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All the latest book giveaway news on YABC.

Giveaway: ChupaCarter and the Screaming Sombrero (George Lopez and Ryan Calejo) ~ US Only!

March 14th, 2024 by

We’re excited to host the giveaway for ChupaCarter and the Screaming Sombrero (George Lopez and Ryan Calejo)! 

Read on to find out more about the authors, the book and a giveaway!

 

 

 

About the Author: George Lopez

George Lopez’s multifaceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night programs. He currently stars in and executive produces the NBC sitcom Lopez vs. Lopez, and he can also be seen in his Netflix original comedy special, We’ll Do It for Half. His autobiography Why You Crying? was a New York Times bestseller. He has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America by TIME magazine and one of the Top Ten Favorite Television Personalities by Harris Poll. ChupaCarter is his first series for children.

Visit him online at George Lopez.com.

Website * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook

 

 

 

About the Author: Ryan Calejo

Ryan Calejo is an award-winning author born and raised in South Florida. His critically acclaimed Charlie Hernández series has been featured on half a dozen state reading lists and is a two-time gold medal winner of the Florida Book Awards.

Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RyanCalejo.

Instagram * Twitter

 

 

 

About the Book: ChupaCarter and the Screaming Sombrero

George Lopez does it again in his next laugh-out-loud ChupaCarter adventure! Jorge and his chupacabra chum Carter are hot on the trail of the legendary El Dorado gold . . . but so are some wicked treasure hunters who will stop at nothing to find it!

A cursed Aztec dagger. A five-hundred-year-old witch’s riddle. And a . . . screaming sombrero?

These are the ancient artifacts that mysteriously hold the answer to the location of the priceless El Dorado treasure hidden in New Mexico—not far from where Jorge and Carter live. When their friend Ernie’s dad is accused of stealing the artifacts, it’s a race against time to clear his name. They find help from the unlikeliest—and loudest—source they’ve ever met: a sombrero that SCREAMS!

 Together with brainy Liza, the oddball heroes discover the real culprits are a devilish ring of thieves who are after El Dorado’s treasure. The pals lay a cunning trap to make the thieves confess, but they realize too late that they’re the ones being trapped . . . and there’s no one left to save them!

Purchase * Goodreads

 

 

 

Title: ChupaCarter and the Screaming Sombrero

Author: George Lopez with Ryan Calejo

Illustrator: Santy Gutiérrez

Release Date: March 12th 2024

Publisher: Viking

ISBN-10: 9780593466032

Genre: Middle-grade, Legends, Myths, Fables, Caribbean & Latin American, Hispanic & Latino, Animals – Dragons, Unicorns & Mythical, Friendship, Mystery

Age Range: 8-12

 

 

 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

Five (5) winners will receive a copy of each book in the ChupaCarter series  (George Lopez and Ryan Calejo) ~US Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

 

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Giveaway: Miss MacDonald Has a Farm (Kalee Gwarjanski) ~ US Only!

March 14th, 2024 by

We’re excited to host the giveaway for Miss MacDonald Has A Farm (Kalee Gwarjanski)! 

Read on to find out more about the author, the book and a giveaway!

 

 

 

About the Author: Kalee Gwarjanski

KALEE GWARJANSKI is a homeschooling mom to four book-loving children living in the woods of Maine. She holds a BS in mechanical engineering and an MS in teaching from the University of Maine. Between degrees, she followed her passion of food by attending Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Ottawa, Ontario and worked as a personal chef before turning to picture book writing full time. Miss MacDonald Has a Farm is her debut picture book.

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About the Book: Miss MacDonald Has a Farm

“Miss MacDonald has a farm,
She loves things that grow!”

E-I-E-I-GROW! With a “weed-weed” here and a “pick-pick” there, young readers can follow Miss MacDonald as she tends to her vegetable farm. It’s a rollicking, rhyming read-aloud that ends in a community feast and celebrates themes of healthy eating, plant-based meals, local produce, gardening, seasons, and female farmers.

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Title: Miss MacDonald Has a Farm

Author: Kalee Gwarjanski

Illustrator: Elizabet Vukovic

Release Date: 3/12/24

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers

ISBN-10: 0593568168

ISBN-13: 9780593568163

Genre: Fiction picture book

Age Range: Ages 3-7

 

 

 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Miss MacDonald Has A Farm (Kalee Gwarjanski) ~US Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

 

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Author Chat with Dan Armitage (Let’s Learn to Fish! Everything You Need to Know to Start Freshwater Fishing), Plus Giveaway! ~ US ONLY!

March 13th, 2024 by

Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Dan Armitage!

Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!

 

 

 

Meet the Author: Dan Armitage

Dan Armitage leads a popular Kids’ Fishing Fun program at sport shows and retail outlets across the United States that teaches children the basics of fishing. He’s a freelance writer for Cabin Life and more than a dozen other fishing, boating, and outdoor publications; a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America; a USCG-licensed Captain; and former host of the Buckeye Sportsman radio show. He lives with his wife in Ohio, where he serves on his community’s parks and recreation commission.

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About the Book: Let’s Learn to Fish!

