Literary Rambles: 5/1/25

Author Interview: Aimee Phan and The Lost Queen Giveaway and IWSG Post

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Today, I’m excited to have Aimee Phan here to share about her YA fantasy, The Lost Queen. It sounds like a story that sucks you in right away, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

A heroine like no other, ancient magic unleashed, a fated epic battle--the first book in an enchanting YA fantasy duology inspired by Vietnamese lore, weaving magic, sisterhood, and self-discovery.

Jolie Lam, a high school sophomore in San Jose, is known for two her bizarre freakout at last year’s swim meet and her fortuneteller grandfather with visions of dragons and earthquakes. Friendless and ostracized, Jolie's life takes a dramatic turn for the better when she saves the school's it-girl, Huong Pham, during a haunting vision of her own. Taken under Huong's wing, Jolie's world transforms, in more ways than one.

As Jolie and Huong's bond deepens, they unlock long lost telepathic abilities, fluency in Vietnamese, and eerie premonitions. This leads them to a shocking they are the reincarnates of legendary queens and goddesses, the Trung Sisters. While a thrilling discovery, it also sets them on a perilous journey.

The girls must navigate dreams and portals to piece together their past lives and reclaim their immortal elements before their ancient enemies strike again. But all is not what it seems, and Jolie must determine friend from foe, truth from lie, and ultimately right from wrong in this battle for all she loves and the fate of the world.

Before we get to Aimee’s interview, I have my IWSG Post.

Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts this month are: Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat Garcia!

Optional Question: Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them?

My greatest fear is having to write a manuscript on a contract deadline. The thought of it totally stresses me out.

Here’s how I manage it. For now, I write for myself, my critique partners, and a few friends. I really don’t want another career, especially a stressful, up-and-down one. I like my life the way it is. This way, I enjoy writing with no pressure.

Interview With Aimee Phan

Hi Aimee! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

Hello! I have always loved to write. Since I was little, I would obsess over fairy tales, children’s books and even bible stories, and want to rewrite the endings. In college, I studied journalism and then realized that creating my own characters and worlds were much more appealing and liberating!

2. Where did you get the idea for The Lost Queen?

I was inspired by the legend of the Trung Sisters and wanted to write a book that I wished I could have had when I was a young girl. When I learned more about the Trung Sisters mythology, how they met their deaths after ruling Vietnam for three years, I began fantasizing what if they hadn’t died? What if they reincarnated as young teenagers in San Jose, California?

Your Writing Process

3. You’ve written two other books, The Reeducation of Cherry Truong and We Should Never Meet, both adult historical fiction. What made you decide to write a YA novel and to write a fantasy?

I think it was an important step for me as a writer. My last two books also had young adults as protagonists, but they were deeply rooted in realism. When I began this novel, I didn’t realize it would be young adult or fantasy. I started the book imagining two teenage girls reincarnating as ancient Vietnamese warrior queens. From there, it felt very natural to explore the story through the young adult fantasy genre, where the girls could fully rediscover their histories through adventures, time travel and magic. It has felt incredibly fun and liberating to write in this genre, knowing that I didn’t have to be pulled back by realistic limitations. Like my main characters, I felt like I could do anything in this genre.

4. It’s interesting that you didn’t originally see this story as YA. What research did you do into the Vietnamese lore that inspired your story?

The Trung Sisters appear briefly as footnotes in Chinese historical texts that cover the Han Empire. The Vietnamese have various folk and myth tales on the two sisters. There are temples and statues in Vietnam dedicated to their contributions to Vietnamese society. Phong Nguyen published The Bronze Drum in 2022 which explores the Trung Sisters as historical fiction.

5. You’re an associate professor in writing and literature as well as an author. What is your writing schedule like and how long did it take you to complete The Lost Queen before submitting it?

