Oct 30

Oct 30 Episode #36: Fears!

Happy Halloween! Today we’re going to keep it relevant and talk about our fears. From spiders, to death, to professional failure.

Grace starts off with mentioning her upcoming book launch for “A Big Bed for Little Snow” and how she is always fearful that no one will show up! She has been really busy prepping for that and hoping there is a good turn out.

Alvina was recently working on “A Tale of Magic” by Chris Colfer and is excited about that book launch.

For a trip down memory lane, Alvina and Grace talk about what they were afraid of when they were younger. Grace’s earliest memory is being afraid of a Jesus Christ crucifix photo in her Catholic nursery school! Alvina remembers being very afraid of vampires!

Now what are the book friends afraid of? Since they both had the fear of losing a loved one and lost their husbands, (More about this in Episode 7), there is now a feeling of empowerment as in, “Well if I can get through that, I can get though anything".” Grace comments though that she’s not sure she could ever get through the loss of her child. These are all the worst fears. This leads them into a conversation about “good” fears though. For example, like the ones pertaining to failure in their careers. If you’re afraid of writing or creating something, it can often make you do your very best because you’re so scared. Fear is a part of the creative process.

As usual, they end with what they are grateful for. Grace was feeling fearful of missing out (FOMO) about book festivals that she saw everyone going to online. She went apple picking with her daughter and had the most wonderful time and a moment of realization that she was exactly where she was supposed to me. She’s thankful for moments like these.

Alvina is grateful for her time at home with family. She’s also grateful for fear of doing something like hosting the Carle Honors because it was so scary but also so exhilarating.

2-Minute Book Reviews by Alison Morris:

Me and My Fear- by Francesca Sanna

Alison Morris is a nationally recognized children's book buyer with an infectious enthusiasm for reading and 20 years' experience matching books to readers. As the Senior Director of Title Selection for nonprofit First Book, she oversees the curation of children’s and young adult books on the First Book Marketplace, hand-selecting a diverse range of titles that speak to and address the needs of kids in underserved communities, with a keen eye to inclusion, authenticity, and kid-appeal. She previously served as Senior Editor at Scholastic Book Clubs, Children's Book Buyer for Wellesley Booksmith and The Dartmouth Bookstore, and was the founding blogger of the ShelfTalker children’s book blog for Publishers Weekly. She'll be joining us from her home near Washington, DC where she spends LOTS of time discussing books with her husband, illustrator and graphic novelist Gareth Hinds.