Grab a fishing rod and head out to a nearby stream or lake for a fishing adventure! In this skills-based book, kids ages 6 and up go on a fishing trip, led by author and fishing guide Dan Armitage of the Kids’ Fishing Fun Program, and learn essential techniques, facts, and tips to learn how to fish and catch a big one! Step-by-step color photography shows everything kids need, the best beginner bait and tackle, key fishing skills such as rigging, casting, and reeling in fish, and tips on where to fish for crappies, bass, catfish, perch, trout, and more. Kids record fishing adventures in the log at the back of the book. The skills teach fun fishing know-how, connect kids to nature, and foster independence and self-reliance.

Purchase * Goodreads

 

 

 

~Author Chat~

 

YABC: What research did you do to write this book? 

Other than verifying the latest data on the popularity of fishing, none. I enjoy writing magazine articles and columns that I can produce using my own first-hand experience and knowledge of a particular subject. I approached writing Let’s Learn to Fish! in the same manner, albeit 30 times longer than my average 1,000-word assignment.

YABC: What is your favorite fish? 

Bluegill sunfish. As with many freshwater anglers, a bluegill was my first fish and I’ve probably caught more of them than all other fish species combined. Bluegills are found just about everywhere, can be caught year-round – including through the ice — are easy to catch with simple tackle and techniques, fight like a fish twice their size when hooked, have beautiful coloring, and taste great.

YABC: What other resources would you recommend for people that are interested in learning more? 

Contact your state or local wildlife agency to learn about resources and programs they make available for beginning anglers of all ages. Often, they can even direct you to local fishing areas and piers that are set aside for kids. You can also visit your local library to get books about fishing and what fish may be available locally that you want to try to catch.

YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

In sixth grade when I read my first fishing article in Outdoor Life magazine and noted that it was written by a guy who lived in my midwestern hometown – not in popular fishing states such as Florida, Montana, or Michigan, where I assumed all outdoor writers got to live and work.

YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?

 I have a degree in Education, and I lead fishing programs for kids at sport shows and outdoor retailers, so I am used to talking with kids. That and some advice I received from my first newspaper editor, who was always reminding those of us in the newsroom that we were writing to reach readers who had the average of a seventh grade reading level.

YABC: What is your favorite writing space?

 It must be my home office, home computer, home land line. I still use a 30-year-old combo phone/thermal fax machine, a hard-wired mouse and well-worn keyboard that has outlived three computers. I cannot write on a laptop.

YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate? 

Walk around in my back yard pretending to tend to my small vegetable garden.

YABC: Do you read fiction or nonfiction more during your leisure time? 

Non-fiction. I like to learn when I read, which I do primarily on my Kindle while exercising on a Lifecycle in the gym at the local community center. As an aside, I am vice-chair of the local parks and recreation department board, which operates the community center.

YABC:   What’s up next for you? 

Depending on how this first book experience goes, and so far it’s been great, I’m hoping to write a book for kids on how to get started in paddle sports, including stand-up paddleboards, canoes, rowboats, and kayaks. All such activities are in uber growth mode right now and I haven’t been able to identify any books directed at kids to introduce them to paddle sports.

 

 

 

Title: Let’s Learn to Fish! Everything You Need to Know to Start Freshwater Fishing

Author: Dan Armitage

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Publisher: Storey Publishing

ISBN-10: 1635865824

ISBN-13: 978-1635865820

Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction

Age Range: 6+

 

 

 

*Giveaway Details*

Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Let’s Learn to Fish! Everything You Need to Know to Start Freshwater Fishing (Dan Armitage) ~ US Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!*

 

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Author Chat with Sarah Van Name (These Bodies Between Us), Plus Giveaway! ~ US ONLY!

March 13th, 2024 by

Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Sarah Van Name!

Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!

 

 

 

Meet the Author: Sarah Van Name

Sarah Van Name grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and now lives and works in Durham with her family and dog. She is the author of two young adult novels, The Goodbye Summer (2019, a Junior Library Guild pick) and Any Place But Here (2021). You can find her online at sarahvanname.com and on Instagram @sarahvanname.

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About the Book: These Bodies Between Us

A wistful coming-of-age story with a haunting twist about four friends who spend their summer learning to become invisible—but disappearing comes at a cost.

 

Four girls. Four girls skating home, both sides of the road, fearless. Four girls at the mouth of an infinite ocean, sugared and salted with sand and seawater, the tide licking their sunburned feet.

This summer, they’re going to disappear.

For seventeen-year-old Callie and her best friends Talia and Cleo, every summer in their small North Carolina beach town is as steady as the tides. But this year, Cleo has invited enigmatic new girl Polly to join them, creating waves in their familiar friendship. And Cleo has an idea, gleaned from private YouTube videos and hidden message boards: they’re going to learn how to make themselves invisible.

Callie thinks it’s a ridiculous, impossible plan. But the other girls are intoxicated by the thought of disappearing, even temporarily—from bad boyfriends, from overbearing families, from the confusing, uncomfortable reality of having a body altogether. And, miraculously, it works.

Yet as the girls revel in their reckless new freedom, they realize it’s getting harder to come back to themselves… and do they even want to?

