Top Ten Best Beach Reads I Recommend

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

I already did a post talking about what beach reads I'm looking forward to (Here's the link.), so I thought it would be fun to list a few of my favorites that I've read previously that I think are perfect for summer! I wanted to try and list books that I haven't talked about as much on the blog (With the exceptions of Geek Girl and Broken Hearts.), so I only listed seven books, not ten. (Though, I guess if you count each book in the series I have listed here, then I've actually exceeded ten books!) :)

(Here, and here are some previous beach reads lists I have done, if anyone is interested! There's a lot more on these.)

List in no particular order.

Broken Hearts series by Katie Finn

I've listed this before, but the last book just released (Looking forward to reading it!) which makes it perfect for binge reading this summer! This is such a fun series, that is full of twists, and that just screams summer to me! :)

London Confidential books by Sandra Byrd

As of writing this post, I'm reading the third book in this series (A total of four books are in it.) and while I wouldn't say this screams summer to me (It takes place in London during the school year.), it's a very enjoyable Christian series that are very quick reads, and that I think would be fun to binge read this summer! :)

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae

This was such a fun YA romance, that I really enjoyed! :)

Wicked Jealous by Robin Palmer

This was an unexpectedly fun retelling of Snow White! If you like fairytale retellings, I  recommend this book! :)

Geek Girl series by Holly Smale

This is easily one of my favorite series now! Hilarious books that have me laughing to myself while I read them, and the romance is darling in it! I've read the first three (They're the only ones that have been released in the US, so far.), and hope that the next ones release here soon! If you want a series that will have you laughing this summer, you need to try these books! :)

Summer Love by Jill Santopolo

This a fun choose-your-own romance book that is perfect for summer! :)

The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill

This is another YA romance that I think is perfect for summer! :)

What beach reads would you recommend? :)

Yay For Middle Grade Books: Wrap-Up Post!

This has been a fantastic two weeks of Middle Grade books! I got such a positive response from people about all the posts the authors did for this event! Thank you so much to everyone who tweeted, retweeted, posted on Facebook, commented, read, and in any way supported this event. You all are wonderful! And a very big thank you to the authors who let me interview them, and who wrote guest posts for this event. You all are so awesome! :)


And now here's a recap of the posts! :)

The very first day of the event was an interview with The Sleepover author Jen Malone!

Then an interview with Kathleen Burkinshaw, debut author of The Last Cherry Blossom!

A guest post from Out of Tune author Gail Nall followed that, about MG books and being brave!

The next day featured an interview with Dead Boy author Laurel Gale!

Then a guest post from The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society author, Janet Sumner Johnson, about the MG books that influenced her!

We ended the week with an interview with MarcyKate Connolly, author of Ravenous!

The 2nd week began with an interview with Wizardmatch author, Lauren Magaziner!

Then an interview and giveaway (That's still happening, go enter!) with Chasing the Milky Way author, Erin Moulton!

A guest post  about poetry from Irene Latham, author of When the Sun Shines on Antarctica followed that!

Then an interview with Dear Poppy author, Ronni Arno!

The next featured an interview with My Life is a Zoo series author, Jess Keating!

An interview with Crushing It author, Joanne Levy happened the next day!

The event ended with an interview from Merrie Haskell, author of The Castle Behind Thorns!


Thank you again so much to everyone who participated in this event! I had so much fun reading everyone's posts, and I hope all of you did, too! (And that you found a new book to read because of this event!) And maybe this event can become an annual thing! :)

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview With Merrie Haskell!

Today on the blog I get to present an interview with Middle Grade author Merrie Haskell! Ms. Haskell is the author of the MG books The Princess Curse, Handbook for Dragon Slayers, and The Castle Behind Thorns! :)

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are my questions, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers! :)

1. You've written three MG books! Would you please describe each in three words?

The Princess Curse --> poisoning princesses paused

Handbook for Dragon Slayers --> three magic horses

The Castle Behind Thorns --> mend all things

2. What was your favorite book when you were in Middle School?

Technically, the only year I attended a middle school was sixth grade (our district's elementary schools ran to 5th grade and there were many junior highs of 7,8,9, but everyone in the district came together in one school for 6th grade).  So, my favorite book in 6th grade was In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce, the 2nd Alanna/Lioness book. I stayed up very late reading it, telling my babysitter I had a stomach ache and needed to read since I couldn't sleep. So not only was it the first book I stayed up past my bedtime to finish, it was also the first book I lied to finish. It was absolutely enthralling. I checked it out probably six times from the school library.