I usually write in the summers when I am not teaching. I write whenever I can. Sometimes I will go away for a few days to an airbnb with other writer friends, or a writing residency, in order to get writing done. I worked with my wonderful agent Janine Kamouh for many years before the book was ready to go on submission! I am glad it took that long because with each draft, the manuscript got better.

6. Readers have said they were sucked into your story right away. What are your tips on engaging readers from the first page and making them want to keep reading?

This was the big lesson I learned about writing young adult literature. Start as fast as possible. Sometimes you have to write ten, twenty, thirty pages and realize it was all prewriting to get to what will ultimately be your first sentence!

Your Road to Publication

7. That’s great advice. What was your road to first getting published and getting a publishing contract for The Lost Queen?

I have a wonderful agent Janine who specializes in children and young adult literature. She and her assistants provided crucial editorial feedback to prepare my submission to send to editors. It happened fairly quickly, but then the pandemic hit and everything, including publication, slowed down. So while I got this contract in 2022, it is only appearing now!

Promoting Your Book

8. You had to wait a long time to see your book published. How are you planning to promote The Lost Queen? Has your approach to marketing changed since you were first published?

It has changed SO MUCH. I am still learning. Booktok is fascinating but also incredibly fast paced, so I’m trying to get myself situated there. Instagram is a tiny bit more manageable. I think for young adult literature, there is more of a focus on the community and schools, which I just love.

9. What are you working on now?

I am working on the sequel to The Lost Queen! You haven’t seen the last of Jolie and Huong….

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Aimee. You can find Aimee at:

www.aimeephanwrites.com

insta and tiktok: @aimeephanwrites

Giveaway Details

Aimee’s publisher is generously offering a hardback of The Lost Queen for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by May 17th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Aimee on her social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, May 12th I have a guest post by author Leah Stecher and a giveaway of her MG A Field Guide to Broken Promises

Wednesday, May 14th I have an agent spotlight interview with Analía Cabello and a query critique giveaway

Friday, May 16th I’m participating in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop

Monday, May 19th I have a guest post by author Carol L. Pauer and a giveaway of her MG Rowley Peters and the Lumberjack Ghost

Wednesday, May 21st I have an agent spotlight interview with Isabel Lineberry and a query critique giveaway

Sunday, June 1st I’m participating in the Berry Good Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, June 4th I have an interview with author Aaron Starmer and a giveaway of his YA Night Swimming and my IWSG post

Monday, June 9th I have an interview with author Nancy McCabe and a giveaway of her MG Fires Burning Underground

Wednesday, June 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with Mark O’Brien and a query critique giveaway

Monday, June 16th I’m participating in the Dad-o-Mite Giveaway Hop

Monday, June 23rd I have an interview with author Michael Spradlin and a giveaway of his MG Threat of the Spider

I hope to see you on Monday!

Grow Your Characters: 6 Tips to Enrich MG Characters by Author Donna Galanti and $50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Giveaway to Celebrate Loon Cove Summer

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Donna Galanti here to celebrate the release of her MG Loon Cove Summer. This is a contemporary story, which is not what Donna usually writes. I’m looking forward to reading it this summer.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

"A warm-hearted novel ... balances profound loss with humor and hope." – Kate Allen, author of The Line Tender

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Richardson is determined that her life will finally get unstuck this summer. She just knows it. Her to-do list? Brave the lake again. Save the loons. Stop missing Mom. Her one bright spot: volunteering at the local wild bird rehabilitation center.

The summer looks even brighter when Sarah meets Theo, the boy staying at her family's Maine lakeside campground who cares about protecting the loons just like she does. But when Sarah's family may have to move, she adds a new to-do item: save their home. And when she suspects Dad is dating Theo's aunt, the naturalist helping research environmental dangers to the loons, Sarah is caught in a new world of grief.

With the looming reality of losing her dad, her home, and the loons, Sarah must make a big statement to take control of her life. Capturing inspiration from her late mother's Appalachian Trail hiking journal, she boldly plans a solo wild adventure. But as her challenges mount, she wonders if her courage will earn her the voice she seeks-or if she's made a reckless choice that just might claim her life.