Purchase * Goodreads

 

 

 

~Author Chat~

 

YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
In 2019, I attended a two-week writing residency in Italy. It was on top of a mountain an hour’s walk from the nearest coffee shop, with stunning views, minimal internet access, and literally nothing to do but write (and read). I had never had that much time dedicated exclusively to writing, and I dramatically overestimated the amount of time it would take for me to do the editing pass I had planned for the residency. So on day three I found myself staring at an empty document. Over the next few days, I spent a lot of time looking out the window and jotting down different things I found inspiring, hoping they’d coalesce into something interesting. By the end of the residency, I had the first twelve thousand words or so of These Bodies Between Us.

I still have that document. Some excerpts:
“Teen beach skater witches with a background of 2007 music?” (the timeframe later changed to present-day, but it started in 2007, and they kind of are teen beach skater witches)
“(it’s NOT about grief)” (turned out to only be sort of true, lol)
“They make a pact with blood or something and they have to” (I never finished this sentence and still don’t know what I was thinking)
“Four girls make a plan” (this panned out)
“If we want to go with Greek muses: Callie, Talia, Cleo, Polly (for Calliope, Clio, Thalia, Polyhymnia” (this panned out too, though there is barely any connection between the muses themselves and the eventual characters)

YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Definitely Callie, my narrator. I had a hard time plotting many parts of this book, but Callie’s voice came easy to me. I tried to write her as clear-eyed, smart, and ferociously loving and protective of her friends, and I took so much pleasure in spending time with her.

YABC: What research did you do to write this book?
Truly, almost none. I have done plenty of writing that requires research professionally and academically, but in my creative life, I shy away from nonfiction writing because I want to be able to invent my world with total freedom. Given that, the only “research” I did for this book was timeline-related—school schedules, moon cycles, and the like. And even then my copyeditor had to remind me at several points that the days of the week I was referencing were wrong. (Thanks, Colleen!)

YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I have memories of writing stories and poems as early as four or five, but I think the desire to write seriously didn’t really solidify until I went to a creative writing summer camp, DYWC, at age thirteen. DYWC instantly felt like home. I had never felt so inspired and excited about any kind of art. I was lucky to be able to return there for a session every year until I graduated high school.

Also, my dad is an author (go read Mark Van Name’s books, they’re great!) and he and the rest of my family encouraged me and supported me completely in my efforts to write. He had total faith that I would write great books, and that they would someday be published. He also helped me come in really clear-eyed about two things: that it might take a long time, and that it was unlikely that I’d be successful enough to make writing my full-time job. This might sound discouraging, but it never felt like it. Instead, to me, it helped set a realistic challenge. “How do you do the thing you love while also doing something else you enjoy to make money?” is much more within your control than “How do you write books that become bestsellers?”

YABC: How do you keep your “voice” true to the age category you are writing within?
I find it easy. Natural. There is this intense yearning at the heart of so many people’s experiences as teenagers, and even as an adult, I still feel close to that fierce emotion and draw on when I write. In terms of the more mechanical aspects of voice, I’m generally writing for older teenagers, and an older teenager in many ways speaks similarly to an adult, so I don’t have to worry about vocabulary and curse words and such. I think I would struggle a lot with writing for middle grade or younger. I really admire writers of great middle grade who can craft such evocative scenes that are still accessible to kids.

 

YABC: What other age group would you consider writing for?
I’d love to write a book for adults. I think it’d let me explore some different subject matter without wildly changing the way I write.

YABC: What word do you have trouble overusing?
Probably “so.” When used sparingly, I think it can be…so…effective. But I know I tend to use it too much. (Honestly this question makes me think of Kevin Wilson’s Now Is Not the Time to Panic, a brilliant book where his excessive use of the word “so” somehow only enhances its power. Alas, I am no Kevin Wilson.)

YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?
Partway through writing a book, sometimes as early as about a third of the way through, I have a spark of an idea for a final scene. I let that spark burn lightly in the back of my head as I write the rest of the book. By the time I have fifty or sixty thousand words, the scene exists in its entirety in my head, and the promise of the satisfaction of finally actually writing it carries me through the rest of the draft. Sometimes it takes a little while to figure out how to get there, but once I’ve figured out that ending scene, I know it will be possible to finish.

Of course that’s just the first draft. I typically do one full editing pass (which often includes a decent amount of rewriting) before I show it to my first reader, my husband Ben. After he reads it, I do another, lighter editing pass. Then I send it to my agent, who has excellent notes, and she and I do a few passes before it’s ready to go on submission. If we’re lucky and someone wants to publish it…it’s done when the editor says it’s done!

YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?
A lot of teenagers, when they’re starting to explore creative writing, start with poetry and want their poem to be all drama and impact from the very beginning. They want the whole poem to feel the way you feel when you read the last line of a great poem. That’s what I wanted when I was a teenager writing poetry. But eventually I learned the obvious thing: that you can’t start with the last line of the poem. The last line is powerful because it’s earned, because you have to build the little house of your poem before you open its door or burn it down. Once I figured that out, writing became so much more of an interesting and exciting challenge. Not trying for maximum melodrama in every sentence or chapter, but laying the bricks for a knockout moment, because it makes that moment so much more satisfying for both the reader and the writer.
I am basically still just a teenager writing poems, because it takes a while to get there, but that’s my favorite kind of scene to write—the kind that’s the last line of the poem.

