I’m thrilled to announce that A Kiss Before Breakfast, a project I submitted to the SCBWI WIP translation grant, has won the award!
Translation is a relatively new obsession for me, but the source text (Un beso antes de desayunar, a picture book from Spain) has been one of my family’s favorite books for years. The text is so lovely that I couldn’t stop thinking about it and had to give it my best shot.
Find the full list of grants and winners here. Congrats to all!
Last week, I shared a post of my path following the White Rose in Munich on my recent trip to Germany. One of the other stops on my trip was Berlin, which had nothing to do with the White Rose, but which gave me a dash of Weimar Republic I was looking for.
First off, traces of history are hard to find in modern-day Berlin, rebuilt after about 80% of the city was destroyed in WWII and then modernized again after the fall of the Berlin Wall. So sometimes a hint means “[XYZ] used to be here,” where [XYZ] was once a cabaret, the most popular cafe in town, or an old dance hall.
Sometimes hints can be found in actual items from back in the day. There are several vintage and antique shops in Schöneberg, and I also got to visit the Saturday flea market at the Rathaus.
Just walking around the neighborhood provided glimpses of what once was, even though most of these structures have at least been partially rebuilt.
(Literal) signs of some of the more famous residents still exist today as well. I’d made a point of booking in the Hotel Sachsenhof, where the poet Else Laske-Schüler used to live, but other famous residents in the neighborhood included writer and director Billy Wilder and writer Christoph Isherwood.
But there were a couple of places that went virtually untouched and still exist today with much of that century-old detail. One such place is the Einstein Cafe, an art nouveau villa that now serves excellent meals with loads of ambience.
Another is Clärchens Ballhaus, a still-active restaurant and dance hall that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. There’s been talk of the place switching hands or closing down, but I certainly hope it remains for years to come.
Overall, it’s not easy digging for history in a city that’s been through so much, but it was definitely worthwhile to find those small traces that remain.
Back when I was doing my initial research for White Rose, I visited Munich and Ulm a few times, both to speak to experts and spend time in the archives and to get a feel for some of the important sights themselves.
This summer, I was in Germany to do some research for a couple of different projects, so I got to spend some time in Munich once more, visiting a couple of newer museums/exhibits, and donating a copy of White Rose to the Weiße Rose Stiftung, a fantastic organization at the university that houses an (updated!) exhibit and organizes events to keep the group’s legacy alive.
It’s always chilling to visit sites of historical significance, especially those where something so important happened, and I made a point (as I did other times I’ve visited) to stop, think, remember. What were Sophie and Hans thinking that day? Do students passing through these halls today think of their legacy every so often?
I also got to visit a few other sites important to White Rose history, including the Justitzpalast (Palace of Justice) where the trials were held, the apartment building that once housed Sophie and Hans’s flat, the Ostbahnhof (East Train Station) where Sophie bade farewell to the boys when they left for the front, and the site of the former Wittelsbacher Palais (Wittelsbach Palace), where the Gestapo interrogations took place.
I’ve previously visited the Perlacher Forst cemetery beside the Stadelheim Prison where White Rose members were executed, and didn’t make it back there this time, but it’s of course every bit as somber a place as expected.
The ghosts from the war are never far from the surface in Germany, no matter how much is rebuilt. Some of those remnants have been left as a reminder, like at the Wunden der Erinnerung (Scars of Remembrance) wall around the corner from the university.
Plenty of other signs lie underfoot, like the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) placed in memory of Jewish victims of the Nazis in front of buildings where they used to live.
Moreover, these signs infuse the air, capturing the voices and memories of those whose lives ended too soon, whispering to those passing by today and into the future, begging us not to forget, begging us, Never again.
I’ve been watching from the sidelines for years as other historical fiction authors I admire talked about the Historical Novel Society and its amazing conference, held every two years in the United States. I promised myself that if I ever got a book published, I would try to go, and lo and behold, it worked out for me this year!
My debut novel, White Rose, based on the true story of a German student-led resistance group during World War II, was published in April, 2019, with HMH’s new Versify imprint, so I was lucky enough not only to attend the conference this June, but also to present as part of a WWII panel (Beyond Rosie the Riveter) and a Kaffee Klatsch (The Crossover Revolution: Is It Adult or Is It YA?).
Obviously a huge highlight for me was talking my passion with these fantastic authors and attendees. But there was much more to the conference. I’ve been to SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences multiple times, and while I can sometimes manage to track down the historical writers in the bunch, it was amazing to be surrounded by other like-minded individuals. Instead of, “What do you write?” I could start out with a much more specific, “What’s your era?” to get a conversation going. And there were conversations aplenty, starting with Thursday evening’s costume party, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Next, attending other sessions was a huge highlight for me, including the
Tall Poppy Writers’ Marketing Collective panel and the State of the State of Historical Fiction panel with a group of agents and editors.
Finally, listening to Dolen Perkins-Valdez give her fabulous keynote about “making sh*t up” (while she also clearly does the work, putting on the gloves in the archives and the whole bit) and going back to our “nerd-holes” was an absolute inspiration. Looking forward to reading her books, and to reading more from everyone I met!
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be leading some upcoming workshops, focusing on my own areas of passion and expertise: verse and historical fiction. I’m already looking forward to working with writers on their projects. Feel free to share and to ask any questions in the comments below.
July 16, 2019: The Writers’ Loft, Sherborn, MA
September-December, 2019: at home!
This fall, I’ll be leading a virtual-based historical fiction workshop through Inked Voices. I’m especially excited about this one because I’ll get to read several historical fiction projects and get to know the writers behind them.
