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Book review: Winston Chu vs. The Whimsies

Middle-grade fiction by Stacey Lee This lively tween tale dips deftly into Chinese mythology while remaining completely modern. Twelve-year-old Winston Chu has a loving mom, an older and younger sister, and a tight circle of friends who support him, but the loss of his father in a war-related accident still shadows his life. His mom …

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Book review: Ballad & Dagger

YA fiction By Daniel Jose Older All 16-year-old Mateo Matisse wants is to be able to make his music, be heard and not seen, and maybe someday play backup for his musical idol, Gerval. But events in his Brooklyn neighborhood of Little Madrigal don’t make that dream easy. Little Madrigal houses most of the people …

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Book review: The Circus at the End of the Sea

Middle grade fiction By Lori R. Snyder Set in Venice, California, this wildly imaginative tale draws on classic orphan tropes while carving its own fantastical path. 12-year-old orphan Maddy Adriana has always known that magic is real. All her life in group homes, she has always seen things no one else sees. And then there’s …

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Book review: Moon Child

YA fiction By Gaby Triana You might not associate gothic horror with sunny Florida, but that only means you haven’t yet read Gaby Triana’s Moon Child. In a tale of steadily growing dread that draws on both the haunted-house vibes of The Shining and the witchy teen coven of The Craft, this book blends teen …

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How do I get published?

Dear Writer Guy, I have written a science fiction novel, and I live in India. I am a newbie and I have no idea about this publishing business. However, I do know that I do not want to go with the self-publishing route. I have worked really hard on my book, and I am writing …

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9 ways to beat impostor syndrome

Maybe you’ve felt it before? The sinking sensation that you’re a big fat fake, and that very soon, the whole world will find you out? Relax, you’re not alone. Impostor syndrome, a term coined in 1978 by American psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes, runs rampant among high achievers and creative people. This nagging sense …

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Book review: A Game of Fox and Squirrels

Middle grade fiction by Jenn Reese A moving, realistic fantasy tale with hidden depths. After an incident shatters their family, Sam and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with Aunt Vicky, whom they’ve never met before. Sam, however, wants nothing more than to return home to her life in LA. …

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Book review: Into the Bloodred Woods

YA fiction By Martha Brockenbrough With Into the Bloodred Woods, Martha Brockenbrough has crafted a dark and delightful tale that is as much about the power of story itself as it is about the stories of its characters. It opens in fairytale fashion, with a father promising the king that one of his daughters can …

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How do I find an agent?

Dear Writer Guy, Do you have any information on how to find a publishing agent?  I have written a couple of children’s stories (ages 3 to 7)  — and, yes!  I am a new writer — and I am at the stage of taking a leap to find a publishing agent. I work full time …

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3 things keeping you from being published

Here are three things that glib, hasty or form declines from New York aren’t telling you. The solutions can help you whether you are seeking a major imprint or going it alone: 1. PROBLEM: I was able to begin skimming your novel almost right away. Ouch. That’s not the effect you want.  The antidote is …

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