 

 

 

Title: These Bodies Between Us

Author: Sarah Van Name

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press

ISBN-13: 9780593646175

Genre: YA Contemporary, Coming of Age

Age Range: 12+

 

 

 

*Giveaway Details*

Three (3) winners will receive a hardcover copy of These Bodies Between Us (Sarah Van Name) ~ US Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!*

 

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Giveaway: The Other Lola (Ripley Jones) ~ US/CAN Only!

March 12th, 2024 by

We’re excited to host the giveaway for The Other Lola (Ripley Jones)! 

Read on to find out more about the author, the book and a giveaway!

 

 

 

About the Author: Ripley Jones

RIPLEY JONES is a person of interest.

 

 

 

About the Book: The Other Lola

The sequel to Ripley Jones’s unforgettable YA thriller Missing ClarissaThe Other Lola is about what happens when the people you love the most are the people you can trust the least.

In the months after Cam and Blair broke their small hometown’s legendary missing-girl story and catapulted to accidental fame, they vowed never to do it again. No more mysteries, no more podcasts, and no more sticking their heads where they don’t belong.

Until Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their high school, shows up on their doorstep, begging Cam and Blair for help. Mattie’s sister Lola disappeared mysteriously five years ago. No trace of her was ever found. Now, she’s back–but Mattie is convinced the girl who returned is an impostor. Nobody believes Mattie’s wild story–not Mattie’s brother, not Mattie’s mother, and not even Cam and Blair. But something is definitely wrong in the Brosillard family. And Blair has her own reasons for wanting to know what really happened to Lola while she was gone.

With Cam and Blair still struggling with the aftermath of their first mystery—and with new secrets swirling between them—the stakes are higher than ever in this can’t-miss sequel to Missing Clarissa.

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Title: The Other Lola

Author: Ripley Jones

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Publisher: Wednesday Books

ISBN-10: 1250340462

ISBN-13: 9781250340467

Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense

Age Range: 13-18

 

 

 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

Five (5) winners will receive a copy of The Other Lola and Missing Clarissa (Ripley Jones) ~US/CAN Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

 

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Giveaway: Wayfinders (Bryan Chick) ~ US/CAN Only!

March 12th, 2024 by

We’re excited to host the giveaway for Wayfinders (Bryan Chick)! 

Read on to find out more about the author, the book and a giveaway!

 

 

 

About the Author: Bryan Chick

Bryan Chick is the author of the Secret Zoo series. He originally had the idea for the series when he was a nine-year-old and wondered what would happen if zoo exhibits had secret doors that allowed children to go inside . . . and the animals to come outside. Bryan Chick lives with his wife and three children in Clarkston, Michigan.

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About the Book: Wayfinders

From the author of the bestselling Secret Zoo series, Wayfinders is a delightful tale of a father and daughter who set out on a quest to save a group of fairy-tale creatures.

Between school and family drama, Chloe has more than enough on her plate. But when a giant literally crashes into her house—not to mention the mermaid in the bathtub and the unicorn in the barn—Chloe and her dad find themselves on a wild adventure to save a group of fairy-tale creatures and help return them to their home. To do so, they must find a way to reopen a secret portal to a magical world while preventing others from taking the magic for themselves. Chloe and her dad must be brave, work together, and face their biggest fears, or they risk losing their magical new friends forever. Wayfinders introduces a brand-new world of enchantment and adventure, perfect for fans of The Girl Who Drank the MoonCrenshaw, and When You Trap a Tiger.

Purchase * Goodreads

 

 

 

Title: Wayfinders

Author: Bryan Chick

Illustrator: Candice Edwards

Release Date: 3/12/24

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

ISBN-10: 8212276863

ISBN-13: 9798212276863

Genre: Juvenile Fiction/Fantasy & Fairy Tales

Age Range: 8-12

 

 

 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

Ten (10) winners will receive a copy of Wayfinders (Bryan Chick) ~US/CAN Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

 

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Author Chat with Chris Lynch (Walkin’ The Dog), Plus Giveaway! ~ US ONLY (No P.O. boxes)!

March 11th, 2024 by

Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Chris Lynch!

Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!

 

 

 

Meet the Author: Chris Lynch

Chris Lynch is the award–winning author of several highly acclaimed young adult novels, including Printz Honor Book FreewillIcemanGypsy Davy, and Shadow Boxer—all ALA Best Books for Young Adults—as well as Killing Time in Crystal CityLittle Blue LiesPiecesKill SwitchAngry Young Man, and Inexcusable, which was a National Book Award finalist and the recipient of six starred reviews. Chris is the author of middle grade novel Walkin’ the Dog. He holds an MA from the writing program at Emerson College. He teaches in the creative writing MFA program at Lesley University. He lives in Boston and in Scotland.

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About the Book: Walkin’ The Dog

“Lynch is back and better, smarter, and funnier than ever.” —Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award Winner

A boy learns how to be a friend from man’s best friend in this funny and moving middle grade novel about humans being able to change and dogs changing us from acclaimed author Chris Lynch.

In a family of strong personalities with very strong points of view, Louis is what his mother lovingly calls “the inactivist,” someone who’d rather kick back than stand out. He only hopes he can stay under the radar when he starts high school in the fall, his first experience with public school after years of homeschooling.

