NE Pub Media Interview: EACH OF US A UNIVERSE
Gladys and I were honored to be interviewed by Tema Kaiser Silk at New England Public Media at their studio in Springfield, Massachusetts, about our collaboration for EACH OF US A UNIVERS
E. Check out our interview in the link above! 
Gladys and me…working through edits.
In my next middle grade novel, EACH OF US A UNIVERSE, readers will meet Calliope Scott and Rosine Kanambe. The character Rosine is a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo. For close to two years Ndengo Gladys Mwilelo gave me advice, read multiple manuscripts, and helped ensure that Rosine spoke her truth! I also had the honor of a lifetime in interviewing Gladys through StoryCorps. If you’d like to hear more about Gladys, and be truly inspired by her courage, persistence, and incredible optimism, check out our recording here: STORYCORPS INTERVIEW OF NDENGO GLADYS MWILELO
I am so excited to announce I’ll be at these amazing booksellers to talk about my upcoming MG Novel, A GALAXY OF SEA STARS. For over a year, I worked with an amazing group of young refugee women to tell Izzy’s & Sitara’s story. Please join me as I discuss our journey!
Books can be pre-ordered from these book sellers:
River Bend Books: https://bit.ly/2R1EQSM
RJ Julia Booksellers: https://bit.ly/2R0AX0j
Bank Square Books/Savoy: https://bit.ly/380PlN9
Amazon: https://amzn.to/39NRKwh
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2t3eho3
Connecticut author, Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo writes stories about kids discovering their own kind of BRAVE!
Through interactive presentations, Jeanne will discuss the writing process, including research, revision, and overcoming challenges. Teachers and librarians have called her talks, “inspiring, engaging, and thought provoking.”
Her middle grade novel, RUBY IN THE SKY received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist and was a Junior Library Guild selection. Her second book, A GALAXY OF SEA STARS comes out in February 2020.
Presentations, talks, and workshops are offered for Grades 4 through adult 
and can be modified to fit your groups’ needs.
TALKS:
RUBY IN THE SKY – from childhood memory to published book.
In this engaging talk, Jeanne discusses how she turned her memory of handfeeding chickadees as a child into a middle grade novel through free-writing, plotting, seeking out and following constructive criticism, and loads and loads of revision. In her talk, Jeanne brings hard copies of the story in its various phases, as well as plotting charts she developed, photographs and other images, and her personal journals so students can see firsthand how an idea is shaped and molded and ultimately brought to life in story.
A GALAXY OF SEA STARS – a journey inside the story and how it was made.
Jeanne will go in-depth into how she came up with the idea for A GALAXY OF SEA STARS (spoiler alert – it had to do with her own middle school drama) and how she brought the story to life through her childhood journals, beta readers, and working for over a year with a group of young refugee ladies who gave voice to the character, Sitara. In this presentation, Jeanne brings in copies of the story in its various stages, as well as props that give the audience hands-on examples of how a story is made.
THE TRUTH ABOUT TELLING A LIE – conducting the careful 
research that authentic fiction requires.
“Write what you know,” is a common adage for authors – but what if you are inspired to write outside your wheelhouse? The answer is RESEARCH and loads of it! As a former criminal defense attorney, Jeanne has had a great deal of experience researching, but writing for children took this process to a whole new level. From working with beta and sensitivity readers, to hand-measuring the depths of Ninigret Pond with a weight, to driving through the remnants of a Vermont snowstorm to sit in criminal court – Jeanne discusses the hands-on (and sometimes unconventional) ways she conducts research for her stories, and helps remind writers that you can write about almost anything, as long you’re willing to do the hard work to get the story right.
WORKSHOPS:
IT’S ALL ABOUT REVISION!!!
Writing, in fact, IS revision. In this hands-on workshop, Jeanne will use real examples to demonstrate revision and editing techniques she uses to ensure her stories are told in the best possible way. Jeanne will work with students as a group to understand how a piece of writing is improved through revision. Students will then have an opportunity to use these techniques to revise their own work.
PLOTTING A STORY…EASY AS ONE, TWO, THREE.
Everyone knows that each story has a beginning, a middle, and an end – but what everyone doesn’t immediately recognize is that in a good story, certain things need to happen in each part. Once you do, it is easy to outline a story ready to be developed. In this workshop, writers will use “surprise prompts” to help ignite story ideas, and will then develop their 3-part outline to share with the group (only those comfortable need share— but the fun becomes contagious!) You will be surprised and delighted to hear the stories that emerge from this workshop!
