Terri Libenson's Blog, page 3

ALWAYS ANTHONY Book Tour!

Hey, everyone! I’m so excited for my upcoming book tour. This year, most of it will be on the east coast. Some of my stops are adjoined with book festivals. I’ll also be visiting Vancouver, BC, Canada to meet my western Canadian readers!

Along with the listed public events, I’ll be visiting schools in the cities above as well as in Atlanta, Buffalo, Boston, and Frederick, MD. For registration and/or details about the public events, go to these links:

May 7: Enoch Pratt Free Library (Baltimore, MD)

May 11: Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books (Pittsburgh, PA)

May 17: The Silver Unicorn Bookstore (Acton, MA)

May 29: KidsBooks (Broadway) (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

May 30: KidsBooks (Highlands United Church) (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Hope to see you! In the meantime, you can order (or pre-order) ALWAYS ANTHONY here!

The post ALWAYS ANTHONY Book Tour! first appeared on Terri Libenson.

North Texas Teen Book Festival!

Hope to see you in Texas on Saturday, April 27! Look at these amazing lineups (and there are many, many more panels and activities!). For more info and to see what ALL the incredible authors are doing, click here!

The post North Texas Teen Book Festival! first appeared on Terri Libenson.

The Making of Always Anthony

Ah, unexpected pairings. Aren’t they the best? Not just true of romantic relationships, but of friendships, too. I’ve experienced both, and it’s never dull. For example, my marriage is quite the yin-yang mash-up. My husband Mike is a very math-oriented, logical/practical, sci-fi-y dude, whereas I…am not. Okay, I can be practical, but I think that’s partially a product of his influence.

(Yin and Yang, 1996)

ALWAYS ANTHONY features the unexpected friendship of two total opposites…or so it seems. There’s popular, cool-as-a-cucumber Anthony Randall…

(not an actual representation)

…and timid-but-brainy Leah Ruben.

They are paired up because Anthony (kinda like my hubs) is great at science and math but has a harder time with writing. The English teacher, Mrs. Winn, has asked Leah to tutor Anthony to help raise his Language Arts grade. Along the way, Anthony and Leah discover they do have a lot in common, and they develop a blossoming friendship.

Surprises and obstacles ensue. Among them is a bullying incident they both witness which may threaten their budding friendship. You’ll just have to read the book to see what happens.

(Anthony imagines one of the bullies as a hungry bear)

Ultimately, what I really enjoyed about writing this story (like most of my others) was shoving two “opposites” together to see how they’d interact. Although Anthony and Leah are more opposite than most of my pairings, I love all the commonalities that emerge and how they help each other navigate so much along the way…like crushes, passion projects, and – ultimately — how to express their feelings (in different ways).

I do think people in the most enduring “unlikely” relationships end up having unexpected similarities. As I mentioned, my husband and I appear to have little in common on the surface. But over the years, we’ve found that we, in fact, have LOTS in common: values, sensibilities, a habit of eating way too fast (argh), and so much more (I won’t get into our shared workaholic tendencies).

And, thanks to two grown kids, a dog, and almost 28 years of marriage, we also have tons of shared history.

I don’t know if Anthony and Leah will be friends that long, but I do know one thing: if their friendship is meant to be, they’ll find more and more commonalities along the way.

The post The Making of Always Anthony first appeared on Terri Libenson.

NEW Hanukkah anthology!

Thrilled to be part of this upcoming middle grade Hanukkah anthology, along with 15 other wonderful authors I admire. My story is a combo of writing and fun, sketchy art. I hope you’ll check it out! THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS releases September 5, 2024, and you can pre-order from the website of my friend and organizer/contributor, Henry Herz.

The post NEW Hanukkah anthology! first appeared on Terri Libenson.

ALWAYS ANTHONY preorder gift!

Exclusive gift! Preorder Always Anthony before May 7th and submit a copy of your receipt to receive a free pack of two friendship bracelets! Click here to preorder and receive your gift.

The post ALWAYS ANTHONY preorder gift! first appeared on Terri Libenson.

Upcoming events!

