Category: Blog series

article, Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, on writing, Writing craft

Author of ‘My Teeth in Your Heart’, Joanna Nadin on Writing Dual Timelines

paperboundmag

We’re excited to feature a guest blog post from Joanna Nadin, author of over 90 books for children and young adults, as she shares her tips on writing dual timelines in novels.

Her brand new YA novel My Teeth in Your Heart is out now.

Every time I write a novel with more than one narrator or timeline –  the YA novel Eden; my adult novels The Talk of Pram Town and The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings –  I make myself promise never to do it again. Crafting one narrative arc is hard enough – piecing the scenes together to make a story breathless and compelling. Creating two (or, in the case of the above, three or even four) and then dovetailing them together is, some might say, a form of madness, like trying to do four jigsaws at once, but all on the same tray. And yet, there are some stories that cannot be told in anything less, either because the nuances of one timeline can only be revealed in a second, or because competing character viewpoints enrich the story and enlighten the reader in a way that a single narrator might not.  

When I was approached to write my latest YA novel, My Teeth in Your Heart, which deals with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, I knew instantly that one non-negotiable would be that it would need to be dual timeline. Partly because, while the conflict lasted weeks, its after-effects are still reverberating today. And partly because I wanted readers who tend towards contemporary in their taste to have a ‘way in’ to a historical narrative. Thus, the novel follows two seventeen-year-old girls: Anna, who falls in love with a Greek-Cypriot boy in a bookshop in Varosha in 1974 and finds herself pregnant, and Billy, her granddaughter, who, upon Anna’s death in 2024, goes back to Cyprus to trace her real grandfather.

The timeline switches chapter to chapter between the two protagonists, as they both negotiate difficult mothers, problematic best friends, and falling in love at the worst possible time. As such, it was essential for me to find two very different ways of telling their stories, two unique voices that ring true for their background and, crucially, 1974 and 2024 in turn.  

Usually, finding a voice comes after several aborted attempts as I switch between past and present tense, and first person (I), third person (he/she/they) and sometimes even second person (you). Here, though, both voices came to me almost immediately, suiting, I felt, both their character and time. Anna, thus, is told in third-person past. Her story happened five decades ago; she is a more reserved character, slightly more distanced from her own emotions, tending to hold her cards close to her chest.

Billy’s story, on the other hand, is unfolding as the reader comes to the novel, and she’s very much an oversharer, happy to talk about ‘me, me, me’. Anna rarely uses contractions; Billy always does. Anna never swears; Billy uses expletives like commas. Anna’s sentences tend to be measured, lengthy; Billy’s speech is scattergun, staccato.  

The harder part was how to meld the narratives so that the novel as a whole retained pace, crucial turning points were met almost simultaneously, and impact in 1974 could be felt at its fullest in the now. Previously I have written timelines separately and then retrofitted chapters where I think they will work, hoping that, somehow, the markers will align. I do not recommend it – my anxiety was always high. This time, I had learned a lesson. I wrote chapter by chapter, relishing the switch between Anna and Billy, between historical periods, between place as well. I believe it worked, bringing together two unique young women whose voices and stories will keep readers compelled to turn the page.

My Teeth in Your Heart is OUT NOW and published by UCLan Publishing

Joanna Nadin

A former broadcast journalist and special adviser to the Prime Minister (not this one), since leaving politics Joanna Nadin has written more than 90 books for children and adults, including the UK bestselling The Worst Class in the World series, the Flying Fergus series with Sir Chris Hoy, and the Carnegie-nominated Joe All Alone, No Man’s Land and Calamity of Mannerings. 
She has been a World Book Day author, a Blue Peter book of the month and Radio 4 and the i magazine Book of the Year, won the Fantastic Book Award and the Highland Book Prize, and been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Queen of Teen and the Big Book Awards among many others, and is published across multiple territories. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and is a Senior Lecturer in the subject at University of Bristol, as well as teaching for the Arvon Foundation.

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

article, Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, on writing, Writing craft

Refugee Week 2024: Seven Million Sunflowers by Malcolm Duffy

paperboundmag

Interview by Jayne Leadbetter

Sofiia Marchenko was 18 years old when she arrived from Ukraine to stay with Malcolm Duffy and his family. Over the year that Sofiia and her mother and grandmother lived there, Sofiia became the inspiration for Malcolm’s story, Seven Million Sunflowers, providing insight into the experiences of a teenage refugee. We were lucky enough to chat to both Malcolm and Sofiia.

Interview with Malcolm Duffy

Could you tell us a little about your book, Seven Million Sunflowers?

This is a book I wish I didn’t have to write.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, it affected so many lives across the world. Including our own. Having joined the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and inviting the Marchenko family into our home, I discovered the strength, resilience and humility of the Ukrainian people. I learnt what it was like to have to flee a conflict, and adapt to a new country, new language, new culture.

This was the inspiration for my story, Seven Million Sunflowers.

Writing is like making a meal – all the ingredients are important. But I think there was one key ingredient – acceptance.

This novel has many themes, from resilience and acceptance of different cultures to coping with post-traumatic stress disorder and the changing dynamics of a family, to name a few. Were any themes most important for you to include as the writer?

Writing is like making a meal – all the ingredients are important. But I think there was one key ingredient – acceptance. To what extent can you accept strangers in your home, accept the views of others, accept different cultures? This applies to both the hosts and the guests. 

The opening paragraph and description of the attack on Kateryno’s building is so vivid – the burst pipes, flames and fire grounds you in the present. What kind of research did you do to help write the book?

I wanted to start the book in as dramatic a way as possible. The story doesn’t reflect Sofiia’s escape from Ukraine, but it does reflect the experience of many Ukrainians, especially those living near the front line, like those in Kharkiv.

The idea for the chapter came from a real event where a Russian missile struck an apartment block in Dnipro, Ukraine. A young woman, Anastasia Shvets, was on the 5th floor of the building. 236 apartments were destroyed and many people were killed, including her parents, but she somehow survived. A photographer captured her, clinging to a small green teddy, as she sat in the rubble far above the city.

