Cassidy Dwelis guest post and book giveaway

I’m so pleased to have as my guest today Cassidy Dwelis, the author of a series of middle-grade novels about the slightly odd, always interesting 10-year-old Braidy and his equally captivating family. Read on to learn more about Cassidy, her books, and how you can win a complete signed set of Braidy Von Althuis books.

Meet the Author:
I’m Cassidy, and I love storytelling! I’m incredibly passionate about writing, art, and anything that allows me to create my own worlds. My goal is to write dreamy fiction for all ages that is unique, inspiring, and imaginative. I want my books to instill wonderment in the reader. I like to write about themes that include coming of age, magic realism, identity, relationships, and bullying. My books are intended for readers ages eight to twenty-five, and are meant to connect the world of the fantastical to everyday life. I currently live in Colorado and just got my MA in Publishing!

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

This first entry in the Braidy Von Althuis series is a tale of friendship, family, magic, and mayhem that takes a look at what it means to be bullied and how to rise above it

I don’t know about you all, but I’m so tired of seeing zero representation in media. The same old actors, the same old plot, the same old terrible book to film adaptions. Nowadays, it seems that finding good diversity in books, television, and games is surprisingly difficult. Middle Grade books are no exception, and that’s one of the main reasons why I love writing them.

What are some of the challenges of writing Middle Grade books?

I talk about this a lot on my blog and social media. I feel like kids are given terribly boring literature to read. The lack of diversity is also a huge problem. Those, to me, are the biggest challenges writing kids’ lit. My main goal when writing anything is to first make sure the characters are representative and natural. I ask myself a few questions before starting on a manuscript:

Is the story inclusive or has it been told before?
Are my characters’ diversity traits tropey?
Do the characters’ diversity feel natural?

Once all those questions are answered, I can go forward with confidence knowing that the diversity is genuine, inclusive, and not at all tropey.

The next step is to make sure my book isn’t boring. I feel that oftentimes writers underestimate the intelligence of their audience, particularly when writing for kids. This is why I include more serious themes and don’t shy away from using larger words, especially if there are adult characters than can explain what they mean.

What are some of the rewards of writing Middle Grade books?

I think that the middle grade years are some of the most formative years of a kid’s life; I know mine were. That being said, being able to share with kids brilliant stories that light their hearts up and help them know that they are not alone is one of the most rewarding things about writing Middle Grade fiction. The bonus is that my work not only touches children, but adults, too. I love that I can impart the wisdom and inclusion that I wished I saw in books when I was a kid.

All in all, Middle Grade fiction is one of the most rewarding age groups to write. The fiction is casual, without a lot of flowery syntax, so that leaves room for focusing on story. I hope to be the change I wish to see in the industry and continue to produce fiction that is inclusive and enjoyable to read.