Novel

Author Guest Post: “Beyond ‘What’s Wrong?’: How the Stories in Our Classrooms Can Heal Fading Dreams” by Andrei Goanta, Author of The Library of Lost Dreams

by
Share

“Beyond “What’s Wrong?’: How the Stories in Our Classrooms Can Heal Fading Dreams”

I think every parent and educator knows that moment. When a child comes home from school or retreats to a corner of the classroom, shoulders slumped, a silent storm brewing behind their eyes. You ask, “What’s wrong?” and the answer you get is a “Nothing” that shuts a door in your face. And you’re left on the other side, without a key. As a father, I’d often feel this sense of helplessness. I just wanted to understand what was truly going on in their heads and hearts.

So I started asking myself, what if I could actually see the story behind the sadness? The truth is, The Library of Lost Dreams didn’t start with some grand idea; it started right here, at home. The world of the library is, in essence, a map of my family’s heart.

My main character, Dahlia, has this deep empathy… it’s the same thing I see in my own daughter every day. That’s her superpower in the book, and I think it’s a real one in life, too. And Astra, the wise owl who guides Dahlia with such patience and strength? Yep, that’s my wife, our family’s steady compass.

But like any real family, things get a little mixed up. Anyone who has read Book 2, Journey into the Past, has met a much younger, more impulsive Astra. That whirlwind of unchecked joy, endless curiosity, and slightly chaotic energy? That is my son, Tudor, right there on the page.

And where do I fit in? It’s funny, I thought I was the wise guide, but I’m definitely more like Sol, the fluffy companion from Book 3. He’s this little ball of love and loyalty, but he’s also the guy cracking bad jokes. That’s my job in the family: bringing some goofy energy when things get heavy, while always being that loving, protective presence.

From My Home to Your Classroom: The Magic of Empathetic Listening

For me, that’s where the real magic is. It has nothing to do with spells. The power Dahlia uses is something we can all do: the simple, profound act of empathetic listening. It’s the power of saying, “I see you. I hear you. Your story matters.”

And I believe this idea works perfectly in a classroom. A child’s dream isn’t always about becoming an astronaut or a painter. Sometimes, the dream is simply to feel understood, to have the courage to ask a question, or to believe their voice is worth hearing. When these small dreams start to fade, when a student becomes quiet, withdraws, or says “I can’t,” that’s when we, as their Keepers of Stories, can step in.

We don’t need a magic portal to enter their world. We just need a set of keys. Here are three strategies, inspired by The Library of Lost Dreams, to help rediscover the fading dreams in your classroom:

1. The “Safe Chapter” Key: Creating a Space for Unspoken Stories

In the first book, a shadow called “The Silence” feeds on forgotten dreams and untold stories. In the classroom, this “Silence” can take the form of fear of making a mistake or anxiety about speaking up.

  • Classroom Application: Create a “Dream Journal” or a “Worry Box.” It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be a special notebook where students can write or draw freely, without the fear of being graded. It could be a decorated shoebox where they can leave anonymous notes about their thoughts or fears. The goal is to provide a pressure valve, a safe space where their inner story can come to life without judgment. It’s a first step in showing a child that what they feel is valid, even if they aren’t ready to say it out loud.

2. The “Guiding Owl” Key: Providing the Compass, Not the Map

In the books, Astra acts as Dahlia’s compass, not her map. She doesn’t have all the answers, and she doesn’t pretend to. When faced with a shadow like “The Silence” or a new threat, her strength isn’t in providing a step-by-step solution, but in pointing Dahlia toward the only available path, even when the destination is unknown to them both. She trusts Dahlia’s unique power of empathy to navigate the parts of the journey that her own wisdom cannot.