More praise for Loon Cove Summer:

“An original and fun read from start to finish … inherently compelling and skillfully crafted. With its unexpected plot twists and deftly crafted characters, this thoroughly 'kid friendly' action/adventure novel is unreservedly recommended.” – Midwest Book Review

"As sparkling, refreshing, and mysterious as a Maine lake in summertime." – Cathy Carr, author of 365 Days to Alaska

“The cast of unforgettable characters and tender relationships stays with you.”
– Jessica Rinker, author of The Dare Sisters

“A page-turning read set in the wilds of Maine.” – Paul Greci, author of Surviving Bear Island

Now here’s Donna!

Middle grade readers tend to live life more in the moment. As a writer, our readers are living busy, mundane often overwhelming lives so we must give them something to read that surprises them, thrills them, and lifts them up. We must give them a story that transports them to a new world from the one they are in.

These readers also want to get deep into the mind of their characters. They want to love them or hate them—and passionately. So, bring passion to the page! This starts with YOU being passionate about your main character.

Here are 6 ways to enrich writing your middle grade (MG) characters:

1. UNDERSTAND THE MIND OF AN MG READER

First, let’s get more inside the mind of an 8- to 12-year-old reader. They live in a contrasting world. For example, they…

· Want to be loyal to their family but crave independence

· Want to define themselves with their own identity but want to fit in

· Feel a yearning to grow up and make big choices but also want to feel safe and have things decided for them when life gets tough.

· Are focused on themselves.

· See how friendships start to get complicated.

· Come to understand that things they once thought about friends and family changes (like believing their parents were perfect or invincible).

· Have many new experiences for the first time.

This contrasting world of tweens offers resourceful areas to explore and deepen your character development.

2. VOICE

Are there places in your book where the language feels a little too formal? Could you change formal

dialogue to contractions to be more conversational? You can have mature MG characters, but make sure when writing for tweens, you think like a tween. The reader needs to believe that this is a 12-year-old boy or girl that is going through all of this. Her thoughts, actions and reactions need to match that.

Also, be consistent with your character’s voice. Does one character speak formally without contractions unlike the others? Carry that through. You don’t want your readers to say “Oh, she wouldn’t say that or talk like that. That’s so out of character.”

3. SLOWLY BUILD UP YOUR CHARACTER

In your manuscript, do a search for character info dumps. Do you have sections where things are moving along and then a new character enters the story, and you give us a description dump list?

For example, the “author” stops the action to narrate and tell us about Emily with:
“Emily was tall. She had deep blue eyes and light brown hair that was mid-shoulder length. Emily was leading her class with a 4.6 grade point average. She played flute in the orchestra, first chair, and three days a week she worked at the gift shop at the hospital; where she also volunteered evenings.” Etc. etc. etc.

Have you done this in your novel?
TIP: Rewrite this section in the character’s voice to see how much stronger this scene can be told or show us the main character from another character’s point of view (POV).

Build up your characters as you write them. Show us their faults, their desires, their conflicts with others—and especially show us their reactions. Reactions are stronger than “telling” us how they feel and even stronger than “dialogue” because what characters “tell” us is not always the truth (like an unreliable narrator). However, it’s their reactions that show us who these characters truly are.

4. REWRITE ONE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS INTO 3D

Could your characters be one-dimensional?

Ask yourself: Are your characters people we are being told about? We need to get a sense of their personality or what they fear, or what they are capable of from an emotional or physical standpoint. We can’t see this if mostly the narrator (you) tells us.

The kinds of characters that have a history, actions, and reactions are the most well-developed— and the most enjoyable to read—and the ones we can create an emotional connection with. Using the senses to show character is a great way to do this.

