Telling Lies to Children

Pine Manor College is a hidden gem--one of the most diverse undergraduate colleges in the country tucked away in scenic, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. That diversity is mirrored by the faculty and student body at its Solstice MFA Program. Today I'm joined by Meg Kearney, the Founding Director of the Program, and her Assistant Director, Beth Grosart Little. We chatted at a delightful Hogwarts-like mansion on campus, where I had to resist the urge to go hunting for secret passageways. You can learn more about the Solstice MFA Program on its website and Facebook page, and on twitter @SolsticeMFA.

If you are interested applying to the Solstice MFA Program, the general application deadline for a Summer/Fall start is April 17, 2017. The deadline to apply for the 2017 Kurt Brown Fellowship for Diverse Voices is March 13.

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YA author Mackenzi Lee joins me at a busy Boston coffeehouse to talk about her novels (THIS MONSTROUS THING and A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE), her awesome #BygoneBadassBroads online series, her mechanical arm, and so much more. Listen in as we're loudly serenaded by coffee grinders, espresso machines, Tom Jones, P!nk, and other musical legends (my top-notch production skills strike again).

You can learn more about Mackenzi at mackenzilee.com and follow her #BygoneBadassBroads series @themackenzilee on Twitter.

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Today's episode is the first in a series of five on-location interviews recorded live in Boston, MA. Cathryn Mercier is the Director of the Children's Literature Program and the Director of the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons College. I joined Cathie on campus for a great chat about Simmons' prestigious full residency MFA program, her approach to the study of children's literature, the program's accomplished faculty and alums, and an hour's worth of other interesting kids' lit topics. For more information on Simmons College and its Children's Literature (MA) and Writing for Children (MFA) programs, visit the college website here.

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Friend and fellow middle grade author, Dana Alison Levy, joined me at Water Street Bookstore for my first show of 2017. Dana's first two novels, THE MISADVENTURES OF THE FAMILY FLETCHER and THE FAMILY FLETCHER TAKE ROCK ISLAND, received rave reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe. Her next book, THIS WOULD MAKE A GOOD STORY SOMEDAY, is out this May. Join us as we talk about the publishing world, writing partners, obscure cat facts, and potty-mouths.

You can find Dana online at danaalisonlevy.com and on twitter and facebook @danaalisonlevy.

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It's a new holiday tradition on Telling Lies to Children. On today's episode I tell the story behind Village Drowning's favorite holiday--Silvermas--and read the first chapter of The Luck Uglies: Fork-Tongue Charmers. If you haven't met Good Harper Killpenny yet or put out your Silvermas boots, now's the time! Happy Holidays and Ugly Luck!

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You have questions? I've got answers (well, maybe). Today I answer reader questions submitted from New England, Florida, Texas, and even as far away as Scotland. We'll talk about how I come up with settings, the process of editing, what I've really got in my pocket, and much more! Post, tweet, or email your questions to [email protected] and I'll be sure to tackle them on a future episode.

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It was an eventful and emotional week across the nation. On today's episode I talk about a Presidential election that left me feeling down in the dumps, and the kids at the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading who helped pull me out of it.

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This week's podcast features another fun road trip to a live event, and this time I'm the one doing most of the talking. I recorded my live, luncheon speech to 130 amazing librarians and media specialists at the New Hampshire Children's Librarians Fall Conference. You can hear me discuss the long road of failures that finally led to the publication of The Luck Uglies; tell stories about what school visits mean to me; and share the secret of who I really write for (hint, it's not just kids).

If you would like to support the podcast, consider doing your Amazon holiday shopping through the Telling Lies to Children Affiliate Store. There's no extra cost to you and a portion of every purchase goes toward supporting the podcast. 

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It's a special on-location, Halloween edition of TELLING LIES TO CHILDREN. It was a dark and stormy night when I visited with children's booksellers Jill Sweeney-Bosa and Alice Ahn at Water Street Bookstore in downtown Exeter, New Hampshire. Jill and Alice share some of their favorite scary children's books including classics from Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman and John Bellairs, as well as lots of new, creepy reads you may not have discovered yet.If a title sounds like it might tingle your spine, why not support an awesome indie bookseller by visiting Water Street Bookstore today.

I've also added many of the books we discussed to the TELLING LIES TO CHILDREN Podcast Store.

Happy Halloween everyone!

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This week I am honored to be the luncheon speaker at the Children's Librarians of New Hampshire (CHILIS) Fall Conference. Liz Gotauco, the CHILIS Vice President and a Youth Services Librarian at Merrimack Public Library, was nice enough to join me on the podcast. Liz and I talk about CHILIS, graphic novels, dynamic libraries, and Wonder Woman tiaras.

Learn more about CHILIS and all of their great work at their website.

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