But when a favor for a neighbor and his stinky canine companion unexpectedly turns into a bustling dog-walking business, Louis finds himself meeting an unprecedented number of new friends—both human and canine. Agatha, a quippy and cagey girl his age always seems to be telling two truths and a lie. Cyrus, a few years his senior, promises he’s going to show Louis how to be a better person, whether Louis wants him to or not. And then there are the dogs: misbehaving border terriers, the four (possible stolen) sausage dogs, the rest of Louis’s charges, and a mysterious white beast who appears at a certain spot at the edge of the woods.

Dogs and human alike all seem to have something they want to teach Louis, including his menacing older brother who keeps turning up everywhere. But is Louis ready to learn the lesson he needs most: how to stop being a lone wolf and be part of a pack?

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~Author Chat~

 

YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write Walkin’ The Dog?
Well, after kicking around in this business for a long time, I had to start asking myself, what does the world want from me at this stage. It has been gently suggested to me that writing about whatever caught my fancy was probably not going to be good enough. Then, I started to think about all the big-ticket social issues of our times. I’ve never tended to go in for that top-shelf category of topics that will be crowded with authors vying for position. Second-tier usually appeals to me as a place where a writer can do good work and have it be about something. So, I did a sort of mental keyword search and realized that so many hot-button stories come with an undertow of The Bystander being a not insignificant problem all its own. I thought, y’know, I think that’s something I might have a thing or two about which to say. Never having been much of an activist in my own life (one early title of the book was THE INACTIVIST), I believed this was something I might well delve into.

Then my editor, Kendra Levin started asking about what the vehicle was going to be for carrying these ideas. Obviously, a kid staying in the house and saying, “Nah, thanks anyway, I’ll just sit this one out,” was going to make for some static storytelling. For years I had pondered doing a book with one or more dogwalkers at the center, due to my theory that dogwalkers make the world go round. How many news stories feature the element of dogwalkers stumbling across the dead body/crime scene/oddity of nature? And when I mashed these two notions together I thought, hello? Boy meets world, and off we go.

 

YABC: Who is your favorite character in Walkin’ The Dog?
This feels wrong, the same way you’re not supposed to have a favorite among your children. But here goes. I think my favorite character is Agatha. Because she has a hinterland, lots of stuff–much of it gnarly–underpinning her character. She has an idiosyncratic and humor-based response to life which I share. And an indomitability I could only dream of.

 

YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
A bunch of titles came before this one. But, only in the process of refining this iteration of the book with Kendra did WALKIN’ THE DOG spring forth. Author’s note: This is the only book I ever wrote where the title itself morphed/evolved through the process. Early on, it’s a euphemism for not getting involved (I was just walkin’ the dog, mister, I didn’t see nothin’); by the end, it represents the protagonist’s pilgrim’s progress from bystander to citizen of his world, with the dogs as his guides through it all.

 

YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

I like this one, because it’s something I address with my writing students all the time. I learned to become a less neurotic writer about 1/3 of the way through my career, when I suddenly realized that all of my books were essentially one large work.That allowed me to calm down, stop forcing things, let each work be what it needed to be and nothing more. Getting past the feeling that you need to say everythingright now, results in far fewer darlings needing to be killed. Good writing is not good writing if it’s in the wrong place. That great notion or sentence or phrase will come back to you, when it’s needed. Trust that.

 

YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
IT’S OK TO BE ANGRY ABOUT CAPITALISM by Bernie Sanders. Politics aside (as much as politics is ever aside), as a serious craftsperson and teacher of writing, I am always hammering the point that you lay down your markers at the beginning, your statement of purpose, and then you spend the rest of the book delivering on that promise. On that score, Bernie delivered. He said he was going to make me angry, and he bloody well did.

 

YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’ve been floating a number of ideas I’d like to pursue, but so far nobody is committed to pursuing any of them with me. So, maybe I’ll just crawl back under my rock. It’s a pretty cozy rock, though.

YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to write? 
There are two separate incidents of dogs dying in the book. So, yeah, there you go. But, I constantly go on to my students (them, again) that you have to upset yourself if you are going to reach your best work

YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from Walkin’ The Dog?
I rather squirm with the notion of messages and lessons in my books. But I’m comfortable with restating a line I borrowed/paraphrased from a real life source for the book: “The journey (to justice) can only be made in the company of others.”

 

YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I’m a pretty good listener.

 

YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Yeah. For the mother in this book I borrowed a lot of background–her job, sensibility, sensitivity, commitment to on-the-ground social justice–from an old and dear family friend, Eleanor Batuyios. She worked for years at Rosie’s Place in Boston which is a lot of things, among them the first women’s-only shelter in the United States. If I can do anything to throw a little more light on Rosie’s, then I’m thrilled to be able to do so.

 

YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?  
Don’t be shy, don’t be careful. We can neaten you up later, but in the early going hit it hard. Get the funniest, scariest, saddest, shockingest stuff out of yourself right now, because that’s what is going to separate you from everyone who is not you. Like I said, we can fix it up later. First, go wild and give us something worth fixing.

