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 couple of weeks ago when bookseller Joan Trygg of Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, MN called to tell me that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM had been chosen, and all the reasons she loved the book! In addition to being included in a special newsletter to independent bookstores across the country, I will be doing a signing in the ABA Members Lounge at Book Expo on May 30. I’ll also attend the ABA’s ABC Children’s Institute on June 26-28, and will be speaking at an Indies Introduce panel there!
Here are some quotes about MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM from booksellers on the committee:
“What a fun, delicious read! Mimi bakes scrumptious goodies to express her heart, but is she good enough to win the While Away baking prize and an opportunity to work with her favorite chef? And can she figure out why her family is acting so strangely?”
-Joan Trygg, Red Balloon Bookshop, Minneapolis, MN
“I savored every minute of this romp. I loved Mimi and her drive to be less invisible in her big family full of go-getters. The South Indian foods, well-defined in the glossary, added another layer of flavor to the story. The baking contest, reminiscent of The Great British Baking Show, was full of surprises, and the hints of magic and allusions to A Midsummer Night’s Dream were perfect. The included recipes are the icing on the cake. I can’t wait to make the savory scones for my co-workers.”
-Jen Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
“I’m hungry for all the treats in this story and for more books from Rajani LaRocca. Mimi is a kind and inquisitive girl that you instinctively root for, and her struggles with failure really resonated with me. This play on Shakespeare with a culinary twist is absolutely delightful and, dare I say it, scrumptious. More, more, more!”
—Sami Thomason, Square Books, Oxford, MS
“Honeysuckle sweet with a pinch of mayhem and a fairy twist! You’ll only want to put this book down in order to eat an entire plate of cookies. Shakespeare and baking — it’s the book combo dreams are made of.”
-Liz Rice, The Book Cellar, Chicago, IL
Read about all the ABA Indies Introduce Summer/Fall 2019 titles here.
I’m humbled and truly grateful for this incredible honor! I love independent bookstores, and I love supporting them! I’ll be visiting my local bookstores The Concord Bookshop, Porter Square Books, and The Silver Unicorn Bookstore in June, and Belmont Books in September. You can also preorder signed books now! I’ll also be visiting stores in other parts of the country! You can find all my upcoming appearances on my Events page.
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