  • Classroom Application: As educators, we often feel the pressure to be the “expert” with all the answers. This approach reminds us that sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is admit we don’t know, and then become a co-explorer with the student.
    • Instead of feeling you need a solution for a student’s problem, try validating the challenge: “That sounds really tough, and I don’t have an easy answer for you, but I’m here to think it through with you.”
    • Frame challenges as shared quests: “I’m not sure what the best way to start this project is either. Let’s look at the very first possible step together.”
    • Empower their unique skills: “You have such a creative way of looking at things. I’m stuck on this problem, but I have a feeling you might see something I don’t.” This transforms the dynamic from teacher/student to a team of adventurers. It shows children that it’s okay not to have all the answers and that their unique perspective is a valuable tool for finding the way forward, together.

3. The “First Draft” Key: Validating the Process, Not Just the Product

Many of the children Dahlia helps, like Rowan the painter or Rose the violinist, lost their dream because they were afraid the final result wouldn’t be “good enough.” They forgot the joy of the process.

  • Classroom Application: Celebrate the “first draft.” Praise the effort, the curiosity, and the courage to try, regardless of the outcome. When a student shows you a drawing, focus first on the joy behind it: “I can tell you had fun choosing these colors!” or “What a brave idea you had here!” When a student is struggling with a math problem, validate the persistence: “I really appreciate how you didn’t give up. Let’s look at the steps together again.” This shifts the focus from the pressure of perfection to the joy of exploration and teaches children that every attempt, even a “failed” one, is a valuable part of their learning story.

Whether we are parents at home or teachers in the classroom, we have an incredible role. We are the companions in our children’s stories. By helping them believe their voice is worth hearing, we give them the courage to face any shadow, in any world.

This little adventure that started with my kids has grown into a world I’m so happy to share. And just so you know, Book 1, The Library of Lost Dreams, and Book 2, Journey into the Past, are now out in their fully polished second editions. I am currently in the process of bringing Book 3, Journey into the Future, to that same standard. Afterward, I will begin writing the final book in this story arc, Parallel World. It will be a more intricate adventure designed for slightly older readers (10+), exploring even more complex emotional landscapes.

Thank you for letting me share a piece of my world with you.

Published July 9th, 2025

About the Book: The Library of Lost Dreams is about a young girl named Dahlia who has a pretty cool gift: she can feel the old stories and emotions that places hold. It leads her to a magical library, and it turns out every book there is a kid’s dream. The problem is, a shadow called “The Silence” is making the dreams fade. So Dahlia has to use her empathy (not magic spells) to jump into those dreams. She’s there to help other kids find their courage and start believing in their own stories again. The book is really all about how important it is to listen, and how no dream is ever really lost if someone just cares enough.

About the Author: As a dad, Andrei Goanta gets his best ideas from his kids. He writes worlds that he hopes are more than just fun and fantastical; he wants them to feel safe and real for young readers.  You could say his series, The Library of Lost Dreams, is a love letter to imagination, to the guts it takes for any kid to share their story, and to the courage to be brave no matter what.

Thank you, Andei! We love books that celebrate imagination and the good in people!

Student Voices: What Kellee’s Students Read in September

by
Share

What Kellee’s Students Were Reading in September

I thought we could do a beginning of the year check in with my middle schoolers to see what they are currently reading. My students do an It’s Monday! What are you reading? post whenever I do one here on Unleashing Readers; I love keeping up with what they’re currently reading and what they’ve thought of what they finished. Here is a roundup of the book covers, in no particular order although I tried to keep series/authors together, of middle school books that my Student Literacy Readers read in September:







 



What a variety! Here’s to more great reading!

Author Guest Post: “Asking ‘What If’ About Our Real-Life Experiences” by Kevin Garone, Author of Night of the Living Toilet Paper

by
Share

“Asking ‘What If’ About Our Real Life Experiences”

Attempting to float a mattress across a pond sounds like the kind of thing that could only happen in fiction. But it happened in real life.

I would know, since I was one of the few to watch as three of my friends attempted to sail a queen-sized mattress across a local pond on a cold December night. I’d helped haul the thing through the dark, but I was at least smart enough to not try to float alongside them in the freezing pond water.

As it turns out, mattresses aren’t the best flotation devices. About halfway across the pond, the mattress began to sink, and my friends had to abandon ship and swim back to shore. The mattress stayed visible below the surface for about a week before it finally sank to the bottom.

Now, hopefully most students aren’t going to get involved in activities like that. But ideally, they still have plenty of everyday experiences that they can use as the basis for their own stories.

This can be a helpful way to adjust the often-repeated writing advice to “write what you know.” When trying to get students interested in writing their own stories, this advice can feel incredibly vague, and even overwhelming.

After all, when you’re a kid, what do you really know? If you feel like you don’t truly “know” a lot about anything, it could intimidate you from writing anything.

That’s why I feel it’s important to take this advice a step further. Saying to “write what you know” can feel like you need to know a lot about history, science, or some other subject. On the other hand, reframing that in the lens of your real-life experiences can suddenly make writing a lot less intimidating. After all, storytelling is a natural part of our day and how we relate events, even if we don’t usually think of it in that sense.

By reframing the mindset, students can find stories just about anywhere. Inspiration could come from:

  • Participating on a sports team
  • Clubs and other activities
  • Playing in a band
  • Working a summer job
  • An incident that took place on a family trip
  • People-watching at a park or mall
  • Activities with friends
  • Classmates
  • Stories they’ve heard from friends or family

Of course, there are a few caveats to go along with this. For one, kids can’t just write down what happened to them in real life; not if we’re trying to help them truly flex their creative muscles. This is where asking “what if?” comes in.

An attempt to float a mattress across a pond serves as the opening of my book Night of the Living Toilet Paper, the second in my middle grade comedy horror series. The incident in the book certainly has a lot of similarities to real life, but it is firmly grounded in the world of the story.

In real life, floating a mattress happened on a whim (teenage boys can be dumb like that). In the book, Marv, who is obsessed with preparing for an alien invasion, does this as an experiment to see if a mattress could be used as a means of transportation after ETs take over. That simple change in the who and why helps take things in a different direction.

The main threat that Marv faces in this book (a giant toilet paper monster) is also very loosely adapted from a high school friend’s plan to toilet paper our school. His plan never came to fruition, but it was definitely the kind of thing that felt like it belonged in a story somewhere.

Bringing these real-life incidents into the book required looking at them through the lens of “what if?” For me, asking “what if?” usually means taking something loosely connected from my real life experiences and placing it in a more paranormal setting. It also helps to have read (and watched) plenty of spooky stories for inspiration.

Young writers might need some prompts to get the “what if” mindset going. But with the right nudge, they can start reframing their experiences in a way that helps them rethink how they can be creative and come up with their own stories.

Some example prompts could include:

  • What if one of your experiences happened to your favorite movie/video game/book character? How would it happen differently?
  • If you had done X instead of Y, what would have happened?
  • Put your real-life experience into the world of your favorite book, movie, or video game. How would this different setting change things?
  • What if you had a parent with you instead of your friends — or vice versa?

Hopefully, by helping kids see that there is potential for interesting stories anywhere, they can become more interested in storytelling themselves — and more interested in getting out and living life so they can have those experiences to draw from.

Published September 23, 2025 by Temor Press

About the Book: In the sequel to I Know What UFO Did Last Summer, a few months have passed since Marv and his friends stopped what he believes was an extraterrestrial plot to take over the planet. But he’s not letting his guard down. If there’s one thing Marv knows, it’s that aliens could attempt another invasion at any time.

So when he spots an unmanned motorcycle racing into the woods, pursued by a paranormal investigator, Marv’s instincts scream that something very weird is going on. Marv tracks down the bike and hauls it to his fort for closer inspection. That’s when he sees it: a Sleech—one of the creatures he encountered last summer—slithering out of the motorcycle’s tailpipe.

But when Marv returns to show his discovery to his friends, they find the fort completely destroyed. The only thing left is his emergency stockpile of toilet paper.

And it’s alive.

Now Marv and his friends must unravel the mystery of the Sleech before their entire town is overrun by a monstrous swarm of toilet paper. Because if they don’t stop it in time…

It’s going to wipe them out.

