Cynthia Leitich Smith's Blog, page 6
December 6, 2024
Author Interview: Christine Day Enters the YA Fantasy Realm with Short Story in Faeries Never Lie Anthology
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
By AJ Eversole
Spotlight image: Author Christine Day at the Dark and Stormy Night Storytelling event on Bainbridge Island, Wash.. Photo Credit: BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network) of Bainbridge Island, Wash.As someone who grew up in peak Twilight days, I’ve always been a major fan of the paranormal ...
December 5, 2024
Throwback Thursday: Author Tirzah Price Retells Jane Austen with Murderous Intent
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Congratulations to Tirzah Price on the publication of In Want of a Suspect (HarperTeen, November 12, 2024). From the publisher’s website:
A USA Today bestseller! The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!
It is...
December 4, 2024
Poet/Author Interview: Janet Wong On Poetry & Her Long Writing Career
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
The first time I met Janet Wong was a couple of years ago in her house for a summer party. I was smitten and blown away by her humility and generosity despite being a senior, well-accomplished poet and author in the industry. She is someone who lifts everyone up along the way. I’m also g...
October 28, 2024
Cynsations Fall Hiatus
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Thank you for being a Cynsations reader!
Effective immediately, the Cynsations digital magazine is on hiatus. We’ll return in December with more inspiration, insights and information on children’s-YA writing, illustration, literature and publishing.
At Cynsations, we celebrate Native aut...
October 25, 2024
Cynsational News
By Cynthia Leitich Smith, Gayleen Rabakukk, Suma Subramaniam, A.J. Eversole, Mitu Malhotra, and Gail Vannelli for Cynsations
Spotlight Image: The Night Market by Seina Wedlick, illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (Random House Studio, 2024).
Author/Illustrator InsightsFive Questions for Tracey Baptiste by Horn Book Editors from The Horn Book. Peek: “The page-turning parts are fun…Sometimes I can hardly wait to get to those parts. But a book can’t be all thrill with no substance. The human a...
October 24, 2024
Author-Illustrator Interview: Azadeh Westergaard Reveals Her Creative Process
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Today we welcome Azadeh Westergaard to Cynsations to talk about her second picture book biography The One and Only Googoosh (Viking Books for Young Readers, Nov 12, 2024). Azadeh has written about two iconic figures, Nikola Tesla a reclusive scientist and Faegheh Atashin also known as Googo...
October 23, 2024
Author Interview: Danielle Burbank On Sharing Family Legacies
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
By AJ Eversole
Today on the blog we get to talk to Diné author and librarian Danielle Burbank about her debut early reader, Navajo Code Talkers (DK, 2024). The topic is close to her heart, as her grandfather was a Navajo Code Talker.
What was your research like for this book?
As a librarian I wanted to ensu...
October 18, 2024
Author Interview: Stacy Wells Weaves Tradition into Chapter Book Series
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
By AJ Eversole
Today we are hearing from Stacy Wells (Choctaw) about her new chapter book series, Tana Cooks, illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama (Capstone, 2024). From the publisher’s website:
Tana Williams loves to be in the kitchen creating wonderful foods for her friends and family. Alongside her chef da...
October 17, 2024
Throwback Thursday: Author Byron Graves Talks About the Importance of Connection
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Congratulations to Byron Graves on the paperback release of Rez Ball (Heartdrum 2023), winner of the American Indian Youth Literature Award, the William C. Morris Award and Reading the West Award Winner. Rez Ball has also appeared on several “best of” and state book lists. Take a look back at Byron’s first ...
October 16, 2024
Reflections on Craft: Using Specific Details to Draw Readers into a Story
Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Earlier this year I had an experience that made me reflect deeply on perspective and details. My husband and I attended a Jon Batiste concert. We got the tickets we could afford – high in the balcony – months before the actual event, so far in advance that we nearly forgot about it. But ...
