PUBLISHED GRAD

What are the names of your books?

The name of the book is Little Owl published by Twisted Whisperings Press. Give us a short summary of your work. Adaline Rushner is a woman in pieces. Her daughters have gone missing, and although the authorities seem to have found their bodies, something still isn’t right. Her husband, Cache, can’t bear the pain and wants to move on, but Adaline can’t shake the feeling they’re still alive. She even starts seeing them in the house, though Cache does not. Adaline wonders whether this current tragedy has something to do with the misfortune and painful experiences she suffered in her own childhood, but her memories have gaps in them that she can’t quite close on her own. After Adaline and Cache move to Salt Lake City, everything gets even stranger. Local cop Officer Abbott thinks Adaline’s distinctive owl necklace may somehow link to his own missing daughter. Adaline’s neighbor Maggie offers assistance and comfort, but Adaline suspects her of hiding other truths from her. Adaline tries to prepare for her girls’ eventual return while investigating her own past forgotten traumas, but a threatening message urges her to let the past stay forgotten. Can Adaline find the truth and save her marriage to Cache, or will the tangled web of memories from her past keep her from moving on? Author Lauri Schoenfeld’s psychological thriller is a suspenseful tale of family trauma, discovering our inner strength, and understanding the power of forgiveness. Tell us a bit about your path to publishing, from idea to to submission to publication. I started writing Little Owl, thirteen years ago and began querying it in 2017. I got multiple full and partial requests, as well as rejections. That information and support from agents and publishers was so valuable and appreciated. In 2020, I decided to go a different path and decided to go indie and publish Little Owl through my press, Twisted Whisperings. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing seriously for eighteen years, but have loved it since I was ten. What’s your favorite genre to write and why? I love psychological thrillers because people are so complex and fascinating. I love the mystery behind why people do what they do. That will always intrigue me. Please list the course or courses you’ve taken with ICL and IFW. Writing for Children and Teens How has taking our courses helped your writing and/or career? Taking that course helped me to understand how to write characters and a story that connected to readers. It taught me a ton about marketing and how to begin the submission process for querying. Have any of your class assignments been published? Not yet. Do you have a favorite writing tip you’d like to share? Enjoy the magic as you write. Allow yourself to get lost in the story. You can always come back and edit later. If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of writing advice, what would it be? I would’ve told my thirteen-year-old self that writing is supposed to be playful, fun, and exploratory, not perfect, and to start at that point allowing myself to do what I loved to do. What have you loved most about your writing journey so far? I have loved getting to know people and connecting with the readers. I love hearing stories about how characters you’ve created help the person reading your book to feel seen and understood. What’s the most valuable thing you learned from your experience with the Institute of Children’s Literature? This course was the very thing that set off my career in writing. It gave me so much valuable and informative information that I felt confident to step into my dreams of publishing articles and books. If it wasn’t for making the choice to start this course, I don’t think I would be where I am today as a writer.