Author Jen Malia on Neurodivergence- PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish. I’m a big chapter book fan, and I know these are a hard sell. Please welcome Jen Malia as she chats about her new chapter book Connor and the Taekwondo Tournament (This is Book 3 from The Infinity Rainbow Club series), illustrated by Peter Francis and published by Beaming Books.

BUT first- YAY! Jen is generously giving away a FREE copy of her book. To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends March 22, 2024, US only.

Please describe the journey to publication for Connor and the Taekwondo Tournament.

Connor and the Taekwondo Tournament is the third book in the Infinity Rainbow Club series, a children’s chapter book or lower middle grade series. My agent negotiated the 3-book deal. The first two books are Nick and the Brick Builder Challenge and Violet and the Jurassic Land Exhibit. The series was acquired by the same editor that I worked with for my debut picture book, Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism.

As a neurodivergent author with 3 neurodivergent children, I’m sure you have a personal connection to the struggles of ADHD. How did you experiences inform your story?

I was diagnosed with ASD in my late thirties, and I’m self-diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. My family of five, including my husband and three kids, are all neurodivergent. We have different combinations of ASD, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia. For the Infinity Rainbow Club series, I draw on my own and my kids’ experiences with neurodivergence. Each book is told from a different point of view and centers the voices of neurodivergent kids. In Connor and the Taekwondo Tournament, I also draw on my experiences as a Taekwondo black belt.

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

My writing process is similar for each book project. I often use notecards on a bulletin board to storyboard. It’s an iterative process where I remove, add, or change the notecards depending on how the story comes together. This helps me see the structure of the story in one place. It’s especially useful for novels, but I also use this method with picture books. As a professor of English, I teach storyboarding in my creative writing courses, including courses that focus on writing for children and young adults.

Chapter books are a tough sell. How did you make yours stand out?

I don’t know of any other chapter book series that centers neurodivergent kids. 1 in 5 kids are neurodivergent. And yet very few books have kids with different brains who are the heroes and heroines of stories. I wrote the series I wish I had, but didn’t know I needed, growing up as an undiagnosed autistic girl.

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt.

Focus on this match, Connor told himself. Naeryeo-chagi to the head is my best shot. An axe kick to the head was worth three points. And he wanted to go for the win.

           The round was almost over. It’s now or never, thought Connor. He sucked in air. Sweat beaded up on his forehead. He was just about to strike Wyatt with an axe kick to the head. But out of the corner of his eye, Connor saw Wyatt’s foot come up toward the side of his head.

           Protect your head, Master Park always said. Connor’s fists were already up near his head. His left forearm was right where it needed to be to knock Wyatt’s foot away.

           Connor started to throw up his arm in a high block to protect his head.

           “KYA!” Wyatt yelled.

           But Connor was too late.

           Thunk!

Please share your favorite chapter books that inspired you.

The adventures the kids go on in the Magic Treehouse series inspired me. The main comparable series for the Infinity Rainbow Club is the lower middle grade Bat series, which has an autistic boy as the main character. The Questioneers series is also similar to my own in that each book is told from a different point of view character.

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

My main character in Connor and the Taekwondo Tournament faces many challenges at school and in the dojang. I think his advice works really well for writing. Perseverance, thought Connor. To not give up even when it is hard to keep going.

And a bonus question just for kicks! What was your favorite book when you were a child?

I loved Nancy Drew mysteries and the Babysitter Club books.

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BIO

Jen is the author of the children’s chapter book series The Infinity Rainbow Club and the picture book Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism. She is a professor of English and the creative writing coordinator at Norfolk State University. She has written for or appeared on the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, Parents, Glamour, Woman’s Day, and others. She has a PhD in English from the University of Southern California and is pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Originally from Pittsburgh, she currently lives in Virginia Beach. Diagnosed with ASD in her late thirties, she has three neurodivergent kids with different combinations of ASD, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia. You can find her on her website at JenMalia.com.

LINKS
Website: JenMalia.com
Instagram: @jenmaliabooks
Twitter/X: @jenmaliabooks
Facebook: @momwithautism
Linked In: @jenmaliabooks
Beaming Books: https://www.beamingbooks.com/store/product/9781506496528/Connor-and-the-Taekwondo-Tournament
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Connor-Taekwondo-Tournament-Infinity-Rainbow/dp/1506496520/