Alanna Peterson's Blog, page 6

The Privilege of Clean Eating

This is my garden. It’s a wild hodgepodge of plants; there are no orderly rows here. Perennial herbs and berries vie for space with annuals like lettuce, snow peas and, always, kale.

I love gardening. And I love cooking. So when I wrote up a short list of recommendations for helping to fix our dysfunctional food system at the end of my debut novel, When We Vanished, it was only natural that “grow your own food” and “learn to cook” topped the list.

I felt it was important to include th...

Sourdough Crackers

Though I wish I was coming at you today with a topical, thought-provoking essay on current events, these last few weeks have been really exhausting… so this recipe is all I’ve got. But it’s a good one!

I can’t remember where I found the original version… it was online somewhere, but I wrote down and stuck it in my recipe box. I made it a few times, and fell in love with these little sourdough morsels that taste EXACTLY like Cheez-Its. (Though you can take that with a grain of salt, since ...

Virtual Launch of When We Vanished!

Today’s the day: When We Vanished is officially on sale!

But… it’s a strange time for a book release. This post will pretty much be the extent of my launch activities this week, because it just feels wrong to be out there trying to get attention for my book when there are far more important issues to focus on.

However, I wanted to do something to mark the occasion, as this book has been a long eight years in the making. So, I’ve compiled a bunch of launch day goodies for you to enjoy at ...

My Journey to Publication

As I prepare for the launch of my debut novel, it feels like a good time to reflect on my long path to publication. This has not been an easy journey by any means, and this post condenses many years of angst, self-doubt, and hard decisions into a relatively short summary.

I never could have predicted the process would be this arduous when I started writing the book eight years ago. But all this difficulty has made the triumph of finally releasing this book even more satisfying. I don’t know ...

Win a $ 50 Bookstore Gift Card + When We Vanished Prize Pack

My debut young adult thriller, When We Vanished, is coming out very soon now, and is available for preorder at online retailers. To celebrate, I’m having a giveaway!

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If you are selected as the winner, you’ll receive:

A $50 gift card to the bookstore of your choiceA signed paperback copy of When We Vanished A tote bag (handmade by yours truly!)A swag pack including buttons, stickers & bookmarks

To enter, you must be 18 or older and reside in the U.S. or Canada. The winner will choose ...

When We Vanished Available for Preorder

I’m happy to announce that When We Vanished is available for preorder ahead of its June 2 release date! I have to say, it’s been pretty surreal to search for the title at various online retailers and watch it pop right up in the results.

This announcement is a bit overdue (since the book comes out in just over a week, wow!), but better late than never, right?

So, Where Can I Order The Book??

You will be able to order copies directly from Rootcity Press, my publishing company, but d...

Writing About Violence

My debut novel, When We Vanished, is definitely not all sunshine and roses. Some of the scenes are quite bloody and intense. (I often feel the need to warn people about this, because I probably seem like such a nice girl! Quiet and pleasant, not the type to write a thriller that contains some decidedly twisted moments.)

So, yes, the story does get violent at times. A few of my early readers suggested I should tone this down a bit, and I could definitely see their point. It is a young adult n...

Vegan Pizza Night

When its time for a celebratory dinner whether were marking a big milestone or just the end of another week at home pizza is often my go-to meal choice. Theres something so comforting and nostalgic about it though the pies I make now bear little resemblance to the pizzas of my childhood.

Ive been vegan for many (many!!) years, and for a long time the perfect vegan pizza eluded me. In the early days, Id often just have a traditional veggie pizza without the cheese. But that was never very...

Food Justice in the News: May 2020

I keep trying to sit down and write informative, well-researched blog posts about food justice. But other things have been eating up all my time (since When We Vanished releases in just 25 days!!!). So, instead, here are a few excellent articles that have crossed my radar recently.

Photo by Jan Kroon on Pexels Food Chain Workers & Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic is bringing social issues like inequality and health disparities to the forefront and these are especially apparent in our food...

When We Vanished Goodreads Giveaway

Just popping in with a quick post today to let you know that a Goodreads giveaway of When We Vanished went live this morning!

Enter anytime between now and June 4, 2020, and youll be eligible to win one of three signed copies of WWV. The giveaway is open to readers in the U.S. and Canada.

Youll need to have a Goodreads account in order to enter this one but if you dont, not to worry, Ill be hosting some additional giveaways later on. Details to come Ill be posting details to this blog, so...