My debut book, BETWEEN THE LIGHTHOUSE AND YOU, launched in January 2022, from FSG.
It’s about a town that can receive messages from the dead, and the young boy and girl who form an unlikely friendship to contact their lost loved ones and face their grief―perfect for fans of the New York Times–bestselling Wish by Barbara O’Connor.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
Ramona the Pest, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Charlotte’s Web, Little House series
What are your favorite foods?
DESSERT and cheeseburgers. Mango!
Tell us about your pets
No pets, but we have a stuffed dog named Tomoko who lives on our couch. He’s very clean.
What inspired you to write your book?
Big questions: what if you could talk to your loved ones who have passed away? What if they wrote you a letter and it washed up on the beach?
Where is your favorite place to read?
In the smallest, coziest place possible with lots of blankets.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Spend time with my family: binge-watching House Hunters International, walking on the beach, baking cookies, traveling to new places. I also like to workout and make cards.
What did you learn when you were writing your book?
That the writing process comes in waves like the sea: some days, you will ride the surf and have the time of your life. Other times, you won’t have a ripple in sight. But it will all get done.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Write books! Second choice: radio personality. Third choice: Any job on Sesame Street.
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Find a critique group that loves you, supports you, and gives you smart, thoughtful criticism. Oh, and develop thick, thick, thick skin!
My debut fiction series Secrets of the Twilight Djinn is a middle grade fantasy about a boy named Max who embarks on a quest to find his missing mother. He seeks the help of Spice Pirates and goes on an adventure full of magic, mystery, mythical creatures and along the way discovers who he really is.
What is your favorite food?
That is hard – because there are few foods I don’t like. In my Secrets of Twilight Djinn series – food plays a central role as the main characters are spice pirates.
What inspired you to write?
I was a latchkey child and spent hours and days in my local library. It was my sanctuary. I read Tolkien, Herbert and King. I began writing stories if my own. It wasn’t until I turned 40 that I realized I wanted to write for a living and give it a chance. I have been a full time writer ever since.
Where is your favorite place to read?
I love reading at the beach , because the waves create a nice background white noise that helps me concentrate and push the real world out of my mind.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I create and paint miniatures. I love music (was a classical musician since age 10) and traveling with my family.
I write books that entertain, educate, and inspire horse lovers of all ages. Young horse enthusiasts will enjoy the realistic portrayals of riding and caring for horses, and those who don’t have real-life experience with horses will learn along with the characters in my books.
The stories also focus on family, friendship, and resilience. I believe in the power of love and forgiveness, and these themes shine through the books. I’ve published three novels in Sofia’s story, with more to come.
As the series begins, it’s just a few days before Christmas. Sofia wishes for a horse, but she’ll be lucky if she gets a pair of boots and a winter coat. You’ll have to read Sofia’s Surprise to learn how Sofia’s wish eventually comes true. Despite instability in her home life, Sofia discovers loving, caring family and friends in unexpected places and situations.
As the series continues, Sofia navigates the often messy and confusing world of middle school age friendships. Friendships at any age can be hard to figure out, but I think the transition from younger childhood to early adolescence is especially fraught. The books model the power of healthy friendships, setting boundaries, and knowing what you stand for.
The Sofia’s Story series
I’m looking forward to releasing the first book in a new middle grade series sometime this spring, called Emily Edwards Equestrian Extraordinaire. Emily is confident she has what it takes to become an accomplished equestrian. She’s read every horse book in the library, watched countless how-to videos, and can name every Kentucky Derby winner since 1875. There’s only one obstacle standing in the way of her success. She’s never ridden a horse.
I’ve also published a guided gratitude journal for young horse lovers.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
Horse books, of course! My favorites were by Walter Farley, who wrote the Black Stallion and about 20 other books in that series. I also loved the Chronicles of Narnia.
Tell us about your pets
I own the friendliest dog in the world. Bella has never met a person she doesn’t love. I also have two naughty cats, Mack and Lilly (they are littermates). Mack delights in getting our attention through any means possible, especially knocking things over and darting down the stairs into the basement where he is not allowed. He’s fond of climbing the Christmas tree. Lily chews everything in sight and thinks she belongs inside our kitchen cabinets. Of course, I love them!
Mack and Lily – when they are not being naughty!
Because I write horse books, I tell everyone who wants to listen about Max, the palomino miniature horse who has been a part of my family for more than twenty years. He’s patient with giving pony rides to small kids, but his real passion is jumping. Now that he’s almost 27 years old, he doesn’t jump in competitions, but he still enjoys showing off his skills.
Max
Max lives with his best friend, Dusty, a small pony with “appaloosa” coloring. Dusty will be anyone’s friend if they keep him supplied with treats, especially candy canes. He’s a good sport about being ridden by small children, though he sometimes has to remind them he’s the boss. He enjoys pulling a cart and sleigh.
Max and Dusty enjoying a book
Where is your favorite place to read?
At the beach by the ocean or snuggled up in bed.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love to ride and take care of horses, and I’m at the barn almost every day. I groom Max and take him for walks and often help with cleaning stalls and feeding and caring for the other animals. There are four horses, four goats, three sheep, three geese, a pot belly pig, and lots of ducks, chickens, and Guinea fowl. I don’t own a riding horse anymore, so I take lessons at a local stable twice a month. I ride English with a focus on dressage, but my favorite horseback activity is trail riding. In October 2021, I had an opportunity to ride on the carriage roads in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine. I’m thankful for the 26-year-old Standardbred mare, Soprano, who carried me up Day Mountain. The view of the mountains and fall foliage was spectacular.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
When I was five or six, I wanted to be a paleontologist and study dinosaurs. You can’t ride a dinosaur, unfortunately, but you can ride a horse, and that became my passion at around age eight. At various times I hoped to become a jockey, a harness racing driver, or a groom. I also dreamed of becoming a writer! I put that dream aside for many, many years. I published my first novel a few weeks before turning 52!
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Writing and publishing a novel is a long journey that can feel overwhelming at first. But, like any journey, it is completed by taking one step at a time. Set small goals for yourself and try to write every day (or on most days), even if it is only for thirty minutes. It might not feel like you are making much progress, but every step you take is one step closer to completing the journey. Everyone is different, and methods that work well for one writer might not work as well for you. There are lots of “experts” who will insist you need to use their particular formula, or create a detailed outline, or follow a certain story structure, or obey writing “rules” if you want to be successful. It’s good to learn from others, but remember that there are many different routes to get to your destination. Don’t be afraid to discover your own path.
Mckenzie-Morgan has an odd fascination, and from this she mastered a skill that involves manipulating most of her sentences with her favorite consonant.
As you read her memoir, for multiple reasons (awed, doubtful, meditative and maybe because you can taste scrumptious food in your mind), you will certainly go mmm.
There are the matters of: a manifestation or two, mouth-watering menus, memory verses, a misfit, middle-school moments and mix-ups, and the most monumental matter that is so improbable, it’s called a miracle.
Grab a dictionary, bookmark it right in the middle and get to know this quirky, original, delightful character: a Bahamian teenager who is oddly outstanding, and circumvents her troubles with optimism, faith, and a myriad of lofty M words that guarantees to improve all readers’ vocabulary.
Franc (Oh!) Phile
This is an account of a girl who loves everything French. In her opinion, and with a list of factual feats and findings that has her faithful to fabulous France, the presenter aims to show the world that France is the greatest country. She proclaims that – evidently, to the fault of being lost in translation, and due to the botched language piracy – the French are not rude. The French RULE!
Pompa Pumpity
There is a child somewhere with curly hair wishing it was straight, one skinny wanting not to be, one short dreaming of added inches, one who communicates differently and battles frustration, and one with undiscovered talents, hoping for some.
Pompa Pumpity, the fart, was miserable and inconsolable about how he was made. He felt incomplete and thought that he should and could be more than he was. Focusing only on outer features, the things that he lacked, made Pompa Pumpity’s gloom gloomier and added desperation to the mix of his bad feelings. Certain that having more would be fulfilling, Pompa Pumpity decided to fix this. He was mistaken, and had to learn of the untouchable truths within.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
Enid Blyton’s books
What is your favorite food or foods?
Lamb and sorbet
What’s your secret weapon?
A dictionary – was used as a weapon to hurdle bad words at an older sister whom I could not defeat physically.
What inspired you to write your books?
Dared to write something different and yet appealing.
Where is your favorite place to read?
Bed
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Reading.
What did you learn when you were writing your first book?
Once you focus on the topic, ideas will flow.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Model
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Write it. Then take a break. Come back to it with new eyes.
If I had to describe The Summer Triangle Trilogy in one sentence it would be “Exoplanet hopping to rescue alien children from formidable foes takes ingenuity but can you find your way home?”!
Here’s a bit about each book:
The Lines Between Our Stars When a dragon-snake slithers into the lab where fifteen-year-old Jas volunteers, he and his artsy rival, Gloria, teleport to an exoplanet to rescue the life form’s son. Now, the Interplanetary Space Agency is determined to stop them. With water scarce and few comforts of home, the teens find themselves up against a formidable foe. They’ll have to overcome obstacles together or be stranded on this dusty planet light years from Earth.
