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Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Rob Renzetti!

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

Meet the Author: Rob Renzetti

Rob Renzetti is a veteran of TV animation whose work on Cartoon Network’s Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends earned him an Emmy. He created the Nickelodeon show My Life as a Teenage Robot, acted as the supervising producer for Disney’s Gravity Falls, and served as executive producer on the first two seasons of Disney’s Big City Greens, among other projects. Recently, he has published four books for Disney Publishing, including the New York Times #1 Best Seller Gravity Falls: Journal 3 and Onward: Quests of Yore.

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About the Book: The Twisted Tower of Endless Torment

From the creator of My Life As a Teenage Robot comes the second story in a middle-grade horror series about a horrible bag, the spine-chilling world hidden within it, and a terrifying adventure into the world of GrahBhag.

Perfect for fans of Coraline, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and Small Spaces.

Zenith Maelstrom knows he’s forgetting something…

But he can’t quite remember what. He wakes up to notes in his handwriting with messages like, “Prepare for battle!” – but what battle? – and his sister Apogee seems to grow angrier with him by the day. It’s not until he finds Apogee sneaking back into the horrible bag hidden away in their basement that all the dreadful details about GrahBhag resurface. The spiderlike Shlurps. The trio of foul mouths that hunger for blood. Eldritch horrors around every corner.

Desperate to save Apogee from her ill-planned attempt to right the wrongs of their last trip into the bag, Zenith is forced to follow her into the bizarre world that has certainly not forgotten them. Between old foes set on vengeance like Raggedy Albert and terrifying new ones like the haunting Wraith, Zenith will have to put things right with his sister without falling into the clutches of those who would do him harm. For if he is caught, Eternity Tower awaits…

With a combination of dry, absurdist humor and no-holds-barred horror, Rob Renzetti has crafted a delightfully imaginative fantasy world that will hook readers as surely as it will send chills down their spines.

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~Author Chat~

YABC:  How was writing a sequel different from the first book?

The biggest difference was the challenge of creating something new and at the same time familiar. You want to give your readers more of what they loved about the first book and at the same time expand the world to include new characters and locations. You also don’t want to repeat the exact same story arc but have to stay within the conventions of the genre. Luckily there’s a lot of room for different sorts of stories within the fantasy and horror genres.

YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?

I promise I’m not cheating when I say my favorite character is actually two characters. A sister and brother duo named Hazel and Hardy. They are guards in Eternity Tower, GrahBhag’s most feared and infamous prison. They take very different approaches to their job with Hazel being very strict and Hardy incredibly lenient. (To explain how I’m not cheating would spoil a fun reveal from the book.)

YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?

When I hit my deadline. It’s hard to feel completely done with any story. If it were up to me, I would’ve probably held off publishing the entire Horrible Bag series till I had a chance to write all three because as I’m writing the third I’m discovering things I’d wished I’d done differently in the first. All three stories are intricately connected. I had a lot of those connections figured out from the get-go but not all of them. Luckily, there have been a number of random choices I made that have actually turned out to be very useful in tying the whole series together.

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

I’ve always loved the work of M.C. Escher and when I started thinking about what a GrahBhagian prison could be like, his depiction of impossible, perplexing places sprung to mind. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to write passages that elicit the sort of delightful puzzlement that Escher’s artwork creates in a person’s mind. To do my research, I travelled no further than the bookshelf where I keep my treasured Escher art book.

YABC:  What word do you have trouble overusing?

There are so many to choose from! I’m definitely a fan of lists with titles like “20 words to eliminate from your manuscript.” But, off the top of my head, I would pick “started.” In my first drafts, I always have characters “starting” to do something when they should just be doing that thing.

YABC: What hobbies do you enjoy?

I’m an avid player of card and board games. My wife and I play games with almost every meal. And I love to hike. I live very close to Griffith Park, a huge parcel of undeveloped land in the middle of Los Angeles with dozens of different trails, one of which leads to the legendary Hollywood sign.

YABC: What kind of animal would your main character be and why?

Having lived with them for over twenty years, rabbits are my favorite animal, and I would love to feature one in a future book. But right now, I’m kicking around an idea which would have a cat as the main character.

YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?

As I’m a lover of all things horror, Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. I celebrate the scary year-round but love it when, once a year, everyone else joins me. There are many professional and amateur haunted houses in the wider Los Angeles area, but I’m especially fond of the home haunts and spend several nights each Halloween season driving to different neighborhoods to check them out.

YABC:   What’s up next for you?

The third book in The Horrible Bag series, which has the working title of The Cursed Cloak of the Wretched Wraith. It’s winding its way through the editorial process as we speak and will be out in Summer 2025. It’s been loads of fun and also a tremendous challenge wrapping up my first trilogy. I hope readers will enjoy seeing all the loose ends tied up and feel satisfied with the Maelstroms siblings’ ultimate fate. Can an ending be both horrible and happy?

Title: THE TWISTED TOWER OF ENDLESS TORMENT

Author: Rob Renzetti

Release Date: 7/23/24

Publisher:  Penguin Workshop

ISBN-10: 0593519558

ISBN-13: 9780593519554

Genre: Middle Grade Horror

Age Range: 8-12

~ Giveaway Details ~

Three (3) winners will receive a copy of The Twisted Tower of Endless Torment (Rob Renzetti) ~US Only!

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

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We are excited to share a giveaway for WHEN BEAVERS FLEW: AN INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF RESCUE AND RELOCATION (Kristen Tracy)!

Meet the Author: Kristen Tracy

Kristen Tracy grew up in a tiny town in Idaho near Yellowstone Park surrounded by untamed and fascinating animals.  She is a poet and YA author and has recently started writing picture books. Her debut picture book A Cub Story was published in 2021. Kristen Tracy young adult novels include Lost It, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, Hung Up, and Project Unpopular. She won the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation for her collection Half-Hazard.

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About the Book: WHEN BEAVERS FLEW: AN INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF RESCUE AND RELOCATION

This fascinating picture book tells the unique, quirky, and true story of how one man in Idaho saved 76 beavers from destroying a town by parachuting them into uninhabited wetlands.

In 1948, the town of McCall, Idaho was growing rapidly. World War II was over, and the little town tucked away in the mountains began to boom. There was only one problem. As the town expanded, they found beavers everywhere. A beaver here, a beaver there, and it didn’t take long to realize that humans and beavers weren’t great cohabitators. But one clever and resourceful Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter had an idea.

Heter knew that the beavers were integral to the wetlands, so keeping the well-being of the beavers in mind he set out to find a way to relocate them. After a few failed attempts, he finally landed on a wild idea… parachutes. Using a surplus of parachutes left over from WWII and creating a special box with air holes designed to pop open when it hit the ground, Heter devised a way to parachute the beavers into Idaho’s backcountry, an area that beavers hadn’t inhabited in decades.

Kirsten Tracy’s fascinating and playful nonfiction text pairs beautifully with Luisa Uribe’s detailed illustrations to bring this compelling true story to life.

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Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Katrina Emmel!

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

Meet the Author: Katrina Emmel

Katrina Emmel grew up in New Hampshire, moved to the Midwest for graduate school, and continued traveling westward until she reached the Pacific. Now a SoCal resident, Katrina lives in an active household with her husband, two children, father-in-law, and their twin beagles, Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. In addition to writing fiction, she loves science, crafts, making up silly songs for her kids, and supporting monarch conservation by planting lots of milkweed. Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses is her debut novel.

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About the Book: Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses

A swoon-worthy YA rivals-to-lovers romance between a Nebraskan cowboy and California girl, thrust together on the Oregon Trail.

Anything’s possible under a prairie sky…

Riley Thomas is feeling stuck—she’s moved from California to Nebraska, she’s on a weeklong Oregon Trail family bonding excursion, and her luggage is lost. There’s no one her age on the trip except a tall, dark and irksome cowboy who wrongly assumes she has zero ability to handle the great outdoors. She can’t wait for this misery to end—even though going “home” isn’t even possible anymore.

Lone wolf Colton Walker loves the simpler life of the plains and his family’s tourism business that helps protect them. He’s a stand-up guy—not a love ‘em and leave ‘em type like his rival, Jake. And he knows better than to take his chances with a prairie princess like Riley.

But Riley’s got more sense than Colton thinks–and he’s not nearly as inflexible as he seems. And under a wide prairie sky of puffy clouds and bright stars, everything comes into focus–including a cowboy’s heart.

Katrina Emmel’s Near Misses and Cowboy Kisses will take you on a sweeping journey across the American prairie . . . once you love a boy in a Stetson, you’ll never be the same.

~Author Chat~

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

I was up late one night, unable to sleep, and an infomercial came on about an Oregon Trail excursion where families could have a pioneer experience, complete with campfire cooking and tenting. The idea of traveling across the American prairie in a covered wagon stuck with me and I couldn’t shake the idea that an excursion like that would be an interesting and unique setting for a contemporary young adult romance.

