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Maria E. Andreu Instagram

The woman who taught me how to get a foot in the d

The woman who taught me how to get a foot in the door in publishing @profsue123 is launching her first middle grade novel next week... and has invited me to join the party. You’ve probably heard me talk about her before... after a decade of wandering through the desert trying to figure out how things worked, I took her class in NYC and by the end of it I’d sold a personal essay to Newsweek. (She has since memorialized her vast knowledge in Byline Bible, which you should totally get if you write but can’t make it to a class. But also: make it to a class). Anyway, please stop by to celebrate. When Sue’s involved, it’s always fun and chock fun of interesting stories. Join me in celebrating her latest book!

Eastern black swallowtail, official butterfly of t

Eastern black swallowtail, official butterfly of the state of New Jersey (and Oklahoma, apparently). Male, I think. Just hanging out in my garden. ❤️🦋#NerdKnowledge

Also: I don’t care what people say. Pigeons are

Also: I don’t care what people say. Pigeons are absolutely gorgeous. I’m going to write/photograph a coffee table book called Pigeons of New York Reimagined. Resilient little survivors, they are. Respect.

I got to hang out with part of my @highlightsfound

I got to hang out with part of my @highlightsfound fam in NYC today!

So close and yet so far. @flatrockbrook

So close and yet so far. @flatrockbrook

This memory from 5 years ago popped up, and I like

This memory from 5 years ago popped up, and I liked the perspective it gave me. There’s an abandoned subway station downtown in Manhattan called City Hall Station. It’s gorgeous, ornate, meant to be the crown jewel of the system. But the tracks were too narrow and curved, and it ceased operation in 1945. You can only access it through a private tour through the Transit Museum, and tickets go fast. I jumped through all those hoops so I could tour it for a book I was writing. It was about characters who were on the run in New York (clones running away from an evil corporation, obvs) and I wanted picturesque hideouts. I also read a whole book about “mole people” to write the scenes of them hiding out in abandoned subway stops, visited construction sites, old ballrooms and looked at pictures of a riverboat I used to go to on the Hudson, which is no more but made a cameo as its fictional version.
Haven’t read the book I affectionately call “the clone book” to friends and family who listened while I worked on it? Of course you haven’t. It’s one of my many “drawer novels,” attempts made that haven’t quite found their way to daylight yet. Writing is not the same as publishing.
But what I love about this reminder popping up today is the perseverance of it. I can’t believe it’s been five years since this tour. I spent hundreds of hours researching, writing, and loving that book. Dozens more trying to find the perfect agent for it and watching their rejections pour in. It was the same with all the other books that haven’t made it out there yet: love, hope, effort, heartbreak. It’s what comes after that that I celebrate today: dusting myself off and trying the next thing, then the next. Behind every post about success, good reviews, book news, is a memory like this one. One day I hope you’ll read my little story about a girl fighting to find what’s special about her. I look forward to the day I finally figure out how to publish it. Until then, enjoy the reminder to keep trying, no matter what.

(Swipe for all the bookish goodness!). One of my f

(Swipe for all the bookish goodness!). One of my favorite things to do is to spot friends’ books out in the wild. @danaleman @asjouhanneau @beckyalbertalli and @ginafrangello I found yours and they all had such pride of place @bnhackensack I just had to snap them. Signed copies of LOVE IN ENGLISH there too, local folk.

The U.S. flag was adopted on June 14, 1777. I love

The U.S. flag was adopted on June 14, 1777. I love Flag Day for many reasons. 1) it’s one of those “off the beaten path” holidays. 2) it doesn’t change dates to always stay on a specific day of the week. It’s always on the 14th. 3) it’s my birthday. When I was undocumented and wondering if I’d be able to stay in the U.S., I liked to hold on to the coincidence like a glimmer of prophecy. If it was, it worked, because here I am. Happy Flag Day.

Congrats to Pia S. from Germany for winning my lat

Congrats to Pia S. from Germany for winning my latest giveaway. Your book and $50 gift card are on the way!
If you didn’t win, no worries. There is plenty of fun stuff on the horizon. Be the first to know about giveaways, events and more. Link in bio! #bookstagram #authorsofinstagram #giveaway

How did it take me until now to discover rolled ic

How did it take me until now to discover rolled ice cream? Swipe to watch the cool (see what I did there?) process.

Birthday weekend with the fam! Tenement Museum blo

Birthday weekend with the fam! Tenement Museum block party, oysters, rolled ice cream @minuscelsiusicecream... just perfect.

It’s always a special day when I get to be on a

It’s always a special day when I get to be on a panel with these fine folks. Such an engaging conversation with some of my favorite writers at #YASummit2021 at #UNLV. Moderated expertly by @ksluiter and pulled together by @sbickmore55 @SarahJDonovan9 @GHRumohr and team. Honored to be a part of it.

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