About the Author: Kevin Garone is the author of I Know What UFO Did Last Summer and its sequel, Night of the Living Toilet Paper. He lives with his wife and sons in Arizona. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him reading, playing video games, hiking, or cheering on his favorite sports teams. Visit him online at https://www.kevingarone.com/

Thank you, Kevin, for pushing us to push our writers by using their experiences and a dash of imagination!

Author Guest Post: “Inspiring Young Writers Wound Up Inspiring Me!” by Julia Krebs Patterson, Author of Charlie and the Crystal Cave

by
Share

“Inspiring Young Writers Wound Up Inspiring Me!”

When I started writing my first book, I didn’t give a lot of thought to how my work as an educator would support my writing. Yes, being a teacher gives me some great insight into children’s interests, language, and desires. I’m able to tap into the exact age reader I am hoping to excite with this magical world of Charlie and the Crystal Cave. It wasn’t until I spent some time discussing my book with some 4th graders though that I realized just how valuable their insights can be.

My book was in the final stages of editing when I brought it to the 4th and 5th grade classes at the school I teach at. The teachers of these classrooms graciously agreed to use it as a read aloud. I was curious to see if the story made sense to the readers I was hoping to reach and if it would hold their interest. The teachers spent time reading the book aloud, one chapter at a time. The children would ask them to keep going, saying, “One more chapter please!” Different children would see me in the halls or out on playground and come up to me, telling me how much they liked my book.

Upon finishing the book, the teachers invited me to talk with the children about my process. I looked at this as a great opportunity to inspire students to write as well as get some valuable feedback from these readers. What I received was so much more. The teachers asked their students, “Do you have any questions for Miss Julia?” I received some very thoughtful questions about the characters and story as well as, “When will the next book be ready?” Then a child said, “I want more lore and origin story about King Louie.” The children around him nodded their heads. “Yeah, where did he come from?” and “How did he get inside the Crystal Cave?” questions came from across the room.

I was surprised by the enthusiasm of these students. I could see how empowered they felt connecting directly with the author of a story they cared so much about. The energy of the room was electric as we discussed the ins and outs of the story. I wrote down everything they asked or said, as their input was so valuable and I wanted them to know that. I didn’t go into this conversation thinking this would be a brainstorming session for the second book, but that’s exactly what it became.

I left that classroom, my mind ablaze with questions of why and how King Louie, a talking albino alligator, ended up in this cave. Was he born there or did he travel there? Was he always magical and could he always talk or was he once just a regular alligator? How could this back story support Charlie’s adventures moving forward? These young readers got me thinking in ways I hadn’t before and viewing the story from their perspective opened pathways I didn’t see. It’s my hope that these students were as inspired as I was by the discussion. Meeting an author is such a fantastic and tangible way for young readers to explore writing as well. Writing begins with imagining and I hope this experience showed these students how exciting writing can be.

If you are a teacher and have a connection with a local children’s author, consider bringing them in to meet with your students. This exchange is not only beneficial to the students who are exposed to real world creative writing, but also so valuable for the author who desires to create a perfect story for the right readers. Upon finishing the first book I had some thoughts of how the second book would start, but after having this conversation with these students, I have a much more complex plan for the story. I don’t think that would have happened if I hadn’t heard the desires of my targeted readers. And I look forward to giving them what they want! In fact, I can’t wait to get started writing.

Published July 22nd, 2025

About the Book: Some caves hide treasures. This one hides a magic world… and a destiny.

On his way to his first day of school in a new town, Charlie finds himself drawn to a strange cave in the woods. Inside this magical world of the Crystal Cave, he meets King Louie, an albino alligator, and discovers his true calling: he is the Creature Seeker. Charlie is King Louie’s only hope in finding the Crystal Creatures that have been stolen from the Crystal Cave and hidden across the globe.

With the help of the cave’s mysterious magic, Charlie must adventure to new places, overcome hidden dangers, and discover powers within himself he never knew existed.

Charlie and the Crystal Cave is a beautifully imagined fantasy adventure about bravery, discovery, and the shimmering magic just beyond the veil — perfect for readers ages 8-12 who believe the world holds more wonders than we can see. Also a great first chapter book for reading aloud.

