Interview with Literary Rambles + Giveaway

Learn all about the making of my new book and enter for a chance to win cool stuff

It’s been a while since my last email update—hope you didn’t miss me too much.

Turns out, a lot can happen in a few months. Among other things, I’ve switched my newsletter over to Substack, completed my second novel and started a third, and moved my family halfway across the Midwest. Oh, and don’t tell Boris (pictured above) but he’s about to get a feline housemate.

Howling at the Moon

Summer is in full swing, and you know what that means. Or maybe you don’t! Don’t worry—that’s what email newsletters are for. What it means is that the release of my latest novel Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest is only a few short weeks away.

Normally, I’d include the official synopsis for the book right about now. Instead, here’s the opening paragraph to a 5-star Goodreads review by librarian Mary R. Lanni who says it better than I ever could:

Eight months ago, twelve-year-old Frances made a scientific discovery that altered the course of her world. Now, her parents have finally offered Frances the chance to join them at a meeting of the European Society of Science and Invention, and Frances accepts wholeheartedly. But Frances has a secret only she knows, and when their train is hijacked by nefarious forces, Frances and her friend Luca must escape into the Black Forest with a valise foisted upon them at the last minute by Frances’ mother. The forest is filled with creatures of all kinds, and Frances knows she must face her demons and find her grandfather’s missing journal before it is too late.

I’ve included some preorder links—purely for your convenience, of course.
Bookshop.org
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Interview + Giveaway

I recently dropped by Literary Rambles, a beloved stalwart of the kid lit blogosphere that has been going strong since 2008 and hosted by Natalie Aguirre since 2011. I spoke with Natalie about the unique challenges of writing a sequel, switching agents midway through a project, and what coming next.

Here’s a short excerpt:

Q: Where did you get the idea for this series?

A: Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking Frankenstein and the classic monster movies it spawned were of course a major inspiration for Frances and the Monster.Eagle-eyed Frankenstein fans will find all sorts of easter eggs from Shelley’s life and works in both Frances and the Monster and Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest, with even more obscure references to things like Frankenstein VS the Wolfman in the latter.

But the first seeds of the Frances series were actually planted by the ‘Magician’s Apprentice’ sequence of Disney’s Fantasia. The idea of the apprentice being so impatient to skip ahead get to the good stuff—mastery—really resonated with me. That was me as a kid. Always impatient to jump straight to adulthood, and cocky enough to think I was ready. So, Frances ended up with a healthy dose of both qualities. And like the magician’s apprentice, when she gives into those impulses, she creates a monster.

Q: You already had a publishing contract and deadlines to meet when you wrote your second book. How did you draft your manuscript and revise it on a schedule? What are your tips for other writers like me who are afraid that they write too slowly to finish a manuscript on a publisher’s schedule?

A: Writing a first novel is like climbing a mountain where you can’t see the top. It can feel so impossible, the path so often undefined—right up to the moment you type ‘The End.’ Then you’re there, at the summit, and the clouds have cleared and the path you climbed doesn’t seem quite so long anymore.

That view from ‘The End’ was an incredible benefit when I started book two. I had done it once, so I knew I could do it again. More than that, I knew so much more about myself as a writer. I knew what I did and did not need to achieve in my first draft, and my second. I could trust myself a little more and trust the process.

And never underestimate the value of a good editor! Yes, you have a deadline, but that means you also have a partner whose skill and talent and dedication to your manuscript is there to keep you moving forward and pry you loose when you get stuck. It’s a huge advantage most writers don’t have until much later in the process while crafting their debut.

Head over to Literary Rambles for the full interview and enter to win a copy of Frances and the Monster plus a whole pile of cool swag.

Now booking school visits for the 2023-24 school year!

If you’re a teacher, librarian, or parent and you’d like to see me and my frequent co-author/spouse Susan Tuma at your school, please get in touch.

We love visiting readers at their schools and classrooms! We have a little something for everyone, with separate presentations and readings tailored toward K-3, 4-6, and 7-8 grade students. Most recently, we visited Husmann Elementary in Crystal Lake, IL on their last full day of school which made for a couple of particularly noisy, fun-filled assemblies.

You can find more information about our visits, including pricing and special discounts, and a contact form at my website.

Upcoming Events

September 2
Meet the Author Event at Barnes & Noble Schaumburg in Schaumburg, IL

November 16-19
Monsters in the Middle: Monster Fiction in the Middle Grade Classroom panel at the NCTE Annual Conference in Columbus, OH.

Follow me on Facebook to RSVP to events.