Category: News (Page 6 of 14)

WITCH TEST Cover Reveal & ARCs

June 23, 2022 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s here! The cover for my upcoming middle grade WITCH TEST is such a mood. I love Liza’s stance and the glowing moon reflecting off of everything. It’s got the corn maze and the crows, which are so important to Liza’s story. Big shout-out to MiblArt for creating the cover!

WITCH TEST will be out on September 13, 2022. I’m working on getting it up for pre-order on all the usual book retail sites and scheduling events for the fall. In the meantime, ARCs (advanced reader copies) will be going out in the next few weeks. If you’re interested in receiving an early copy to read and review, you can fill out the ARC form here.

WITCH TEST blurb:

Liza is sinking in a bubbling cauldron of middle school rumors.

When the entire eighth grade begins studying the Salem witch trials, it seems everyone is on a witch hunt…with Liza as target number one. Worst of all, her ex-best friend is the one who started a rumor that Liza bewitched a boy with a love potion.

As the bullying intensifies, Liza’s loneliness grows. More than ever, she wishes her mother were still alive. A glimmer of hope arrives when Liza finds her mother’s diary…until she actually reads it. Turns out Liza’s family connection to witches goes back for centuries. So much for the witch stuff being rumors!

If Liza can channel her inner witch at the Halloween night corn maze, she might find the strength to stand up for herself. If not, she risks losing a piece of herself to a growing depression and any hope of happiness.

WITCH TEST is an upper middle grade Mean Girls meets The Craft novel for pre-teens and young teens.

Doesn’t it look so pretty next to PIRATE ISLAND? I love how my two middle grade book babies complement each other.

Picture Book Recommendations for Adults

April 27, 2022 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve been doing a series of videos on TikTok (find me @katielcarrollauthor) where I recommend picture books for adults, even if they don’t have children to read to. I truly believe that picture books are for all ages. They have such a unique way of presenting the world to us, and the illustrations can be beautiful works of art.

I mentioned in my post “What Nonfiction Picture Books Teach Us About How Rich A Billionaire Is” how I often turn to nonfiction picture books when I want to begin learning about a new topic. They have a way of breaking down information into clear, concise explanations.

Sneak peek of the cover of MOMMY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

In my videos, I’ve been focusing on fiction, mostly because my upcoming picture book MOMMY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Phoebe Cho, is fiction. This book truly is geared more toward adults—think GO THE F*** TO SLEEP without any swearing—though it is fun for kids as well…my kiddos like it!

So here are a list of picture books I think adults should read and a short video about each: IN A JAR by Deborah Marcero; BEEKLE by Dan Santat; WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN AGAIN by Jodi Moore, illustrated by Howard McWilliam; THE DIGGER AND THE FLOWER by Joseph Kuefler; SOAKED! by Abi Cushman; BIG by Vashti Harrison; WITCH HAZEL by Molly Idle; NIGEL AND THE MOON by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Gracey Zhang; and MOMMY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Katie L. Carroll, illustrated by Phoebe Cho.

@katielcarrollauthor
#booktok #picturebook #inajar #readaloud #bookrecommendations #bookrec #booktoker #childrensbook #picturebookrecs #picturebookswelove
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
#bookrecommendations #booktok #booktoker #picturebook #picturebookrecs #beekle #kidlit @katielcarrollauthor
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
Picture book recommendations for adults #booktok #picturebook #bookrecommendations #picturebookrecs #kidlit #dragon #childrensbook @katielcarrollauthor @katielcarrollauthor
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler #bookrecs #picturebook #picturebookrecs #booktok #picturebookrecommendation #bookreview #constructionvehicles #flowers #childrensbooks @katielcarrollauthor @katielcarrollauthor @katielcarrollauthor
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
Today’s picture book adults should be reading even if they don’t have kids to read them to is Big by Vashti Harrison. #picturebooks #nationalbookaward #nationalbookawardfinalist #vashtiharrison #picturebooksforadults #kidlit #childrenslit #bodypositivity #childrensliterature #picturebookillustrations
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
Next up for picture books adults should be reading even if they don’t have kids to read them to is Witch Hazel by Molly Idle. It’s a story of family, memories, and what our loved ones leave behind when they are gone. #picturebook #picturebookillustration #kidlit #picturebooksforadults #witchhazel #caldecott #bookrecommendations #bookreview #memories #CapCut
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
#Inverted Nigel and the Moon for picture books adults should be reading. #nigelandthemoon #picturebooksforadults #picturebooks #picturebookrecs #picturebookrecommendation
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

@katielcarrollauthor
Mommy’s Night Before Christmas is definitely a picture book adults should be reading! #christmasbooks #familychristmas #momschristmas #giftsformom #mommysnightbeforechristmas #picturebook #picturebooks #stockingstuffers #nightbeforechristmas
♬ original sound – Katie L. Carroll Author Shop

WITCH TEST Book Announcement & ARC Reader Search

March 29, 2022 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m very excited to announce that my middle grade novel WITCH TEST will be coming out later this year! I don’t have an exact release date, but look for it in September. Of course, I’ll have all the details here on the blog as things move forward. You can make sure you’re subscribed to the blog by entering your email address on my website homepage https://katielcarroll.com.

I talked a little about this book in my post “WIP Update: Witchy Middle Grade & a Fear of Asking for Help.” Think of it as an upper middle grade Mean Girls meets The Craft.

