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Hi! Today we’re celebrating Gayle Rosengren’s debut, WHAT THE MOON SAID, which came out last week! Before we start — why are they called Thrice interviews? The original titles for the Cahill Witch Chronicles were THRICE BLESSED, THRICE CURSED, and THRICE FATED. I have a tattoo with the word thrice, which is partly to remind me how joyful writing that first book was, back when it was just mine, and partly because I like threes. Cate Cahill is the oldest of three sisters, as am I. My birthday is May 3; my anniversary is Sept 30. So there’s a natural theme to these interview questions… They say: Thanks to her superstitious mother, Esther knows some tricks for avoiding bad luck: toss salt over your left shoulder, never button your shirt crooked, and avoid black cats. But even luck can’t keep her family safe from the Great Depression. When Pa loses... Read More

Hi! Today I’m celebrating the release of my friend Tiffany’s book, BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE, which came out last Tuesday. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend it! Tiffany writes incredible characters, and I saw a lot of my teenage self in Brighton, who is desperate to be liked and be all things to all people in her life. In fact, thinking about that is what sparked my post. As part of the BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE blog tour, I’m responding to the following prompt: One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself. One night, fourteen years ago this May, I was at a senior week party. It was the night before graduation. Not mine; I was a rising junior. I was sitting on a bench outside and crying over a boy who was not worth my time. A year before, after a... Read More

Hi!  Today we’re celebrating Carmella Van Vleet’s release, ELIZA BING IS (NOT) A BIG, FAT QUITTER! Before we start — why are they called Thrice interviews? The original titles for the Cahill Witch Chronicles were THRICE BLESSED, THRICE CURSED, and THRICE FATED. I have a tattoo with the word thrice, which is partly to remind me how joyful writing that first book was, back when it was just mine, and partly because I like threes. Cate Cahill is the oldest of three sisters, as am I. My birthday is May 3; my anniversary is Sept 30. So there’s a natural theme to these interview questions… They say: In this uplifting novel about determination and the rewards of hard work, a preteen girl struggling with ADHD must stick with a summer taekwondo class to prove that she s dedicated enough to pursue her true passion: cake decorating. I say:  Ooh, cake... Read More

Time for my weekly check-in! Writing: I started writing the MG! I don’t know if it will work out, but right now I really love the idea. I don’t want to talk about it too much because I want to keep this as purely fun and pressure-free as possible. I’m not showing anyone till I get a bunch of pages! But I talked about the premise with some writer friends at dinner last night and their excitement was really heartening. Reading: I finished EVERY DAY, which was really interesting. Now I’m reading BRIGHT BEFORE SUNRISE by my friend Tiffany Schmidt. It just came out yesterday and it’s so so good. Tiffany writes great relationships – not just romances (though she does bring the swoon) but fantastic families, too. I’m actually about to go to bed and read, and I may very well be up late finishing it! And I’m hoping... Read More

This week’s check-in is a little late, but I’m determined to stay accountable, so here we go! Writing: Ugh, I let the Doubt Monsters get the better of me last week. In case anyone’s wondering if the paralyzing fear goes away or gets easier after you get published – um, nope. Sorry. I was so worried about whether or not my new YA project is working I found it hard to do anything else! But then I got some reassurance and some notes – all little, totally manageable things – from Agent Jim on Thursday and did them over the weekend and sent them back to him yesterday. So, now I’m back at the Neurotic Waiting Stage – though I am attempting to be way less neurotic. This week’s goal is to do a crit for a friend and to start working in earnest on the MG project I feel... Read More