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

I’m proud of the bison chase scene. I don’t often incorporate cinematic-style action scenes in the romances I write, so incorporating writing that’s more physical and less introspective was a good challenge. It was important to me that the scene be fast-paced and full of tension, but also plausible. 

YABC:  What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?

The landscape came first, and it spent almost 10 years kicking around in my brain waiting for the right concept. Once I’d decided to use the Oregon Trail/American prairie as the setting for a contemporary YA romance, the plot and the characters developed pretty quickly.

YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Definitely romance, because the world needs more love and hope and positive, sunshiny vibes. I’m channeling my inner Jackie DeShannon here, and if this was an audio interview, I ‘d probably break out into song with a few bars of “What the World Needs Now is Love.” Or maybe, “All You Need is Love,” by The Beatles.

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

To develop a character’s voice, I read books and watch shows and movies developed for the young adult market. Newspaper and magazine articles written by and/or about teens are also valuable resources. I also draw a lot from the emotions and experiences I had when I was a teen.

YABC:   What can readers expect to find in your books?

Readers can expect smart and swoon-worthy leads and vibrant settings, where the romance is a sweet, slow-burn. I try to keep the story light-hearted and the ending satisfying. I also like to add in science references and plenty of animals (both domesticated and wild), too.

YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?

 I usually don’t eat when I’m writing, as drafting tends happen while I’m in a folding chair at my kids’ sports practices or late at night in bed (and it’s never a good idea to get crumbs in bed). However, a good cup of tea has gotten me through more tricky writing sessions than I can count.

YABC:   What do you do when you procrastinate?

I try very hard not to procrastinate. I learned quickly when I was a resident advisor in college that crises usually happened the night before a major exam or a report was due, so it was good to be ready before a deadline. However, when there’s a lot on my plate, I can get into “freeze mode,” where I just don’t know where to start. In those situations, I usually create a task list to make things more manageable and keep myself motivated to get stuff done.

YABC:  What fandom would you write for if you had time?

I’m a Murder, She Wrote fangirl, and would love to create some crimes for the incomparable Jessica Fletcher to solve. My 7-year-old daughter and I are currently making our way through the series and I love the questions she asks and the who-dunnit theories she comes up with.

YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?

This is a tricky question and I don’t think I can choose just one. Every year for Halloween, I’ve designed and handmade my kids’ costumes, which is always a good challenge and a lot of fun. On Christmas Eve, we enjoy a traditional Lithuanian Kūčios dinner with old family recipes that involve a lot of “add it until it tastes right” directions. We also have an annual last day of school celebration that involves a scavenger hunt and s’mores. A few years ago, we actually celebrated a holiday every day, and I can tell you that planning for 365 different holidays is a lot of work, but the memories we made were 100% worth it.

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

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share a bit about myself and NEAR MISSES & COWBOY KISSES with Young Adult Book Central!

Title: NEAR MISSES & COWBOY KISSES

Author: Katrina Emmel

Release Date: July 23, 2024

Publisher: Delacorte Romance

ISBN-10: 0593708148

ISBN-13: 9780593708149

Genre: YA Romance

Age Range: 12 and up

~ Giveaway Details ~

Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses (Katrina Emmel) ~US/CAN Only!

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We are excited to share a giveaway for SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN (Laan Cham)!

Meet the Author: Laan Cham

Laan Cham is a first-generation Singaporean-British-American illustrator from New Jersey who currently lives in Vancouver. Somewhere in Between is her author-illustrator debut, and she is the illustrator of the forthcoming chapter book series Camp Scream.

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About the Book: Somewhere In Between

Join a little girl named Pink on a journey to two enchanting realms: the Land of Sunshine and the Land of Snow! But when the rulers of these worlds can’t get along, it’s up to Pink to show them the magic that’s possible when they come together.

Pink has just landed in a new world. First she meets Fireball, a red creature who rules the Land of Sunshine—home to the sun (of course), beaches, and swimming. Then she meets Snowball, who rules the Land of Snow, and who enjoys building snowmen, ice skating, and sledding.

To Pink, it’s all fun and games… until the two creatures start bickering, and ask her to pick a side. It’s up to Pink to help Fireball and Snowball find common ground by showing them a third side—one in which magic exists, if only they can come together to make it.

This whimsical picture book about friendship, conflict resolution, and the complex emotions of being caught in between is perfect for middle children, or any child who finds themselves stuck in the middle.

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We are excited to share a giveaway for Our Bodies Electric (Zackary Vernon)!

