writer & bookseller
This was originally posted on my Patreon page. Times are weird. Currently, the bookstore where I work (Brookline Booksmith, which has an online shop you can browse here - offering free delivery!) is closed to the public until at least early April, and we're scrambling to promote and fulfill remote orders to make up for… Continue reading Bookselling in the Time of COVID-19
Happy March! If you support me on Patreon, you can get a first look at my YA fantasy novel Witchfire through the following link. The post includes a PDF of the prologue. My 2020 goal is to get Witchfire into fighting shape for querying in 2021. Thank you to everyone who has already supported me,… Continue reading First Look: WITCHFIRE
If you missed my top 19 books of 2019 on my Instagram, you have another chance to go through the list and see what books most captivated me this last year. I've opened up an affiliate shop at Bookshop, which is the independent bookstore answer to online retail. Most of the profits go back to… Continue reading Bookshop Launch and My Top 19 of ’19
One of my 2020 resolution is to get more familiar with Instagram, and to that end, all of my end-of-year top book picks of 2019 are being posted there! Check out my page if you're looking for recommendations for a holiday gift or if you just want a bookseller's perspective on notable fantasy novels for… Continue reading Top 19 Books of 2019
Welcome back to another month of tips, tricks, and trade insights from an experienced YA bookseller! Today we're discussing that double-edged sword of the writing process: research. For some, research is a daunting and difficult task. For others, it's an easy way to procrastinate. No one has straight answers about how much you should research,… Continue reading Writing Advice: Research
Last month I debuted a new column in which I give advice for writing YA based on my experience as a YA bookseller. This month, I'd like to dive right in and talk about something vital to any story: world-building. Fantasy novels are the first thing that springs to mind when we talk about crafting… Continue reading Writing Advice: World-Building
Today I have a quick update for you guys: I started a Patreon page! For a limited time (until August 13th, 2019) everyone who pledges at least $1 will get a critique of the first five pages of their manuscript. My Patreon is going to feature short stories, writing advice, book reviews, and more. All… Continue reading I Have A Patreon!
This week I'd like to introduce a new column in which I share tips for writing in the Young Adult genre based on what does and doesn't work for teen readers, as informed by my education and experience as a bookseller. The goal is for this to be a monthly column, but depending on the… Continue reading Introducing: Writing Advice from the YA Aisle
In my last post, I talked about "age appropriateness" and what we mean by that when choosing books for tweens. In this post, I'm going to highlight some of my favorite Young Adult books that (in my opinion) are appropriate for the 11-14 crowd and why I think they're a good fit. Let's dive in!… Continue reading 5 YA Books for Tweens with Nervous Parents
One of the biggest fights you'll witness in a bookstore is between the tween who feels ready to dive into more "grown-up" books and the adult who is terrified that they will read something too mature for them. As a children's bookseller, I'm often the referee in that fight. It isn't easy. I sympathize with… Continue reading “Is That Age Appropriate?” : Tweens and YA
