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Author Silvia Acevedo signs her book THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA at Daydream Believer Books and Gifts in Lake Mills, Wisconsin

Miss P at Daydream Believer

What an amazing evening at Daydream Believer Books and Gifts! I met a delightful, outgoing, and inquisitive young lady, eight years old, whom I’ll call Miss P who’d read my story and a bunch more in The Haunted States of America and had so many great questions and comments during my talk. Miss P had a quick answer to my question why might it be that the illustrations in the book are all black and white (“Because it’s scarier!” Yes, that’s one great reason.), and she had her own super questions about a bunch of stories (“If a character has sharp teeth, are they a good guy or a bad guy?” Oh, my darling, how context matters.).

All the authors I’ve spoken with absolutely love when readers come having already read their stories. They ask SUCH great questions, and young readers especially have fascinating ideas and adorable insights. Well, needless to say, I had the best time. Thanks, Miss P. You made my night.

Here’s a pic of me signing Daydreamer’s stock of The Haunted States. If you’re considering picking up the book, please look at Daydreamer’s and support a beautiful local bookstore.

Author Silvia Acevedo signs her book THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA at Daydream Believer Books and Gifts in Lake Mills, Wisconsin

I’ve joined a book club–and I love it!

Picture of poster showing a girl holding a red book in front of her face. The poster reads, "That's what I do. I read books."I know, I know. It’s shouldn’t be big news if an author is part of a book club. But can I confess something here? **looks around sheepishly** I’ve never taken part in a regular book club.

As a kid, I read the books suggested by my school or library, but I didn’t join group discussions about them. I guess I didn’t want to hear people potentially criticize a book I enjoyed. What can I say? I was fragile. Then, as I got older and talked endlessly about books, I joined short-term clubs led by publishers or literary agencies or even clubs with the focus of having the creators attend. So I’d get to meet the authors or illustrators or editors, etc. That’s amazing, right?

But a club with readers who aren’t publishing-adjacent? Not until November 2023 when I joined one of the many monthly book clubs offered by Boswell Books, my local independent bookstore. I’ll post reviews of those books soon, but for now, I just want to say how fun it is to read books outside of what I may have chosen and then talk with fellow readers about them. Further, it’s fascinating to hear from readers who speak freely about a story (because the creator isn’t right there to hear what they have to say) and expound on other elements of a book (because they may not have thought about industry reasons for certain publishing choices). PLUS, a couple of fellow authors whom I’ve invited to join have, so it’s an overall lovely time.

Do you want to make more friends in the new year? Join a book club. Or another club focused on a hobby or passion you enjoy. I hope joining adds fun and friendship to your life. As for my new enterprise, so far so good. 🙂