WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND from VAULT Comics Tour

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND from VAULT Comics Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway! 

The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and spooky stories young readers imprint from VAULT Comics! 

Count on a flurry of activity around all WONDERBOUND original graphic novel middle grade titles! 

Here’s a list of all of the titles & authors participating in the tour! Check out each individual blog/Instagram/or booktok (schedule below) for more details on each book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About The Book:

Title: THE UNFINISHED CORNER

Author: Dani Colman & Rachel “Tuna” Petrovicz (Illustrator)

Pub. Date: October 19, 2021

Publisher: Wonderbound

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 224

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-UNFINISHED-CORNER 

WINNER! 2021 VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award – Youth Category!

FINALIST!  National Jewish Book Awards 2021 

Twelve-year-old Miriam doesn’t know much about Jewish mythology. She’s not even sure she wants to be Jewish. So, imagine her confusion when a peculiar angel whisks her off to finish the mythological Unfinished Corner, a place full of monsters and mystery.

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD MIRIAM IS FULL OF QUESTIONS, BUT THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS COUNTING ON HER FOR ANSWERS.

Jewish mythology has it that when God created the universe, one corner of it was left unfinished. Opinion is divided on why, but everyone agrees that the Unfinished Corner is a dangerous place full of monsters. Twelve-year-old Miriam neither knows nor cares about the Unfinished Corner. She’s too busy preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, wrestling with whether she even wants to be Jewish–until a peculiar angel appears, whisking her, her two best friends, and her worst frenemy off to this monstrous land with one mission: finish the Unfinished Corner.
An original graphic novel.
 

National Jewish Book Awards 2021 Finalist!

 2021 VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award Winner, Youth Category!

“A charming adventure filled with memorable characters and a fresh point of view.” — Hope Larson (Award-winning and New York Times bestselling adapter/artist of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time: The Graphic Novel)

“HUGELY impactful for diverse readers.”
      – VLA (Virginia Library Association)

“Individual characters and the depth of their bonds carry the story forward, the historical content punctuated by moments of sincere hilarity.”  — Publishers Weekly

“It’s exciting, heartfelt, and so, so, new!  A proper fun adventure for children in the amazing worlds of Jewish lore.”    — Paul Cornell (Doctor Who, Elementary)

About Dani Colman:

Dani Colman is a writer and educator from London, England. She plays the violin, dabbles in standup comedy, and is absolutely terrible at videogames. When she isn’t writing comic books and novels, she teaches aspiring writers how not to annoy their editors. She currently lives in San Francisco with her husband (creator of many comic books), and two cats (creators of many hairballs).

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads 

About Rachel “Tuna” Petrovicz:

Rachel ‘Tuna’ Petrovicz is an illustrator and comic artist from Vancouver, Canada. She has a penchant for the creepy and the cute, and in her spare time enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. Her lifelong goal is to befriend every cat she sees.

Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads 

The Winter Holidays and YOU!

1.       What Winter holidays do you celebrate in December and January … and how do you celebrate them?

My family have always celebrated Hanukkah: we light the menorah every night, we sing traditional songs, we play dreidel and eat latkes.  Since I’ve moved away from home, it’s been tough to celebrate, especially in a small apartment where it’s not really safe to have candles!  But then Zoom came along, and now my entire family will get together virtually so my mum can light candles and we can all say the blessings together.

2.       What traditions are old family traditions?

Arguing over whether the eight nights of Hanukkah means eight nights of presents!  My family also has a beautiful old menorah that has a lot of little crevices.  Every year when we light candles, wax drips down and gets lodged in all the nooks and crannies.  One year I discovered that cleaning the old menorah – carefully scraping the wax out so there’s room for new candles and the brass shines through – was a surprisingly meditative experience.  Since then, cleaning the menorah before the first night of Hanukkah has been a tradition that my siblings and I have shared.

3.       What traditions are ones that YOU’VE started?

For the last several years, my husband and I have gone to see at least one comedy show on New Year’s eve.  Especially over the last few years, with the stresses of Covid and the economy and everything else, it’s been a wonderful thing to wash away the old year with laughter.

