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Thursday, January 20, 2022

Interview With Lisa Stringfellow!



Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Lisa Stringfellow , author of A Comb of Wishes, which releases in February!

Would you please describe your book, A Comb of Wishes, in seven words?

Family love wrapped in Black Girl Magic!

A Comb of Wishes features a mermaid! I have to ask, who are some of your favorite book/movie/TV mermaids?

I’ve always loved Disney’s The Little Mermaid and can’t wait for the live-action version coming in 2023. I remember seeing the original movie with my family and being excited that Sebastian had a Caribbean accent! Despite that, sinister mermaids have also intrigued me. The mermaids in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and characters like Calypso from Pirates of the Caribbean were dangerous and enjoyable to watch.

Books with mermaids that inspired me include The Tale of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler and Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman, but I’m so happy to see Black mermaid representation in recent books. Both Rise of the Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste and Jospehine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne have Black mermaids, strong Afro-Caribbean influences, and are wonderful, adventurous stories.

Random Question! What is your favorite color?

Purple! I’ve loved it forever and even had Prince’s Purple Rain poster on my bedroom wall as a teenager. 

What’s one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

The writing world is filled with rules about how to write or not to write. I think it boils down to authenticity and writing the story that only you can tell. Toni Morrison said, “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” I’d encourage writers to look for those stories that are uniquely theirs to tell and that will allow them to share a piece of themselves with the world.

What are some books you’re looking forward to reading in 2022? And if you’ve already read some ‘22 books, would you like to mention them?

I’m looking forward to so many! Being a middle grade fantasy writer, I can’t wait to read the big batch of titles coming our way this year. Some titles on my list are Freddie vs. The Family Curse by Tracy Badua, Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation by Sylvia Liu, Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon, and Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar J. Perry.



Author Bio: Lisa Stringfellow writes middle grade fiction and has a not-so-secret fondness for fantasy with a dark twist. Her debut fantasy A Comb of Wishes will be published on February 8, 2022 by HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books. It was selected as an ABA Indies Introduce title for Winter/Spring 2022 and Lisa received the inaugural Kweli Color of Children’s Literature Manuscript Award in 2019 for the novel manuscript. Her work often reflects her West Indian and Black southern heritage. Lisa is a middle school teacher and lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her children and two bossy cats.

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3 comments:

  1. Great interview. I loved Lisa's advice to writers. Can't wait to read her book. Natalie @ Literary Rambles

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  2. I have this book on my Goodreads TBR already. My favorite color is also purple and always has been. Thank you for the interview and chance to get to know this author.

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  3. Another MG title I am looking forward, and another fun interview to read. Who can't enough of sinister mermaids??

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