Not the real cover…just something I was playing around with.

Liza thought her summer fight with her ex-best friend, Abby, would blow over, but a month into eighth grade and the rumor firestorm has reach a whole new level of awful. And everyone believes that Liza is a witch! Even as a rekindled passion for art leads to new friends, Liza retreats into a bubble of depression. All these feelings get tied up in the never-ending grief of having lost her mom at a young age.

A glimmer of hope arrives when she finds her mother’s diary…until she actually reads it. Before Liza was born, her mom and aunt performed a ritual to conjure an ancestor persecuted in the town’s witch trials. So much for the witch stuff being rumors! As Liza digs into her witchy ancestry, everyone else is making plans for the Halloween night corn maze. If Liza can channel her inner witch on Halloween, maybe she can find the strength to stand up to Abby. If not, she risks losing not only her new friends but also a piece of herself to the growing depression.

I’m currently working on edits and developing a cover with the cover artist (not the real cover above, just a fun visual I put together myself). Some of my favorite things about this novel are the crows, the Halloween night corn maze, Liza’s aunts, her aunt’s shop Mother Goose Apothecary, and all the tea drinking! And the ending of this story never fails to get me all choked up, no matter how many times I read it.

I’ll be looking for ARC (advanced reader copy) readers soon, so let me know in the comments if that’s something that interests you. What is an ARC reader? That’s someone who gets an early copy of the book (these will be in ebook form) in exchange for a honest review.

World Wide Writeathon Fundraiser & NESCBWI Conference Registration

March 18, 2022 / Katie L. Carroll

Lots of irons in the fire going on here! I’ll be making a very exciting book announcement soon, so stay tuned for that. I’m also getting very close to being able to share illustration and cover news for my upcoming picture book MOMMY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I also have a lot of book release news cooking for next year (I know it’s only March, but publishing thinks ahead!).

Today, I’m highlighting two upcoming events that are of interest to fellow writers. Tomorrow, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at 10 a.m. (ET), you can join me, Julie Zantopoulos, Katlyn Duncan, and Amber McManus for the World Wide Writeathon Fundraiser Sprint. Grab you WIP and get some work done with us!

The charity for the sprint is Rescue.org and our fundraiser will help the fleeing families of the Ukraine. Learn more about the charity here: https://help.rescue.org/donate/ukraine-acq.

The second event is the New England SCBWI 2022 Regional Conference , which takes place April 29 – May 1, 2022. Registration opens today! The theme is “find your star, let it shine.” This conference is once again virtual, so you can attend from anywhere (and in your pajamas if you’d like).

I’ll be teaching an intensive workshop called “What to Expect When You’re Self-Publishing.” I’m really excited to share what I’ve learned about this booming sector of the publishing world and give attendees a guide to start their own self-publishing journey.

There are a ton of other amazing workshops and keynotes from a distinguished group of kidlit creators, including Jane Yolen, Padma Venkataraman, Tara Lazar, Heidi Stemple, Rajani LaRocca, and John Parra. Check out all the workshop options, faculty bios, and registration on the NESCBWI conference page.

You can always check out my Events page for all my upcoming author events and don’t forget you can now buy ebooks and signed print books directly from me on my Purchase Books page. What have you been working on lately?

Ebook Redistribution and Author Updates

February 28, 2022 / Katie L. Carroll

Quick announcement about ebook availability. I’m redoing how I distribute some of my ebooks, so there’s a chance those titles won’t be available on some retailers for a limited time. I am now selling all my ebooks directly on my Purchase Books page, where you can also order signed paperbacks, and none of those listings will be affected. The Amazon listings also shouldn’t be affected, so you can find them there as well.

Is it just me or is this year quickly flying by in a big ball of stress? Let me be honest on here for a second (I’m always pretty honest here), I have felt very stressed out this year. The world is feeling ugly and I’m constantly worried about keeping my family healthy, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one feeling this way. It makes it hard to focus, so I keep telling myself writing books for young people is always important–maybe even more so in trying times.

So I’ve been doing my best to take the moments I have for work and keep my head down to make the most of them. Still, I’ve hardly written anything new this year. I have so many solid ideas waiting in the wings. Lots of projects in the works, though. One of these weeks, I’m going to dig into revisions of that NaNoWriMo book of mine, the young adult Hamlet-inspired tale of a teen mourning the loss of her sister. Here’s a little mood board I put together for it.

The illustrations for my upcoming picture book MOMMY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS are coming along. Soon I’ll be able to share some of what the very talented illustrator Phoebe Cho has been working on for that book. I’m also working on fun marketing and release details for the October publish date.

Events for 2022 are coming along as well. I have a few writing workshops lined up to teach, and I’m hoping to have some in-person books events and festivals lined up for when the weather warms up. I recently did a virtual author visit for my son’s 5th-grade class, and they wrote me the sweetest thank-you letters, many of them sharing the story ideas they came up during the guided writing exercise I did with them.

Believe it or not, I’m making publishing plans for 2023 already. I have one other book that might come out this year and even more planned for next year. So I guess it’s okay that I haven’t been writing much. I’m working…in between sick days and snow days and stressing out about war. Also taking a moment to appreciate how lucky I am…always important to practice gratitude.

What’s on your mind lately? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.