The topics you’ve written about must have been very sensitive to discuss with Sofiia. How did you both feel talking about what happened?

For me it’s important to remember that this is fiction, based on fact. It’s not Sofiia’s story or that of her family. I spoke to many Ukrainians when writing the story, as well as reading books and articles on the conflict. The characters are an amalgam of different people I’ve met, and stories I’ve heard.

Sofiia helped me understand the feelings of Ukrainians, the anger and sadness at having been forced from their homeland. 

It’s interesting how you describe both external and internal conflicts: the war in Ukraine and Georgia and Marko’s relationship under the same roof. What were some of the challenges you faced as a father inviting a family into your home?

The Marchenkos were a delightful family to have in our home. They kept themselves to themselves, were respectful of us and our home, and helped us when they could. The drama in the book came from stories I’d heard from various sources about problems between host families and their Ukrainian guests. Sometimes the host family were at fault, sometimes the Ukrainians. I wanted to reflect this in Seven Million Sunflowers.

Although this is a work of fiction, you’ve based the book on your personal experience. Do any of the characters in the book resemble you in any way?

I don’t think any of the characters in the book resemble me. Having said that I like to include elements of human nature that mean a lot to me – humour, empathy, kindness, understanding.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

Yes, I’m working on a new YA book at the moment, but I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it!

Interview with Sofiia Marchenko

The opening to this novel is very powerful. The description of everyday things such as the guitar, desk etc. all upside down amid the fear and the deafness is so vivid. I was almost choking from the smoke. How much of this was true to your story?

I was fortunate enough not to live too close to Russia unlike the heroine of Malcolm’s story. I am fortunate enough that my flat is still not damaged. But I think the early morning of 24th February was frightening for everyone. I woke up from the explosions. Although we all knew war was coming – I didn’t expect to feel it myself in central Ukraine so soon. My town is of an average size – it has 250,000 people. But even this small town experienced some damage during the ongoing Russian invasion. First missiles, then a few months later drones etc.

I was very frightened although I tried not to show it to my friends and family. On the day of the 24th, the first thing I did was go to the local corner shop and buy champagne and my favourite chocolate. This has always amused me but now I understand I probably was thinking they might be my last days on this earth so I’m gonna celebrate my life. After having those for breakfast I didn’t eat anything at all for the next 3-4 days.

On the day of the 24th, the first thing I did was go to the local corner shop and buy champagne and my favourite chocolate.

Kat defends and protects her mother by not translating certain negative conversations. Did you ever have this experience?

We definitely didn’t have a negative experience with our host family. Malcolm and his wife and children are super sweet and supportive. But there definitely were some moments outside of our host family’s house (like dealing with the search for work and accommodation) that were stressful and I didn’t always translate everything to my mum for the sake of her wellbeing. I know she likes to solve problems and support me but with her not being able to speak English, it really left her feeling helpless and I didn’t want to add to that.

Malcolm and Sofiia

Was it difficult adapting to rules in someone else’s home?

As I mentioned earlier – our host family were super sweet and understanding. It wasn’t difficult to adapt to their rules, we are really lucky we met them. We are still friends and love babysitting for their lovely dog Layla sometimes.

What was hard for me was the lack of personal space which I always had growing up. I am an only child and my parents were working a lot, so I had a lot of moments being alone in the house. I am not used to having many people around, so this was hard. I always had some anxiety, even back in Ukraine when we had some guests visiting, so even though our host family were the loveliest and the most understanding people ever, I did miss being alone sometimes – this is an environment where I regain my strength and resources to carry on in difficult times.

How did it feel being in the UK, while people you knew and cared about were still in your homeland?

Definitely a lot of guilt. Feeling you are the lucky one who got away and survived and can carry on having a normal life.

The book is excellent at describing the emotions of a person having to deal with all the mixed feelings of living in two different worlds…

What do you think of the final book, Seven Million Sunflowers?

I have read it and I do love it! I think it is amazing of Malcolm to address this issue through a powerful story like this, and it’s definitely a compelling and moving story. It describes all the difficulties a young Ukrainian teenager faces when escaping the war and having to live a ‘normal’ life while having loved ones in danger every day.

The book is excellent at describing the emotions of a person having to deal with all the mixed feelings of living in two different worlds on the same continent where one is full of chaos and death and other one is peaceful and carefree.

Do you still live in the UK? If so, what are you doing? What plans have you got for the future?

I still live in the UK. We are renting a flat with my mum in a nice area. Currently I am teaching piano classes, mostly to kids, and finishing my Communications degree online. For now, I just want to take time to think about what I actually want and what I am going to do next. To be honest, I didn’t have much time to think about that before.

Seven Million Sunflowers is OUT NOW and published by Zephyr

Refugee Week runs from June 17th to 23rd 2024. Read more about it here.

Malcolm Duffy

Malcolm was born and bred in Newcastle upon Tyne and now lives in Surrey. After a typical Geordie childhood, his parents moved south and deposited him in South East England. Having acquired a Law degree at Warwick University he worked his way through a host of London advertising agencies, picking up numerous awards for copy, press, TV and radio.
Having left ad-land he worked as Creative Director of Comic Relief, creating campaigns for Red Nose Day and Sport Relief. It was at Comic Relief that he was inspired to swap copywriting for writing and wrote his first novel, Me Mam. Me Dad. Me. His books have all been issue based, with much of the information gleaned from his work for different charities – Comic Relief (domestic violence), Shelter (homelessness), Nessy (dyslexia) and Combat Stress (PTSD).
He’s supported in his efforts by his New Zealand wife Jann, and daughters Tallulah and Tabitha, who, under the threat of withholding pocket money, seem to like what he writes.
Find out more at malcolmduffy.com and follow him @malcolmduffyUK

Huge thanks to Jayne Leadbetter for preparing the interview questions. Jayne has also reviewed Seven Million Sunflowers in our Spring/Summer 2024 issue, which you can download for FREE here.