Ask yourself: Is your main character always having one emotion or the other? Like being shown as either angry or super sad. How else can he feel? Show him feeling other things. Look for repetitive sections where he is telling us what he feels and change to action. SHOW him reacting vs. TELLING us what’s in his head.
TIP: Revealing setting through you character’s eyes is a great way to show their emotional state.

Finally, do a global search for your character’s actions. Are they always throwing their hair back? Snapping their fingers? Tapping their feet? Chewing their bottom lip? Waving a hand? Grinning? Trying mixing up their actions.

5. DIALOGUE

How to beef up your dialogue? First, check for long blocks of dialogue and cut them up. Skim your manuscript visually to see where these blocks reveal themselves.

Once you’ve identified these blocks you can shorten info dumps, sprinkle the information throughout the story as needed, or incorporate dialogue in creative ways such as through characters quizzing another, news articles, journal entries, or action scenes.

Every piece of dialogue is important so be selective. Keep in mind that we don’t get to know a character because they are talking—but because they are reacting (once more!).
Ask yourself: What would this character be DOING in this situation instead of SAYING?

Are you a fan of exclamation points? Then you might have too many in your dialogue. A character that is always hollering, screaming, and shouting does not reveal a fully dimensional character. So, DELETE that exclamation and see how else you can write that sentence/scene without it to convey the urgency and excitement. You don’t want your characters to be simply remembered as characters that yell a lot!!! :)

Are you writing in the first person? It’s hard to avoid using “I this” or “I that” in first person narrative BUT you must find alternate sentence structures to reduce those “I” sentences. It will bring your readers closer to your character. My editor of my first children’s book made this very clear to me and I had to re-work the entire manuscript. Because of this, I am very conscious of reducing my “I’s” in writing. In doing so, it also helps me write a tighter first draft with a final draft mentality.

Here’s an example from my first children’s book, Joshua and the Lightning Road:
Original sentence in the manuscript in Joshua’s POV:
“I searched for Charlie in the dark, but I couldn’t make out the heads on other bunks.”

Compare it to the final version in Joshua’s POV with no “I’s”:
“In the dark it was hard to make out the heads on the other bunks. Where was Charlie?”

Can you see how this gets us closer to Joshua’s POV and delivers a stronger effect?

Try this throughout the novel. Your readers will thank you for it.

6. CHARACTER CLICHÉS AND QUIRKS

Watch out for character clichés when writing for pre-teens. You’ve likely read them in other books:

· The dumb jock

· The nerd kid who’s a genius

· The mean, popular girl

· The kid who gets powers at a certain age

· The goth kid who wears black and hates the world

· The secret spy kid

· The kid who’s prophesied to change the world

Take these clichés and see how you can change things up to make interesting and different but relatable characters. Give them a big goal, show us their world view, show us how they relate to others, and give them a specific characterization detail that shows us who they are.

TIPS:

· Write a scene where your character is forced to make a decision and must do the right thing.

· Give your character a conflict: Then write about her internal conflict with it (what she feels about her life and about herself) then write about how she feels about it with an external conflict (something going on in the world around her).

Think LESS is MORE. It’s fine to give your character a quirk or special detail but not five! Don’t overdo it and make them chaotic and cartoonish.

A fun way to get to know your character is to journal about them in their voice and in the first person—even if their character is written in third-person in your story. This can be a stream of consciousness about what they desire, are anxious about, and can involve their past, present, and future.

Journaling is a powerful way to lean into your character and truly discover who they are—and help you get deep into their mind so your readers can too.

Do you have more tips on how to enrich your middle grade characters? Share them here!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Donna! You can find Donna at:

Donna’s website: https://www.donnagalanti.com/loon-cove-summer/

Giveaway Details

Sorry the Rafflecopter giveaway looks a bit weird. Please enter only once.

$50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Giveaway: Runs 5/6/25 – 5/13/25 Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ddcc91cd33/? Embed giveaway code in your website: a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Wednesday, May 7th I have an interview with author Aimee Phan and a giveaway of her YA The Lost Queen and my IWSG post