Thrilled to announce THREE amazing April events that I’ll be part of (ALL of these include signings!):

On Sunday, April 7, 2024, I’ll join a celebration of Jewish Children’s Books and Authors event at the Chicago Loop Synagogue at 2 PM CT. A reading of BECOMING BRIANNA included. Open to the public. To register, click here.

On Saturday, April 20, I’ll be taking part in the Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus, OH. This includes a Middle Grade Fiction panel discussion at 3:45-4:30 PM EST (author lineup: Jenn Bishop, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Terri Libenson, Andrea Wang). For info, click here.

And on Saturday, April 27, I’ll be part of the all-day North Texas Teen Book Festival. For more info and to see the entire (wow, INCREDIBLE!!) lineup of authors, click here.

The post Upcoming events! first appeared on Terri Libenson.

ALWAYS ANTHONY read-along

ALWAYS ANTHONY comes out on May 7! For a fun teaser, here’s a little read-along video + brief intro to the story. (Enjoy my voice acting skills and ever-so-fashionable headset [trust me, you don’t want that office echo]).

The post ALWAYS ANTHONY read-along first appeared on Terri Libenson.

The Name Game

Often, when I’m speaking at a school or library, I’ll be asked about character names in my stories. Specifically, where they came from. Were they named after people I know? People I love? People I hate? How’d I first come up with “Emmie?” “Izzy?” And so on.

I have so, so, SO many characters that sometimes I can’t even remember the origins of their names. Therefore, I thought it might be fun to compile a list of them; if anything, maybe it’ll help jog my memory.

So here you go, dear readers: the semi-complete (I’m know I’m missing some*) list of main characters, secondary and minor characters, and all their name origins. Buckle up, it’s a long one. Note: strangely, most of the main characters’ names are totally made up while many of the minor characters’ have special meaning!

Emmie: Ah, where it all began. Admittedly, like many of the other names, “Emmie” was used for title purposes only. I knew I wanted the adjective “Invisible,” and “Emmie” just flowed well with it. But I truly think her name fits her; it’s sweet, youthful, and unassuming.

Izzy: Echoing “Emmie,” “Izzy” flowed well with “Positively,” an adjective I had in mind for the title. I love that it’s a little retro, which – if you’ve read the book – works perfectly.

Brianna, Tyler, Maya, Mia, and Leo: these were just names I selected arbitrarily. I was searching for contemporary, youthful, tween-ish names online, and they met the criteria. Funny, though: much like with real kids, I think the characters have grown into their names. I can’t imagine them having any other names than their own.

Jaime: This was a very strategic name. Originally it was supposed to be “Jasmine,” but JUST JASMINE was already taken (by a website or a show or something), and I didn’t want to compete. I wanted to keep “Just” in the title (so perfect), and nothing combined with it as well as a “J” name. So, “Jaime” was chosen.

Ruby: Ruby was the first character whose name I especially chose for her personality. Previously, she was just known for her moniker, “Baked Bean Girl,” and I thought she deserved a real name that complimented her. She seemed like a “Ruby” from the start. In this case, “Ruby” came before the title adjective, “Remarkably.”

Sarah: I chose her name waaay back while writing INVISIBLE EMMIE, and I’m pretty sure I named her for my niece.

Anthony: He is named after a nephew. By the way, I don’t actively seek out special characters to name after relatives, it’s very random (whoever comes to mind at the time I’m writing).

Now here’s where it gets fun. These are all the secondary and background characters I’ve named after loved ones:

INVISIBLE EMMIE:

Trina and Brandon (Emmie’s older siblings): these are close to my own siblings’ names, Tina and BradMs. Regas (librarian): friend’s maiden name; she also happens to be a librarian

POSITIVELY IZZY:

Mrs. Wodaski: friend’s last nameBen: named for my dad, who passed away long agoHannah: my nieceAva, Quinn, Bill, Carrie: family friendsMiss Gelb (teacher): friend’s maiden nameMr. Reukauf (teacher): friend’s last name

JUST JAIME:

Madam Zukosky (French teacher): friend’s maiden name

BECOMING BRIANNA:

