This fall: Saturday Oct. 5-- Boerne Book and Arts Fest, between 10-4:30. Exact time TBA. I'll be on the panel, "The Magic of Children's Books"along with Mari Mancusi and Cori Putman-Oaks. The whole day will be full of speakers, panels, books, and art! Wednesday, Oct. 7, 10-11am. Banned Book Week expo at Northeast Lakeview College. The awesome library team has been working with the art and history departments to put on an amazing exhibition including student work and an "Ask the Artist" table and an "Ask the Author/Librarian" table-- that's where I'll be. Come ask your questions on censorship, publication, or writing. All are welcome to this free event! I will update here as needed. I hope your summer is relaxing and fun!
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And if you enjoy the story, please take a moment and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, and/or Barnes and Noble. Even a short review helps other readers know if this is a book they would also enjoy, and lets my publisher know that this is a series worth continuing! You can make a big difference. Thanks so much!
There were so many sessions I wanted to attend, but several of them were in conflict with each other or with events I was participating in. I was fortunate to be included in the Texas Authors Speed Dating event, in which authors rotated among tables of librarians to share about books. I loved my table mates, two incredible picture book authors, and I met a room full of fabulous librarians. The next day, I was on a panel with Texas middle grade and YA authors--and the room was bigger than I expected! It was my first panel and I was nervous, but everyone was such fun that the time flew by. Before I knew it, I was running to my book signing! We gave away one hundred signed copies of SHORTCUTS in thirty minutes to librarians and teachers! YAY!! It was such a dreamy moment-- I had walked by those author signing events at the last TLA I went to, when I was in library school, wishing so much that one day I'd be there as an author. And this week, I was! Thank you SO MUCH for being a part of that! Here are a few images from the week. If you've never been to a big conference like TLA or ALA, they are hard to describe, but this year, I noticed that being involved in my writing community made a big difference. The last time I went, I saw only a couple of people I knew, briefly. It was great, but a little lonely. This time, I visited with many people I knew from online and real life, and got to meet new friends through those connections, too. Get involved, and you'll find your writing journey a lot more fun! Friday March 29-- Mountains and Plains conference in New Braunfels Breakfast with the Authors, from 8:45-10:15 Texas Library Association Annual Conference, in Austin April 15-18th I'll be participating in some specific events at TLA as well: Tuesday April 16
Wednesday April 17
I attended a delightful workshop this past weekend called THE AMAZING IDEA OF PLAY. The workshop was led by the fantastic author Charlotte Sullivan Wild, author of the picture book THE AMAZING IDEA OF YOU. She spoke about the value of play in a creative person's life, and we spent some time playing with art and other practices meant to help us think outside the box.
I realized that I had not made much time for play in my life lately. I wanted that to change, so I dug through my resources and found three great books I could use to help feed my creativity! Here's a short video about them, which is also posted on Facebook and Youtube. For those who prefer to skip right to the key stuff, the books are: 1. The Artist's Way 2. The Trickster's Hat 3. Wonderbook And you can find more information on Charlotte's beautiful book here. I hope you'll give some of these resources a try! If you are looking for books on the craft of writing, I have several that come to mind. I can make of those if that would help anyone. And I also have a video on revision resources already posted over on my Youtube channel. I hope these help you on your journey! Have fun!
Alice signed me based on my manuscript LOVE LOCKED, which could be described as a tween ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS meets GROUNDHOG DAY. Hopefully, you'll hear more about that story in the days to come!
For today, I'm celebrating the chance to work with Alice and make this story the very best it can be! Working with an agent is a new step in my writing career, and one that I'm thrilled to be taking!  Original is 6X9. 2nd ed. is 5.25 X 8. All three of the World of Aluvia books have been released as second editions with Snowy Wings Press! They are available in both ebook and paperback. The new paperbacks are smaller in size, more of a traditional MG and YA sizing, with bigger font and more white space for the eyes. It also has a glossy cover, and I love the way it feels!
