Coming Soon(ish) . . . to the Podcast

On Life, Writing, and a Podcast Preview

Thoughts on Life, Writing, and Podcasting

I have neglected this newsletter for too long. Why? It’s hard to say. Life, I guess. And difficulty focusing. And also, I think, because I’m not writing although I want to be. It would help me escape the day-to-day, the headlines, and all the changes happening around me. It would allow the creative side of my brain to take over and the stressed-out side to take a break.

Is it hard for you to write, too?

In times like this I’m grateful for books to read and authors who are willing to share. It’s easier to read or listen than create, right? I’m fascinated by writers’ minds and how each one approaches their story. There is no one way to write a book, to edit it, and to decide what to do with it. Some want to share it with the world, and others want to keep it close.

I don’t regret the manuscripts I’ve written that will forever live in files on my computer. Or the ones that got me “close,” yet still died on query or submission. They’re still my stories. My heart is on those pages. And that is not nothing.

So to everyone and myself: dream big, write with abandon, and allow yourself to experience others’ journeys, if only for an hour. It deepens our connection to the creative life, and no rejection or disappointment or writers block can ever take that away.

What’s Been Happening on the Podcast

SO MUCH GOOD STUFF. Every time I finish an interview I’m filled with gratitude for the authors who share their art, their lives, and their joy with us. Each one is filled with nuggets of inspiration, stories of struggle, and moments of hope. Listen to them, then listen again. I listen to each one three times (at least) - in person, in editing, and in my car after it hits my app. I learn something new each time.

You can listen here: shannonballoon.com/podcast and on most podcast players including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

What’s Coming to the Podcast

You, newsletter subscribers, are getting a first look at some of the interviews coming to the podcast in the coming months. So many great books, and so many great authors.

Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina

From the publisher:

A sea ghost, a mortal boy, and a dangerous enchanted harpoon . . . A Newbery Medalist takes us far beneath the waves in this extraordinary foray into fantasy.

In the deepest recesses of the ocean, Graciela—once an ordinary girl—now makes sea glass and assists her friend, Amina, as she welcomes newly awakened sea ghosts from their death sleep. Though Graciela’s spirit is young, she has lived at the bottom of the ocean for more than a hundred years. Meanwhile, in the mortal world on land, twelve-year-old Jorge Leon works in his family’s forge. He’s heard of the supernatural spirits living beneath the ocean’s waves—tales that do nothing to quell his fear of the water. But when Jorge discovers a hand-wrought harpoon with the power to spear a sea ghost, he knows he must destroy it any way he can.

When the harpoon is accidentally reunited with its vengeful creator, unlikely allies Graciela and Jorge have no choice but to work together to keep evil spirits from wreaking havoc on both the living and the dead. If only the answer to saving what they care about didn’t lie within the depths of the abyss . . . Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina and illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso have crafted a thoughtful tale infused with magic and high-stakes adventure that will leave readers wondering what power lies in the depths of the ocean—and inside each of us.

The AI Incident by J.E. Thomas

From the publisher:

The Wild Robot meets Restart when Colorado's unluckiest foster kid battles a rogue AI robot at school. Malcolm Montgomery is the new kid at Shirley Chisholm Charter Middle School. In no time at all, he’s been slapped with the weird kid label. Is it because he's a foster kid who's been in nine homes? Or maybe because he burps when he gets nervous…which is often? Malcolm has a plan to finally get adopted by a forever family before it's too late. But then on Visiting Professionals' Day, his school invites Dr. Alphonse Hatch, president of Hatch-ED—one of the fastest-growing artificial intelligence companies in the state—to give a presentation. Dr. Hatch brings his AI-powered robot, and events get set in motion that create...THE INCIDENT.

An irresistible MG novel about the role of AI in schools and in our lives…and what it means to be human.

Growing Home by Beth Ferry

From the publisher:

An unlikely team of talkative plants, a curious spider, and a grumpy goldfish use their newfound magical abilities to defend their family from a greedy human in this charming middle grade novel from New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry, with illustrations from the award-winning Fan brothers.

Ivy is the beloved houseplant of young Jillian Tupper of Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, much to the constant dismay of Toasty the goldfish, who is technically the family pet—swimming in his special place of honor, the antique octagonal fish tank—and should be the most loved. It seems that’s how the cookie (or cheese puffs, in Toasty’s case) crumbles in the curious Tupper household, but soon a sequence of thrilling and magical events challenges that way of life forever.

First, there’s the arrival of Arthur, a knowledgeable spider with a broken leg and a curious mind, hidden in an old typewriter. Then Jillian throws everyone for a loop when she brings home dear, sweet Ollie, a school houseplant who just wants to be friends and sing. When Toasty splashes the plants with his tank water out of frustration, the friends learn that they can do magical things—like lift heavy objects and turn things invisible!

It turns out Toasty’s fishtank isn’t just for fish; it was made by a curious inventor who gave it special powers that, in the wrong hands, could disrupt everything forever. And a curious man with purple shoes just so happens to want that tank at any cost. Can Ivy, Toasty, Arthur, and Ollie grow to be friends in time to work together to save their beloved Tupper family from utter ruin?

A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya

From the publisher:

An instant New York Times bestseller!

Reality proves more epic than fantasy in this family road trip story starring a reluctant young hero and his curmudgeonly grandfather.

Gonzalo Alberto Sánchez García has never considered himself the hero of his own story. He’s an observer, quietly snapshotting landscapes and drawing the creatures he imagines emerging from them. Forced to spend the summer with his estranged grandfather, Alberto William García—the very famous reclusive author—Gonzalo doesn’t expect to learn that heroes and monsters are not only the stuff of fantasy.

But that’s precisely what happens when Gonzalo’s CEO mother, Veronica, sends Alberto on tour to promote the final book in his fantasy series for children and Gonzalo must tag along, even though he feels no connection to his grandfather or the books. Together, they embark on a cross-country road trip from Mendocino to Miami in a classic 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass S convertible named Mathilde. Over the course of ten epic days on the highway, they will slay demons, real and imagined; confront old stories to write new ones; and learn what it truly means to show up for your family.

Bonus Round with Debbi Michiko Florence

I’ll close out this newsletter with a bonus round with Debbi Michiko Florence. Debbi was on the podcast in March sharing about her new series, Last Chance Academy. Post-interview, here’s what she had to say about her writing life, how she takes her coffee, and all the cool things she collects.

Have a fantastic summer!

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