The Bridges Between Us
Jas and Gloria lose contact with Kaspi’s Observatory and instead of returning to Earth, the teens land on Erde where a terrifying foe controls life forms’ minds.
No one knows what happens to the eggs the swan-lizard steals and takes to Aquatica, an underwater city, because no life forms return to the surface. Jas and Gloria must find a way to free the imprisoned species and destroy the swan-lizard’s teleporters before he sends his army to attack Earth.
The Clashing of Our Worlds
Jas, the astronomy geek and artsy, Gloria, clash when the Pans’ tribe refuses to defend themselves. Now instead of one fearsome foe, they face three. Without weapons. The teens must use their wits and gifts if they hope to save the Pans and finally go home.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
I came late to reading but I when I discovered A Wrinkle in Time and The Chronicles of Narnia, I fell in love with reading. Perhaps that’s why I love middle-grade and young adult books. I’m exploring these wonderful stories while I am no longer young but still young at heart.
What is your favorite food or foods?
Thai dishes and food from India are spicing up my taste buds and life.
Tell us about your pets
I shared a few words about my sweet writing buddy, my English bulldog, Marley, who recently passed away. He was a terrible traveller and funny dude dog. I miss him.
What inspired you to write?
I shared many fantastical bedtime stories with my children, what Pat Schneider would call writing on the air. My students were looking for short, well-told stories so I decided to write some. While stargazing around a campfire, many children and teens shared the grief they carried. I was struck by how challenging it is to help youth who grieve and was inspired to write the Summer Triangle Trilogy. I find storytelling to be a powerful way to communicate.
Where is your favorite place to read?
I tend to read everywhere. I once read a Dr. Seuss book to a whole group of people who were waiting in a long line. But my recent favourites are while chillaxin’ in a hammock in my bohio. on a lounger at the beach, or comfy chair on a balcony with a mountain view.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I am an avid beach walker and beach comber. Sometimes I make art from the stones, shells, driftwood and sea glass I collect. I make sure to take nature breaks hiking in the mountains to catch some of Panama’s beautiful foliage and panoramic views.
Lyndi on a hike
What did you learn when you were writing your first book?
I first learned that I wasn’t good at writing. But I was passionate about learning how, took many courses, practised and sought critiques until I could write a well-told story.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I used to prepare lessons to teach my siblings so I was bent toward a job that included some aspect of teaching.
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
While it is good to learn from the journeys of other writers, concentrate on developing your own voice and unique style of writing and find your own path. Seek the community of a supportive group of writers to learn from and teach.
My five book series is about a family of five siblings/cousins. When the youngest discovers a fairy door in the attic of their family’s ancestral castle, Castle Bloom, it sets off a chain reaction of secrets being uncovered and adventures beginning. The children must work together, alongside their new fairy friends, to put right a long history of misdeeds and secrets. Each book is told from the perspective of a different Bloom child. They are: Octavia Bloom and the Missing Key, Beatrice Bloom and the Star Crystal, Martha Bloom and the Glass Compass, Felicity Bloom and the Golden Arrow, and Otto Bloom and the Enchanted Coin.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
The Chronicles of Narnia changed my life, when I discovered I could travel to other worlds by simply opening a book, I knew I had to create that same escapism myself.
What is your favorite food or foods?
Chocolate… chocolate cake… anything with chocolate in it really 😉
Tell us about your pets
My muse is our crazy Jack Russell terrier, Patch. He was actually the inspiration for a certain cheeky weasel in my book series.
Patch, the crazy Jack Russell – more terror than terrier!
What inspired you to write your book series?
I was an ambassador for a fairy door company and I began to wonder what would happen if a child actually went through the door… thus Octavia Bloom and the Missing Key was born.
Where is your favorite place to read?
With four children, I need to be inventive when I grab some reading time. I usually read a few chapters in the bath after my kiddos are in bed.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I love anything creative – making things, designing graphics of merch for my series or home decor. I love spending time with my family, reading, and exploring castles.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Basil (15 years old) and Lily (14 years old) mini goldendoodles and the sweetest dogs ever.
What inspired you to write your book?
I was inspired to write A Lil’ Twirly story of candy because 1) I LOVE candy; 2) I love history; 3) my family is in the candy business; and 4) candy history is as weird and bittersweet as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory.
The Ethan Murphy series came out in early 2021. It’s a middle-grade adventure series with a hint of mystery. It follows Ethan Murphy and his friends as they decipher codes and go on adventures.
