Cover Reveal: Monster vs. Boy

Cover Reveal: Monster vs. Boy

It’s cover reveal day! I’m thrilled to share Markia Jenia‘s cover art for my upcoming middle-grade novel Monster vs. Boy! Markia has perfectly captured the characters and mood of this story, and I can’t wait to share this book with you. It’ll be published by Charlesbridge Publishing in July 2023, and it’s available for pre-sale now!

© 2023 by Markia Jenia

Will you laugh if I tell you that Monster vs. Boy feels like it’s autobiographical? I have sometimes felt like the monster in the closet, and I’ve also been terrified that a monster might be living in my closet. Here’s an intro to the book:

No one in the ramshackle house knew that a monster—who was smaller than a bear cub—lived in Dawz’s bedroom closet. She called herself Mim.

Dawz wants to practice Recipes of Extreme Greatness for the Bakers’ Brawl competition and forget about his mom, who left him and his sister, Jayla, years ago. He does not want to see a monster that no one else can see.

Mim wants to explore her closet’s nooks and crannies, and listen to stories through the door. She does not want to share her space with the horrible boy outside the closet.

When Mim leaves Dawz’s closet for the first time, the two learn they’re connected in ways neither can explain. While Mim searches the wide world for a friend, Dawz searches for a way to get rid of her so that he can be normal. Can the two find a way to break their connection without losing who they are?

This moving middle-grade novel is about found family, facing our fears, and mental health. It asks the question: What if the monsters that haunt us aren’t monsters at all?

New Book Deal: Fantasy Novel for Kids

New Book Deal: Fantasy Novel for Kids

Exciting news! I’ll be publishing a new fantasy novel for kids with Charlesbridge Publishing. Thanks to agent-extraordinaire Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown for her support. Thanks to Alex McKenzie and Charlesbridge for seeing the potential in this novel. Here’s the official announcement:

I’m grateful to the Ontario Arts Council for awarding a writing grant to this project when it was a newly hatched idea. I’m also grateful to my creative community for feedback and encouragement while writing and revising.

Monster vs. Boy includes a character who might be my personal favourite among all those I’ve written so far. But I don’t think an author is supposed to have a favourite, so let’s just say that I adore writing this one.

I’m looking forward to sharing this story!