Meet the Author: Zackary Vernon

Zackary Vernon is a writer and scholar based in Boone, North Carolina. His work has appeared in a range of magazines and journals, including The Bitter Southerner, Carolina Quarterly, and Southern Cultures, and he has received both the Alex Albright Creative Nonfiction Prize and the Randall Kenan Prize from the North Carolina Literary Review. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Appalachian State University.

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About the Book: Our  Bodies Electric

Tormented by his religious family and the broader conservative community of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, fourteen-year-old Josh struggles with the pressure to conform to their puritanical standards. As he embarks upon his high school years, Josh meets a supportive cast of eccentric small-town characters, falls in love with his classmate, becomes obsessed with David Bowie, and fumbles in his attempts to make his own thongs. But it’s when his elderly neighbor gives him a copy of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself’ that he begins to understand his own sexuality. Our Bodies Electric is a coming-of-age story that celebrates the exuberance of youth, the individual quest for sexual identity, and the joy of finding connections in the most unexpected of places.

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Title: Our Bodies Electric

Author: Zackary Vernon

Release Date: June 4, 2024

Publisher: Fitzroy Books

ISBN-10: 1646034570

ISBN-13:  978-1646034574

Genre: YA Literary Fiction

Age Range: 12 and up

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Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Jordan Kopy!

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

Meet the Author: Jordan Kopy

Jordan Kopy is a born and raised New Yorker who now lives in London with her husband and poorly behaved (but lovable) cat. A financial services professional by day (no idea how that happened), Jordan spends her nights with ghouls, witches, and the occasional evil hag. She’s the author of Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters and Theodora Hendrix and the Curious Case of the Cursed Beetle.

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About the Book: Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters

The Addams Family meets Nancy Drew in this delightfully spooky illustrated middle grade mystery following a young human girl determined to protect her monster foster family from discovery.

The first rule of the Monstrous League of Monsters is to keep monsters hidden from humans. But when zombie George and his cat companion Bandit find an abandoned human baby, they can’t leave her to be eaten by hobgoblins. So they spirit her home where she quickly becomes part of the family.

Fast-forward ten years, and young Theodora doesn’t seem too scarred by her monstrous upbringing, though she struggles to make friends at her monster school. But a series of anonymous letters suggests that someone is about to reveal the secret of her caretakers’ identity. If Theodora doesn’t act fact, she may lose her beloved monster family forever.

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~Author Chat~

YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?

Oh, this is tough! Each character holds a special place in my heart, but I think if I had to choose one it has to be Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina is a powerful witch who lives with the other members of the Monstrous League of Monsters in the village of Appleton, England. She’s bold, brassy, and not afraid to take matters into her own warty green hands – all while making sure that the other monsters are none the wiser!

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

Probably the graveyard scene towards the end of the book: the villain’s identity is finally revealed, and there’s an epic battle in which Theodora, her friends Dexter and Sherman (a talking, top-hat-wearing tarantula), and the members of the Monstrous League of Monsters go up against the bad guys. There are a lot of moving parts, so this scene was a bit challenging to write – but I’m so pleased with how it turned out!

YABC:  What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?

In this case, the concept came first. I woke up one summer Saturday with an idea for a story about a ten-year-old girl being raised by a family of monster superheroes. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my laptop, and headed out to the garden. Two hours later, I had written the first chapters of what would become my debut novel, Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters. What’s really cool is that the very first sentence I wrote – “I’m going to tell you a secret” – remains unchanged. Once I had that, I quickly sketched out the setting and all the major characters apart from the narrator; I didn’t decide who that was going to be until several weeks later!

YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Contemporary fantasy! It’s a wide genre, so authors have the leeway to go very light or very heavy on the fantasy elements. I love the idea that the world we live in isn’t what we think it is…that vampires are walking among us, fire-breathing dragons are dwelling in underground caves and ghosts are floating down the hallway of the houses in which they used to live…It makes for some fascinating characters and conflicts!

YABC:   What can readers expect to find in your books?

Independent, headstrong girls; monsters with big hearts; villains you love to hate; a diverse cast of characters; spooky settings; and a whole lot of fun!

YABC:    What’s your least favorite word or expression and why?

Impossible. For me, one of the most exciting parts about writing is the ability to create something out of nothing, to dream about what could be instead of what is and to bring that vision to life.

YABC:  What fandom would you write for if you had time?