3. Random question! Do you listen to music when you write?

Occasionally. Lyrics distract me unless they're highly repetitive. Arcade Fire's "Abraham's Daughter" and Florence + the Machine's "Dog Days" were two songs I could manage--I've played them each nearly two hundred times.  ("Dog Days" is the Handbook song. The horses are coming! Here they come!)   Otherwise, I listen to movie soundtracks or classical music or video game music.  Even then, I have to have a particular need to block out ambient noises. I find comfort in normal house, library or coffee-shop noises.

4. If you're able to talk about it, are you working on any MG books now?

I'm working on outlines for a couple--I think the one that is least dangerous to talk about it (I have a hard time talking about books in process!) is a contemporary fantasy about a girl who finds Excalibur under her adopted grandma's floorboards.

This sounds interesting! :)

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Merrie Haskell’s novels are The Princess Curse, Handbook for Dragon Slayers and The Castle Behind Thorns. Merrie won the 2014 Middle Grades Schneider Family Book Award and was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature in 2013 and 2015. She lives in Michigan and works in a library with 7.5 million volumes.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads

Her Facebook

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview With Joanne Levy!

Today I'm pleased to present an interview with Middle Grade author Joanne Levy! Ms. Levy is the author of the MG book Small Medium at Large, and the upcoming Crushing It (January 2017!)! :)

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are my questions to her, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.

1.      Would you please describe your next book, Crushing It (Releasing in December!), in five words?

a.       Crushes, angst, middle grade mayhem!

2.      I love the idea of this book! What was the inspiration for it?

a.       Um…you’ll have to ask my editor—she actually came to me with the idea and I wrote it. That said, I love how it turned out and the book really aligns with how I feel about being true to yourself and finding people who really get you.

3.      Random question! If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you most want to go?

a.       Bora Bora is totally on my bucket list!

Yes! :)

4.      If you're able to talk about it, are you working on any other MG books now?

a.       I do get superstitious discussing works-in-progress, but I am definitely working on a few somethings. One involves a robot and the other involves a parrot. That’s all I can say, but I’m really excited about both projects. People can check out my blog for future news. www.joannelevy.com

5.      What are some of your favorite Middle Grade books?

a.       SO MANY! From my own childhood, I have to say Anne of Green Gables, The Chronicles of Narnia (particularly The Horse and His Boy) and anything by Judy Blume. More current favorites include Jennifer Nielsen’s The False Prince, Lisa McMann’s The Unwanteds and Susin Nielsen’s We Are All Made of Molecules

I need to read The False Prince! :)

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Joanne Levy’s love of books began at a very early age. Being the youngest and the only female among four children, she was often left to her own devices and could frequently be found sitting in a quiet corner with her nose in a book. Now that she’s a grown up, Joanne is most often at her computer, channeling her younger self into the books she writes for kids who enjoy reading in quiet corners.
Joanne still lives in Ontario with her husband and kids of the furred and feathered variety. You can follow Joanne on Twitter or find her on Facebook.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads

Her Facebook

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview With Jess Keating!

Today I'm happy to present an interview with Middle Grade author Jess Keating! She is the author of the My Life is a Zoo series (The first book is How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied!), and the non-fiction Picture Book, Pink is for Blobfish! She is also the author of the upcoming PB, Shark Lady! :)

Here is the interview! :)

The bold font are the questions I asked her, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.  

1. Pink is for Blobfish (Which was so fun!) is the first book in The Weird World of Animals series. Is there anything you're able to tell us about the next book?

Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love working on these books, and I’m happy to say there will be more in the series! In book 1, we turned the idea of pink on its head. In book 2, we’re going to do the same with monsters! There are some incredible real-life creepers out there in the animal world, and I can’t wait for you to see more. Warning: some just might give you nightmares. (Muwahaha!)

