I’m thrilled to share my Teacher’s Guide for The Mad Wolf’s Daughter. I hope this guide will be used in many classrooms, especially once the paperback comes out (which will be on February 12, 2019). I love inspiring students, and I’ve read a lot of educational literature, so I had an idea of how to put this together…. Read more »
Mad Wolf’s Daughter
Gender Empowerment and Risks: A Conversation Between Diane Magras and Laura Shovan
The ranks of strong girls in middle grade fiction is growing. (Thank goodness for that!) These girls come in all forms: tough, spunky, wild—and occasionally soft and gentle but with a core of steel. They’re fantastic models for girls (and boys) to see diversity in how girls are represented. And often, these days, they have… Read more »
News Center Maine
Curious what I’m like in real life? Here’s a taste of it: my appearance on News Center Maine’s 207, wherein I talk about The Mad Wolf’s Daughter and, of course, Scotland!
Recent Interviews
Yesterday was a big day for me: The Mad Wolf’s Daughter was in bookstores at last! I had a brief television appearance on WCSH’s 207, signed stock in a few local bookstores, and was quite busy on social media. These two interviews were posted yesterday, and I wanted to share them because they were fun to… Read more »
“My Audience”—A Guest Post for MG Book Village
I had a lot of fun writing this guest post for the great website MG Book Village, which is dedicated to celebrating middle grade fiction. Here are the opening lines: “Most authors have some sense of who their audience will be when they write a novel, and I certainly did with The Mad Wolf’s Daughter: I… Read more »
Musings on Publication
I’m a week out from the publication of my debut novel The Mad Wolf’s Daughter. And I’ve been reflecting on how I got here, and what it’s meant. I’ve been writing novels since I was 14 years old. My early novels were fantasy adventures, and I had my characters do things that I dreamed I could… Read more »
Now Presenting…My Book Trailer!
I’m rather chuffed at how well this came out. See what you think! Thanks so much again to Antonio Javier Caparo for the art that is making these first glimpses of my book sing!
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter…Read Aloud
If you’ve met me in person, you’ve probably heard me go on a bit about Scotland. (And if you know me on social media, you’ve seen that too.) So, with my book placed in 1210 on the Scottish lowlands (most the Borders and the coast), it should come as no surprise that I was hoping… Read more »
Preorder Giveaway!
Thank you to everyone who has shown interest and enthusiasm for The Mad Wolf’s Daughter. It’s so exciting (and a bit unbelievable) that my wee lass’s tale is so close to being in print. Its publication date, March 6, 2018, is coming right up! I’m offering a special preorder thanks/giveaway with various tangible objects related… Read more »
Starred Review from Publishers Weekly
It’s been another exciting day for this debut writer! I woke up to find my very first starred review in this lovely piece from Publisher’s Weekly. Here’s the takeaway line: “Empathetic, bold, and entirely herself at a time when women were dismissed as weak, Drest shines in this fast-paced adventure.” Now, book review stars, as my… Read more »
Happy birthday, Mom! I wish she were still here so that I could call her and hear her lovely voice. I always rang her on her birthday, and we chatted about whatever was going on. Usually, she`d tell me a story about what her dogs were up to (she had two Rhodesian Ridgebacks who were great companions), something fun that had happened at work (she made so many friends, so the story might have been about one of them), and a thank-you for the flowers I`d sent.
Just sharing that memory and this, a picture of her that I have on my desk. She`s at Bug Point Light in South Portland, Maine, and it`s a freezing day with the wind whipping off the water, but she`s beaming because she`s with her family, including her son-in-law, whom she adored.
I miss you, Mom, but thank you for being such a warm presence in my life. I will always remember that feeling.
#Birthdays #ParentalLoss
Eight years ago today, I lost a person very important to my life, one of my best friends ever: my mom. Here`s one of my favorite pictures of her on Mount Desert Island, a place she loved. Mom was a huge support and advocate for me as I grew up on that island, and always believed in me. When I was an adult, though, we had a new and very special relationship. She`d come to visit me and we`d go on adventures, exploring the area where I lived. She had a job, but she`d leave early on Friday and spend the whole weekend with me, returning home late Sunday. Those times, just Mom and me, were so incredibly special. We joked, talked, sat in companionable silence, and just felt each other`s company. My mom loved to learn and adored history, nature, plants, and animals, and more. I miss her so much. The grief of loss softens, but it never goes away.
#ParentalLoss #Love