Jayne Leadbetter

Jayne Leadbetter emigrated to Australia from the UK and is a high school teacher at a multicultural high school in Sydney, where she lives on the land of the Gadigal and Bidjigal people. She’s currently studying for a master’s degree in creative writing at university and is in the process of writing two novels, while enjoying the nature and the beaches of Australia with her huge dog Clifford.

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

article, Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, on writing, Writing craft

C.G. Moore on Writing in Verse: The Joys and Challenges, plus extract of new novel Trigger

paperboundmag

YA author C.G. Moore shares his tips on writing in verse and what inspired him to write his new novel, Trigger. Plus, keep reading to see an opening extract of the book below.

*Trigger warning: sexual assault

Writing in a form where – for me – every word on the page has to matter and contribute to something that’s incredibly personal is always a challenge. Taking the smaller moments of my experience with sexual assault and being able to magnify them so that each poem – each piece of the puzzle – comes together to give the reader an insight into some of the difficult issues faced by those affected was crucial. Free verse allows me to play with language, typography and placement on the page to create something that’s not only impactful but will hopefully stay with the reader long after they’ve finished it. 

I think there’s a common misconception about verse novels that because the word count is significantly less than that of a prose novel, that it is somehow easier to write and takes less time. This isn’t the case and, in fact, I’ve found I write prose novels more quickly than I write verse novels. While there are so many fantastic benefits of verse form, it is not without its challenges.

I need to know the story I’m trying to tell and how much of it is inspired by my own experiences so that I’m not muddying the waters of what I’m trying to get readers to take away from the story. My new book – Trigger – is inspired by my own personal experiences of sexual assault but they differ greatly to those of my protagonist, Jay. It’s important to recognise the boundary between inspiration and fiction. I need to channel Jay’s narrative voice while ensuring that my own experiences don’t override my character’s.

Every word on the page matters so completing the novel is the first step in a chain of several. It’s ensuring every individual poem is doing what it needs to and that every word on the page is necessary. It’s understanding what’s working well and re-writing certain sections to strengthen the story so it can have maximum impact. It’s giving the reader smaller moments to breathe between some of the more dramatic scenes. It’s a balancing act and I’m not sure Trigger would have been the book it is today without the guidance of my dear friend, Jake Hope, or indeed the wonderful team at Little Island Books.

For anyone that wants to write in verse, I’d say to enjoy the process, kick the editorial devil on your shoulder to the side and let the words fly. First drafts will never be perfect but take joy in the creative process or you’ll find the challenges that much greater. It can take a while to find your narrative voice in verse but don’t let the challenge outweigh the creative freedom that the form has and most of all, trust and enjoy the process.

See below an extract of the opening of Trigger:

HOLLOW
I don’t remember
Anything from that night.


I don’t remember
How I got
The bruises down my thighs.


I don’t remember
How I woke up there,
Wet grass splayed around me.


I don’t remember
When they scooped out
All of me
From this hollow husk
Of a body.

THE PARK
Head heavy,
Lifeless limbs,
Muddled mind –
Every sound
Slices through my being,
A waterfall of sensations
Drowning me.


I feel for my phone,
Fingertips grazing the cracks.
Hold down the power button.


Nothing.


A golf ball
Whizzes overhead.
I get to my feet,
Stumble into tree cover,
Face drenched in sweat,
Dried blood and
Fresh tears.

Trigger is OUT NOW and published by Little Island.

C.G. Moore

C. G. (or Chris) Moore is the published author of three books. His second book – Gut Feelings – explored his own experiences living with chronic illness and was nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Medal and won the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year Award 2022. His new book – Trigger – is inspired by his own experiences of sexual assault and looks at consent. 
Chris has also contributed a poem to Our Rights – an anthology endorsed by Amnesty International. He also works as a Campaign Officer for The Reading Agency where he leads on digital events and supports libraries and schools across the UK. 

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

article, Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, on writing, Writing craft

Journey from Blogger to Author by Amy McCaw

paperboundmag

Author of the Mina and the Undead trilogy, Amy McCaw, writes about her journey from reader to blogger to author!

Being a blogger definitely gave me an advantage when it came to getting my first book deal. The contacts, publishing knowledge and events I went to all played a part in becoming an author.

I became a blogger after attending a workshop at the Young Adult Literary Convention (YALC) about starting your own blog. I’d wanted to create a blog for ages, but I lacked the confidence to take the plunge. The workshop was run by several bloggers, including the brilliant Chelley Toy and Andrew (Pewter Wolf). Doing the workshop walked me through the technical side of blogging and offered lots of practical tips. I’m so glad I started my blog, as this was the moment I really joined the book community. I’ve made lots of friends and had so many lovely experiences since then!

As a blogger, I was invited to various book events. This gave me a really good insight into the publishing industry through conversing with authors and publishing staff. It also gave me lots of contacts, which were useful when it came to reaching out to authors for blurbs and reviewers to read my book.

I was also asked to participate in lots of online book marketing. This was really helpful for when I became an author, because I’d been involved in lots of successful campaigns, and it gave me good ideas for my own.

The next big landmark in my publication journey was getting a place on the Write Mentor summer mentoring program. I learned about it on social media and was so excited to be paired with an author mentor, Marisa Noelle. There was an agent showcase at the end of the process, and I found it a great opportunity to polish my book and get my work seen by agents. Write Mentor are still doing amazing work for aspiring authors, and I highly recommend checking out what they offer.

While I was on the summer mentoring program, I attended the Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC). This was probably one of the most important decisions I made on my journey to become an author. There are lots of workshops about the publishing industry and opportunities to meet authors and publishers. This particular year, they were also running agent 1:1 pitching sessions. I pitched to several agents, but Sandra Sawicka really loved my idea and asked to read the book. She soon offered representation, which was another massive milestone.

