Tag Archives: Middle Grade Fiction

New Story at the Cabinet of Curiosities!

4 Apr

Just a quick note to let you know that yesterday I posted a new story at the Cabinet of Curiosities! It’s called “Quicksilver and the Stranger,” and it is my response to the theme this month at the Cabinet: tricks.

And for anyone who might need a reminder, the Cabinet of Curiosities is a site run by myself and three other middle grade authors: Stefan Bachmann (The Peculiar), Katherine Catmull (Summer and Bird), and Emma Trevayne (the upcoming Gearwing). Once a week, one of us posts a dark middle grade short story inspired by that month’s theme.

We’ve had a lot of fun with it so far, and hope you do too! Head on over and check out my story, if you’d like — and then catch up with the other stories, if you haven’t already done so! After all, what better way to start off your day than with a healthy helping of the strange and creepy?

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The Cabinet of Curiosities: Red Shoes and Doll Parts

20 Feb

Just a quick note to let you know that there is a new story up at the middle grade short story blog I run with fellow MG writers Stefan Bachmann (The Peculiar), Katherine Catmull (Summer and Bird), and Emma Trevayne (the upcoming Coda).

What’s that, you say? A middle grade short story blog?

Why, YES. It is called The Cabinet of Curiosities.

I have been woefully quiet about the Cabinet here at my main blog, but that is only because I am SO BUSY right now, not because I am not over-the-moon happy with the Cabinet of Curiosities project and how FUN it is has been to work with these three amazing authors.

Basically, the Cabinet is a site for middle grade short stories — specifically, dark and creepy and whimsical middle grade fiction (along the likes of, say, Cavendish and The Year of Shadows!). Once a week, one of us Curators posts a new story fitting that month’s theme. For example, our theme for January was cake (to celebrate the Cabinet’s inaugural month), and our theme for February is love (for obvious reasons; but don’t think that our stories are all chocolate and roses and sugary-sweet romance! don’t you do it!).

Why did we open this site? To experiment with short fiction, to dabble in the dark middle grade world we all love so much, and because there is so not enough of said dark middle grade out there. We want MOAR horror, MOAR creepiness, MOAR macabre whimsy!

Tim Burton, eat your heart out.

As I said, today’s story is by yours truly — a tale about love between a girl named Jackie and a . . . well, I won’t give it away, but his name is Mr. Jimmy. And he doesn’t smell very nice.

The story’s title is “Red Shoes and Doll Parts.” Head on over and check it out — if you dare.

(Also, you can follow the Cabinet’s Curators on Twitter!)

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October Events!

4 Oct

Events? What?! I’m, like, a person for whom there are events now?! Surely you jest, Universe. No? Well, okay then.

Soon I’ll be creating an actual permanent events page here on the blog, but until then, in case you are curious (and I hope you are, and that I see some of you!), here are some upcoming October events!

Friday October 19th – 7:00 p.m. – Lewisville, TX

Signing/reading at the Lewisville Barnes & Noble! I’m so excited about this event, as I haven’t been home in EIGHT. MONTHS. GAH.

Saturday October 20th – 9:30 a.m. – Pasadena, TX

Panel/signing at the Tweens Read Book Festival at Bobby Shaw Middle School! I am SO EXCITED about participating in this festival. I mean, I’m going to be interacting with tons of tween readers! I’m going to be on a panel! A panel. I’m going to sign books and be awkward and probably sweat a lot! Also, I’ll get to see many other wonderful authors, including Shannon Messenger, Stefan Bachmann, Lynne Kelly, W. H. Beck, Lisa Schroeder, Greg Leitich Smith, and more! Check out the full line-up and schedule. Eep! My panel is called “From a Girl’s Point of View!” Victoria is already primping and giving me advice on how to look respectable.

Tuesday October 23 – 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – New York, NY

At Books of Wonder, Nikki Loftin (The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy), Adam-Troy Castro (Gustav Gloom and the People Taker), and I are speaking about spooky middle grade books, just in time for Halloween! We’ll also be signing our books and maybe there will even be candy. CANDY. I’m just saying.

Sunday October 28 – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – New York, NY

Once again at the lovely Books of Wonder, I’ll be speaking and signing books with a group of awesome middle grade authors, including Gitty Daneshvari (School of Fear), Natasha Lowe (The Power of Poppy Pendle), Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (Legend of the Ghost Dog, ParaNorman), Emily Jenkins (Invisible Inklings: Dangerous Pumpkins), and Barbara Mariconda (The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons). The panel is called Thrills & Chills for Middle Grade Readers, and I absolutely CANNOT WAIT.

I will also be doing school visits in Texas surrounding my other events (including at my alma mater!), which are obviously not open to the public, but can I tell you, lovely blog readers, how THRILLED I am to start having events at which I interact with kids? A few kids showed up at my launch party with their parents, and talking to them about scary books and their aspirations to be writers nearly made me lose my cool right there at the signing table. Their smiles were so huge and the dreams shining in their eyes so magical. That is why I write (beyond the fact that I love writing on a personal level, of course) — to reach young readers, and entertain them, and make them think and dream and hope. I’m going to come away from these two event-filled weeks exhausted, but hopefully recharged and encouraged.

Again, I hope to see some of you there, too! Tweet at me if you’ll be in the area and can stop by!

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