Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

Congratulations to Katie Spina on the release of The Wolf and The Wind

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

During the pandemic shutdown of 2020, I started going for walks on the nature trail behind my house. The more I walked, the more I saw the magic in the forest. I crafted a whole magic world called Gaeldor where kids can have soft adventures.

I have double vision as the result of a lazy eye. Two of my nephews have the same condition of one eye stronger than the other. They are training their eyes to work together by wearing an eye patch on a schedule. I went through physical therapy in first grade and again in fifth grade. It helped, but I still have partial double vision as an adult.

My memories of dealing with my double vision introduced me to the idea of a girl that can see the portal to Gaeldor because she sees the world differently. Her adventures are like slipping into Narnia without the life or death stakes.

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

Bullies don’t always win. Bullying is a major theme in the story both in the real world and in Gaeldor. Even though we don’t see the bullies getting punished for their actions, we see that the victims take the power away from them.

Bullying is about power and attention, and this story shows how to rob bullies of power by rallying your friends and family. Gather together instead of isolating.

You've written many stories over the years. What inspires you to write?

Stories have power to change the world. Every time I watch a movie or read a book about a writer or a mom it makes me see my own world and changes my perspective. I started writing for kids because I don’t want them to feel alone. So much of my childhood was lonely for so many reasons. Stories give me a chance to write a better story and show kids they can have better.

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

Marketing is my weakest point, and I’m working on building on past experience. I’ve started a YouTube channel where I read stories in the public domain to kids. This is designed to allow parents to see me, my personality, and get a feel for my vibe.

I used the services of Hidden Gems Books to help me access ARC readers a month and a half before the official launch date.

I’ve also scheduled my first school visit to grow connections directly with readers. It’s not big and flashy, but I have a five-year plan to grow slow and steady to build something real.

My books are available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores. I also sell them directly through my website where they can be signed and personalized. Because I have to charge for shipping through my website, I offer the books at a discount when ordered through me.

What's next for you?

I’m deep in edits to the sequel of my lower YA Space Opera Swim the Stars. It’s called Swim the Soul and it will be out late 2024.

I’m also working on the sequel to The Wolf and The Wind, so it can come out early 2025. It will be called The Mighty Floof and The Unicorn.

I’m very excited to expand these universes and share where the characters go next.

More about the book . . .

Paige is having the worst day of third grade ever. Her school bully ruined her new shoes. There’s hours before she can play video games after school, and then she fell off the swings at the park scraping up her knees.

A pair of fifth graders she knows help clean her up. Noticing how upset she is, they invite her on an adventure. The trio journeys to the magic land of Gaeldor where the Wind has gone missing, and someone must take up the quest.

Someone like Paige.

Publisher: Awesome Authors Kids

More about the author . . .

I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first book at the age of 9. I still have a copy of it in a folder in my office. To be honest, it's quite terrible. I was trying to write an Agatha Christie mystery tied into a soap opera drama without understanding why those two things wouldn't mesh.

In high school, my friends and I created a fanfiction universe where we could live out lives of grand adventure as our ideal selves. Those stories helped me understand who I was, what I believed in, and what I wanted to be happy.

I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted stories to be in my life. I ended up going to college and getting a degree in writing. All I wanted to do was tell stories.

Over the years, I've written many books. Those were all stories for adults. They were good, but they weren't the stories of my heart.

In 2017, I started Awesome Authors Kids. Writing classes to encourage kids to write anything and everything, so long as they had fun. Writing is a skill that improves with practice. The more kids are willing to write, the better their writing skills get.

Sharing my passion for writing with my students got me writing the kinds of stories I wanted to read as a kid. I took the fanfiction universe my friend created when we were teens and wrote a new story with our own kids as the heroes.

I am many things: a daughter, a mom, a spouse, a teacher. But most of all, I am a storyteller.

Website: https://www.katiespina.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spinakatie/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558323546911

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iammultitudes