Currently, I’m working on a historical fiction. As much as I love reading historical fiction, I had never imagined that I would write it someday. Actually, it was fun researching and writing it.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
I always enjoyed reading mystery books. As a kid, I loved reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. Even as an adult, I enjoy reading and writing mystery. There’s something about a good mystery that keeps you hooked right from the first page until the end of the book.
What inspired you to write books?
I was a story weaver and a storyteller ever since I was a little girl. But it had never occurred to me that I would become an author someday. My children love to listen to my stories, and that’s why I started penning them down. So yeah, my children are my greatest inspiration.
Where is your favorite place to read?
Oh wow! I had never given it a thought. I believe that a good book has potential to take you places and worlds you’ve never imagined. So, it doesn’t really matter where I get to read that book.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, you can find me reading a good mystery book or a historical fiction. Also, I love to bake, so when I find some time, I try out new cake recipes. I find baking very relaxing.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
As a child, I wanted to be a teacher. And I’m glad to mention that even after completing my B.E. and joining an IT company, I went ahead and pursued my dream of working in a school. Now I’m a homeschooling mom of two wonderful children. The experience of teaching in a school and homeschooling is very rewarding.
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Write, write, write, and for a change, write some more. The more you write, you improve your penmanship and develop your skills to become a better writer.
The Sadie and Clyde Adventures are hilarious, high-falutin’ romps through the American Old West. Full of sheriffs, outlaws, stolen gold, ghost towns, and twists and turns galore, they’re sure to keep you on your toes. Goldwater Ridge is a mystery adventure set in the Arizona desert, and Silverstone Valley follows our heroes through a fast-paced rescue/heist/treasure hunt in the Colorado Rockies. They’re both stories full of pluck, humor, and heart that keep readers turning pages!
What inspired you to write your books?
When my three sisters and I were little, we used to make up crazy stories that kept us giggling late into the night. When I began writing Goldwater Ridge, I took inspiration from those old stories, borrowing characters and events from our childhood make-believe and shaping them into something new that could honor my sisters and our silliness.
Where is your favorite place to read?
I’ve always been fond of reading while traveling. I feel a special sort of connection to books I’ve read on trains, in airport lobbies, or curled up in the corner of a hotel room. Maybe it adds to the sense of adventure or something!
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Aside from reading, I love to bake, spend time outdoors (anywhere near water is a bonus!) and play TTRPGs with my husband and friends. I’m also a toddler mom, so I spend a lot of time coloring and playing with toy cars.
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
Just keep writing! It’s easy to get discouraged at almost any part of the process, but you can make it if you keep at it and don’t give up hope. You’ll surprise yourself by doing the impossible, and then you’ll do it again, and again!
Mapmaker’s Mistake is an epic story of sword fighting and adventure. From a young age, Princess Asha helplessly watched her kingdom of Zanzia struggle. Even now, rival forces to the north, led by a tyrannical king, are usurping her country’s land and resources as her people starve. Zanzia’s only chance at salvation, it seems, lays in the hands of their 13-year-old princess. The Mapmaker’s Mistake follows Asha as she tries to reforge her destiny with the help of Rose, her Lady-in-Waiting, and spunky little sister, Aurelia. Together the girls use diplomacy, espionage, and sharpened steel to circumvent an unstoppable army bent on taking what little Zanzia has left.
Which books did you enjoy growing up?
So there has been an EXPLOSION of amazing kids books since I was young. Here were some of our FAVORITES.
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Gregor The Overlander
InterWorld Trilogy (or just anything by Neil Gaiman, gotta add in Odd and the Frost Giants here too)
Five Kingdoms Series Percy Jackson & The Olympians Beyonders Series
The Harry Potter Series
The Chronicles Of Narnia
What inspired you to write your book?
I made up the story when my boys were young, so I could “read” to them while hiking in Alaska’s wilds all summer long. I always had to end on a cliffhanger – so they would beg me to take them hiking again!
Story telling with a view!
What is your favorite food or foods?
Salmon or halibut tacos are the best ever! Especially with Pico de Gallo.
Where is your favorite place to read?
On our boat.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I actually write for a living – but economic publications instead of middle grade fiction. For fun I like to play soccer and cards with my friends, hike, get out on the water, run, and read.
What is a writing tip for aspiring authors?
I wrote my book in the chaos of everyday living, while helping with homework, chatting with my husband, laughing at jokes my kids made. There is a myth that you need the perfect moment, total solitude, to write. That moment to write is never going to be perfect, and even if you find it, momentarily, you might not do your best writing then. Just do it!
