I’m so THRILLED to introduce you guys to my debut’s UK cover. Richard Merritt, Cherie Chapman, and the team over at Piccadilly Press have done a fab job putting this together, and I cannot wait to hold a copy in my hands. I always like it when authors post the cover process, so that’s what we’re gonna do! Also, I’m a bit unusual in that I’ve been working with both my UK and US publishers simultaneously on this project. So while the UK was building these concepts, the US was already several months into a completely different look, which may or...
Dear 24-Going-25!Self, Hey, kid. It’s me, 25-going-26!Self. How you doing? I know the answer, but I thought I’d ask to be polite. If your math skills aren’t working (it happens, I get you), I’ll just clarify: I’m writing from the end of your 25th year on earth. Kind of crazy. There are a few things I’d like to tell you, things that might make this coming orbit of the sun a little better. Maybe. This year’s going to be nuts. You thought 24 was a ride, but this is a whole new level. You’re going to have amazing highs. You’ll...
About a month ago, I had an email from my course leader for the MA Writing for Young People, Julia Green. She told me that I had been selected as valedictorian, and asked if I would be able to make it back across the Pond for graduation. I had composed a very gracious reply that basically said I couldn’t possibly afford it, but before I hit send I walked downstairs to tell my mom, figuring she would probably be pretty excited. Our conversation: Me: I had an email from Julia Green. Mom: [on phone texting] Mhm. Me: She said I’m...
This is a general update blog post, so it’s going to be a bit random and short. Yay? My friend Katherine came for a visit! We had many adventures, including but not limited to: Catching a train only because the staff held their car door open for us, performing period dances on the lawn at Chatsworth (Pemberley), exploring a plague village, and a bit of waltzing in the Assembly Rooms! (Katherine is my dance buddy and we took full advantage of this.) I have been editing like a mad person. This will probably result in some revision-themed posts soon. I...
(Originally written on June 12th.) If you don’t know what Claridge’s is, that’s cool—I didn’t either a few weeks ago. But turns out it’s a super fancy hotel in London. When one of my mom’s friends had a conference coming, she invited me to stay with her. I said yes, but I didn’t know what I was getting into! A man in a top hat and uniform stepped up to the cab to let us out. A bellhop took our luggage. We pushed through the spinny door (love me some spinny doors) and entered a huge, gorgeous room filled with...
As you may or may not know, I have been traveling from April 10th-April 29th with my mom and sister. In our mildly insane adventure, we went from Paris across northern France, then to Somerset and Cornwall before winding up in London. Instead of taking the time to type up all my journal entries (which are nearly half my new journal anyway), I thought I’d do a roundup post and just give you guys the sweet stuff. (more…)
Last fall, I wrote an essay that eventually won third place in the Elie Wiesel Foundation’s Prize in Ethics. Over a year after the first draft, I found myself in New York City to attend seminars with the other winners and an award ceremony. It was a crazy, crazy experience, guys. October 2nd: I arrived from Heathrow and met my parents on Wednesday. We got to the Wellington Hotel (where the foundation had reserved a room for me) without too much hassle—though Dad driving in NYC during rush hour traffic was a terrifying experience in and of itself. I got...
Originally written early on October 4th, the day after the Prize in Ethics Ceremony. A full day report will be coming soon. Dr. Patterson told us that when he met Elie Wiesel his life was divided into two parts. I did not understand what he meant until after the awards were handed out. When the ceremony was done, I found myself standing near Gavriel (the first place winner). Professor Wiesel came to us and took my hand his his left and Gavi’s in his right. He held my hand in the way family does sometimes, when they are proud or...
