Rajani LaRocca's Blog, page 29
March 18, 2020
A Big Birthday Giveaway!!
Today is my birthday. It’s a BIG birthday. Today, I turn 50!
Unfortunately, I’m not celebrating it the way I thought I would. The world is dealing with a pandemic. We’re being socially distant. Schools are closed, people are working from home, the streets are empty, and we’re not sure how long this is going to last. The world of publishing has been thrown into turmoil as events are canceled, bookstores are shuttered, and authors have taken to the internet to get word out about their books.
My work has a doctor has been turned upside down, too. We have canceled all routine appointments and are preparing and bracing for the onslaught of what might happen.
But in the midst of this surreal time, I want to reflect on the things that bring me joy.
I’m so grateful for beautiful family—my sweet parents, my wonderful husband, and the two children we’ve raised to be smart, kind, and thoughtful young adults. They are my proudest contribution to the world.
I’m grateful for my work as a doctor. I love my coworkers and my patients and my hospital as we work together to take care of people. I’ve felt this way for years, but I particularly feel it now, in the middle of a global medical crisis.
And I’m grateful for the world of writing and publishing, for the freedom to be creative, to spin stories from my head and my heart, to write the novels and picture books that only I can write. I’m incredibly fortunate to have an agent who loves and believes in my writing and finds my stories the best possible homes, and to work with editors who help me make my books better than I could have ever imagined. I’m so lucky to be writing for kids, who have emailed and written letters, made art and talked to me in person about what my stories mean to them. And more than anything, I am so overjoyed to be connected to the wonderful kidlit community—the writers, illustrators, publishing professionals, booksellers, and teachers whose work I admire and who are my friends, partners, and supports.
These connections are everything to me because what my two careers have in common is people. People, who can make terrible decisions, and who can be incredibly brave. People, who laugh and love and think and live. People, who are endlessly fascinating. People are what medicine is about, and what writing is about. To me, people are what everything is about.
So. It’s my birthday, and I’m giving away presents that reflect my connections to people in the kidlit world!
For educators: For TWO lucky winners I’m giving away:
A copy of my debut middle grade novel, MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM!
A copy of my debut picture book, SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS, out this September!
Copies of a 2020 picture book and middle grade novel of your choice! Spring books would be ideal, since these are the books most affected by the current pandemic, but feel free to choose any 2020 book you would like! Check out https://roaring20sdebut.com/mg-books/ for MG, and for PB, https://www.soaring20spb.com/ , https://perfect2020pbs.weebly.com/, https://2020debutcrew.weebly.com/, and @2020visionpbs @diversedebuts20 @2020comebkcrew on Twitter!
A bunch of stickers, pencils, and bookmarks for your students!
All these books will be ordered from a local independent bookstore and shipped straight to you!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For writers: There will be TWO winners!
One will receive copies of three of my favorite craft books: STORY GENIUS by Lisa Kron, OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL by K.M. Weiland, and WRITING PICTURE BOOKS by Ann Whitford Paul, plus a writing journal and fun pen. If you already own those books, I will get you three other books of your choice! All of these will be ordered from a local independent bookstore and shipped straight to you!
For the second winner, I will critique a picture book or first ten pages of a MG novel!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I’m so happy to be spreading some book love in the midst of this unprecedented time of turmoil. And I’m overjoyed to connect with all the people in the kidlit community. You are my people, and I’m so very thankful to have you in my life.
And now, everyone: go pick up a good book and have some cake!!
A New Picture Book Announcement!
I’m thrilled to share that Little Bee Books will publish my picture book, THE SECRET CODE INSIDE YOU, which will be illustrated by the amazing Steven Salerno!! This book explains the basics of genetics to kids, and also touches upon the limits of genes and how our choices also determine who we are. It will be published in fall 2021, and as a doctor and a writer, I can’t wait to share it with the world!!
A New Picture Book Annoucement!
I’m thrilled to share that Little Bee Books will publish my picture book, THE SECRET CODE INSIDE YOU, which will be illustrated by the amazing Steven Salerno!! This book explains the basics of genetics to kids, and also touches upon the limits of genes and how our choices also determine who we are. It will be published in fall 2021, and as a doctor and a writer, I can’t wait to share it with the world!!
March 11, 2020
Celebrating Math Picture Books on ReFoReMo!
If you want to write picture books, you need to read picture books — lots of them! Reading For Research Month, or ReFoReMo, is a fantastic resource for learning about all kinds of recent picture books. This year, I wrote a guest post featuring recent picture books that celebrate math! Check out the full post here!
March 10, 2020
SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS Cover Reveal and Interview with Mr. Schu!
I am overjoyed to share the cover of my debut picture book, SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS, which will release this year from Lee & Low Books, gorgeously illustrated by the incredible Archana Sreenivasan, on Mr. Schu’s blog! The brilliant cover is below, and you can read my interview with Mr. Schu here! SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS is available for preorder on IndieBound, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Books a Million, and everywhere books are sold!
March 7, 2020
WhirliKids Book Fest!!
I loved visiting beautiful McIntyre’s Books, just south of Chapel Hill, NC this past weekend for the WhirliKids Book Fest! I got to catch up with friends (including my Pitch Wars 2019 mentee!), make new ones, appear on a panel of wonderful authors, and sign copies of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM! A wonderful time was had by all!
March 2, 2020
School Visit at Indian Springs School!
I had the wonderful privilege of visiting with 150+ 4th and 5th graders at Indian Springs Elementary School in Columbus, OH! After an “assembly-style” large presentation and Q & A, I got to run two writing workshops with smaller groups of students! This school is filled with book lovers…readers and writers!!
March 1, 2020
Cover to Cover Books in Columbus, OH!
I got to visit Cover to Cover Books in Columbus, OH, once of the loveliest bookstores I’ve ever seen! I got to dish with kids and fellow writers about MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM, read an excerpt from the book, hold a challenging smelling contest, and share some freshly-baked cookies with everyone! I absolutely love this gorgeous store, and I hope to visit again soon!
February 29, 2020
“Leap Into Publishing” with SCBWI Central-South Ohio!
I was honored to be asked by SCBWI Central-South Ohio to be faculty for their day-long workshop, “Leap Into Publishing,” at the Columbus Main Public Library on February 29, 2020! I was joined by my fantastic agent, Brent Taylor, and another client of his, L. Philips. Brent gave an informative presentation on queries; Laura and I did a joint presentation on “Plotting the MG/YA Novel,” and then I presented on writing picture books. There were over 60 attendees, and the audience was so engaged and engaging! A wonderful time was had by all!
February 16, 2020
WRAD 2020 Celebrations!!
In my inaugural WRAD, I was fortunate to connect with 14 different classrooms across the country! It was such an honor to be able to talk to so many wonderful teachers and students, and I cannot wait for WRAD 2021!
