Author Jennifer Raudenbush on Poetry & Nature – PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish! Please welcome author Jennifer Raudenbush who’s here to chat about her new fictional picture book IN THE PALM OF MY HAND illustrated by Isabella Conti and published by Running Press Kids. I love that the book is inspired by poetry!

BUT first- YAY! Jennifer is generously giving away a FREE signed copy of her book. To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends Dec 1, 2023, US only.

Please describe the journey to publication for IN THE PALM OF MY HAND.

I wrote the draft pretty quickly, over two days. With the help of my critique group and a professional critique I revised four versions. At that point, it was centered on the water cycle. I submitted it for an editor critique at the eastern PA SCBWI virtual conference. The editor thought I should scrap the emphasis on the water cycle, the back matter, and the epigraph, so I did and made a second version, revising that one six times.

I signed with an agent who suggested removing an overarching art note and adding page numbers. She sent it on submission to six editors. Three months later we received an offer from Running Press Kids. They chose Isabella Conti as the illustrator, and I fell in love with her beautiful art.

I love the notion that every little detail in nature contains infinite potential. Where did you draw this inspiration?

           I drew inspiration both from nature and poetry. I live on a hill surrounded by a forest, where my Westie pup, Mazy, and I walk daily.

I also love poetry, and the book was inspired by the opening lines of William Blake’s poem “Auguries of Innocence”:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

I imagined how a child might understand this concept and started the story with a child simply holding an acorn in his hand. That builds into a forest and then into wider concepts of connectivity in nature. Over time, a vast forest may spring from a single acorn. By extension, the child realizes the universe of possibilities growing inside him. I hope this understanding provides a natural entryway into discussions about children’s own passions and dreams, their own potential.

When I talk with kids about the book, I always end with “Reach for the stars,” a phrase that ties into the final few illustrations. I also sign the phrase next to my name and hope they reflect on how they can reach for the stars themselves!  

What is your writing process and does it vary depending on the project?

I keep idea notebooks for both picture books and middle grade. Brainstorming ideas and how to use my ideas is my favorite part of the process. I emphasize play in the drafting stage and typically spend a lot of time in revision and polishing—which I love! I always get critiques from my critique groups. Then, head back to revising, as needed.

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.

“In the palm of my hand, I hold a raindrop, cool and wet.
It has journeyed from the depths of the sea.
The wild ocean pushes and pulls, pushes and pulls toward land.
Its waves, salty and foaming, tumble their treasures onto the shore.”

Please share your favorite books from 2022 that inspired you.

2022: Knight Owl by Christopher Denise, Dark on Light by Dianne White and Felicita Sala, Big and Small and In-Between by Carter Higgins and Daniel Miyares.

2023: Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld, Hopefully the Scarecrow by Michelle Houts and Sara Palacios, The Fire of Stars by Kirsten W. Larson and Katherine Roy.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?

Embrace the power of play! From brainstorming ideas to polishing a manuscript, play unleashes creativity and breathes life and joy into writing.

And a bonus question just for kicks! Would you rather forget the ending of every book shortly after reading it OR not be able to re-read a book ever again?

That is the most difficult question you’ve asked! I only re-read books I love. It would be awful not to re-read those gems. However, to forget the ending of every book would be complete torture! I’ll have to go with never re-reading books and hope my memory is tight.

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BIO

Jennifer Raudenbush feels most alive when she’s creating stories, especially picture books, poetry, and middle grade novels. Jen lives with her husband and teenage son in eastern Pennsylvania, where its natural beauty provides endless inspiration. She leads weekly write-ins as a volunteer with Inked Voices and biweekly write-ins with the eastern PA SCBWI.  She has been published in Cricket children’s magazine and Little Thoughts Press, the 10.10 Poetry Anthology and Two Truths and a Fib Poetry Anthology. IN THE PALM OF MY HAND, illustrated by Isabella Conti, Running Press Kids (Hachette), is Jen’s first picture book.

Connect with Jen at her website jenraudenbush.com , or on her Linktree, Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Goodreads.

IN THE PALM OF MY HAND can be purchased from this link on my website or online wherever books are sold. Readers can get a free download of the Educational Guide, containing many activities, on my website HERE.