I’m going to date myself here, but it would have to be Xena: Warrior Princess. It was my absolute favorite show growing up; I was obsessed. I don’t think I ever missed an episode – if we weren’t going to be home for some reason, I would make my mom tape it so that I could watch it as soon as we returned – and I may or may not have dressed up as Xena for three consecutive Halloweens…I actually used to read a great deal of Xena fanfiction – there’s a lot of talented writers out there!

YABC:   What’s up next for you?

I’ve got two manuscripts in progress: another middle grade novel and my first young adult novel. After three books, it was difficult to say goodbye to Theodora and her beloved monsters, but I’m really enjoying the process of building new worlds and creating new characters – I hope I get to introduce the world to them in the near future!

YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?

The first Saturday in December, I make my very patient husband dress up with me in matching Christmas pajamas. We spend the entire day dressing the tree and putting up the holiday decorations, drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies (“The Santa Clause” is my all-time favorite)! Then for dinner, I always make homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese. It’s a fun way to welcome in the holiday season and is always one of my favorite days of the year.

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

Thanks so much for having me!

Title:  Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters

Author: Jordan Kopy

Illustrator: Chris Jevons

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publisher:  S&S BFYR

ISBN-10: 1665906839

ISBN-13: 978-1665906838

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Humor

Age Range: 8 – 12 yrs

~ Giveaway Details ~

Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters (Jordan Kopy) ~US Only!

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We are excited to share a giveaway for Dashed (Amanda Quain)!

Meet the Author: Amanda Quain

AMANDA QUAIN is a writer, indie bookseller, and general life enthusiast. When she’s not shouting about her favorite new books, she loves theatre, baking, rock climbing, marching band, and the overall pursuit of adventure. If forced to choose, Amanda’s favorite Austen hero is Edward Ferrars, though she’ll always have a soft spot for Mr. Bingley. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and their cat. She is the author of Accomplished and Ghosted.

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About the Book: Dashed

In this contemporary update of Sense and Sensibility, Margaret Dashwood is setting sail on an adventurous summer cruise—unless love sinks her first.

Margaret Dashwood lives her life according to plan, and it involves absolutely zero heartbreak, thank you very much. Five years ago, love tore her family apart, and since then, she’s kept her own heart as safe as possible. It hasn’t been easy, especially since her sister Marianne—the world’s biggest romantic—has conveniently forgotten that love burned her so badly she literally almost died. So when their oldest sister Elinor invites Margaret along for a Marianne-free summer cruise, she can’t wait to soak up every scheduled moment with sensible Elinor before heading off to college.

But just before they set sail, a newly-single Marianne announces that she’s crashing their vacation. Suddenly, Margaret’s itineraries are thrown overboard, and the ship’s cabin feels even tinier with her sister wailing about her breakup from the bottom bunk. The only solution? Find Marianne a dose of love to tide her over until they reach land.

With help from Elinor, her husband Edward, and Gabe—a distractingly handsome new friend on the crew—Margaret sets out to create a series of elaborate fake dates that will give Marianne the spontaneously curated summer romance of a lifetime. But between a chaotic sister, the growing storm of feelings between Margaret and Gabe, and an actual storm on the horizon, this summer is destined to go off course. Margaret will have to decide what’s more important—following the plan, or following her heart.

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Title: Dashed

Author: Amanda Quain

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publisher: Wednesday Books

ISBN-10: 1250907535

ISBN-13: 9781250907530

Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Romance / Contemporary

Age Range: Ages 13 to 18

*GIVEAWAY DETAILS* 

Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Dashed (Amanda Quain) ~US/CAN Only!

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Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Caroline Carlson!

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

Meet the Author: Caroline Carlson

Caroline Carlson is also the author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy, The World’s Greatest Detective, and The Door at the End of the World. Her novels have won accolades from the New York Times, the American Booksellers Association, Bank Street College of Education, the American Library Association, and Junior Library Guild. She holds an MFA in writing for children from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives with her family in Pittsburgh.

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About the Book: Wicked Marigold

A People Magazine Best Books for Summer Selection

“A richly imagined middle-grade examination of sibling dynamics with plenty of endearing fantasy elements.” —People Magazine

In a funny and charming fantastical romp, overlooked Princess Marigold is nothing like her perfect, just-returned sister—so she runs away to an evil wizard’s tower to prove her wickedness.