After editing my book with Sandra, we went out on submission to publishers. Being a blogger had given me realistic expectations about how long this would take and what it would feel like to get rejections, so I felt really prepared for the process.

I’d been on submission for a few weeks when the next YALC came around. This time, I got talking to Hazel from UCLan Publishing. She asked Sandra to submit my book to her, and they offered to publish Mina and the Undead a few weeks later. Once again, being a blogger and attending YALC gave me a brilliant advantage.

Being part of the book community was so useful at every stage of the publication process and it has definitely helped me to navigate the often very challenging waters of publishing!

Mina and the Undead, Mina and the Slayers, and the most recent addition to the series, Mina and the Cult, are all OUT NOW and published by UCLan Publishing.

Amy McCaw

Amy McCaw is a YA author and YouTuber. She’s the author of the Mina and the Undead series, YA murder mysteries set in 1995 New Orleans. She also co-curated the A Taste of Darkness horror anthology with Maria Kuzniar. Her main interests are books, movies and the macabre, and her novels have elements of all of these. Unsurprisingly, she’s a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and has gone to conventions to meet James Marsters more times than she cares to admit.

If you want to talk with Amy about books or 90s movies, you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube.

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, Writing craft

Interview: Robin Jarvis on the relaunch of his popular Deptford Mice series, starting with the release of Book One: ‘The Dark Portal’

paperboundmag

Is there anything better than reading a much-loved classic from our childhood? Join us on the PaperBound Blog as we chat with fantasy author Robin Jarvis all about the return of his tantalisingly dark-edged series, The Deptford Mice, starting with Book One: The Dark Portal.

Your book, The Dark Portal, is the first in a series that captivated many readers’ imaginations over the years, and is now back with an updated text and brand new illustrations. Can you tell us a little more about it, and why you decided to give a new lease of life to this series?

Daniel Seton, editor at Pushkin Children’s Books contacted me and said he’d love to reissue the series, as he was a fan of the mice back in the day. It’s also the 35th anniversary too, so it was absolutely the right time and it’s given me the chance to cram as many new illustrations in there as possible.

You are returning to this series after working on other things for a number of years. Are you excited about inspiring a new generation of readers? What are you looking forward to most?

I was actually a bit nervous at first, as it’s been a while since I last ventured into those Deptford sewers, but the characters have never been far from my thoughts. They really have continued to live out their lives in my head, so I know what they’ve been up to. I hope new readers will be able to dive into that world and be excited and a bit scared by it. I’ve had brilliant feedback already from the original fans who now have children of their own, and it’s been such a pleasure to hear that the stories have stayed with them all this time.

The best stories are those with fright and menace in them. From a young age I watched anything with a monster in and enjoyed escaping into other worlds.

What do you think readers gain from your books, and do you think elements of fear in stories for younger readers can be a good thing?

Oh absolutely. The best stories are those with fright and menace in them. The original versions of fairy tales contained some really gruesome aspects, such as the stepsisters hacking off their toes and heels to squeeze their feet into the slipper, or the wicked queen in Snow White being made to wear red hot iron shoes and dance until she dropped dead. When I was young (a very long time ago) I was mad about monsters – still am. The scares in my books are safe scares. The threats are fantastical, the sort you’d never encounter in real life. I like to think of my books as white knuckle reads.

Is there anything you had to change when coming back to this book as you thought about it for a new audience?

Yes, apart from giving the writing a good old dusting, there were certain things that I wasn’t comfortable with, such as the Raddle sisters, two elderly mice who I originally described as ‘old maids’. Deary me, that had to go. The biggest change was Madame Akkikuyu, over recent years I’ve noticed she’s attracted criticism because some people thought there was a racial element and bolted human concerns onto her. She was a black rat, as in her fur was black, just as Piccadilly’s fur is grey and Oswald’s is white, but they all have pink skin. In fact, if Akkikuyu’s skin wasn’t pink, the tattoo on her ear wouldn’t stand out and that’s the big plot point of The Crystal Prison. Still, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about her, so her fur is now a rich brown instead and the bone with which she stirred her potions has become a key from a tin of corned beef – which is a much better image anyway.

Your writing has been described as Brian Jacques’ Redwall meets Kieran Larwood’s Podkin One-Ear books. What other stories, writers or media have you been influenced by in your own writing?

From a young age I watched anything with a monster in and enjoyed escaping into other worlds. The Green Knowe series was a favourite, as was Tolkien.

You’ve had such a creative career so far. Do you have any tips for readers wanting to write or do something creative with their future?

Just read and absorb everything, until you decide what stories/styles/themes/characters you enjoy the most and that should give you an idea of what you want to do. 

The Dark Portal by Robin Jarvis is published by Pushkin Children’s Books and out now. The next two books in the series, The Crystal Prison and The Final Reckoning, will be released in June and autumn of this year.

Robin Jarvis

When Robin isn’t writing, he’s probably making something, usually a creature from one of his books to take with him to events and signings. It’s something he’s always done.

Before he started writing, he was a model maker and he gets grumpy if he can’t make something. It’s so much easier now he has a resin printer, no more mess on the kitchen table for weeks on end. At the moment he’s making Madame Akkikuyu, which brings him full circle, as he first made a wearable version of her all the way back at the beginning, 35 years ago. 

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, Writing craft

Interview: Rebeka Shaid on her debut coming of age YA romance ‘Seven Days’

paperboundmag

Join us on the PaperBound Blog as we chat with YA author Rebeka Shaid all about her stunning coming of age debut, Seven Days, which is set in Bristol, UK.

Your book, Seven Days, is a brand-new contemporary YA debut set in Bristol, UK. Can you tell our readers a little more about it, and what inspired you to write this story?

Seven Days is a diverse YA romance about two teenagers, sassy Noori and troubled Aamir, who are struggling to understand where they belong in this world after experiencing tragedy. It’s a story about finding yourself after losing yourself, but it’s also a story about finding love and hope in unlikely places.

