Hi! Is it blisteringly hot where you are? We’re melting here in Los Angeles, and I’ve never been so grateful for air conditioning, iced coffee, iced matcha, giant drinks filled with ice…you get the picture. Summer has decided to make an overly-dramatic exit 🙁
This is basically me.
I’m heading soon to two other HOT spots, but I’m thrilled because I’ve never visited these places before: Mississippi & New Orleans (aka NOLA). I’m looking forward to books, beignets, and jazz (along with more air conditioning, NOLA iced coffee, etc.). If you’re familiar with these places, please send “must do” travel tips my way.
SEPTEMBER EVENT – MISSISSIPPI BOOK FESTIVAL
If you’ll be anywhere near Jackson, MS on Saturday, September 14, please join me at the Mississippi Book Festival (or send your friends/family as your proxy!) Here are the details:
-
- Looking forward to meeting everyone!
-
- I’ll be there to chat about Sora’s Seashells.
Check out the official website for the entire lineup of authors & speakers. Here’s just a small selection of folks I’m hoping to meet (I can already sense that my inner fangirl is about to be unleashed!):
-
- Kate DiCamillo is a legend of children’s literature.
-
- Reading fellow Yale alum Rachel Khong’s Real Americans in time for the festival!
-
- Ann Patchett is not only a phenomenal novelist, but she also owns a fantastic independent bookstore AND she writes essays that I often quote from!
-
- Legendary journalist and author. His book about Chicago (Devil in the White City) was my intro to his work.
-
- A brilliant YA novelist, who just released her first thriller.
-
- I read this book earlier in the summer bc it got rave reviews in The NY Times!
-
- This book cover is just so “NOLA” to me.
NOVEMBER EVENT – SANTA FE SPRINGS LIBRARY
And if you’ll be in Southern California on Saturday, November 9th, I’ll be at the Santa Fe Springs Library at 3 pm. This is a storytime event, so bring your little ones and your book-related questions!
WHAT’S NEXT
I’ll be back soon with some fun updates, including a sneak peek into my upcoming book SHOES OFF, PLEASE. The illustrations from Australia-based artist Myo Yim are looking so charming and heartwarming, and I can’t wait for the book to make its way into the world on June 17, 2025.
In the meantime, please enjoy one of my favorite piano concertos — Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 played by the incredible Yunchan Lim (who was only 18 years old during this astounding performance at the Cliburn piano competition — he’s the youngest person to have ever won!). I would travel anywhere in the world to witness Yunchan play Rach 3, which stirred my soul ever since I first heard it as a child (the rendition I grew up with was by Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz). Yunchan’s entire performance is stellar, but around timestamp 40:40 to the end, he is on FIRE! I simply can’t believe this maestro is a mere 20 years old today.
Stay cool and stay safe!
Your friend,
Helena