Princess Marigold—who hadn’t yet been born when the remarkable Princess Rosalind was kidnapped—is eleven when the unthinkable happens: her older sister escapes her captivity and comes home. Marigold has always known she’s not as good, sweet, or kind as the sister everyone adores, but amid the celebration of Rosalind’s return, Marigold realizes something new: if Princess Rosalind is good, then Princess Marigold must be wicked. And there’s no place for wickedness in the kingdom. When Marigold tries to find a new place for herself in an evil wizard’s fortress, though, the results are disastrous. Before she’s even learned to cackle or scowl properly, she gets tangled up in a magical plot to ruin all the Cacophonous Kingdoms. Is Marigold too wicked to make things right? Or can she—with the help of a kitchen boy, a well-dressed imp, and a grumpy blob of glop—find her own way to restore peace? This endearing fantasy will have princess and anti-princess fans alike chuckling and cheering.

~Author Chat~

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

Most of my books begin to form when a few different ideas I’m interested in start to bump into each other in my imagination in interesting ways, and that’s how Wicked Marigold got its start, too.

First, I watched the Disney movie Tangled with my daughter, who was about three years old at the time. As Rapunzel and her parents shared a joyful reunion on our TV screen, I started to wonder, What if Rapunzel had had a younger sister—a sister who’d never known her, a sister who’d gotten used to being the only princess in the kingdom for all those years? Would she be feeling quite so joyful in this moment?

Second, I read an article about slime molds. These are organisms that look a lot like blobs of glop, but unlike most blobs of glop, they can join together to move around, and they really like eating oats. I knew right away that I had to include a slime mold-inspired character in my next book—and indeed, there’s a yellow blob of glop in Wicked Marigold that shares a few qualities with slime molds, particularly their fondness for oatmeal.

Third, I asked myself how Rapunzel’s younger sister might end up encountering a yellow blob of glop, and the answer to that admittedly strange question was the creative spark I needed to start writing.

YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel came first, as novels always do for me. My brain is a little allergic to titles (including chapter titles, of which there are twenty-six in this book—they took forever to come up with!). But I love the simple efficiency of Wicked Marigold’s title: Putting a spooky, shivery word like Wicked right next to a flowery, pretty word like Marigold lets readers know that the book they’re about to read will upend their expectations and hopefully make them laugh.

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

My favorite scenes to write are ones that feel like comedy set pieces: self-contained moments of joy and silliness that you can almost imagine actors performing onstage. When I write that kind of scene, I like to dare myself to be a little goofier, a little less sensible with each revision. There are several very silly scenes in Wicked Marigold, but one of my favorites also happens to be the favorite of a couple young readers I’ve talked to. It involves many different kinds of birds performing a song about how perfect Princess Rosalind is, driving Marigold to take rash and drastic action against both Rosalind and the birds. The scene’s action was tricky to write—I always find it challenging to describe physical comedy clearly—but I loved composing the song.

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

One thing I’ve learned that’s helped me through many drafts is that when I’m dreading working on a particular scene, that’s not writer’s block or laziness. It usually means there’s something about the story structure that’s not working out as I’d hoped. Even if I plot a book’s scenes in advance, sometimes those scenes just don’t come together the way I thought they would, and feeling uninspired and unexcited about writing is my brain’s way of telling me that I need to back up a little and take my story in a different direction. When I was starting out, I’d try to bash my way through those uninspiring scenes, thinking that I could use every blunt object in my writers’ craft toolbox to make them work. Now, I have no compunctions about cutting entire chapters that don’t make me smile. If I’m not excited about writing a scene in my own book, how can I expect readers to be excited about reading it?

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

I would tape the cover of Wicked Marigold to my eyeballs if I could figure out how to do it safely; that’s how much I love looking at it. It’s illustrated by Jennifer M. Potter, and it’s full of wonderful details from the book. My absolute favorite detail, though, is on the back cover, so you’ll have to pick up your own copy if you want to see it: It’s an illustration of the evil wizard Torville, transformed into a blob of glop and piloting a little biplane that Marigold builds for him toward the end of the book. The expression Jennifer’s given him is this indescribable mix of exhilaration and terror that makes me laugh whenever I see it.

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

I read Erin Bow’s Simon Sort of Says on vacation a few months ago and couldn’t stop turning pages. It should be required reading for any writer who wants to learn how to balance serious subject matter with a light narrative voice and plenty of humor. It’s a real craft master class. It’s also the sort of book I would have loved just as much as a child as I do now.

YABC:   What’s up next for you?

I’m working on another middle grade novel, still with a bit of magic but set in a world that’s more like our own, which is unfamiliar writing terrain for me. It’s about being an anxious kid, which is not unfamiliar terrain for me at all! It asks the question, If you could turn back time by five minutes to erase your mistakes, would everything in your life be okay? It’s also a book about stargazing and hiking and spies and art and folktales and community and hot chocolate, and I can’t wait to talk more about it soon.