Ooh, this sounds good! :)

2. I know I asked you a question similar to this last time, but I wanted to ask again! Would you like to share a fun/weird/interesting animal fact?
I’m always happy to share a weird animal fact! So get this: koalas eat eucalyptus, right? But eucalyptus is toxic. Grown up koalas have enzymes to help them digest this toxic plant, but the babies don’t. So what do they do? The baby koalas eat the mother’s poop! This poop is called ‘pap’, and it’s how the baby koalas get the right microbial enzymes to eat toxic eucalyptus! Gross, huh?

This is both gross AND interesting! :)

3. Random question! If you could go into the world of any MG book for a day, what book/world would you want to go into?
Hmm. Confession time: one of my all-time biggest fictional crushes is on Dustfinger, the fire-eater from Inkheart. For that reason, it’s Inkheart all the way!

4. If you're able to talk about it, are you working on any MG books now?
This past year I’ve been working on several new stories, including a fantasy and a thriller! I usually like to work on more than one book at a time, so it’s been really fun getting to dive into so many different worlds.

Neat! :)

5. What are some of your favorite MG books?

There are too many to count! Some recent favorites have been A NIGHT DIVIDED by Jennifer Nielsen, PAPER WISHES by Lois Sepahban, and THE LITTLE ROBOT by Ben Hatke. Some of my favorite “oldies but goodies” are FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER and, of course, MATILDA!

Thank you so much for having me, Jessica! I’m a huge fan of the blog!

Aww, thank you! And thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: As a zoologist turned middle grade and picture book author, Jess Keating has been sprayed by skunks, bitten by crocodiles, and been a victim to the dreaded paper cut. Her MY LIFE IS A ZOO series earned two Kirkus stars, a Red Maple nomination, a Rocky Mountain Book Award nomination, and a spot on the LA Times Summer Book Pick List. Her quirky nonfiction picture book series kicked off with PINK IS FOR BLOBFISH, with a sequel to follow in 2017. Her first picture book biography, SHARK LADY, will also be published in 2017. You can find her on Twitter at @Jess_Keating!

Here are a few links:

Her Website
Her Twitter
Her Instagram
Her Facebook
Her Goodreads

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview With Ronni Arno!

Today I'm pleased to present an interview with Middle Grade author Ronni Arno! Ms. Arno is the author of the MG book Ruby Reinvented, and the upcoming MG books Dear Poppy and Molly in the Middle! :)

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are my questions to her, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.

1. Your next MG book, Dear Poppy release in October! Would you please describe it in five words?

​Poppy searches for her roots.​

 

2. What was your favorite book when you were in Middle School?

​I read everything Judy Blume wrote. I don't think I had a favorite. I loved them all!​ 

3. Random question! What's your favorite dessert?

​ That's a tough one, as with Judy Blume books, there are so many incredible choices​! I'd have to go with a hot fudge sundae (with extra fudge). Although a good apple crisp with vanilla ice cream is hard to pass up... 

 Hmm, both of those desserts sound so good right now! :)

4. What book do you wish you could travel back in time and give to your middle school self?

The entire ​Harry Potter series. I was already an adult when the first book came out. I would have loved to read that series through the eyes of an 11-year-old. I would have been waiting for my Hogwarts letter.​

5. What are some of your favorite Middle Grade books?

​ There are so many! Truly, it is my favorite genre to read. Just to pick a few... EVERY SOUL A STAR by Wendy Mass, HOOT by Carl Hiaasen, JAKE & LILY by Jerry Spinelli, WONDER by RJ Palacio, THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY by EL Konigsburg, and, of course, books by my critique partners, including MY SEVENTH GRADE LIFE IN TIGHTS by Brooks Benjamin, COUNTING THYME by Melanie Conklin, BREAKING THE ICE by Gail Nall, and the upcoming 

THE SLEEPOVER by Jen Malone, 

STICKS AND STONES by Abby Cooper, and WEAVING A NET IS BETTER THAN PRAYING FOR FISH by Ki-Wing Merlin. Oh, and HOUR OF THE BEES by my agency sister Lindsey Eager was fabulous. I could go on and on here...​