 

 

 

Title: Walkin’ The Dog

Author:  Chris Lynch

ISBN-13: 9781481459204

ISBN-10: 1481459201

On-sale date: March 12, 2024

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Ages: 8-12; Grades 3-7

 

 

 

*Giveaway Details*

Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Walkin’ The Dog (Chris Lynch) ~ US Only (No P.O. Boxes)!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!*

 

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Rockstar Tours: STRONG LIKE YOU (T.L. Simpson), Interview & Giveaway!

March 11th, 2024 by

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the STRONG LIKE YOU by T.L. Simpson Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: STRONG LIKE YOU

Author: T.L. Simpson

Pub. Date: March 12, 2024

Publisher: North Star Editions

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 224

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/STRONG-LIKE-YOU 

 

I haven’t cried one time since you
disappeared. Not even at football practice when Paton Roper told the whole team
you were probably dead. He said, “You know how sometimes a dog gets sick or
bites somebody and you have to put it down?”

Somebody said, “Yep.”

“That’s probably what happened to
Walker’s daddy.”


Walker Lauderdale hasn’t cried once
since his daddy went missing. And even though everyone says he’s dead, Walker
won’t give up hope. He knows his father is out there, somewhere, cutting a wild
trail through the Ozarks like always. But when a relative threatens to kick
Walker and his momma out of the family home, Walker realizes he has no choice
but to look for his daddy—a search that leads him straight to a drug-addled and
dangerous man named Lukas Fisher. While attempting to balance life as a normal
fifteen-year-old boy and star player on the football team, Walker begins a
desperate search across the hills of the Ozarks for the man who, for better or
worse, taught him everything he knows about strength.

 

Reviews:

“Strong Like
You is an engaging novel in which a high school football star is forced to
confront his ideas of manhood and forge better ones.” —Foreword Reviews

“The book explores masculinity, with Walker having a heartening insight near
the end, when he realizes that with the right help, people can learn better
than they were taught.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A serious look at the legacy and impact of violence, especially around the
toxic culture of football, along with a compassionate view of the struggle and
frequent hopelessness of rural poverty, the novel makes for a compelling read
with a mixed but ultimately hopeful conclusion. Recommended for libraries
serving middle and high ­schoolers.” —School Library Journal

 

Interview:

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

 

I started Strong Like You by asking myself what I’d say to young folks if I had the opportunity to speak to them. Specifically, I thought about the sensitive young boys in the world who are often discouraged from expressing or exploring their emotions.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

I love Sawyer. He’s a little more mischievous than Walker. You get the idea that a lot of the trouble Walker gets into is instigated by Sawyer. Sawyer starts the novel happy despite his circumstances, always joking around and cutting up—so it hurts when you see him hurt later in the story.

 

Which came first, the title or the novel?

 

They both happened simultaneously. I thought of writing the novel as if the main character were speaking to his missing father calling him “you” throughout the story. Then I knew I wanted the main character to have to unlearn the lessons he learned about “being a man” from his father. Altogether, it led me to the title Strong Like You, which I knew would be the title before I wrote even the first sentence of the book.

 

What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

 

I love the final scene of STRONG LIKE YOU. There’s a real bittersweet feeling to it. At the end of the day, even though Walker’s father is not the best representation of strength, Walker still loves his father. I can’t say more without spoiling it.

 

Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

 

I began writing professionally in 2012 as a journalist. Thinking back, I think the best things I have learned are not to be overly precious about my writing, to grind at it daily and to gut out the losses while you wait out the victories.

As to being precious about writing: Writing is extremely personal, so it can feel like a personal attack when someone critiques your work. I think it is important to realize that the only avenue we have to improve our writing is through critique, so getting defensive or hurt over it is a massive waste of time.

 

What do you like most about the cover of the book?

 

I love everything about the cover, but one thing was being able to choose Walker’s number as 25 for the cover. It’s not a typical linebacker number (although not impossible) but it was important to me because it was my cousin Brandon Bourbon’s number, who died in 2016. Brandon was a football star who played D-1 football and was invited to the NFL combine.

What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2024?

I am looking forward to Dad Camp by Evan Porter, The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell, The Dissonance by Shaun Hamill and also getting a little further through my massive TBR pile.

 

What was your favorite book in 2023?

 

I want to say it was Demon Copperhead, but realistically it was probably Legends & Lattes. I just loved the cozy fantasy. Both technically came out in 2022 but I didn’t get to them until 2023.

 

What’s up next for you?

 

I am working on my second novel, COPE FIELD, which is scheduled for release in the Spring of 2025. COPE FIELD is about an emotionally stunted baseball player named Crawford who has it all — looks, wealth and a former professional baseball player for a father. One problem: His father is addicted to painkillers and has an explosive temper. Cope Field is about speaking your truth no matter what the cost. Also, there’s a lot more smooching than in Strong Like You. 😉

 

Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?

 

There is a scene where Walker discovers where his father has been that is told through Walker’s hand-written poetry. I went back and forth for a long time on how best to make that reveal. In the end, straight from Walker’s pen in free verse carried the weight of it all perfectly.

 

Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?

 

Andre, Walker’s coach, took a lot of work. I wanted him to be stern and old school, somewhat set in his ways, but still offer to Walker someone more steady (although still not perfect!) than his own father to look up to.

 

Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?