I was inspired to write a contemporary YA novel that discusses topics many teenagers are confronted with: first love, family relationships, but also questions of identity. To me it was also about representation because Noori is of mixed heritage and Aamir’s parents are immigrants, which reflects my own upbringing. I can’t think of that many YA novels that look at what it’s like to grow up between different cultures so I wanted to write a story that my 16-year-old self would probably have enjoyed!

This novel takes place over a span of seven days. Did you always know you wanted to set it within this time frame? If yes, did you have to plot meticulously with that in mind?

If truth be told, I never plan anything meticulously these days! But it was always clear to me that I wanted to write a relatively fast-paced story that takes place over seven days. I knew how the story would end and begin but everything else developed organically.

My journey to publication was not straightforward. It took years before Seven Days got published – and it’s also not the first novel I wrote!

Both main characters, Noori and Aamir, are suffering devastating losses in their lives – and dealing with them in their own ways – when they first meet. Did these characters and their struggles come to you easily while writing this book, or did you have to dig deep to figure this out?

Writing about loss is something that is very natural to me. In fact, while I was drafting Seven Days I was still in the early stages of my grief journey so it was cathartic to write about two grieving teenagers because I could easily identify with their feelings and thoughts about loss. It was not that difficult for me to create these two characters, and their struggles certainly feel real to me.

Noori is fiercely loyal and determined. How did it feel to write a character like her, compared to Aamir who seems more self-conscious? Do you have a favourite between the two?

I love both Noori and Aamir. They are almost complete opposites but still manage to find common ground and learn so much from each other. I had fun exploring their personalities and, admittedly, there is a bit of me in both of them. Noori is so bold while Aaamir tends to be more introspective, even if he doesn’t show it in conventional ways. I find it difficult to pick a favourite but if absolutely had to, I’d go for Noori because she might not always think things through but has such a big heart.

Do you have any kind of writing routine and, if so, can you tell us what it might look like?

My almost five-month-old baby has thrown any routine out the window! But I tend to be someone who writes in the evenings because that’s the only time I can make space for writing without getting distracted.

This is your debut book for young adults. Can you tell us a little about your journey to publication, and if you have any advice for aspiring writers?

My journey to publication was not straightforward. While I was lucky enough to find my incredible agent within weeks of querying literary agencies, it took years before Seven Days got published – and it’s also not the first novel I wrote! My advice to aspiring authors is: keep writing and don’t get disheartened by rejections – they are part of the process and are not a reflection of you or your abilities as a writer.

Are you working on anything else at the moment? What can readers expect from you next?

Trying to! It’s a bit tricky to find proper time for writing at the moment but I’m working on a rough outline for my next YA novel.

Seven Days by Rebeka Shaid (£8.99, Walker Books) is available now.

Rebeka Shaid

Rebeka was raised in a multicultural household, surrounded by piles of books, nosy siblings and lots of mythical trees that are known as the Black Forest. Growing up she wanted to be a snake charmer or ventriloquist, but that (luckily) didn’t pan out. Instead, she turned to words and writing. After doing sensible adult things like going to university, working as a business journalist, and becoming a mum, she decided to pen a YA novel.

In her writing, she likes to explore themes of identity, loss, and coming-of-age. Rebeka lives in Germany.

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, Writing craft

Interview: YA author Melissa Welliver chats about her new dystopian romcom ‘Soulmates and Other Ways to Die’

paperboundmag

by Steve Blackman

In this interview on the PaperBound blog, YA author Melissa Welliver chats to our regular contributor Steve Blackman about her brand new release Soulmates and Other Ways to Die.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and this story?

Of course! My name is Melissa Welliver and I write speculative novels, most recently dystopian YA with a dash of romance and comedy. I live in the North of England with my dogs and I run a community online for kidlit writers called the WriteMentor hub. I am also a co-host of The Chosen Ones and Other Tropes, a podcast based around trending tropes in commercial fiction.

This story was actually born from playing online games in a team arena. One game I played had a rule where if one member of the team took damage, the whole team lost health points. And I thought, what a fun idea to bring into the real world! I love a dash of romance in everything I write, and I thought this specific idea would work really well in the exploration of the Soulmate trope. In Soulmates, if you feel pain, so does your significant other. And if they die… you die too.

In writing Soulmates, to what extent were you inspired by real world apps? And is there an app you couldn’t live without?

For anyone who hasn’t read the book, there is an app mentioned that can match you to your soulmate. This is partly practical as it’s good to know who the other person is that could possibly, accidentally, kill you, but also it’s essentially a dating app – but with all the choices removed. Imagine that there is no swiping right or left – there’s one answer, and that’s who you are tied to forever. Nightmare! To be honest, many elements of the app were inspired by the NHS covid app that would register whether you were vaccinated and whether you had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive. I wanted to ask the question: is it a good thing to track ourselves so closely? Can there be good and bad elements to these sorts of closely tracked government apps?

As for my own apps, I’ve turned off all my notifications on my phone, so for my social media, I have to open the app to see if I’ve had any messages. I find this stops me checking my phone so much when I’m out and about in real life with friends! But my favourite app, as a bit of a prepper myself, is what.three.words. It’s an app that can pinpoint your location to a 3m by 3m area, no address needed, with three simple words. Very helpful in an emergency to let people know where you are – just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean I’m wrong!

So are soulmates real? Maybe. Read the book to find out.

There’s a diverse cast of interesting characters in Soulmates. Were any of them based on anyone we’d have heard of?

So obviously, the correct answer is, of course not! But if Argo Duff, the eccentric billionaire app owner who bought a social media franchise and has some interesting dating habits, and is a little more than a bit controlling, reminds you of anyone… then that’s on you.

Do you think we have just one soulmate? (Dogs don’t count, sorry.)