About the Author: Julia Krebs Patterson began telling bedtime stories to her older son a few years ago. He specifically requested a story about an albino alligator inside a magic cave. As these stories unfolded, night after night, he would ask her to write a book. She finally wrote the first in a series of books called, Charlie and the Crystal Cave. Julia has a background in theater arts education and she has written plays for children to perform. Julia lives in Louisville, KY with her husband and two boys. They have a dog named Ranger and a bearded dragon named Draco. They all love to go out into the forest to explore or muck about in creeks together. Julia loves teaching children and works as a preschool teacher where she uses her creativity and story telling to infuse their learning.

Thank you, Julia, for sharing how your writers inspired you!

Author Guest Post: “How Literature Saved My Life” by Vivian Jewell, Author of Dani Argyle Takes on the Universe

by
Share

“How Literature Saved My Life”

              When I left home for the first time, I met a boy.

              Many stories begin that way.

At college I met a boy who was smart and charming and handsome and interested in me. As we dated, every conversation became an exploration—we left our own known worlds and set off together into a new landscape, awestruck by the ideas we encountered.

I loved him.

But there were many things about college to love, and many conversations to be had. Most conversations—even the fleeting ones—were like journeys into the unknown. I found little discoveries everywhere.

My boyfriend told me that he wanted all of my conversations to be with him. He didn’t like it when I spoke to other men. He told me that my attitude was flirtations and my behavior “inappropriate.”

I considered his words. The first instinct of most young women in our culture is to blame ourselves rather than question others. I wondered if the excitement I was feeling over others’ ideas could be confused with sexual desire. I knew that sex was not my desired goal, but might others see things differently?

At the time I was navigating my new romance, I was taking a class on Shakespeare and reading Othello.

Othello is, arguably, the most poetic and majestic character to walk across the Shakespearean stage—which means he’s the most majestic and poetic character to walk across any stage. To be fair, he was majestic and poetic until he wasn’t—until he was rendered inarticulate and helpless by jealousy.

In Othello, the process and nature of jealousy are laid bare. I read that play and watched the exact moment that jealousy took hold of Othello. In 3.3, Othello looks at himself and says:

Haply for I am black,
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have; or for I am declined
Into the vale of years—yet that’s not much—
She’s gone. I am abused, and my relief
Must be to loathe her.

As long as Othello saw himself positively, he loved Desdemona. As soon as he doubted himself, he doubted her. Othello’s jealousy did not stem from Desdemona’s actions but from his own insecurities. When Desdemona explains to Emilia that she never gave Othello a cause to distrust her, Emilia replies:

But jealous souls will not be answered so.
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But jealous for they’re jealous.

After reading that play, I broke up with that boy. On my own for the first time, without the proximity of parents or the guidance of friends, I had no one to turn to for counsel. It was Shakespeare who saved me. I felt like his genius reached out over four-hundred years of literary history and snatched me from a potentially abusive relationship.

Thank you, Shakespeare.

In Dani Argyle Takes on the Universe, my protagonist is also on her own. She’s not away from home, but her father is missing in action, her mother is missing in grief, and, because she is overweight, she has few friends. When Dani’s boyfriend begins to be controlling, Dani only has literature to guide her.

From Othello, Dani learns about the nature of jealousy. From The Inferno, she learns about the nature of weakness, violence, and fraud—conditions that exist, not only in hell, but also in high school.

From The Odyssey, she learns that suffering can bring wisdom and that it is possible to lose oneself in grief.

It is true that a story once saved me and that stories guided the protagonist in my novel, but these are not individual cases.

Stories save us all.

As Joan Didion explains:

We tell ourselves stories in order to live. The princess is caged in the consulate. The man with the candy will lead the children into the sea. The naked woman on the ledge outside the window on the sixteenth floor is a victim of accidie, or the naked woman is an exhibitionist, and it would be “interesting” to know which…. We look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five. We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely… by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the “ideas” with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.