The paperbacks are currently available through IndieBound, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, via Ingram, and Amazon. For now, the book is available on Kindle Unlimited, so it's only available at Amazon. Links here: Indie-Bound Fairy Keeper: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781948661157 Mer-Charmer: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781948661171 Dragon Redeemer: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781948661195 Barnes and Noble: Fairy Keeper: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fairy-keeper-amy-bearce/1121206631 Mer-Charmer: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mer-charmer-amy-bearce/1123711536 Dragon Redeemer: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragon-redeemer-amy-bearce/1126409843 Books-A-Million: Fairy Keeper: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Fairy-Keeper/Amy-Bearce/9781948661157 Mer-Charmer: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mer-Charmer/Amy-Bearce/9781948661171 Dragon Redeemer: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dragon-Redeemer/Amy-Bearce/9781948661195 Amazon U.S.: 🧚♀️ FAIRY KEEPER: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948661152 🧜♀️ MER-CHARMER: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948661179/ 🐉 DRAGON REDEEMER: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948661195/ UK Amazon: Fairy Keeper: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fairy-Keeper-World-Aluvia-Bearce/dp/1948661152 Mer-Charmer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mer-Charmer-World-Aluvia-Amy-Bearce/dp/1948661179 Dragon Redeemer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragon-Redeemer-World-Aluvia-Bearce/dp/1948661195 That's the good news! The not-so-great news: Getting to the new paperbacks is still a little tricky on Amazon (U.S.)... if you follow the Amazon paperback, it'll take you to the new paperback editions, but if you click on the ebook and then back again, it'll redirect you to the old editions of the paperback. We're trying to get that straightened out. It does appear that if you try to put the book in your cart at that time, it will provide a warning that you are about to purchase the original edition though you are looking at the new one. There is a link in that warning that will take you to the new edition, so there's that at least, and I put the new links in an author note on the original edition's page, so readers can find the edition they want. And here is the link to my announcement video over on Facebook! If you are a book reviewer, I do have some e-arcs to give away in celebration of the new editions in the next month, so give me a shout via my contact form or over on Facebook, IG, or Twitter. Thanks! Thanks so much for your support!
My first three books will be republished with them soon. They gave me a lovely welcome on their website today! The e-books will be republished January 22nd, followed by the paperbacks of each shortly!
In the meantime, the original paperbacks will remain available until they sell out on Amazon and possibly other vendors. But I am so excited about these new editions! They will be a more traditional YA/MG size (5.25 X 8) with more age-appropriate font size and spacing. They will, however, have the same beautiful covers, so hooray! 
Hi fellow writers! Today's post is for you! (With alliteration in the title, even!)
If you follow me over on Facebook, you might have already viewed my five minute video on useful books about revision, but in case you missed it, you can catch the video here:
The list of books mentioned are in the comments of the video, too.
If you're in the midst of revision, it can be hard and frustrating. Just know that you are not alone and you can DO THIS! :) --Cheering you on, Amy
Hey 4th-8th graders! Today’s post is for you!
Once upper elementary school hits, life gets so busy that juggling your schedule becomes much harder. According to researchers, more and more of you are choosing not to make time for reading. For your teachers and parents, this can be frustrating. Maybe it’s frustrating for you, too.
My observation as a teacher, librarian, and parent is that sometimes selecting a book off the shelf is actually the hardest part of reading. (I will add here that student self-selection of books is fantastic and if your teacher allows it, say thank you. You have higher odds of increased achievement.) Luckily, I’ve got a few books to recommend that I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy. My recommendations have nothing to do with Lexile scores (an often misused tool) and everything to do with fabulous stories that lots of kids have loved. These are tried and true favorites. If you need a book for class—or just for fun—I dare you to try one of these. Give it to chapter 3 and then let me know what you think. 
1. Anything by Raina Telgemeier.
They are all super popular: Smile, Sisters, Drama, Guts, and Ghosts. Graphic novels of any kind are a good bet. If your teacher balks at allowing graphic novels in class, invite them to read my article about the benefits of graphic novels. 
2. Anything by Rick Riordan.
The Lightning Thief is the first book of his first middle grade series, but if you are in middle school, you might prefer starting with Book 1 of The Heroes of Olympus series. The characters are older, and the storyline is more complex. If you’ve already devoured all of his books, consider another upper middle grade fantasy. 
3. The Last Kids on Earth, by Max Brallier.
Humorous tales are always a win, and Last Kids on Earth has the bonus of some inside artwork. Plus ZOMBIES. See also: Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and I, Funny. 
4. Love That Dog and Hate that Cat, by Sharon Creech.
Short, easy-to-read, and totally gripping, Sharon Creech tells this story in a one-sided conversation made of poems. Even my students who claimed to hate poetry loved this book and its sequel. Other novels-in-verse books to consider as well include The Crossover by Kwame Alexander (especially for basketball fans) and Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle. 
5. Scary books are constant favorites.
You don’t have to stop reading scary stories once you outgrow Goosebumps. Try a novel by Mary Downing Hahn—she’s the queen of ghost stories for young teens. If you’re ready to kick it up another notch, try Coraline, Doll Bones, or The Night Gardener.
If you don’t love a book within the first three chapters, it's okay to abandon it and try a different book. If you find yourself abandoning books all the time, though, consider asking your librarian or teacher for some advice on books you might enjoy. But I would be surprised if none of these worked for you!
Bonus— If you have younger siblings, try reading aloud to your younger brothers and sisters. No, I’m not kidding. Books are magical, and little kids will remind you of this truth if you've forgotten. Watch their eyes sparkle as you read to them. Here are some great books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as reading tips and information for families about building a love of reading. The adults in your household will probably appreciate both the linked info and your sibling sweetness.
There is a book waiting for you right now! A perfect book for you! A good book you'll love--you just have to give it a chance!
Happy reading!
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Amy BearceTo those of you in 4th-8th grade and older, I hope I can offer a smidgen of help & encouragement as you traverse the waters of intermediate school, middle school, and high school. Archives
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