WRITERS' RUMPUS

Interview with debut picture book author Laura De La Cruz … and a giveaway of LOWRIDER FOR SALE!

September 8, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Happy Book Birthday to LOWRIDER FOR SALE, the heartwarming picture book debut by talented and gracious author Laura De La Cruz. Laura has impressed me with her positive and supportive comments on our blog, so when she inquired about an interview, it was my honor and pleasure to enthusiastically say yes!

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Cool off on Winter Solstice Hill with Cathy Stefanec Ogren!

September 4, 2026 Marcia Strykowski

I’m excited to have talented author Cathy Stefanec Ogren here on the blog today! Her latest picture book releases on October 20, 2026, and I

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Cats, Chess, and Finding Your People: An Interview with CAT TAKES QUEEN Author Ilona Bray (and a Giveway!!)

September 1, 2026 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

I first connected with Ilona Bray through social media and its vibrant online kidlit community. Right away, I was drawn to her warmth, thoughfulness, and

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#Kidlit Interview with the Effervescent Children’s Author Kelly Swemba

August 26, 2026 Monica Acker

Friendship is a special, wondrous thing. Great thinkers and creatives throughout time have shared their thoughts about how special friendship is: Kelly Swemba and illustrator

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Meet #kidlit Debut Author Evgenia Mantikas

August 18, 2026 Carol Gordon Ekster

CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Evgenia at the Kindling Words East retreat in 2026. What sweet and contagious energy she has! I am so excited

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Researching and Writing Nonfiction

August 11, 2026 Alumni & Guests

Guest Post by Lauren H. Kerstein I am beyond thrilled to be here. I’ve long enjoyed reading Writers’ Rumpus posts and am excited to share

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The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

January 27, 2015 Kirsti Call

Post #2: Morris Award Finalist Blog Tour Week YALSA’s Morris Award honors the year’s best young adult novel by a debut author. The Morris Award

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E. K. Johnston

January 26, 2015 Joyce Audy Zarins

Post #1: Morris Award Finalist Blog Tour Week YALSA’s Morris Award honors the year’s best young adult novel by a debut author. The Morris Award

Revising Your NaNoWriMo Mess-terpiece

January 23, 2015 Alumni & Guests

By Heather Fenton If you, like me, participated in the highly-focused, highly-caffeinated National Novel Writing Month this past November, hopefully you have a 50,000 word

Illustration Revision in Mariana Ruiz Johnson’s Book, I Know a Bear

January 20, 2015 Alumni & Guests

By Diana Zipeto Recently, I bought Mariana Ruiz Johnson’s beautiful picture book, I Know a Bear. Published in 2014 by Schwartz & Wade, the book is about

The Writer Magazine: Fuel for the Aspiring Writer

January 16, 2015 Alison Potoma

While browsing through Barnes and Nobles, a magazine caught my eye. The Writer. Tag line: Imagine, Write, Publish. On the cover: Boiling down the bones: