Between the Pages

   Hello everyone and welcome back. It has been altogether too long since I have written a blog post, but here I am fairly well and mostly alive after exams. Jane Austen's birthday was December 16. On her 245th birthday, Austen still inspires and leaves her mark.  Jane Austen in an original family portrait.       This summer, I wrote a spotlight or Writing Women post on Jane Austen. Check it out here . Bookstagram was blowing up with love, birthday wishes, and graphics about and for Austen on the 16th. For me, a long time lover and three-time reader of Austen's Pride and Prejudice , the lively state of admiration for this classical author was heaven. Check out my following list on my Instagram @betweenthepgs for some accounts that posted about Jane Austen too. 

The Strand Book Store in New York City, New York hosted a virtual event (on both Zoom and Facebook Live) to celebrate Hannah Orenstein's new novel: Head over Heels . Becca Freeman asked Hannah Orenstein questions about her writing process, the new novel, and her previous experience with writing. After Freeman finished her questions, virtual audience members were able to send in questions. Freeman asked and Orenstien answered beautifully. If you were able to attend the event, please comment about your experience. If you were unable to come, please read the summary of questions and responses, but first, a little about the women and book of the event.  The People Hannah Orenstein is the author of three novels: Head over Heels, Love at First Like, and Playing with Matches . By day, Orenstein is the senior dating editor at Elite Daily magazine. By night, her experience editing aids her in writing novels about romance, sports, comedy, and even jewelry...? She has written for a number of...

    Introducing Writing Women! Instead of Author Spotlights, I will be focusing on notable female authors throughout history. Informing others and learning for myself about women who wrote their personal experiences, pieces about sensitive issues, and influential stories that proved to be more fact than fiction. Women don't just write; they inspire and influence. Without further adieu, here's Writing Women: writing about women who wrote the words of the world. 

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley At my school, I am a Library Leader. (Library Leaders promote reading in the middle school and recommend books for the younger grades.) The Library Leaders had the fortunate opportunity of eating lunch and meeting with Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. We got to ask her questions and just talk with her. Mrs. Bradley also spoke to the whole seventh and eighth grade in assembly about her research. 1)      When/How does she write? Mrs. Bradley writes in the morning, but this depends on her chores for the day. She got into her routine when her children, now graduating college and out of college, were small and went to school. She would always wait until her husband took them to drop them off at school. She likes for her writing space to be very quiet. She prefers typing when she when she writes as to writing. (This may be pretty common; I do not know what the common format among writers is today. I just thought I would include eve...

Instagram 1. Where did you get your inspiration for the book? This book was inspired by several things. First, I was living in Maine at the time where the book begins, so many of the details are from my life there. Then some came from a road trip that I made across Texas to visit my sister. There’s not a lot to do when you are driving alone on a long highway, so I used the time to think about writing. The deeper issues probably came out of my own teen years. It was hard growing up with divorced parents – always being shuttled from one home to the other. Cal feels many of the things I did at that time. She wants to belong and feel like she has a home. 2. Inspiration for characters? Cal was based on many of my own experiences. Eliot was based on Brad’s experiences growing up in North Carolina. I think the disconnect with parents is something that a lot of teens feel. But somehow, it’s worse when your parents are the ones to turn away. But I think having other adults step i...

Maile Meloy's Instagram Profile About a week ago, I emailed Maile Meloy’s literary agent. (Maile Meloy wrote The Apothecary Series —a review will be coming soon.) I was not expecting a response, but I got one. A detailed one at that! Here’s the scoop. 1.     What was your inspiration for the series and the characters? I started the first book because my friends who are filmmakers wanted to make a family movie about a magical apothecary, set during the Cold War in the 1950s, and they asked me to write a novel they could base it on.  I’d only written books for adults before that, and I loved writing for kids right away—I loved that the plot had to go really fast, and that magical things could happen. I also really remember what it felt like to be 14, and what it’s like to have adults make decisions that hugely affect your life, and how it was both scary and exciting to go to a new school.   I wasn’t sure it would be a series ...