We see stories everywhere. As humans, we can’t help it. Our actual existence might be made up of “disparate images” and a “shifting phantasmagoria,” but, just as nature abhors a vacuum, so does the human mind abhor chaos, and stories are the primary cure for chaos.

Because of story, we see beginning, middle, end. Because of story, we see cause and effect. Because of story, we see change over time. Because of story, there is more than chaos: I was that. I am this. I will be something else.

Aristotle asserted that man is an animal who thinks. Nietzsche that man is an animal that laughs. Mark Twain explained that man is the only animal that blushes—or has a need to.

I would argue that man is an animal who tells stories.

Stories are not superfluous. They are the primary unit we have for communicating meaning. Beware of that man. Things are not as they seem. Suffering saddens us, but it also strengthens.

But stories are not only the primary unit we have for communicating meaning: they are the primary unit we have for creating meaning. We all narrate our own story. We are each our own protagonist. Research reveals that we are more likely to be mentally and physically healthy when we see ourselves as the protagonist of our own story rather than the victim of someone else’s. Because of our ability to tell our own story, we experience agency, and our lives are more clearly understood.

Man is an animal who tells stories. About the world. About others. About ourselves.

Our students’ lives will be richer when full of stories: stories they hear, stories they read, stories they tell, and stories that they—as their own protagonist—journey through.

We enrich our students when we give them story. May their stories be diverse and full of wonder.

Published March 31st, 2025

About the Book: Dani feels like she’s fighting the world. Her peers do not accept her because she is overweight; her school is ill-equipped to handle an astute girl with ADHD, and the popular girls hate her for attracting the attention of the mysterious student from Japan. When everything about her life makes her feel confined and powerless, her only goal becomes dropping out of the institution that makes her feel stupid. But when Dani discovers that a psychic has been gutting her mother’s finances, she finally has an adversary worth fighting . . . if only she can control her emotions long enough—and trust her new romance deeply enough—to out-con a con artist.

This book includes discussion questions for class, small group, and individual reflection

About the Author: Vivian Jewell studied English Literature at The University of Virginia where she graduated with high distinction and studied Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Oxford. Her poetry has appeared in The Virginia Literary Review, The Kindred Spirit, and The English Journal. She is a teacher with Fairfax County Schools. This is her first novel.  

Thank you, Vivian, for sharing your journey and reminding us about the importance of stories!

Author Guest Post: “Something New” by S. Isabelle, Author of The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick

by
Share

“Something New”

My first two books are fantasy-horror novels about witches breaking a bloody hex, but my next novel is… a funny, heartfelt, historical romance.

I’ve had to repeat that sentence many times over the past year or so, and it’s always funny to see the flash of surprise on people’s faces, perhaps because this change in genre took me by surprise as well. Despite my love of reading historical romance—and really, most every genre, I’m not picky—I considered myself a fantasy writer first. But during a difficult summer that threw me into a period of writer’s block that felt like a cage, I starting drafting something new and very different. The issue wasn’t that I couldn’t write, it was just that I wasn’t in the mood to draft anything dark or requiring fantasy world-building. My brain, simply, refused to cooperate with my usual stuff. After a comforting re-watch of my favorite period films, I thought, what would this story look like with a Black character front and center?

Next thing I knew, I was drafting a Cinderella-esque Victorian romance about a young Black girl who gets thrust into high society by way of a surprise inheritance. It was fun, it was freeing, and in just a few chapters, Stella quickly became the book of my heart. But is there anything more daunting than trying something completely new? I hate feeling out of place, or out of my comfort zone, and for a long time, Stella’s story was something I was content with keeping to myself.