Cantor Jordana Caruso-Sager: named for three clergy members at my synagogueRabbi Nosanchuk: named for the rabbi who conducted my daughters’ bat mitzvahs (looks like him, too, but in real life, he’s much younger)Ashley (Bri’s aunt): my nieceTina (Bri’s aunt’s wife): my sisterBrad (Bri’s cousin): my brotherMolly (Bri’s cousin): my daughter (different spelling)Gabriella (Bri’s cousin): my niece

TRULY TYLER:

Jonathan and Eli (Tyler’s brother Zach’s friends): my nephews

REMARKABLY RUBY:

Gabi: my niece (yes, I have many nieces and nephews!)Trevor: admittedly, after Trevor Noah, one of my favorite comedians (and low-key crush)Mrs. Mayer: a friend (last name)Rutter Elementary: not a person, but named after the elementary school I went to, Rutter Ave (since torn down, boo)

SURPRISINGLY SARAH:

Ben Friedman: also named for my dad (first name). I had forgotten that I’d used the name “Ben” previously; yep, my memory isn’t the greatest.

ALWAYS ANTHONY (coming soon!):

Nikki Lourde: my younger daughter’s (first) nameMollie (Leah’s great aunt): my older daughter’s nameMichael Ruben: my husband’s (first) nameJesse: my nephew

And here’s a list of arbitrary ones (those I made up or looked up for culturally appropriate names):

INVISIBLE EMMIE: Katie, Joe Lungo, Lindsay Donsky, Kyle Duncan, Mrs. Winn

POSITIVELY IZZY: Danielle, Becca, Dev Devar

JUST JAIME: Celia, Grace

BECOMING BRIANNA: Zoe Torres, Olivia Frank

TRULY TYLER: Zachary Ross, Ms. Laurie, Malik, Ethan, Coach Durdle

REMARKABLY RUBY: Juan, Leah Ruben, Josh Bentz, Keya Devar

SURPRISINGLY SARAH: Adam Weller, Laney, Sophia Friedman

ALWAYS ANTHONY (coming soon!): Lulu and Jada, Lucas & Eddie

After writing this, I realize (gasp) I still have many relatives and friends unaccounted for. Hmm, I think we know what that means…

…I’ll have to write more books!

*I’ve come to realize:

there are peoples’ names I KNOW I used that for the life of me I cannot find. But I swear they’re there.some of the names I’ve used have been lost in discarded first drafts. But I’ve made note and will bring them back!The post first appeared on Terri Libenson.

Sephardic Stories

So excited to announce my participation in PJ Library‘s two-year authors’ program: Sephardic Stories. Also thrilled to be among such a notable group of writers and artists.

My mother’s family was originally from Spain. They were booted during the 1492 Spanish Inquisition and fled first to Italy, then eventually settled in Turkey. My mother and her entire family were born and raised there. So of course I’m excited to dig more into my roots for some inspired writing as well as participate in a great mentorship program. Fingers crossed for those creative juices to flow!

“As part of PJ Library’s mission to represent the diversity of North American Jewish communities through the books we send to families, and following extensive research and recommendations from a specially formed advisory committee, the Author Stewardship Team invited seven experienced and published authors of Sephardic and Mizrahi backgrounds to create stories inspired by their own experiences over a two year period.

These authors will be granted the opportunity to dig deeper into stories with the support of experts in the field, customized virtual meet-ups, and an Israel experience. They will also act as mentors to emerging Sephardic and Mizrahi authors from spring 2024 through winter 2025.”

The post Sephardic Stories first appeared on Terri Libenson.

Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books Podcast!

So great to be invited back on the popular podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books with Zibby Owens! This was a particularly fun one, as Zibby’s two kids (and Emmie & Friends fans) took charge of the interview. They asked great questions and were a total blast. I hope you’ll check it out. Here’s the synapsis:

Terri discusses the book’s unique format, which explores two “what-if” scenarios from the perspectives of characters Sarah and Leo, involving a school dance and a love triangle. She shares how she blends personal experiences with imagination and explains her writing process, which involves drafting in a Word document, indicating artwork in red type, and then adding sketches and final artwork. Zibby’s children, who are fans of the series, ask Terri about character names, book titles, and potential future books. Terri shares personal details, like her Turkish heritage, and then reveals the possibility of her series being adapted into a movie or TV show.

The post Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books Podcast! first appeared on Terri Libenson.