Eighteen Roses has launched!

Dear Friends,

My second book, EIGHTEEN ROSES, comes out today! I’m hoping this book will find its readers the way that I’D RATHER BURN THAN BLOOM has. Since my debut novel was a book about grief, I guess I should have expected that readers might share with me about their own grief after they read it, but I wasn’t really prepared for what that would mean to me. It’s been healing for me and I hope for them, too. EIGHTEEN ROSES is about family, too– divorce, sisterhood, daughterhood, and feeling like the odd one out in all the ways. It’s also about wanting the rewards of being loved without having to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known, which may, or may not, have been informed by my experiences publishing a book and subsequently having to talk about my deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings in public forums.

EIGHTEEN ROSES has been selected as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard title. There have also been some very kind early reviews of the book. I’ll share some words from them here:

^{"Rogers' lush, vivid storytelling brings Albuquerque alive, and readers will feel deeply for Lucia’s struggle with the terrible ordeal of knowing and being known... This should absolutely not be missed." —Booklist (starred review)}

^{"Rogers attentively depicts issues surrounding race, gender, parental responsibility, divorce, and self-esteem via Lucia’s numerous relationships, particularly with her mother. Lucia’s stand-up comedy seeds humor throughout this cathartic read." —Publishers Weekly}

^{"Rogers’ sophomore novel features rich, deep representation of Filipino experience in the U.S. as well as strong character development, as it follows a loner who finds connections one small, imperfect step at a time...Beautiful, relatable, and full of emotion." —Kirkus}

If you plan to buy a copy, consider supporting your local indie bookstore, especially if you’re joining me to celebrate the launch at one of these upcoming events! You can still order the book now directly from one of these great stores, and they’ll have a copy for you there: 

• TODAY! 7/30 @ Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, NY
  In conversation with author Jennifer Baker | 7:30 pm

• 7/31 @ Yu + Me Books in New York, NY
  In conversation with author Yume Kitasei | 5:30 pm

• 8/8 @ Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing in Beaverton, OR
  In conversation with author Parisa Ahkbari | 7:00 pm

I love bookstores and visiting them when I travel. Earlier this year, I spoke at the Pittsburgh Festival of Books, the Hudson Children’s Book Festival, and the Kweli Journal Color of Children’s Literature Conference, and each one of them partnered with very cool indie bookstores to sell books during the events – definitely check these out:

• Stories like Me is a woman-owned, queer-owned bookstore for everyone, based in Pittsburgh, PA. They specialize in Children's and Young Adult books that represent the wondrous diversity of all children and families

• Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria is a multilingual, collectively operated bookshop and arts space in Washington Heights, NYC, committed to co-creating a place where residents support each other to live informed and expressive lives.

• The Spotty Dog Books & Ale is an independent bookseller, with a collection of over 10,000 new books in an old firehouse in Hudson, NY. In-store, they carry books in all categories, including a large selection of unique books and toys for kids. They’re also a bar serving locally sourced ales! This store has everything! 

Another way to support new authors like me is to suggest that your local library purchase a copy of their book, which would be awesome! Here’s the form for Albuquerque Public Library and the San Francisco Public Library where you could suggest EIGHTEEN ROSES! 

If you feel so inclined to leave a rating and/or review after you read, that would really help spread the word! My favorite place to track what I’m reading is on Storygraph (Read: Black Woman-Founded Reading Platform StoryGraph Surges In Popularity from People of Color in Tech).

Looking ahead to the fall, I’m planning to appear at some fun events (like StoryFest in Westport, CT and the Filipino American International Book Festival in San Francisco, CA!) and also hoping to continue visiting classrooms to talk to students about being an author and living a creative life. If you’d like me to visit your classroom you can fill out this form. Please spread the word to the educators in your life! 

That’s all the news for now. I hope you’re taking good care. Thank you for reading and for your support,

Shannon