Today I’m over at The Happy Nappy Bookseller for an interview as part of the Summer Blog Blast Tour. Check out the other author interviews from this week, too! The schedule is below… Happy touring!
Monday:
Tara Altebrando (Chasing Ray)
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(This week, I’m working through recent angst over one reviewer’s comments by doing two posts on positive experiences responding to reviewers.)
Yeah, sometimes writers feel about as enthusiastic about having their work reviewed as the little guy in the picture … Read more
There is a fantastic new reading challenge out there, and this one offers two bonuses: (1) the chance to explore diverse MG and YA lit and (2) a chance to win a crazy huge heap of YA & MG books… Read more

An alternative title to this post might be, “YA saves, but not like you think.” It’s about how the shouting match over “darkness” in YA has its roots in two very different ways of seeing the books in question (and … Read more

Now that I’m done reading a scholarly book (or more) a day for my PhD exams, I get to read for fun again! Last week I listened to Nicola Keegan’s Swimming in several galloping gulps. This book has amazing voice … Read more

I didn’t know about Glogster.com back when I was teaching in Houston in 2004. Actually, I bet that it didn’t yet exist. But anyway, this online poster-making tool just screams “extra-credit.” I’m guessing that the poster for What Can’t Wait … Read more

Today, check out this “Author’s Corner” interview with the National Writing Project. Back in 2005, I spent a transformative summer with the Greater Houston Area Writing Project. The NWP helped me learn how to write with my students, which paved … Read more

Last week, Meghan Cox Gurdon’s article “Darkness Too Visible” denounced YA lit as trying to “bulldoze coarseness or misery” into children’s lives. Gurdon gets YA wrong on so many levels, and the kidlit world noticed. Massively. Most responses have been smart … Read more
Two truths about handling criticism:
Truth #1: One of the BEST things you can do as a writer is to heed criticism from others.
Truth #2: One of the WORST things you can do as a writer is to heed … Read more

Hey, today head over to The Book Muncher to check out my guest post on how knowing my audience helps me write. Also, check out my responses to Rachael’s random questions. You’ll learn about my (secret?) obsession, the strangest thing … Read more