A bunch of these are on my TBR list! :)

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Ronni Arno writes middle-grade and young adult novels, because she thinks kids are cool, and so are the books they read. Her debut, RUBY REINVENTED, published with Simon & Schuster/Aladdin in 2015. Forthcoming books include DEAR POPPY (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, October, 2016), MOLLY IN THE MIDDLE (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, Summer, 2017), and SEVEN SIDES TO EVERY STORY (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, Summer, 2017), a collaboration with six other Simon & Schuster/Aladdin authors. You can visit Ronni at www.ronniarno.com.

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Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads

Her Facebook

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Guest Post With Irene Latham!

Today I'm pleased to present a guest post from Middle Grade author Irene Latham! Ms. Latham is the author of multiple MG books, including Leaving Gees Bend, Don't Feed the Boy, Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems From the Water Hole, and When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems About the Frozen Continent! :)

And now here's the guest post! :)

Hello. My name is Irene, and I'm a poet. I've been reading and writing poetry since I was five years old. My first poems were love poems – for my mother. For many years I wrote in secret. I stashed notebooks under my bed. Poetry was a way to process and record my heartbreak and pain and joy. I wrote on the bus, during geometry class, in the middle of the night. I could stop anytime I wanted.

But I didn't stop. Even when I got sidetracked writing novels and blog posts and essays, I kept reading and writing poetry. I'm still reading and writing poetry – for all ages. Some of my poems have been made into books for the middle grade audience: DEAR WANDERING WILDEBEEST: And Other Poems from the Water Hole and WHEN THE SUN SHINES ON ANTARCTICA: Poems About the Frozen Continent. Both these books are filled with love poems – love for animals and plants and unique environments. They also, in the style made popular by Joyce Sidman, have nonfiction text boxes to provide more information for curious readers.

So. Why Poetry?

It's short. Most poems can be read in under a minute. One reader told me recently after reading her first verse novel that it was “like Cliff's Notes, except you don't have to feel guilty about it.”

It's a way to explode the moment. Poetry is full of zingers. We get to read powerful images and emotions. Instead of pushing through 200 pages, we can experience the set up, the build up, and the delivery almost all at once: boom-boom-BOOM.

It will change the way you experience the world. Poetry invites us to SLOW DOWN. To be present, to look-listen-touch-taste-feel very closely. It's a way to walk through this world and feel hair-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck alive... all the time.

There are lots of wonderful poetry books for the middle grade audience, and there are many individual poems available for free online.

Some resources:

CYBILS Poetry Finalists

24 Must Share Poems for Middle School

10 Poems to Read on National Poetry Day

http://poetryforchildren.blogspot.com/2016/01/sneak-peek-list-for-2016.html

Some middle grade poetry books currently on my bookshelf:

What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms and Blessings by Joyce Sidman

The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices form the Titanic by Allan Wolf

What Have You Lost? Poems selected by Naomi Shihab Nye

Poetry Friday Anthology for Middle School (compiled by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong)

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary by Laura Shovan

Happy reading!

 

This was a really interesting post to read! :)

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Irene Latham is the award winning author of two novels for children LEAVING GEE'S BEND and DON'T FEED THE BOY. She also serves as poetry editor for Birmingham Arts Journal and has published three volumes of poetry for adults. Her current focus is on poetry for children with the 2014 release of DEAR WANDERING WILDEBEEST, which was named an SCBWI Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor book, and two 2016 titles: FRESH DELICIOUS and WHEN THE SUN SHINES ON ANTARCTICA. For the past 10 years she has blogged several times a week about creativity, poetry, and life at Live Your Poem. irenelatham.com

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview and Giveaway With Erin Moulton!

Today I'm happy to present an interview and giveaway with Middle Grade author Erin Moulton! She is the author of the MG books Flutter, Tracing Stars, and Chasing the Milky Way! She is also the author of the YA book, Keepers of the Labyrinth. And be sure to read all the way to the bottom of the post, because she is doing a giveaway for all three of her MG books, signed! :)

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are my questions, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers!