WRITING ABOUT SCIENCE AND NATURE with hands-on activities (for younger audiences).
Jeanne’s books incorporate STEM concepts – the moon, nature, stars & constellations, ocean & tides, to name a few. In this hands on workshop, kids will do a science related craft while discussing its relevance to either RUBY IN THE SKY or A GALAXY OF SEA STARS. It is a seriously fun way to introduce science concepts through literature.
HONORARIUM
♦ One-hour engagement, including book signing: $150
♦ Half-day engagement including two presentations and a book signing: $300
♦ Full-day engagement including three presentations and a book signing: $500
♦ 20-minute Skype visits are free for groups who have read RUBY IN THE SKY or A GALAXY OF SEA STARS.
ORDERING BOOKS
To order Jeanne’s books, you can buy at a reduced rate (fifty or more) directly through Macmillan, or purchase through your local independent bookstore. If you need help ordering books, please contact Jeanne.
TESTIMONIALS
“Jeanne held the students’ attention as she talked about her book and the process of writing and publishing…The students were completely engaged in the activities and were glad they were able to participate.”
▪ Kim Musket, School Librarian, James H. Moran, Sr. Middle School, Wallingford, Connecticut
“The writing workshop was a collection of well-crafted and unique exercises…that I really enjoyed as an aspiring author.”
▪ Chelsea, 8th grader
“Jeanne was an engaging and delightful speaker for our 7th graders! She captured our students’ attention with her insightful, thoughtful, and impactful presentation of her story making process.”
▪ Pamela Johnson-Spurlock, MLIS, School Librarian, Green Mountain Union School, Chester, Vermont
Please join me for the debut of my middle grade novel,
RUBY IN THE SKY
Saturday, February 9, 2019
2 pm – 4 pm
at
Arts Center East
709 Hartford Turnpike
Vernon, Connecticut 06066
RSVP jzulferr@gmail.com or 860-202-2995
There will be books for sale, crafts, fun and cake! Kids can make a small birdfeeder so they can feed the chickadees along with Ruby and Abigail. Rumor has it that Bob Van Doodle might stop by ….
We hope you can join us for this special event.
Everyone is invited!
Directions: From I-84 East: Take Exit 66, Turn left of the exit, Turn left on to Bolton Road, Continue straight through the intersection to Center Road, Arts Center East is located on your right.
From I-84 West: Take Exit 66, Turn right off the exit onto State Route 542, Turn left on to Bolton Road, Continue straight through the intersection to Center Road, Arts Center East is located on your right.
Parking is located behind the building. Additional parking is available at the Congregational Church across the street and at Center Road School.
Every day I write and every day I try to make that writing come from a place of gratitude. Especially times like this when I can’t express my gratitude enough.
Over the last few months, I have had the great honor of being part of Brenda Drake’s amazing PitchWars Community. I can’t begin to thank Brenda as well as my amazing mentors Laura Shovan and Tricia Clasen enough for this opportunity.
Writing comes from a solitary place — emotion, deep inside the writer’s heart, translated into the written word, poured onto the page. And as an isolated exercise, it can be hard to be brave because it is so much easier to stay silent than risk exposing your heart.
Ruby’s story comes from such a place. A child unable to speak until she discovers the power of her own voice. As a public defender I have met many kids like Ruby, coming to court with parents who face incarceration. Whether they know it or not, their bravery inspires me.
As a writer, it was my intent to turn this emotion into the written page. PitchWars helped me do just that. Throughout PitchWars, Laura and Tricia were always there, always offering their talents and advice. Their words: VOICE YIELDS TRUTH beat inside my every revision. More than once, they talked me down from the ledge of self-doubt and insecurity. It is mind-boggling how much time and energy they spent on my manuscript when they had their own deadlines and book launches and families. I am forever in their debt.
Recently, after reading my PitchWars-revised RUBY, my daughter wrote me the most beautiful letter. She spoke about Ruby’s bravery and how she wants to use her own strong voice to help others. After I read this letter, I realized that no matter what happens, Laura and Tricia helped me tell Ruby’s story better, clearer and stronger. I am grateful that it made my daughter a little braver. I hope someday it can help other kids realize how brave they already are, too.
At this time of year when, more than ever, we express our gratitude. I need to express mine to Laura and Tricia and Brenda. Thank you for helping me tell Ruby’s story. Thank you for sharing your own strong voices and incredible talents. Thank you for making me braver.
