My First Middle Grade Novel Releases in 2022!

I have big news. Major news. Incredibly exciting news! If you’ve already seen this, it’s because I’ve already posted the news on social media and on my email newsletter. But I wanted to share it here as well, in case you’ve missed it!

My debut novel, The Star That Always Stays, releases in Summer 2022!

And I’m utterly thrilled. Here’s the full announcement:

Norvia at age 16

This is truly the story of my heart, and the main character (Norvia) is based on my great-grandmother. It focuses on an imaginative and  introverted 14-yr-old girl of Ojibwe descent who begins to emulate the heroines of her favorite novels (Anne of Green Gables! Pollyanna! Patty Fairfield!) in order to increase her popularity in her freshman year of high school after her parents’ divorce and all the stigma that comes along with it in 1914. Along the way, she struggles to adjust to her new stepfamily. During the writing of this book, I was greatly inspired by the works of authors such as L.M. Montgomery, Maud Hart Lovelace, Noel Streatfeild, Elizabeth Enright, and Jeanne Birdsall—I just really wanted it to have that old-fashioned, feel-good style to it.

I began writing this novel back in 2014 for NaNoWriMo, and I’ve been enchanted with it ever since, throughout multiple rewrites and reimaginings.

I cannot wait to introduce you all to Norvia, her lovely family, and her poignant story! I’m so grateful to my editor, Mora Couch; my agents, Jessica Schmeidler and Molly Shaffer; and my mentors, Brett Harris and Kara Swanson at the Author Conservatory.

Here’s me signing my book contract, way back in December!! I’m so excited.