Ah, I love dogs too, they absolutely count! But aside from doggo pals – I’m very much someone who believes we make our own luck and destiny in life. A soulmate is whatever we make of it – in the book, I was keen to explore the concept of choice versus control, and whether having a soulmate thrust upon you – until death do you very literally part – are they truly your soulmate anyway? I also wanted to explore different types of love – platonic love, familial love, asexual love, romantic love – who says a soulmate has to be what dating apps tell us they are? There are many different kinds of love, and soulmate means something different to everyone. So are soulmates real? Maybe. Read the book to find out.

Your books tend towards the apocalyptic and dystopian. How do you think you’d survive at the end of the world?

Honestly, I’m not as fit and prepared as Zoe in the novel, who is a world class doomsdayer, but I’d like to think I’d have a chance of not going out in the first wave of whatever it is taking us out! I carry around a rechargeable battery pack, plus some gadgets like trackers that I allow my family to follow so we would always know our last movements in an emergency. My Dad is from LA, so he also gave me an emergency earthquake kit when I went to uni (in deepest darkest Leeds. Earthquake central, of course) that consisted of a torch, matches, spare batteries, all sorts of stuff. So even though I might not be the classic bad-ass female cutting my way through the hordes of zombies, I think I could find a pretty good place to hide until it all blows over.

You’re a notorious planner, and that allowed you to write this story in a month. Could you tell us a little about your process?

Sure! So it’s become a bit of a tradition now for me to write a novel in the month of January. I plot incessantly, so I use the more conventional NaNoWriMo (when a lot of writers write a novel in a month!) to plot each chapter of the book, and then have a break in December before coming back in January to write it. I write for 2 hours a day, between 10am-12pm, in concentrated writing sprints, and that usually nets me a chapter, or 3000 words. I’m not allowed to read back what I’ve written, or pause writing during the sprints, even if I’m getting stuck! It’s all about powering through to get that first draft down. And I usually write 25-30 chapters depending on the age range, so that gives me my month of writing quite neatly.

What else are you working on, which we can look forward to?

I have two books coming out this year, which is really exciting! Soulmates and Other Ways to Die is in March, and the re-release of my self-published book, The Undying Tower, is coming out with UCLan Publishing in August. While my Chicken House books all lean towards a slightly wacky take on the apocalypse, The Undying Tower is very much a dark dystopian in the same vein as The Hunger Games or Divergent, and is the first in a planned trilogy. I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of the redesigned cover, and to reach new readers through re-printing this book baby of mine!

What advice can you share with aspiring young writers?

Don’t listen to advice! Just kidding – well, sort of. Follow your writing heart and don’t let trends get in your way. The books you see on shelves right now were written and negotiated years ago, so there’s no point jumping on a bandwagon if your heart isn’t in it, just because you think it will sell. Write what you love and it will come across in the writing, so readers will love it too. Also, don’t give up! It’s a long old road, publishing – you’ll get there. The only difference between a published author and an unpublished author is perseverance.

Melissa Welliver

Melissa Welliver writes Young Adult Speculative novels. She works at WriteMentor and runs the Community Writing Hub for Children’s writers. She has two dystopian rom-coms, My Love Life and the Apocalypse and Soulmates and Other Ways to Die, published with Chicken House Books. The first in her dark dystopian trilogy, The Undying Tower, will be published by UCLan in August 2024.

She can be found across social media under @melliver, and on tiktok under @melissawelliver.

Soulmates and Other Ways to Die is published by Chicken House Books and released 14 March 2024.

Steve Blackman

Like his career, Steve’s writing is filled with tech and engineering, although his speculative thrillers tend to have higher stakes and fewer meetings. Before working as a copywriter and editor, he was a consultant, a magazine editor, a communications director, a product designer and a webcaster, though not at the same time. Home is South London, where he lives with his wife and teenage daughters. They wish he’d stop saying, ‘What if…’

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, Writing craft

Interview: A. J. Clack chats all about her debut YA thriller ‘Lie or Die’!

paperboundmag

We are so excited to share an interview with A. J. Clack, author of Lie or Die – a Mafia meets The Traitors style reality-TV based YA thriller where winning the game becomes the least of their problems when, one by one, the contestants start dying for real …

Could you tell us a little about Lie or Die?

Lie or Die is a twisty, dark YA thriller set in a Reality TV game show. It follows 17-year-old Kass Kennedy who auditions for the show to help her fame obsessed best friend, Thea. Once in the game Kass soon realises that not everything is as it seems and, as the contestants start dying for real, Kass realises that they are trapped in a TV show set with someone who isn’t here to play. To survive Kass must figure out who the real killer is and find a way out.

Reality TV just got real!

You’ve worked in television before. Did this inspire any elements of the book?

I did! Lie or Die’s setting is inspired by my time as a Production Manager for Fountain Television Studios in Wembley, the biggest TV studio in Europe. It was my job to oversee the shows that came in, working closely with each production to make sure they had the crew, equipment, facilities, hospitality and celebrity care they required. I worked on a number of shows with a great deal of celebrities, directors and crew, giving me quite a thorough and unique insight into the world of TV and celebrity. My (now) husband worked on all the reality shows, from Big Brother, X Factor to I’m a Celeb so I had a real insight into reality TV from the inside. When I had the idea to make a Mafia type murder mystery game show, it seemed natural to place it in a reality TV setting.

There was one character in particular who I really didn’t want to kill, but realised I had no choice! Sorry – I can’t tell you which one **spoiler**.

There are many gruesome and creative deaths in Lie or Die. Were any particularly difficult to write, or did you have fun thinking them up?

I had great fun thinking them up! (I obviously need to get out more.) I read and watch a lot of psychological horror and thrillers and grew up reading the masters of horror, James Herbert and Stephen King, so I had a lot to fall back on. It was great to let my imagination run wild – as a TV show I had the freedom to do pretty much anything. There was one character in particular who I really didn’t want to kill, but realised I had no choice! Sorry – I can’t tell you which one **spoiler**.

What top tips would you give someone planning on writing a YA thriller?