YABC:   What advice do you have for new writers? 

Remember that you’re not only a writer; you’re a person with many interests, and you should give yourself permission to be that sort of person. Study writing craft, for sure, and read anything you can get your hands on, but don’t be afraid to explore gardening or foreign policy or summer biathlon or the history of trade in the Black Sea region or anything else that gets your brain fizzing. Story ideas will bloom from your weird obsessions and fascinations, so let yourself nurture them—that’s the work of writing, too.

Title: Wicked Marigold

Author: Caroline Carlson

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publisher: Candlewick Press

ISBN-10: 1536230499

ISBN-13: 9781536230499

Genre: Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy

Age Range: 8-12

~ Giveaway Details ~

Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Wicked Marigold (Caroline Carlson) ~US Only!

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

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We are excited to share a giveaway for The Empire Wars (Akana Phenix)!

Meet the Author: Akana Phenix

Akana Phenix is a Harvard alum and screenwriter. The Empire Wars is her debut fantasy novel. As a nostalgic 2000s kid, she’s always eating Oreos and streaming Avatar: The Last Airbender. She’s based in the United States.

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About the Book: The Empire Wars

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Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Justin Colón!

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

Meet the Author: Justin Colón

Justin Colón is a children’s author and actor. A former boy scout, he spent many summers surrounded by wildlife and being snacked on by every insect imaginable, but he never encountered the illusive Quacken. He lives in Long Island, New York, not far from a lake filled with plenty of perfectly ordinary, well-behaved ducks. As far as he knows, they haven’t tried to eat any of the local children. You can visit him at JustinColonBooks.com.

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About the Book: The Quacken

Fans of The Bad Seed and Creepy Carrots will flock to this hilarious, lightly spooky picture book about a boy who unwittingly unleashes a ferociously fuzzy beast on his campground!

Lurking in the lake at Cucumonga Campground is a fearsome and frightening creature. Legend says that it swallows kids, canoes, and even whales whole. But all Hector sees are cute, cuddly, quacking ducks. Until he breaks the campground’s most important rule—Don’t Feed the Ducks—and releases…the Quacken.

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~Author Chat~

YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write The Quacken?

I often surf the internet for fun puns, memes, GIFS, random images, etc. Things that capture my interest but don’t yet have any sort of story behind them (but I see or sense might possess one within). Little nuggets that, for me, hold promise of a catchy premise, compelling characters, and/or strong visual potential. Something I can run with. Something that will maintain a certain level of excitement for me not just throughout the drafting and revision process, but throughout the entire publication process and beyond should that manuscript go on to sell. Sometimes it is something pretty obscure in terms of inspiration. Sometimes it’s even just a feeling something leaves me with, and I work off that feeling.

With this book, I saw a meme of hundreds of ducks crossing the road, with “Release the Quacken!” overlaid across it. I knew, somehow, someway, I wanted to write a picture book titled The Quacken.

YABC: Which came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?

Well, Quacken is a portmanteau, a word I’ve been pronouncing wrong for the past year (many thanks to the person who emailed me after my Zoom presentation). *It’s pronounced port-man-toe.

Anyway, this word combining quack and kraken inspired images of a gigantic duck that somehow terrorizes people and/or animals. So, it was a blending of concept and character. Once I figured out the location (a summer campground, which would allow me to play into horror tropes), I was able to start drafting.

YABC: What research did you do to write The Quacken?

Authors often have search engine histories that would puzzle even the FBI. Just yesterday I was googling “Do honeybees sweat?” (for a nonfiction manuscript I’m working on). That’s probably one of the least head-turning things I’ve Googled. Even with picture books, research can lead you to the creepy and odd, or just plain weird or disgusting.

My research for this book was light and would probably put you to sleep. But I know illustrator Pablo Pino probably had more research on his end. He’s based in Argentina, and I remember him messaging me once about something related to trees where I’m located. He wanted to make sure he got the look right for this summer camp. And, as you’ll see in this book, trees are abundant and essential to the environment and authenticity of the setting.

Again, I’m not sure what his research process is like, but whatever he did was effective. I remember seeing sketches for the first time and emailing my editor that the campground, starting with the very first spread of the entrance scene, looked eerily identical to the week-long Boy Scout camp I attended each summer during my middle school and high school years. Hmm . . . Just what kind of FBI-level research is Pablo doing over there?

YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing The Quacken?

Well, there are two main characters in The Quacken: Hector, our young protagonist who ignores campground rules (with good intentions), feeds the duck, and inadvertently releases the Quacken. And the Quacken, a gigantic duck terrorizing the campground.

WIth Hector, it was challenging figuring out why and how someone would release this beast. With the Quacken, it was tricky figuring out the logistics of how it grew to its gigantic dimensions, how it could go unnoticed until now, and how to resolve all the buildup leading to the climax of the story.

In the end, some things made it into the text, some I had to figure out purely for myself as a writer, and some were left to the imagination of the reader. A healthy balance I’d say, and a common challenge I suspect many writers and illustrators of this condensed format face.

YABC: What can readers expect to find in your book?

Readers can expect to find light humor, some suspense, spoofing of classic horror tropes, dramatic page turns, and exciting alliteration and word play. The Quacken is a light-hearted, quick, snappy read. I think it’s somewhere around 370-400 words.

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

As a voiceover and on-camera actor, I’m cognizant of the cadence and rhythm of my speech, which helps. I aim to bring this cadence and rhythm to my writing, because I’ve developed a specific style over the years. But I tailor it to my audience, making it more entertaining through the use of specific tools and techniques that help emphasize, exaggerate, and escalate my voice. I do this through specific punctuation, often breaking up and fragmenting sentences. Specific word choice and word play. And literary devices. Etc. This makes it more entertaining.

I also read a lot of books within the format I write, and watch a lot of cartoons. It helps to have a sense of humor like the audience you write for. And I do my best to ensure I’m never speaking down to my audience. That’s a contributing factor to my voice. However I write, I want to entertain readers and hold their attention. So, I read and act my manuscripts aloud to ensure they have strong energy.

YABC: If you could only write in only one format for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

What kind of monster are you asking a writer this? Fine . . .

Picture books will always have my heart, as they are the format that introduced me to the world of publishing and children’s literature. The picture book is deceptively simple in appearance. But this tricky, yet rewarding, format presents numerous challenges, often due to how condensed it is.

I love writing for young children. I suppose you could say writing for them keeps my inner-child alive as well. I get to tap into this place of innocence, imagination, curiosity, and wonder each time I brainstorm, draft, and revise. And then there’s the entire visual aspect of them. Getting paired with an illustrator and seeing that skilled individual bring the story to life visually feels magical. It’s an exciting collaborative process. Not to mention, picture book creators in general are some of the kindest people out there.

I also enjoy middle grade novels a lot. My shelves are stocked with them, and I’ve been working on one of my own. This format allows me to really go all in with spookiness and epic adventures with characters who have a bit more agency. Given that it’s not nearly as condensed a format, there’s a lot more room for character development, world-building, scene development, and intricate plots. And, as someone who often has very complex plots, that’s especially appealing.

Ha! I tricked you. You didn’t really think I was going to pick just one format, did you?

YABC: What is your favorite writing space?

I like to switch up my location to aid my writing process. I’ve written from my bed, cramped computer desk, couch, shower, car, and sometimes the library. I’d say my favorite place to write, though, is my kitchen table. I’m able to set my laptop on it along with my caffeine of choice, some water, a notepad, and a towering pile of comp. titles and mentor texts. I also keep my illustration supplies near me, allowing me to dummy out my stories as I paginate them.

I would love to work outside during the spring and summer months. But the glare on my computer screen and alternating brightness levels don’t work for me.

YABC: What’s up next for you?

The Quacken publishes July 16, 2024 with Simon & Schuster BFYR. My sophomore picture book, Impossible Possums (illustrated by the brilliant James Rey Sanchez) publishes October 22nd, 2024 Disney-Hyperion. The ZomBees (illustrated by Kaly Quarles) publishes with Simon and Schuster BFYR in Summer of 2025. And Vampurr (illustrated by Lenny Wen) publishes with FSG/Macmillan summer of 2026.

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

I offer freelance editorial services through my small business, The Kidlit Hive. I craft pitches, help locate comp. titles, and edit query letters for manuscripts of all genres and formats. I also critique picture book manuscripts and mentor and teach picture book writers as well. To learn more, please visit kidlithive.com.

Title: The Quacken

Authors: Justin Colón

ISBN-13: 9781665922487

ISBN-10: 1665922486

On-sale date: Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Ages: 4-8; Grades P to 3

~ Giveaway Details ~

Three (3) winners will receive a copy of The Quacken (Justin Colón) ~US Only (No P.O. Boxes)!

*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*

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