Refe Tuma's Blog: The Dinosaurer

Check out the latest issue of Publisher's Weekly for a STARRED review for Frances and the Monster!

I'm so glad the reviewer connected with the story and I'm beyond thrilled to receive such a glowing review.

Here's what they had to say:

"Bursting with wry humor…Tuma’s…idiosyncratic, utterly original tale moves at breakneck speed through a richly imagined landscape, accumulating vividly rendered characters and settings…while injecting considered discussions of modern themes such as gender roles and privilege."

Would it be tacky to print "Idiosyncratic, utterly original" on a t-shirt and wear it around my house? Probably.

Frances and the Monster roars to life in just TWO WEEKS but it's not too late to enter to win a copy through our goodreads giveaway.

And remember that the very best way to support a debut author is to preorder their book. Here are a few links to make that as easy as possible:

Order from your local independent bookstore through Indiebound

Order from Barnes & Noble

Order from Amazon

Frances and the Monster has received its very first trade review!

I’m excited to report that notoriously hard-to-please Kirkus Reviews had wonderful things to to say about my debut Middle Grade adventure, including this jam-packed blurb right here:

“[Frances’s] memorable adventure, with strong echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, plays out against a colorful background as she confronts who she is in a truly shocking finale.

A fast-paced and remarkably original tale.”

— Kirkus Reviews

It’s a huge thrill to see such glowing praise from one of the most respected (and occasionally feared!) literary review publications out there. Here’s hoping this is only the first of many great reviews for Frances!

Frances and the Monster comes to life August 23 from HarperCollins in the US and September 22 in the UK from Harper360.

You can read the full review here.

Kid-lit book reviewers—FRANCES AND THE MONSTER is now available to request on NetGalley! If you're interested in reviewing this Middle Grade historical sci-fi/fantasy adventure, use this link to request an advanced review copy.

I hope you enjoy the story, and that Frances and her friends (and villains...) manage to claw their way into you heart the way they have mine.

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...

And don't forget to add FRANCES AND THE MONSTER to your shelves: Frances and the Monster

Exciting news:

WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS is officially on sale now!

I hope you'll pick up a copy for yourself and a copy to give as a gift over the holidays. AND, if it isn't too much to ask, that you'll take a moment to write a review here and/or wherever you buy your books.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the making and launch of this book—we couldn't have done it without you.

Can't wait to hear what you think of the dinosaurs' new adventure.

Order your copies using this link.

View the book on Goodreads here:
What the Dinosaurs Did the Night Before Christmas

My debut Middle Grade novel FRANCES AND THE MONSTER isn't set for release until August 23, 2022 from HarperCollins, but you'll get to see its gorgeous cover NEXT WEEK.

On Tuesday, October 11, I will unveil the cover in all it's glory. I hope to host the reveal on a couple of my favorite book blogs and my own social channels simultaneously. More details to follow soon!

In the meantime, please add FRANCES AND THE MONSTER to your To-Read pile using this link:

Frances and the Monster

Thank you!

The thermostat still reads 90 degrees here in Kansas City but would you believe me if I told you there are only 121 left until Christmas?

More importantly, there are only 40 days left until the release of our new picture book WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

That's especially hard to believe for Susan and me. When we started working on this book, nobody had ever heard of COVID-19. The world went into lockdown about two months into production. Suddenly, uncertainty was the way of life, props were no longer available due to factories shutting down or pivoting to PPE products, and our four kids were doing school at home.

The decision was made to push the release of the book from 2020 to 2021. This was a tough call, but we're so grateful to our team at Little Brown for making it. Despite the myriad setbacks, the extra time gave us the space to create a book that was closer to our vision than we ever imagined possible.

We are so excited to finally share it with you in just over one month.

Preorders are the single most important factor in the successful launch of a new book, directly impacting all sorts of things from marketing and publicity budgets to best seller lists.

Please consider preordering a copy or two of WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS to give as gifts to the kids in your life—and don't forget to hold one back for yourself :).

Preorder on Bookshop
Preorder on Amazon
Preorder from Rainy Day Books

Thanks for reading and STAY MESSY.

Refe

First of all, a big THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to read and review What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night. We're so honored that you'd have such great things to say about something we put so much time and care into.

Susan and I have more fun things coming soon, but the biggest and most exciting of those things is our new storybook. We will be revealing the title, cover, and release date soon, so stay tuned.

What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night is a photo book for adults and their families; this new release will be a storybook for children, perfect for sitting and reading together with your kids.

We had a ton of fun creating this book (a little too much fun, probably) and we can't wait to share it.

It's hard to believe, but November is only a six months away. It's going to be a doozy. Not only will we celebrate Dinovember 2014, we will also be celebrating the release of our first book.

WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID LAST NIGHT will hit shelves all across the world on November 4th. (I will post a full list of countries where the WTDDLN will be available soon.) And, even though Susan and I are still finishing up the last few edits and minor revisions, the book is actually available for pre-order NOW.

You can pre-order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and probably a bunch of other places too.

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/What-Dinosaurs-...

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us make this book a reality. We can't wait to share it with you.