In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Aisha Saeed about her latest YA magical realism (with a bit of fantasy and romance), FORTY WORDS FOR LOVE. Also discussed: the origins and impact of the We Need Diverse Books organization, how there’s been much progress in creating more representation and diverse books but there’s always more work to be done, what it means to write the book of your heart, using fantasy to give distance and perspective on real world issues, how things can happen that you have no control over, but that you do have control over the books you write, and so much more!

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) https://diversebooks.org/ 
Beth Pickens MAKE YOUR ART, NO MATTER WHAT https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781452182957 

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Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377

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