Hello World,

Checking in with some updates! I’ve been keeping busy in about seven different ways since THE HUMMINGBIRD came out last month. Whew! In some ways, releasing the end of a trilogy felt like Christmas to me . . . spending months at a time prepping, wrapping, eating, jamming to whatever it is you like to jam to during the holidays, and all of a sudden it’s over and the following days are a bit of a letdown. But just around the corner: something new and equally promising!

I’m happy to say that the Tucson Festival of Books on March 10-11 was amazing. For me, the true highlight was speaking to the Upward Bound group who came to the festival as part of a larger event their coordinator organized. They had thoughtful questions and infectious enthusiasm. I also loved sharing panel time with Zoraida Cordova and Daniel Jose Older. Our talk really fueled an intentional drive for me to write hard-hitting, exhilarating fantasy stories with strong, diverse characters.

Nearly related: The movie “LOVE SIMON” has been in theaters for a week now, and I can’t talk it up enough! In the world of Young Adult movie adaptations and the movement for representation and inclusion, it’s a major win, and I want it to get all kinds of hype! Check it out sometime–not only will you laugh hysterically, but you’ll probably leave with a better understanding of someone you know. There’s also a good chance you might feel a little more understood in return. Personally, I felt quite a bit of both. 🙂

Oh! I’ll be at two more events these next couple months:

• April 19-21: SOKY Book Fest in Bowling Green, KY
• May 24-27: Phoenix Comic Fest in Phoenix, AZ

I hope you’ll come see me at one of these! April will be my first time in Kentucky! This is pretty exciting for bucket list purposes. Kentuckians, is there anything I have to do when I’m there? Specifically, a place I should eat in Bowling Green? (Because if you don’t tell me, I’ll just go to KFC, and that’s not blog-worthy at all. I want all my KFC runs to be kinda boring and non-memorable, unless Chris Pratt is ordering there at the same time.)

As for Phoenix, this will be my first time as a vendor at any Comic Con, and I can’t wait to share the week with Katie Salidas and Jenna Elizabeth Johnson! I’m also hoping I’ll see Ming-Na this year, but I’m even more hopeful I’ll see YOU!

Following these two events, The Carver and its sequels will likely experience some changes. I’m not going to share details quite yet, but I can say that if you want to grab copies of the books as they currently exist, this is an excellent time to do so!

In the meantime, I’m shifting most of my attention to a new adventure in the middle grade world: The cursed and terrifying wonderful and exciting process of submitting query letters! It’s been a few years since I’ve done this part, and it’s every bit as nerve-curdling as I remember it, but twice as exciting after all I’ve gained in the past few years. For now though, I could use a lot of good vibes from my friendly readership! With me luck!

Finally, a heads up that #YASH Spring 2018 is around the corner! Keep an eye on my blog in about two weeks for a chance to win TONS of prizes and discover new writers.

Until then!