Book news

Book news — new novel in the works!

In Fall of 2022, I started drafting a new novel about an adoptee who visits her home country of Guatemala to meet her birth family for the first time. With ten chapters and an outline, my agent submitted the book, and by December we had a handshake agreement.

Now it’s official! Neal Porter Books will release SUNCHILD in fall 2024. I’ve just finished the first draft, and it’s on my editor’s desk. (which always makes me nervous! will she like it?)

Next steps: Editor Taylor will analyze the whole book — characters, themes, and wording — and send me feedback. After a couple of rounds of editing, we can move on to copyediting, proofreading, and cover design. Hopefully, we’ll have a new book on the shelves in Fall 2024!

(banner photo is Arco Santa Cristina in Antigua, Guatemala)

Book Reviews

CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn — book review!

Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

Compelling and charming! When Cat and her brother get dropped for three weeks at their OTHER grandparents’ house — the ones they’ve never even met! — both of them grow in ways they couldn’t have predicted.

On a North Carolina island, Cat learns some big things: 1) how to fish 2) how to get silent-type Grandpa to talk 3) how to see a bully for more than his meanness 4) how to let her special needs brother fend for himself a little 5) how to eat hushpuppies!

McDunn writes with on-point honesty and a knack for capturing real kid thoughts. The mom-written books within the book add another lens through which both readers and the characters themselves can see the family dynamics. Packed with human insight and tenderness, this book is sure to be a favorite of anyone who loves to see a family knit itself back together, while enjoying bike rides, mini-golf, and hot chocolate! 

Find Caterpillar Summer on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40046075-caterpillar-summer?from_search=true#other_reviews

Did you enjoy this post? Want to know my own book news? Click here for the latest updates. I’ll send in short, infrequent emails. Promise!