Meeting Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo

I've been seeing Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo's name coming up in Connecticut for quite some time because of her appearances. She made one this past Saturday at the River Bend Bookshop in Glastonbury that I was able to attend.

I have not yet read her middle grade novel, Ruby in the Sky, but a young woman in the audience who had described it as "awesome." That was significant, I thought. I put a lot more weight on the reactions of young readers of middle grade and YA books than I do on those of adult readers.

Writers planning appearances like this one, especially when they write for an older audience, are often at a loss for what to talk about. Jeanne had a well-thought out presentation, in which she focused on a character's interest (birds) both with the reading she chose and an activity she provided. (Making bird feeders.) Jeanne says she loves props. In the past, I haven't. But I will rethink that as a result of attending her presentation.

Jeanne's going to figure in a Weekend Writer post sometime soon on the value of writers attending other writers' presentations. I came home pretty pumped up.