Before I knew it, that desire changed. With feedback from my writer friends, I began to picture Stella out of my hard drive and onto bookstore shelves. But pursuing publishing, and turning this story into a “real book” came with new worries. What business does a fantasy writer have doing historical romance? Imposter syndrome loves to rear its ugly head, and it didn’t matter how much research I did, I was sure I was doing everything all wrong. On top of that, I struggled with the novel’s tone. Of course, there’s always an element of wish-fulfillment and fantasy in historical romances, but I wanted Stella to feel real, and that meant including the prejudices a girl like her would have faced. And the balance I longed to achieve was a risky one—writing a fun, fluffy, romantic novel that also didn’t sanitize the time period. I wanted the text to be engaging to all teen readers, especially if they’re picking up a historical novel for the first time. I believe that when a book is published, it no longer solely belongs to the author, so I suppose the readers will be the judge of my success. But one thing’s for certain: this book was a balm for me. It was cathartic, it was fun. It was exciting to write. And when I think about the overlapping themes in all of my books—being true to yourself, the importance of friendship, and making good trouble—I think that maybe, writing Stella wasn’t much of a surprise after all.

Now on the cusp of publishing my third novel, I can assuredly say that I’ve never written a book in the same way twice. As much as I would love to have a solid, consistent routine, they always come about in different ways. But without a doubt, I always walk away from a final draft learning a little bit more about my process and myself. In writing Stella, I learned that sometimes, the new thing’s scariness is only in my head, and the only way to get over it is by going through it. And even if Stella’s story remained a secret project, I think the fun I had with it would have been worth it anyway.

Published July 8th, 2025 by Storytide

About the Book: Bridgerton meets The Davenports in this wildly entertaining standalone romance, following a young Black woman trying to balance her independence with her future in 1860s London’s high society.

Stella Sedgwick is a lost cause.

Banished from etiquette lessons and unsure of her future, Stella dreams of a writing career and independence, but 1860s England offers little opportunity beyond marriage or servitude for a sharp-tongued, dark-skinned girl.

When her late mother’s former employer summons Stella to London, he tells her of his intention to bequeath one of the family’s great estates to her. It’s a life-changing inheritance, but one that will precipitate a legal battle that would be easier if Stella were married. With her cousin Olivia by her side, Stella is thrust into London society and must navigate fashion and balls, insults and stares, and a rekindled connection to Nathaniel, her childhood best friend with a rakish reputation.

Beyond the marriage market, living in London presents intriguing opportunities to Stella, like picking up her mother’s anonymous advice column to guide readers through upper-class perils. As new acquaintances are made and old secrets are uncovered, Stella must decide when to play by the rules, when to break them, and when to let herself follow her heart.

About the Author: S. Isabelle is a reader, writer, and hoarder of books. After earning a master’s degree in library science, she took that love of reading to youth librarianship. When she isn’t writing, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, drinking heavily sweetened coffee, or stressing over baseball. She is the author of The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick, The Revolution of Olivia Witherson, The Witchery, and Shadow Coven. Visit her online at sisabellebooks.com.

Thank you for sharing your journey, S.!

Author Guest Post: “Co-Authoring a Novel” by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Authors of Lady’s Knight

by
Share

“Co-Authoring a Novel”

The number one question that we get asked when we do book events is: how do you co-author a novel?

Even now, over a decade since our first co-authored novel hit the shelves, we find ourselves a little baffled by the ubiquitousness of that question. We get asked it at every event, in every interview, whether we’re talking about a co-authored book or one we’ve written solo. For us, writing together comes so naturally that we find the fascination with the process a bit confusing. At first, we even struggled to answer reader questions on that front because we couldn’t quite figure out why people kept asking us that question.

“But what happens when you disagree?” asked one reader, insistent. “Which one of you has the final say?”

We just eyed each other across the signing table, realizing that we had no answer for that. We never disagree.

To those of you now reading on with some skepticism: yeah, you’re not wrong. Of course we disagree, but the point is we never disagree in ways that put us on opposite sides of an issue. We actually learned very early on in writing our first book together that if we disagreed about what should happen next in our story, or what a character would say, or how the relationship arc would go, what was actually happening was that we were both wrong. Or, rather, we were both right—but going about listening to our instincts the wrong way. Amie thinks it has to be A, Meg thinks it’s obvious that it should be B – what’s really going on is that we’ve both missed the fact that the right answer is really the hidden, secret option C.