4.       What sort of activities during the holidays are your favorites?

I love Holiday lights, so just wandering around a nearby downtown or shopping centre is a joyful experience.  I also have a group of fellow writer friends who get together over Zoom the week before Christmas to play games and share holiday cheer.  Outdoor ice skating is lovely if it isn’t too crowded.

I also must watch the Muppet Christmas Carol at least once each holiday season.  This is non-negotiable.

5.       What activities do you like the least?

I don’t really like Christmas music or big flashy “events” – it all feels quite crass and commercial.

6.       What are your favorite holiday memories from childhood?

When I was in middleschool, some friends and I went around downtown London singing Christmas carols.  We’d all been in choir together, so we were quite good!  We made enough money from passers-by to have a hearty dinner together at an outdoor market, and it was a beautiful experience.

7.       What are your favorite holiday memories from adulthood?

A few years ago my mum and I went to Switzerland for the holidays, and spent some time in Lausanne, a beautiful old town on the shores of Lake Geneva.  Lausanne has a traditional Christmas market, with food and drinks and local vendors selling all kinds of goods and crafts.  We bought presents for the entire family, drank glögg (a sort of hot spiced wine), and had lunch looking out over the lake.

8.       What are your favorite holiday foods?

I love mulled wine!  I also have fond memories of homemade latkes and applesauce.

9.       What makes these Winter holidays so special for you?

Everything quiets down: offices close, deadlines relax, the long cold evenings start earlier.  I enjoy the feeling of everyone taking a deep breath together and taking some time to be with family and friends.

10.   Anything else you’d like to talk about that is holiday-related?

I very recently moved to LA, which has a much larger (and generally more observant) Jewish population than San Francisco.  I didn’t anticipate how much it would mean to me to see Hanukkah cards and menorahs sold alongside Christmas cards and ornaments in literally every store.  Feeling seen by the community around you really matters; knowing I am surrounded by people who celebrate the holidays as I do – even if we’re doing so quietly and separately – is like a warm blanket on a cold night.

The Winter Holidays and … your characters!

1.       How do your book’s characters celebrate the holidays?

a.       Do they celebrate with family & friends?

Before the events of The Unfinished Corner, the characters celebrated Hanukkah with their families:

Miri’s parents and sister all have a messy, fun, chaotic celebration.  There’s lots of teasing and probably handmade, thoughtful presents.

Avi and his family have a very traditional celebration.  They study and discuss and say the blessings very seriously, but with lots of love.

David and his parents tell stories and sing songs late into the night.  They treat the menorah like a campfire and make up new Hanukkah legends to tell each other every year.

Judith and her mom get descended upon by a gaggle of aunties, uncles, and cousins.  Gift-giving is very big in Judith’s family, and the gambling over the dreidel gets extremely competitive!

After the events of The Unfinished Corner, I like to think the characters make a real effort to spend time together and embrace each other’s traditions.  Luckily, Hanukkah goes on for eight nights, so they have plenty of opportunity to go to each other’s homes and share in all the fun and togetherness.

b.      What do they eat?

Miri and Avi: lots of latkes!

David: a mix – his parents are always trying something new!  Lately his dad has perfected a traditional halvah recipe (David always brings extra to school for his friends).

Judith: buñuelos, cassola, and shamlias.  Her family’s recipes are generations old.

c.       What do you think they’d like to do?

I think they’d love to have a night of Hanukkah that’s just for the four of them.  They’ve been on such an adventure together and grown up so fast: they’re ready to start building their own traditions.

2.       If your book’s characters visited during the holidays, how would you celebrate with them?

Honestly, I think I’d be in awe of them!  These kids built an entire corner of the universe.  They might be only twelve years old, but they’ve more than earned the right to lead a Hanukkah celebration any way they want.  Maybe they’d let me play a big tabletop RPG with them!

3.       Would your character like to say anything to readers for holiday cheer?

Miri: “Be nice to your siblings, even if they’re annoying.  Hadassah, stop making faces at me.”

Avi: “The Hanukkah story has so much to teach us!  Wait a second, there’s a bit of Midrash I want to share with you…let me find the right book…it’s in this pile somewhere…”

David: “Avi, put the book down and come light candles with us.  Being together is what’s most important.”

Judith: “Presents are awesome, but friends and family are better.  Even when you have eighty cousins and not enough cassola.”