 

Drafting for sure. I love getting into that flow state and writing for hours at a time. Revising can be fun, but to me that is when the real “work” begins. It is extremely rewarding though when the story begins to really take shape through revision.

 

What would you say is your superpower?

Years of honing my craft in the newsroom, noisy basketball stadiums, on crime scenes, in court and up against deadline have given me the ability to write extremely fast. And also…I seldom have writer’s block. If I know where the story is going…I can go.

 

Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?

 

The Public Library!

 

 

About T.L. Simpson:

 

T. L. Simpson is an award-winning
journalist and editor of the Courier, a newspaper in his hometown of
Russellville, Arkansas. Simpson spent nearly ten years covering high school and
collegiate sports before taking over as editor. During that time, he was also
the paper’s primary crime reporter. In a lot of ways, Strong Like You is the
result of his experiences with covering both. 

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of STRONG LIKE YOU, US Only. 

Ends March 26th, midnight EST.

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Tour
Schedule:

Week
One:

3/11/2024

YA Books Central

Interview/IG Post

3/11/2024

Fire
and Ice Reads

Guest Post/IG Post

3/12/2024

Two Chicks on Books

Guest Post/IG Post

3/12/2024

Kountry Girl Bookaholic

Guest Post/IG Post

3/13/2024

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Blog Post/IG Post

3/13/2024

@darkfantasyreviews

Excerpt/IG Post

3/14/2024

Rajiv’s
Reviews

Review/IG Post

3/14/2024

GryffindorBookishnerd

IG Review

3/15/2024

Callisto’s calling

IG Review

3/15/2024

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

Week
Two:

3/18/2024

Dana Loves Books

Review/IG Post

3/18/2024

The Momma Spot

Review

3/19/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

3/19/2024

Kim’s Book Reviews and Writing Aha’s

Review/IG Post

3/20/2024

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt/IG Post

3/20/2024

@evergirl200

IG Review

3/21/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

3/21/2024

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

3/22/2024

Two Points of Interest

Review

3/22/2024

The Book Critic

Review

 

Giveaway: JUST TRY IT (Phil Rosenthal and Lily Rosenthal) ~ US Only, No P.O. Boxes!

March 8th, 2024 by

We’re excited to host the giveaway for Just Try It (Phil Rosenthal and Lily Rosenthal)! 

Read on to find out more about the authors, the book and a giveaway!

 

 

 

About the Authors: Phil Rosenthal and Lily Rosenthal

Phil Rosenthal is the creator and host of the Emmy-nominated Somebody Feed Phil. He also created the hit CBS comedy, Everybody Loves Raymond, which was nominated for over seventy Emmy awards, and won fifteen awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2003 and 2005. He is also the bestselling author of the book Somebody Feed Phil the Book. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Monica Horan (who played Amy on Everybody Loves Raymond), and their two children. Visit him at PhilRosenthalWorld.com.

Lily Rosenthal is an actor, writer, and producer known for her love of food across platforms. After graduating from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Lily ventured into the world of acting and influencing, working with restaurants and brands to establish herself in the LA food scene. In her free time, Lily developed the concept for Liv a Lil, a nonprofit that brings restaurants across Los Angeles together for cultural collaborations, giving all proceeds to an organization of the chef’s choice. She credits her father, Phil, for giving her a love of travel and genuine excitement towards food due to the family rule instilled in Lily at a young age: just try it.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * X * Pinterest

 

 

 

About the Book: Just Try It

From Netflix star and New York Times bestselling author Phil Rosenthal and his daughter Lily comes a hilarious picture book about a food-loving dad encouraging his picky eater daughter to just try something new.

Phil has one rule about food: try everything at least once. Otherwise, how will you know what you like? His daughter Lil disagrees. She already knows what she likes—just bread and pasta with no sauce—and that’s all there is to it! When the two go to a food truck festival, Phil tries introducing Lil to all kinds of delicious cuisine, but she doesn’t budge. Just when it looks like it’s going to be a very long day, an unexpected mustard accident changes everything.

Purchase * Goodreads

 

 

 

Title: JUST TRY IT

Author: Phil Rosenthal and Lily Rosenthal

Illustrator: Luke Flowers

Release Date: 3/5/24

Publisher: S&S Books for Young Readers

ISBN-10: 1665942630

ISBN-13: 9781665942638

Genre: Picture Book, Humorous

Age Range: 4-8

 

 

 

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

One (1) winner will receive a copy of Just Try It (Phil Rosenthal and Lily Rosenthal) ~US Only, No P.O. Boxes!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

 

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Author Chat with Lindsay Bonilla (The Storyteller), Plus Giveaway! ~ US ONLY!

March 8th, 2024 by

Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Lindsay Bonilla!

Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!

 

 

 

Meet the Author: Lindsay Bonilla

Lindsay Bonilla (lindsaybonilla.com) is a professional storyteller and author whose previous picture books include Parents’ Choice Award winner Polar Bear Island, I Love You with All of My Hearts, and The Note Who Faced the Music. She lives with her husband, two wild and creative kids, and her dog, Blitzen, in North Canton, Ohio.

Website

 

 

 

About the Book: The Storyteller

Featuring an evocative text and luminous paintings, this stunning book celebrates the power of stories—how they connect us, inspire us, and keep memories alive.