Thrillers take a lot of planning, which is something I’m not very good at! I like to go with the flow and let the story evolve, but I think thrillers need more structure. Don’t forget to leave breadcrumbs, little clues for the reader to pick up along the way and of course red herrings, you can have lots of fun with them! I kept asking myself – what would the characters try to do next?  Then I would show the characters doing just that and failing, starting with the most obvious and then moving onto the next possibility. The reader will expect those questions to be answered.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Can you tell us a little about your writing process?

Ahh like I mentioned above I am a natural born panster. I like to have a loose outline, a chapter ‘in’ point and an ‘out’ point and then have the freedom to get from A – B. It’s harder to do that with tightly plotted thrillers, and this one was quite complicated, being a game, set within a reality murder mystery game, set inside a television studio. I tend to get a first draft out quite quickly – it’s terrible but at least then I have something to go back over and work on. It’s like placing the foundations and the scaffold of the story. Later, when I feel secure enough, I take most of it away.

This is your debut novel. What advice would you give someone about to embark on a similar journey? Have there been any particular highlights?

There have been some fantastic highlights such as being a finalist in the Undiscovered Voices 2022 Anthology. There have also been some difficult lows, including a novel going out on submission the first week of the Covid lockdown and disappearing into the pandemic ether, losing my agent and having to start all over again. But along the way I have won competitions and made many, many amazing writing friends and found representation with my new and fabulous agent, Saskia Leach. I would recommend to any new writer not to try to do this alone; it’s hard, you need a community of writers around you to support you and pick you up and also to help celebrate all those little wins along the way.

What are you reading and enjoying at the moment?

I am loving Mirror Me by Jan Dunning, a fairy tale retelling set in the fashion world and I have just started Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.

Lie or Die is published on 7th March 2024 by Firefly Press.

A.J. Clack

A. J. Clack moved from a small village in Wales to London to pursue a career in television. She worked on a huge range of shows from Teletubbies to Friends, while also writing plays for the Edinburgh Fringe and development scripts/pilots for children’s television. She now lives in Essex with a handful of teenagers and can often be found freezing on the side of a football pitch.

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, Writing craft

Interview: Costa-Award shortlisted author Nicholas Bowling talks about recent release: ‘The Undying of Obedience Wellrest’

paperboundmag

We were pleased to catch up with Costa Award shortlisted author Nicholas Bowling all about his recent release The Undying of Obedience Wellrest – a novel deliciously described as Jane Austen meets Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Could you tell us a little about your book, The Undying of Obedience Wellrest?

It’s a fairly straightforward fantasy-tinged gothic-horror-comedy-semi-romance. It’s set in the early nineteenth century, and it’s about a young gravedigger (Ned) who crosses paths with an aristocratic teenage girl (Bede) who is trying to make progress as an amateur chemist and escape an arranged marriage. So, sort of Jane Austen meets Frankenstein. It’s told from both their points of view and sees them weaving in and out of danger and death and friendship and maybe (maybe?) love.

This is a brilliantly gothic story that combines science with mystery, death, feminism, and a sprinkle of magic. Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

Sometimes a whole book, and a whole world, seems to arrive in my brain fully formed, but this one actually started from a much smaller seed. Originally it was all about Ned and Pa’s relationship. I had an image of a grandfather and grandson gravedigging team – I think originally they solved mysteries, or fought demons, or something. And I liked the idea of a parish churchyard as a little self-contained world. I was reading Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived In The Castle at the time, and found the voice of Merricat very inspiring. I loved the idea of writing from the point of view of the weirdest, most isolated character in the story – the point of view of the “monster” really. So the protagonist is on the outside of acceptable society looking in, but, in their own mind, is actually on the inside looking out.

Originally it was set in the 21st century, but once there were body snatchers involved it made more sense to take place in the 19th century. And once it was set there and then, all the interesting stuff about early science and the Enlightenment and the links to Frankenstein started to make itself felt. And Bede emerged from that, as an intelligent, headstrong young woman ensnared in the mores of that era. It’s no coincidence that Bede is short for “Obedience”. It’s really, really fun writing a character who is much smarter and more furious than you are.

It’s really, really fun writing a character who is much smarter and more furious than you are.

All of the characters here are so unique, and brought to life so wonderfully in your writing. Do you have a process when creating your characters, or do they materialise in the page?

As pretentious and cliched as it sounds, I really do just listen and watch them and see what they do. I probably have a subconscious blueprint for each character somewhere in my brain – maybe an amalgam of certain people I’ve met, either in real life or in books – but it’s not like I draw up a spreadsheet of their traits and histories before I write about them. It really is just about following a feeling you have about them. And it’s nice to be surprised when they reveal something of their character or their past to you.

Do you have a favourite character from your book (Mosca?), and why?

Obvious to say, but I loved both Ned and Bede. Ned because I think he’s the person I actually am (quiet, introspective, a bit odd) and Bede because she’s the person I often would like to be (smart, self-assuredl, a zinger for every occasion). Perhaps they really are two halves of my psyche.  They make a perfect unlikely pairing.

Mosca? I still feel like there’s so much mystery around him. I don’t even know what he’s thinking or feeling. Maybe I’ll write a companion piece to the main book that’s just his internal monologue, all in stream of consciousness fly-speak.

You have an insanely good opening line. Did this come to you straight away or was it something you came back to and developed later? Any tips for aspiring writers trying to write their own attention grabbing first line?

Thank you very much! I think I said this on Twitter (sorry, X). Those were literally the first words I wrote. The first words of the first chapter of the first draft, maybe four years ago. And that line stayed at the top of the Word document through all of the many, many drafts and edits. I think the only thing I had to change was Ned’s age. I knew when I first put the line down that it was a keeper. Sometimes things like that come to you and you can’t quite believe it and you give yourself the rest of the day off.

I don’t know if I have any tips or secrets about an opening line. I suppose a good opener is always really a question in disguise. A tiny, self-enclosed, one line mystery.

