkus!!
I'm thrilled that MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM has earned a STAR from Kirkus Reviews! They say "the realistic characters and complex family dynamics augment the tightly knit plot, and the mouthwatering descriptions of food are guaranteed to make readers hungry." Read the full review here. … [Read more...]
A Shakespearean Giveaway!
It's April 23, the day the world celebrates the birth of William Shakespeare! I fell in love with Shakespeare's words as a kid, and each year I discover more to love about his poetry and plays. MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM was inspired by one of his best-known and beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream. … [Read more...]
Being a Book Godmother, a Cover Reveal, and a Giveaway!
One of the best things about being a writer is making writer friends and cheering on their beautiful books. But when one of your dear critique partners publishes her first book, it is truly special to see a story you have known from infancy go out into the world. It feels like being a "book … [Read more...]
My Interview on Wakefield Community Access TV!
On March 27, 2019 I was interviewed on Wakefield Community Access TV by Colleen Getty of The Room To Write. We had a wonderful discussion about writing life, my inspiration for MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM, and the purpose of a pitch! Watch the whole interview here! … [Read more...]
Kweli 2019!
On April 5-6, 2019 I attended my second Kweli: The Color of Children's Literature Conference. From incredible workshops to superb keynotes, fascinating panel discussions, and plenty of time to connect with fellow creators, the conference was nourishing and inspiring in the best possible way. … [Read more...]
KidLitConProvidence2019 and My First Official Author Panel!
On March 22-23, 2019 I travelled to Providence to KidLitCon 2019, a conference where writers, teachers, librarians, book bloggers, and bookstagrammers met to share ideas about writing, reading, and getting books to kids! It was an incredible event! I participated in my first official panel as an … [Read more...]
A Birthday Giveaway!
This year, to celebrate my March 19 birthday, I want to share some of my favorite MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM-related things. This pile of goodies combines baking, Shakespeare, and a tiny bit of magic. If you win, you will get: A signed ARC of MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM! MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM … [Read more...]
MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM in TEEN VOGUE!!
I'm thrilled and honored to have MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM featured in TEEN VOGUE's "11 Books with South Asian Characters You Should Read in 2019!" My book is keeping some pretty incredible company! Read the full article here. … [Read more...]
A Doctor, A Lawyer, and a College Professor…walk into a MG Debut Group…
Check out this fun interview at MGBookVillage.com with my friends and fellow debuts, Josh Levy and Chris Baron! Read our interview here. … [Read more...]
NY SCBWI 2019!
I made an amazing trip to NYC for the NY SCBWI 2019 conference! I got to visit two of my publishers, do my very first book signing of ARCs of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM, celebrate the announcement of I’LL GO AND COME BACK, meet up with old friends and new, and hobnob with stars like Melissa Stewart, Meg … [Read more...]