Stacy D'Alessandro's Blog

Writing a book was never on my to do list. It kind of happened by accident. My daughter, who was seven years old at the time, and I would write stories together in the car on road trips. We would pass a piece of paper back and forth from the front seat to the back seat. I always got car sick from trying to read and write. Or, it could have been from my husband’s driving, but that’s a different topic altogether.

Anyway, on a trip back from Disneyland my daughter had an idea that stuck with me for almost two years before I began to write Journey to Zentobia. She wrote about a brother and sister going back in time through a rainbow portal. I loved the idea and never really got it out of my mind. It wasn’t until another road trip when we listened to an audio book of The Land of Stories that I knew I had to bring to life her story.

I made one change from her original idea. Instead of the main characters going back in time, they travel to another world where mystery and adventure collide. It took a year and a half to write the book. I wrote, rewrote, edited and wrote again. It was a journey all in itself. I learned a tremendous amount along the way, and I still have so much to learn.

I’m working on the sequel now and looking to my daughter for inspiration. And since road trips to Disneyland are on hold because of Coronavirus, we’ll have to come up with a new way to share ideas. However, when I asked her, she told me she has three more books to read for school before she can help. I told her not to worry, I’ll just ask Maggie and Peter. They already have a plan for their next adventure and hope to share it with the world very soon.

Hello! Just want to take a minute to say I hope everyone is having a good year so far!

The end of 2020 was a busy one since publishing Journey to Zentobia in November. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, it's available in paperback and ebook. :)

I began this year by starting the sequel to Journey to Zentobia. Maggie and Peter are in for new adventures and mysteries to solve! I have my own mystery to solve....what to name the sequel? If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

I will keep you updated on the progress of the book, and look forward to hearing from you!

Stacy

I'm excited to share that the e-book for my middle-grade fantasy/adventure novel, Journey to Zentobia, is live on Amazon! The paperback will soon follow. After a year-and-a-half of writing, rewriting and writing some more, I hope the story of Maggie and Peter wins you over. I had a great time developing all the characters in the book and bringing them to life. Their journey is just beginning! Happy reading!