creative process

A Peek at the Creative Space of Melanie Conklin

Joining us today for Creative Spaces is author Melanie Conklin, author of Counting Thyme (Penguin, April 2016). Melanie lives in New Jersey with her family and previously worked as a product designer. Counting Thyme is her debut novel and has been described as Rules meets Counting by 7s. It tells the story of a girl named Thyme whose younger brother is accepted in to a new cancer drug trial, which means her family will have to relocate thousands of miles away from everything she knows. To learn more about Melanie and Counting Thyme, visit her website, or follow her on Twitter or Tumblr.… Read the rest

Where Are They Now: Don Calame

Don Calame was featured on Creative Spaces five years ago when his YA novel Beat the Band was published. CLICK HERE to read his original interview. Let’s check out what Don has been up to since then!   What have you been working on since Beat the Band? Since Beat the Band came out I’ve written two more YA novels: Call the Shots and Dan Versus Nature. Call the Shots was the third installment of the Swim the Fly series, this one featuring Sean’s point of view. Now each boy – Matt, Cooper, and Sean – all have their own books and that series is complete.… Read the rest

A Peek at the Creative Space of Pat Zietlow Miller

Pat Zietlow Miller is the author of the award-winning (and adorable!) picture book Sophie’s Squash, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. Sophie’s Squash is story that celebrates the special love between a child and her favorite toy–only in this case it’s a butternut squash. On a trip to the farmers’ market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. Sophie’s Squash has earned many accolades and honors, including four starred reviews, the Golden Kite Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book Award, and the Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book Award.And fortunately for the children’s book world, Pat has more books coming out in the world–SEVEN to be exact (at last count).… Read the rest

A Peek at the Creative Space of Dan Gemeinhart

Joining us today for Creative Spaces is Dan Gemeinhart. Dan’s debut middle grade novel, The Honest Truth, publishes today from Scholastic Press. The Honest Truth is a moving, fast-paced story about a boy, his dog, and the adventure of a lifetime: In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He’s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day. But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals.… Read the rest

A Peek at the Creative Space of Maggie Hall

Joining us today for Creative Spaces is YA author Maggie Hall. Her debut novel The Conspiracy of Us was published this month from Putnam/Penguin: To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.  Avery West’s newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war.They… Read the rest