Three bits of excitement –
1. Caminar will be released as an audiobook this fall. I’m thrilled to see Christian Barillas as the narrator for this project for three equally important reasons – 1. Christian was born in Guatemala. 2. He is crazy talented and specifically has an amazing voice that I think will sound just perfect as Carlos. 3. He recently starred on a few episodes of Modern Family–the greatest show on television. And everyone who knows me knows how I love that show. So – yay! I can’t wait to hear the recording.
2. Caminar was recently nominated for YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Which is fantastic and humbling. There are some great books on this list of nominations, but one that everyone needs to run out and get their hands on right away is Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs. This is a perfect story for Rainbow Rowell fans. It’s also a must-read for anyone who went to college with me. Because it’s sort-of set on our campus. Full disclosure: I happen to think Sarah is a divine person but that in no way diminishes how great this novel is. I’d love it even if she were Maleficent. (Which I saw last week, by the way, and was un-impressed.)
3. I’ll have a new verse novel out next fall! Here’s the announcement from Publisher’s Marketplace –
From the author of CAMINAR, Skila Brown’s WITH THE END IN SIGHT, told from a 19-year old’s point of view, one of the survivors from the ill-fated Donner party, about her family’s wagon train journey from Lacon, IL to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1846, to Liz Bicknell at Candlewick, by Tina Wexler at ICM (World English).
This novel was at times really difficult to write. But I’m so glad I did it. My kids, on the other hand, reached a point in which they said, “Absolutely no more random facts about the Donner Party at the dinner table, Mom.” So I’m glad to have this announcement out in the world so I can talk to other people about this fascinating story and give their ears a break.