1.You've written three MG novels! Would you please describe each in three words? I'll try!
Flutter: Vermont Mountain Survival
Tracing Stars: Pet Lobster Lost
Chasing the Milky Way: Robots or Bust.

Love these descriptions! :)

2. What was your favorite book in Middle School? I had lots of favorites. In middle school I started to get interested in the epic poems of old, so I wanted to read Chaucer in old (middle?) English. My parents bought me an Old English Dictionary and my friend, Tristan, downloaded some poetry for me. I also loved to read books that were more at my level, such as the Brian Jacques books. I especially loved The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Murder and Mutiny on the high seas? Yes, please. And I just recently found a middle grade letter to my teacher where I explain how incredibly awesome Bruce Coville's The Land of the Unicorns is, so I loved that, too!

3. Random question! What's your favorite word? It happens to be YAY. It looks joyful with the Y's raising their arms up.   

Yay! :)

4. What's the best thing about writing MG books? For me, reading in the middle grade was the best reading time. I was willing to go on adventures, while still exploring heavier themes. I think that I bring that perspective to my writing. I also just love hearing the middle grade voice in my ear. It's fun, quirky, lively and contemplative. It's a great age to spend some time with.

5. What are some of your favorite Middle Grade books? I have lots, but a few of my favorites are BUD, NOT BUDDY by Christopher Paul Curtis, LYDDIE by Katherine Paterson and MANIAC MAGEE by Jerry Spinelli.

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Erin E. Moulton graduated with an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of Flutter: The Story of Four Sisters and One Incredible Journey, Tracing Stars, Chasing the Milky Way, as well and Keepers of the Labyrinth. She lives in Southern New Hampshire with her husband, unruly dogs and son. You can visit her online at www.erinemoulton.com or on twitter @erinemoulton.

Here are a few links:

Her Website
Her Twitter
Her Goodreads
Her Facebook

And now here's the giveaway! :)

Giveaway rules:

The winner will win signed copies of Flutter, Tracing Stars, and Chasing the Milky Way.

Giveaway runs from May 23rd through June 5th.

US only.After the giveaway is over, I'll contact the winner and get their information for the author.
The winner will have 48 hours to reply. If they do not, I will pick a new winner.
And no cheating!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview with Lauren Magaziner!

Today in Yay for Middle Grade Books, I'm happy to present an interview with Middle Grade author Lauren Magaziner! She is the author of the MG books The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, Pilfer Academy, and the upcoming Wizardmatch (Releases in 2017!)!

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are my questions, the regular font is her answers, and the bold italic font are my responses to her answers.

1. Your next MG book, Wizardmatch (Which sounds so fun!) releases in 2017. What can you tell us about it?

*zips lips* YOU CAN'T MAKE ME TALK! .... Just kidding!

The book is about a wizard named Mortimer de Pomporromp, who is ready to retire and pass his powers along to one of his grandchildren, so he hosts a tournament called Wizardmatch to find his successor. However: he is only allowing one grandchild per family to compete. The story centers around a girl named Lennie, who wants to compete in the competition, but her parents nominate her younger brother instead.

That's all I'm going to say, lest I spoil too much! But I am so excited to be writing about sibling and familial relationships for the first time. It's been very new and refreshing--while at the same time very familiar to me, as someone with a younger brother! :-)

This sounds like so much fun! :)

2. Because your next book is about wizards, what magical power would you most want?

Well, in my next book, all of the decedents of the Crown Wizard Mortimer de Pomporromp have a watered down version of one singular magical power. So, each character has just one magical power that only last for about 10 to 20 seconds. So with those rules in mind.... what's a 15-second-only power I want? Probably the ability to make objects fly to me. (I'd use it right now to summon a bowl of ice cream and a book to my spot on the couch!)