September-October 2019: Follow Your Art, Melrose, MA
This fall, I’ll be working with teens to craft and revise original poems, as well as introduce them to various forms and styles of poetry.
Now that it’s February, the publication date for my debut novel is just two months away, which means it’s time to share the White Rose pre-order gifts I have planned! I’m so thankful for everyone who wants to read, so this will be my turn to give back to you.
Make your pre-order by 11:59 p.m. EST on April 1, 2019 at …
To receive your gifts, send your full name, mailing address, and proof of your pre-order to WhiteRose.Preorders@gmail.com. A screenshot or photo of the pre-order or library request is fine. Now on to the gifts themselves!
First off, everyone who enters will receive a beautiful bookmark and a sticker. This part of the giveaway is open internationally! I truly appreciate the support of all readers, and I’m so glad I can at least send along these goodies to readers farther afield.
Then, along with these swag packs, winners of the following gifts will be chosen randomly among entrants based in the U.S. (because shipping costs).
The first of the trade reviews are in, and White Rose has earned a starred review from Kirkus!
I’m so very grateful and absolutely thrilled. The last line of the review particularly got exactly what I was aiming for. “Real events made deeply personal in an intense, bone-chilling reading experience.”
Feel free to check out the full review here (warning: it does contain spoilers).
Although 2018 continued to be a dumpster fire in many of the same ways 2017 was, it was at the very least a great year for reading. I read 88 books this year*, and was astounded by all the literary greatness. Choosing only ten favorite books from 2018 was no easy feat. I’m quite proud of myself that I managed it!
*So far. I am well aware that there are 12 days left of the year and I am still reading. But at the moment I’m up to my eyeballs in research books that are completely fascinating to me but unlikely to end up on a top-ten list of favorites.
As usual, some of my absolute favorite books are historical fiction or novels-in-verse, and this year was no exception. To start with some of my favorite historicals, I fell hard for:
a few historicals
Also as usual, I fell hard for some amazing novels-in-verse this year.
some favorite verse novels
Finally, a bit of a curve ball.
a book unlike any other
On top of all these wonderful books, I’ve also had the chance to read ARCs of some of the new books coming your way in 2019. From Gita Trelease’s ENCHANTÉE to Justin Reynolds’ OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS to Laurie Halse Anderson’s SHOUT to Mariama Lockington’s FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME to Lamar Giles’ THE LAST LAST-DAY-OF-SUMMER, you are in for some fantastic treats!
Total books read: 88
Total YA books read: 35
Total MG books read: 39
Total adult books read: 14
Bookish news to share! A panel of ABA booksellers has selected White Rose as an Indies Introduce title for Winter/Spring 2019! I am so incredibly thrilled about this honor and so excited to share the space with the incredible titles on the full list.
Indies Introduce is a fantastic program wherein committees of independent booksellers first read mountains of manuscripts. They then select their favorite books by debut authors to promote for the upcoming season. One committee selects ten children’s books, and another committee selects ten for adults. The idea is that they select books they love and think they can hand-sell. In the end, this program helps introduce readers to unknown, untested authors. All this to say that this is an amazing honor!
Independent bookstores and their booksellers are glorious, beating hearts that get books into the hands of readers. That this group of knowledgeable, passionate people saw the promise in my book means the world to me. The bookseller who called me with the news absolutely made my day (after I recovered from the shock), and her blurb left me dizzy:
This enthusiasm for White Rose reminded me of my purpose in writing it–that this story might move readers as much as it moved me. I’m simply over the moon at this news!
This summer, I decided to join the #takeyourbookoutdoors challenge started by bookstagrammer Bronte, and August ended up being another great month for me to do so. There were some quite hot days, but many beautiful ones, and I took my books along to all sorts of fun places.
One one of those hotter days, I took SUNNY by Jason Reynolds along to the pool. One of my local librarians recommended this book to me, since she knows how much I loved LONG WAY DOWN. This book is for the younger (middle grade) crowd, but sings with musical prose.
Sometimes getting outside means taking the T, and I was reading GIRL IN DISGUISE by Greer Macallister on a trip into town for some dumplings. This book about the first female Pinkerton detective really hooked me.
A NIGHT DIVIDED is on the MCBA (Massachusetts Children’s Book Award) list this year, and my children both thrust it on me, telling me how much they loved it. The book tells the story of a family divided by the Berlin Wall. I had to keep stepping outside for fresh air and looks skyward as the clock ticked on against their escape plans.
On a literary field trip this month, we had the chance to read some of Emily Dickinson’s poems below her window among the tree stumps. We each opened to a random page and read the poem we found there out loud. I read this one just afternoon. Chills!
I read THE CONFIDENCE CODE by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman (here at the Japanese Garden at the MFA) this month. It was jam-packed with interesting science, but I’m now reading THE CONFIDENCE CODE FOR GIRLS (which I checked out for my daughter), and I’m enjoying that version even more.
A BOOK OF PEARL by Timothée de Fombelle was my companion for a few delicious days, including on a lakeside picnic. Part historical, part fantasy, part fairy tale, this book is absolutely gorgeous (as is de Fombelle’s other work–loved VANGO as well).
Finally, I took WHERE THE WATERMELONS GROW by Cindy Baldwin along to the Hatch Shell for a (free!) Landmarks Orchestra concert and got to read a little while waiting for the amazing dance performances to begin. This lovely, painful book is a perfect summertime read that ends with buckets of hope.
What great reads have you taken outdoors this summer?