Queries, Qualms, & Quirks

Contemporary Fiction Author Suzanne Park joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss going to acquisitions (multiple times) without getting a book deal, repurposing life stories for fiction, the impact writing for standup has on her novels, the lack of a linear path after Pitch Wars, and amassing a thousand rejections.  ✦ 

Suzanne Park is a Korean-American author who was born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand up comedian, Suzanne appeared on BET, was the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC's "Stand Up For Diversity" showcase. ✦ 

Romance novelist Kait Ballenger joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss not meeting publisher's sales expectations,  writing on the tail end of a trend, getting a starred review without knowing what it means, only writing what you love, and getting an agent after a literal elevator pitch. ✦

Kait Ballenger is the award-winning author of the Seven Range Shifter paranormal romance series, where she weaves captivating tales of dark, sexy heroes who are cowboys by day, wolf shifters by night. When Kait’s not writing “intense and riveting” paranormal plots or “high-voltage” love scenes that make even seasoned romance readers blush, she can usually be found with her nose buried in a good book. She lives in Florida with her husband and two young sons. ✦

Middle Grade author Laura Segal Stegman joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss dozens of revisions over 28 years, the importance of writing community, deciding to sign with a small press, querying too early, and both the benefit and distraction of Twitter.

L.A.-based arts publicist and author Laura Segal Stegman’s middle grade debut, Summer of L.U.C.K., was released in September 2020 by INtense Publications and will be followed by a sequel in 2021. Her non-fiction credits include the travel book Only in New York. Her feature stories have appeared in Los Angeles Times and Westways Magazine, among others.

Young Adult Author Angeline Boulley joins Queries, Qualms, & Quirks this week to discuss waiting 28 years to write the book, the most illuminating question to ask offering agents, prioritizing Native talent when negotiating her film rights, ensuring her craft was worthy of the story she wanted to tell, and the single most helpful thing she did for her writing. ✦ 

Angeline Boulley is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who writes about her Ojibway community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Her debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, is a Reese’s Book Club selection and received the inaugural Barnes & Noble Young Adult Book Award. It’s being developed for a Netflix series by the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions. ✦