There are fabulous twists and turns in this book. Do you plot everything before you start, or do the details develop as you write? Do you have any advice on writing plot twists?

I think plotting is actually the thing I find hardest. I never plot in advance, at least not in any great detail, and always end up tying myself in knots. I never learn, but I also think the thing feels dead on the slab if every little nook and cranny of plot is already explored. But the really BIG twists, I do know about them in advance. Usually I have one prepped for about halfway, and one for the end, and if you’re aware of them then you can at least have some fun with red-herrings and easter eggs (pretty weird brunch recipe for you, there) as you’re writing.

What is your favourite part of the writing process? And are there any aspects you’re not so keen on?

Favourite bits – and I don’t think I’m alone here – are the very beginning and the very end. I still love the thrill of the blank page, of possibility, of creating something entirely new. And I love fine-tuning the prose at the very end, and putting in little nods and callbacks to the various twists and turns. Basically everything in between is all wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Structural edits in particular are like the worst, least fun, most labour-intensive game of Tetris you’ve ever played. 

Can you tell us about anything else you are working on at the moment?

I’m working up two ideas at the moment. One is an inverted Arthurian legend (can’t really say more than that, but it involves a young swineherd and a supremely unlikeable King Arthur). The other is a sort of ecological fable about a frozen giant. It’s like Ted Hughes’ The Iron Man, set in the Himalayas, reimagined by Studio Ghibli.

I also have a book for adults coming out in Jan 2025 under the name Nick Newman – but I really can’t tell you any more about that!

The Undying of Obedience Wellrest is out now and published by Chicken House Books.

Nicholas Bowling

Nicholas Bowling is the critically acclaimed, Costa Award-shortlisted author of Witchborn, In the Shadow of Heroes and Song of the Far Isles. He grew up in Chester and studied English and Classics at Oxford University. As well as writing, Nick has been a classics teacher, has co-written, recorded and released an album and two EPs and is now a bookseller. He lives in London but gets out when he can to climb mountains or swim in very, very cold water. .

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.

Blog, Blog series, Bookshelf, Interview, Interviews, Short stories, Writing craft

Interview: Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung on groundbreaking YA anthology ‘When We Become Ours’

paperboundmag

We are excited to share an interview with the editors of When We Become Ours, a YA anthology written by adoptees of all backgrounds, for adoptees, edited by award-winning authors Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung.

This book features a host of fantastic stories with the pull of one universal theme. Can you tell us a little more about it?

When We Become Ours is a young-adult fiction anthology by and for adoptees. In many ways, this is the book we wish we’d had when we were growing up. While adoption isn’t the central focus of every plot, every story is written by an adoptee author of colour and features a young adoptee as a protagonist. We don’t know of another book like it for teens, and hope it will be the first of many.

We don’t know of another book like it for teens, and hope it will be the first of many.

When We Become Ours covers a broad range of settings and genres, from school halls and newly forged friendships to feelings of loss set on entirely different planets. Was there a method in making sure each story had its own original narrative, or did they all come together easily?

That the collection is so strong and wide-ranging is really a testament to our contributors’ talent and creativity. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to put together an anthology that represented as many different adoptee perspectives and experiences as possible. In the end, it wasn’t terribly difficult to ensure the breadth and diversity of narratives, because (as expected) we received so many wonderful original stories for consideration, and no two were alike! The hardest part of the process was probably narrowing down our selections, since we only had room for a small number of stories.

What was it like to work on this book as a collaborative process?

After the book was sold and announced, we put out a call for stories and read every submission as it came in. As mentioned, it wasn’t easy to make our selections from such a large number, but luckily we were aligned on the stories that most excited us. Next we did a round of developmental (or big picture) edits on each story, followed by a round or two of more detailed line edits, with our fantastic Harper Teen editor, Megan Ilnitzki, weighing in at each stage. The entire process was really a labour of love—all of us involved felt very strongly about the importance of this project. Our authors were truly a pleasure to work with, which made it a fun and collaborative experience from start to finish.

How important is it for you to share these stories from an #ownvoices perspective, and what do you hope readers might get out of this anthology?

Despite the great and increasing diversity of YA literature by authors from marginalized backgrounds, adoptee-authored, adoptee-centered representation in literature for young people is still lacking. But, as we write in our Editors’ Note at the start of the book, we have always been here, and we know our imaginations and our stories are powerful. Our hope is that many readers will be able to see themselves, their feelings, their families, and their experiences reflected in these stories—an experience that is far too rare for young adoptees. At the same time, we think this is a book for everyone. We know that stories can entertain, teach, transform, and challenge us all, and we believe this anthology is one that anyone of any age can pick up and love.

We know that stories can entertain, teach, transform, and challenge us all, and we believe this anthology is one that anyone of any age can pick up and love.

When We Become Ours is out now and published by Harper Teen.

Nicole Chung

Nicole Chung is the bestselling author of All You Can Ever Know (2018) and A Living Remedy (2023) and the co-editor of several anthologies, including When We Become Ours. Born and adopted in Seattle, raised in Oregon, she now lives in the Washington, DC area. @nicolesjchung on Instagram + Twitter | nicolechung.net

Shannon Gibney

Shannon Gibney lives and writes in Minneapolis. Her work spans multiple genres, and she is the author of Dream Country (2018) and See No Color (2015), YA novels that won Minnesota Book Awards. Her newest novel is The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption (Dutton, 2023). @shannonelainegibney on Instagram | shannongibney.com

PaperBound Magazine is an online magazine for the young, and the young at heart. We are dedicated to showcasing authors and illustrators for children’s and young adult fiction and we strive to deliver inspiring content, uplifting stories, and top tips for young and aspiring writers yet to burst on to the literary scene.

All our issues are completely free and run by volunteers, however if you would like to support PaperBound and the work we do, you can help us out by buying us a virtual book. We appreciate any support you can give us!

Don’t forget you can read with the latest issues of PaperBound Magazine – completely free – here.