3. Random question! In Pilfer Academy, there is an ice cream (Triple-Dipple Ultra-Deluxe Melty Creamy Creamer Rainbow Swizzle Milk Munch) that is supposed to be amazing! What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Obviously my favorite ice cream is Triple-Dipple Ultra-Deluxe Melty Creamy Creamer Rainbow Swizzle Milk Munch Ice Cream, duh! It's actually based off of a REAL pint of ice cream I had in Vail, Colorado, homemade from a restaurant. Best ice cream I ever had. But to answer your question for real, you'd probably be most likely to catch me ordering either some form of Coffee Chip or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Hmm, chocolate chip cookie dough... Yum! :)

4. What MG book character would you most want your Middle School self to have been BFF's with?

Since I was pretty much a Hermione Granger in elementary and middle school, I like to think I would have been BFFs with Harry and Ron. I also call dibs on being friends with Astrid from Roller Girl--I think we would have gotten along famously!

5. What are some of your favorite Middle Grade books?

Some of my favorite books growing up: Harry Potter, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, A Wrinkle in Time, The Witches, The BFG, The Giver, Walk Two Moons, Ella Enchanted, Coraline, His Dark Materials, and Percy Jackson.

Some of my favorites that I've discovered as an "adult": The Crossover, El Deafo, Roller Girl, Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible, Dory Fantasmagory, Better Nate Than Ever, The League of Beastly Dreadfuls, Wonder, and A Monster Calls.

And some spectacular middle grade books written by some of my friends: The Classy Crooks Club, Hook's Revenge, All Four Stars, Nooks & Crannies, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, The Troubles of Johnny Cannon, When Audrey Met Alice, You're Invited, I Heart Band, Hope is a Ferris Wheel, The Tiara on the Terrace, Under the Egg, The Family Fletcher, Magic Marks the Spot.... AHHH SOMEONE STOP ME--I COULD RECOMMEND FOREVER! :-)

I love Ella Enchanted, Roller Girl, You're Invited, and I Heart Band! And a lot of these are on my TBR list! :)

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author Bio: Lauren Magaziner recently graduated from Hamilton College. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut novel, The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, released from Dial/Penguin in August 2014. Her second middle grade book, Pilfer Academy, released on February 16, 2016.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads

Her Facebook

Yay for Middle Grade Books: Interview with MarcyKate Connolly

Today in Yay for Middle Grade Books, I'm pleased to present an interview with Middle Grade author MarcyKate Connolly! Ms.Connolly is the author of the MG books Monstrous and Ravenous! :)

Here's the interview! :)

The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her responses, and the bold italic font is my comments about her answers.

1. Your most recent MG book, Ravenous released in February! Would you please describe it in five words?   

Hansel & Gretel with Baba Yaga undertones.

2. What's your favorite part of writing MG books?

For me that age was a time when books were a huge and influential part of my world, so writing for kids who are like me is really exciting. Just being able to walk in a different, fantastical world for a while was (and still is!) an amazing thing, and talking to readers at signings who love my books in the same way I loved the fantasy stories I read growing up is the Best. Feeling. Ever!

Love this! :)

3. Random question! What's your favorite color?

Blue! Specifically, periwinkle.

4. If you're able to talk about it, are you working on any MG books now?

I’m always working on new projects! At the moment I’m working on two MG books, but neither of them have sold to a publisher yet, so I can’t say too much about them other than the fact that they are both delightfully weird fantasies. :)

5. What are some of your favorite Middle Grade books?

Growing up I read just about anything I could get my hands on—Poe, Shakespeare, fairy tales, myths—but my all-time favorite books were always fantasy. I particularly loved the Redwall series and Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence. They still hold up on re-read now as an adult too—I can’t recommend them enough.

More recently, my faves include pretty much anything written by Natalie Lloyd (A Snicker of Magic and The Key to Extraordinary), Claire Legrand (The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls and The Year of Shadows), and Anne Ursu (Breadcrumbs and The Real Boy).

I love Natalie Lloyd's books! And I need to read some Claire Legrand and Anne Ursu books! :)

Thank you for participating in this event! :)

Author Bio: MarcyKate Connolly is an author and nonprofit administrator living in New England with her husband and pugs. She’s a coffee addict and voracious reader. Her debut middle grade fantasy series is available now from HarperCollins Children's Books and includes Monstrous and the companion novel, Ravenous. You can visit her online at www.marcykate.com.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads

Her Facebook

Her Tumblr