We are a middle grade/YA critique group, established more than 10 years ago. We can often be found at our favorite indie book store—Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA.
Darcey Rosenblatt is a primarily middle-grade farmer of stories. Her debut novel, a historical fiction about a twelve year-old boy sent to fight in the Iran-Iraq war in 1982, LOST BOYS, is coming from Henry Holt in 2017. She and her husband have an almost grown daughter and she has a day job as an environmental planner. She loves to dance and paint. Her favorite book as a kid was Wrinkle in Time. Her favorite book this month – THE ETHAN I WAS by Ali Standish. Darcey is represented by Erin Murphy of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Alie Berka writes middle grade novels and picture books. Her picture book, Daphne Moves to Hawaii (Mutual Publishing), is about a dog that moves to Hawaii and gets homesick. She shares the same birthday as Beverly Cleary, who is her favorite author in the children’s book world and her inspiration. Alie volunteered in the public schools for over twenty years and worked in development and marketing/communications for nonprofits. She and her husband, Mike, have three grown children and a rambunctious pug. She loves theater, yoga, hiking, and all things chocolate.
Amanda Conran writes middle grade and YA fiction generally with a historical/magical twist. She’s currently working on a middle grade novel set in the Bay Area in 1876. Her other work in progress, set in WW1 France, won the 2019 SCBWI-SF South Golden Gate Conference Award for Novel (MG.) Amanda takes on freelance editing projects and loves doing book talks in schools. She works for Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA and runs their Ink Book Club. She and a group of talented 9-13-year-olds have written and self-published four MG fantasy books together to date. They are working on book five. Her debut middle grade novel, The Lost Celt, was published in Spring 2016 by Gosling Press, an imprint of Goosebottom Books.
Elizabeth Shreeve grew up in a family of writers and scientists along the Atlantic coastline. In 9th grade, her English teacher taught that unless you can explain something in words, you don’t understand it—which probably doomed her to life as a writer. College studies in geology and biology inspired a lifelong love of the natural world. In addition to picture books and chapter books, her nonfiction projects include Out of the Blue: How Animals Evolved from Prehistoric Seas (Candlewick, May 2021) and The Upside-Down Book of Sloths (forthcoming from Norton Young Readers). She lives in Mill Valley with her family, including Hector the Dog. www.elizabethshreeve.com @ShreeveBooks
Shannon Ledger writes YA and MG fiction with magical or speculative elements. One of her works in progress won the 2019 SCBWI-SF South Golden Gate Conference Award for Novel. After working in management consulting and for early internet companies, she moved home to Santa Rosa where she has helped run a family business, been a strategy consultant, produced TEDxSonomaCounty, and served on several nonprofit boards.