Rajani LaRocca's Blog, page 37
April 28, 2019
A Star from Kirkus!!
I’m thrilled that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM has earned a STAR from Kirkus Reviews! They say “the realistic characters and complex family dynamics augment the tightly knit plot, and the mouthwatering descriptions of food are guaranteed to make readers hungry.” Read the full review here.
April 23, 2019
A Shakespearean Giveaway!
It’s April 23, the day the world celebrates the birth of William Shakespeare! I fell in love with Shakespeare’s words as a kid, and each year I discover more to love about his poetry and plays. MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM was inspired by one of his best-known and beloved comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. To celebrate, I’m giving away a bunch of Shakespearean goodies to revel in stories and the love of language. The prizes include:
The Shakespeare Book, which uses photos, images, and timelines to help put Shakespeare’s work in context
A Shakespeare magnetic dress-up set
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream For Kids, so kids can put on the play and understand and enjoy it!
A Shakespearean magnetic poetry kit
A signed copy of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM when it publishes on June 4!
To enter, comment below with your favorite Shakespearean quote! Head over to my Twitter and Instagram for more entries! Educators, raise your hands and get an extra entry!! Contest ends at midnight on 4.29.19.
My favorite quote? Oh, I have so many! But from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, this is my current fav: “Though she be but little, she is fierce!”
April 14, 2019
Being a Book Godmother, a Cover Reveal, and a Giveaway!
One of the best things about being a writer is making writer friends and cheering on their beautiful books. But when one of your dear critique partners publishes her first book, it is truly special to see a story you have known from infancy go out into the world. It feels like being a “book godmother.”
My lovely critique partner Hayley Barrett is a tremendous writer, a generous soul, and a true friend. When Hayley read her story BABYMOON at our critique group for the first time, I remember knowing in my heart that this beautiful tribute to the special bonding time a family needs after a baby is born was meant to be a book. And now, years later, with gorgeous artwork from Juana Martinez-Neal, BABYMOON has finally been born! On April 2, our critique group took Hayley out to celebrate her debut:
Hayley has a second picture book releasing this year, and I am thrilled to reveal its astronomically beautiful cover! I also remember Hayley reading this story for the first time. I quite literally got goosebumps and teared up at the beauty of her words. It is a biography of Maria (Ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell, a 19th century astronomer who lived on Nantucket and made an important discovery in 1847 that made her world-renowned. And now, years later, with absolutely stunning artwork by Diana Sudyka, WHAT MISS MITCHELL SAW will launch on September 3, 2019! Without further ado, hold onto your hats and take a look at this stellar cover:
It is my honor and privilege to call Hayley my friend, and to be “godmother” to these two lovely books, and all her books to come!
Giveaway Time!
Enter the Rafflecopter below to win a copy of BABYMOON, perfect for new and expectant parents, and a PREORDER of WHAT MISS MITCHELL SAW, perfect for all who watch the sky with wonder. There will be TWO winners getting one book each, so be sure to tell your friends!
April 11, 2019
My Interview on Wakefield Community Access TV!
On March 27, 2019 I was interviewed on Wakefield Community Access TV by Colleen Getty of The Room To Write. We had a wonderful discussion about writing life, my inspiration for MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM, and the purpose of a pitch! Watch the whole interview here!
April 8, 2019
Kweli 2019!
On April 5-6, 2019 I attended my second Kweli: The Color of Children’s Literature Conference. From incredible workshops to superb keynotes, fascinating panel discussions, and plenty of time to connect with fellow creators, the conference was nourishing and inspiring in the best possible way.
March 24, 2019
KidLitConProvidence2019 and My First Official Author Panel!
On March 22-23, 2019 I travelled to Providence to KidLitCon 2019, a conference where writers, teachers, librarians, book bloggers, and bookstagrammers met to share ideas about writing, reading, and getting books to kids! It was an incredible event! I participated in my first official panel as an author, on “Writing Diverse MG in the Real World” with fellow authors and Zetta Elliott and moderator S. R. Toliver. It was a fantastic panel, and I was thrilled to give away dozens of ARCs of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM!
March 12, 2019
A Birthday Giveaway!
This year, to celebrate my March 19 birthday, I want to share some of my favorite MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM-related things. This pile of goodies combines baking, Shakespeare, and a tiny bit of magic.
If you win, you will get:
A signed ARC of MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM!
MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM bookmarks
A covered cupcake pan, perfect for baking the cupcake recipe in the book!
An awesome set of silicone spatulas
Fancy purple cupcake liners
A Shakespeare comic strip book, perfect to introduce a MG reader (or any reader) to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and six other Shakespeare plays
Fancy chocolates! Luckily, not exactly what you might find at the While Away Cafe…
Enter below to win!!
February 28, 2019
MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM in TEEN VOGUE!!
I’m thrilled and honored to have MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM featured in TEEN VOGUE’s “11 Books with South Asian Characters You Should Read in 2019!” My book is keeping some pretty incredible company! Read the full article here.
February 25, 2019
A Doctor, A Lawyer, and a College Professor…walk into a MG Debut Group…
Check out this fun interview at MGBookVillage.com with my friends and fellow 
debuts, Josh Levy and Chris Baron! Read our interview here.
Check out this fun interview at MGBookVillage.com with my...
Check out this fun interview at MGBookVillage.com with my friends and fellow debuts, Josh Levy and Chris Baron! Read our interview here.
