Jennifer Caloyeras's Blog, page 13

Heavy Feather Review Interview

It's beginning to feel a lot like the holidays around here! We spent the weekend decorating the tree (I'll post a photo soon.) We braved the Los Angeles fires (they were pretty close this time - less than two miles away.) And now, in order to feel like the holidays, it just needs to cool down. It's still in the 80's around here - not conducive to getting all bundled up and cracking open a good book. But I have been doing a ton of reading. Following my Intagram account @jennifercaloyeras to see what I've been reading.

Thanks to Heavy Feather Review for the recent author interview! 

To read the full interview, click here. 

Interview in Bookish Beck

Today, I'm over at Bookish Beck talking about Unruly Creatures. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it when I'm asked thoughtful, articulate questions about my books! Click here to read the full interview. 

Summer Reading

I read a lot of books this summer. Wanna see my list?

What was on your list?

Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles

I had a blast conducting a three-hour workshop on revision for the Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles! 

If you write for children or young adults, check out their amazing organization and see how you can become more involved. They offer workshops, mini-class sessions and serve as a great way to network with other writers. 

Levar Burton Reads and other podcasts I heart

I absolutely credit Levar Burton with fueling my obsession with books. I remember staying home from school on sick days and crawling into my parents' bed to binge watch taped episodes of Reading Rainbow. 

So you can see how Levar Burton's new podcast, Levar Burton Reads on Stitcher. In this podcast, Burton reads a short story (including works by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and Daisy Johnson) and then, at the end, talks about what he's taken away from the story. 

I take a three-mile walk each morning and I've really been getting into all sorts of new podcasts lately! Other ones I've enjoyed include:

Very Bad Words

Reading Glasses

Part-Time Genius

What are your current favorite podcasts??

My Favorite Reads in 2017

I'm sharing my favorite books that I've read during the first 1/2 of the year. (They're not all new releases) Have you read any of them? 

I don't get much writing done over the summer because I have two kids at home, but I do get to read read read a lot more than during the academic year. I have so many books on my summer reading list. What's everyone else reading this summer? I'll share my summer "to-reads" in a later post. 

For now, just finishing up odds and ends from this year. My UCLA writing class that I teach finishes in another week and a half as does the Music Production course I'm taking. (I have a final for the class; I haven't taken a final exam in over 17 years!) And my kiddos have two more days of school. The older one is graduating from elementary school next year, so it's a bit bittersweet. 

Happy Weekend! 

Strays is a Finalist!

I'm thrilled to announce that Strays was chosen as a finalist in the Indie Book Awards for 2016-2017. 

Click here for more information. 

Weird and Wonderful

Okay, so I'm posting this because I happen to be a fan of weird and strange and my own forthcoming short fiction collection Unruly Creatures (October 2017) is both weird and strange. So I feel very at home in this milieu. 

BookRiot has compiled a lovely and long list of their favorite weird and strange novels. I've read a bunch on their list : Beatlebone by Kevin Barry, Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue, The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli - did you know they're married? I can't imagine the weird and wonderful conversations between Enrigue and Luiselli - The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie, The Vegetarian by Han Kang, You Too Can Have a Body Like Mineby Alexandra Kleeman, Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet, The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips and The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson.

With summer reading just a few short months away, pick a few! 

Story Arcs in Western Literature

Check out these six story arcs that define Western Literature. Fascinating! Which one does your story fall under? I guess, according to this, Strays is a rags to riches story. Like Annie, but with dogs. And less songs. And more alcohol. 

To see the six story arcs, click here. 

Celebration of Local Authors: 1/14/17

Saturday, January 14th, 2017 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM - Santa Clarita Author Festival

I'll be participating in the Celebration of Local Authors event in Santa Clarita. I'll be speaking on a young adult panel at 10:15 and afterwards, I will be signing books until 3:00. Come say hello!

click here to read more about this event.