For instance, Amie might think the next scene ought to be full of action, but Meg thinks it ought to be a romantic scene. It’s not because one of us is wrong and one of us is right, it’s because actually what we’re picking up on is that neither of us has the perfect next scene. So we talk about why Amie feels the need for a fight scene—we need to see the characters showing off their strengths, perhaps—and why Meg feels more pulled toward romance—because we need to see the characters becoming closer, and cementing their bond. And it turns out that the perfect scene for both those things is actually a scene where they confront an obstacle together in a way that binds them and shows them being good at what they do.

Writing with a partner in a full, 50/50 split of the responsibilities requires the ability to set aside ego in favor of the book. It took us many years to figure out why this seemed to come naturally when it struck so many others, usually budding artists and young writers themselves, as strange. “I could never do that,” we keep hearing from readers. “Give up control that way!” But the truth is that any good, healthy relationship between friends (or anyone, really) demands that you value the strength of your connection over whatever project you might be embarking upon. From the very beginning, we always said that if writing together ever started threatening our friendship, we would simply stop. The friendship mattered most.

When we began writing Lady’s Knight, Amie suggested that we try a new way of outlining the book. Meg was a bit resistant to it, because that’s not how we’d worked before, and it wasn’t what came naturally to her, but we gave it a go and it turned out to be the perfect way of approaching this book. With the plot largely decided upon in advance, it meant that we could pour ourselves into the joyful anachronistic world-building, witty dialogue, and pretty much every joke we’ve ever wanted to put into a book we were writing.

Each book is a little different in terms of how we go about writing it, but Lady’s Knight was an exercise in joy and healing from the very beginning. Conceived of during the height of the pandemic, when we were all confined to our homes and wondering how many years it would be before we could see our loved ones in person again, this book just became our happy place. We’d call each other from opposite sides of the planet, bursting with ideas and jokes, laughing and writing them down as fast as we could.

We wrote about a girl who dreams of being a knight, and a noblewoman who finds herself put up as the prize for a tournament—and rather than waiting for someone to save her, she decides to engineer her own salvation. Each of the girls learn a lot about themselves, during the adventure that ensues. We learned a lot about ourselves, writing them.

We wrote this book to delight each other—whether it was breakfast on the balcony with plates of delicious pastries, a makeover scene with incredible fashion, a breathless rush through the castle after a falling-out, or the satisfaction of skewering a sexist old man (only verbally, don’t worry), we always came back to what we loved. We told a story from our hearts, and in pursuit of joy.

There’s a beautiful merging of egos, when you write something with someone you deeply trust, and even though this was our eighth book together, there was still a special kind of magic as we watched all our ideas merge into a very special “secret option C.” This book ended up being the best of both of us, and a love letter to our friendship, and it was such fun to write.

Published June 3rd, 2025 by Storytide

About the Book: An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.

Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.

When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means… well, let’s not go there.

One thing’s for sure: Falling in love was never the plan.

But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.

About the Authors: Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction and the host of the podcast Amie Kaufman on Writing. Her multi-award-winning work is slated for publication in over thirty countries and has been described as “a game-changer” (Shelf Awareness), “stylistically mesmerizing” (Publishers Weekly), and “out-of-this-world awesome” (Kirkus Reviews). Her series include the Illuminae Files, the Aurora Cycle, the Other Side of the Sky duology, the Starbound trilogy, the Unearthed duology, the Elementalstrilogy, and The World Between Blinks. Her work is in development for film and TV and has taken home multiple Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, and a Gold Inky, made multiple best-of lists, and been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law, and conflict resolution and is currently undertaking a PhD in creative writing. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter, rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. Learn more about her and subscribe to her newsletter at amiekaufman.com.

New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, or an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York State with a degree in playwriting. She’s traveled all over the world, to places such as Egypt, Australia, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galápagos Islands, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes. She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there. She’s the author of Hunted and Sherwood and the coauthor of the award-winning Starbound Trilogy (These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light) and the Skylark Trilogy (Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending). In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads. meaganspooner.com

Thank you, Amie & Meagan, for sharing your process!