Griffin’s grandmother spins the most marvelous stories, from breathtaking fairy tales to fascinating family lore. These stories fuel his imagination and fill their days with magic. So when he sees her once-bright spark begin to fade, Griffin is scared to think of the future. Fortunately, though, he has her stories to guide him—and to remind him that he is braver than he could ever imagine.

Purchase

 

 

 

~Author Chat~

YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

I really wanted to write a love letter to the art of storytelling — a book that would capture how
magical and important it is. I’d been working as a professional storyteller for some years, visiting
schools and libraries. Before my performances, kids would ask, “What are you going to do?”
When I replied, ‘I’m going to tell you a story,’ more often than not, their response would be,
“You mean you’re going to read us a book?” I realized that many kids believed stories lived
exclusively on a page. And while I love books, I wanted kids to know that that’s not the case.
Stories live in our minds, our hearts, our imaginations! Before we can read or write, we are
already storytellers.

YABC: What spread in the book is your favorite, and why?

My favorite spread is the one near the end with the fairy tale creatures crying from the clouds as
Griffin and his grandmother share a final embrace. Illustrator Noar Lee Naggan blurred the lines
between the real world and the fairy tale world so perfectly throughout the book, just the way I
imagined it, and that spread in particular captures that feeling for me.

YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer
from then to now?
I’ve learned that you need equal parts humility and confidence to be a writer. You need to be humble
enough to take feedback, to learn, to grow, to improve, to realize all that you still don’t know. But you
also need a lot of confidence, because you will spend a lot of time staring at your words and wondering,
“Is this good enough? Will anyone ever want to read this?” There’s a lot of rejection involved with being
an author. If you don’t believe in yourself and your work and surround yourself with people who believe
in you, it can be easy to lose heart.

YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?

I love how it captures both the magic AND relationship that are at the heart of storytelling. The way the
Grandmother is weaving a story as Griffin sits mesmerized makes you feel like time has stopped, and
they are in their own world. That’s the power of a great story!

YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?

I recently got the book ANIMALS IN PANTS (by Suzy Levinson and illustrated by Kevin Howdeshell and
Kristen Howdeshell) from the library. It’s a book of hysterical poetry with fantastic illustrations. My kids
LOVE it and ask for it to be read on repeat. Any book that gets them that excited makes me thrilled — so
I know we’ll be adding it to our collection.

YABC: What’s up next for you?

I have a picture book titled YOU’VE GOT THIS (illustrated by Keisha Morris) coming out in August from
Holiday House. The book is meant to empower kids to face their fears by showing them that they can do
anything!

YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
I want readers to know that we are ALL storytellers. Telling stories is at the core of what makes us
human. It’s how we connect with others and how we make sense of our world. The stories we tell
ourselves and the ones we pass down to our children matter. They become the compass that guides us
and the tools that help us navigate the difficult times in our lives.
The Storyteller’s last words are: “Keep the stories alive, my love.” That is my charge to readers too! And
don’t just tell, LISTEN. Active listening is one of the greatest gifts you can give another person. It’s a way
of saying, “You matter and what you say matters.” In the age of distraction that we live in, giving
someone your undivided attention is a huge gift.

YABC: What would you say is your superpower?

I really wasn’t sure about this, but when I mentioned the question to a dear writer friend who has seen
me perform, without skipping a beat, she said, “That’s easy! Your superpower is drawing others into the
stories you tell. By making your stories interactive, you energize and engage your audience so that in the
end, they become storytellers too!”

YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?

Read. Read. Read in your genre.

Don’t be in a hurry. It takes the time it takes (and sometimes that time element is out of our control!) so
enjoy the journey. And remember, the greatest gift of the writing journey may not be a shelf full of
published books (although that’s amazing!), but rather beautiful friendships formed over poring over
beautiful words together.

YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?

The way I got the name for the young boy, Griffin, in THE STORYTELLER, is pretty neat. In the summer of
2018, I was sitting in a coffee shop in a small town in Ohio. I was in between storytelling performances
for the library summer reading program and had just begun working on my first draft of THE
STORYTELLER. A woman came into the coffee shop and started talking to the barista. I overheard her say
that her son’s name was Parker. Parker happened to be the name of the main polar bear in my book,
POLAR BEAR ISLAND, which would be coming out in a few months.
Later, I struck up a conversation with the woman and when I told her about the polar bear named
Parker in my book, she said, “No way! My son LOVES polar bears. In fact, we just re-did his entire
bedroom in a polar bear theme.” Then she said, “I have another son named Griffin. You don’t happen to
have any books with a character named Griffin, do you?” I told her I did not. But as soon as I sat back
down, I knew that Griffin (the name of the legendary mythical creature!) was the perfect name for the
story-loving boy in my book!

 

 

 

Title: The Storyteller

Author: Lindsay Bonilla

Illustrator: Noar Lee Naggan

Release Date: 3/5/2024

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

ISBN-13: 9780593109588

Genre: Picture Book

Age Range: 3-7

 

 

 

*Giveaway Details*

Five (5) winners will receive a copy of The Storyteller (Lindsay Bonilla) ~ US Only!

 

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!*

 

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