My August started off with a bang, as I attended the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Summer Virtual Conference. This weekend-long writer’s conference featured keynote addresses by stellar children’s authors and illustrators, panel sessions on the state of the children’s book publishing industry, and a slew of breakout workshops. Pre-pandemic, this annual […]
Author: cherylspanos
Cover Reveal for Bedlam Bewitched
I’m delighted to reveal the cover of my soon-to-be released debut YA fantasy, Bedlam Bewitched. Melissa Williams Design created this beautiful cover. Stay tuned for further details.
An Interview with Author Jill Hedgecock
Today I welcome YA suspense author Jill Hedgecock to my blog. The third and final installment in Jill’s Shadow the Doberman Series, In Shadow’s Reflection, released last November. This standalone sequel continues the trials of orphaned teen Sarah Whitman and her ghost-seeing Doberman, Shadow. An earthquake releases the psychopathic Dr. Griffin from jail, thrusting Sarah […]
Pantser or Plotter?
Pantser or plotter? This common question among authors reveals their dominant writing process. A “pantser”, as in “flying by the seat of your pants,” is someone who lets the story evolve organically as they write with little advance planning. In contrast, a “plotter” has a plan mapped and outlined from the start.By temperament, I’m more […]
Exclusive Sneak Peek
Things seem pretty quiet on my website lately, but like the duck that appears calm on the water’s surface, underneath there’s some serious paddling going on. I have been preparing for the publication of my debut novel, Bedlam Bewitched, a young adult coming-of-age contemporary fantasy.In anticipation, my newsletter subscribers will get an exclusive sneak peek. […]
My Long and Winding Road to Publication
My debut novel, Bedlam Bewitched, is coming out later this year. To reach this milestone, I took a twisty writing journey full of obstacles, starts, and stops.I conceived of this novel more than a decade and a half ago, and completed my first draft back in 2008. Over the next year, I workshopped and revised […]
A Few of My Favorite Things
When I was a child, I would have told you that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. Although I didn’t end up pursuing art as a career, it was always somewhere in the mix. While studying computer science at Union College, a liberal arts and engineering school in upstate New York, […]
Favorite Fantasy Reads
The following are a few of my favorite fantasy reads: • The Hobbit (and The Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R. TolkienMy long-time favorite and the one that started it all for me • Which Witch? by Eva IbbotsonA fun tale about a good witch trying so hard to be bad • The Thirteen Clocks […]