Book Friends Forever Podcast

Alvina is back to work after sabbatical! She and Grace talk about their philosophy on social media, and how it plays into work and life. They also discuss the one time Alvina almost left Little, Brown for another publisher (she doesn't say which one!), and the pros and cons of both editor and creator loyalty to a publisher. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.

Alvina calls in from Greece (on the island of Paros) during the last week of her sabbatical. They talk about heirlooms and souvenirs, buying jewelry and art. They also discuss the moment they both decided that they wanted to work in children’s book publishing specifically (as opposed to “adult” books). And they end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Alvina calls in from South Africa! Grace finished her novel! Both talk about their work identities and their first international trips and end with what they are grateful for.

Author/illustrator & longtime friend Jarrett Krosockza fills in for Alvina! Jarrett and Grace talk about their parallel careers, being served road-kill pate, professional jealousy, how things have changed for them after becoming parents and the hustle of making it (so far). Jarrett also admits, to Grace's great surprise, that he finds public speaking challenging.

Grace and Alvina talk about Alvina's upcoming trip to South Africa and tips on what to do if you are stranded at the airport. They also discuss the microaggression of being repeatedly mistaken for other Asians; and then Grace grills Alvina on the intricacies of book auctions (Is it better to have a huge advance? What is the difference between a fall book and a spring book?). They end with what they are grateful for.

As Alvina prepares for her sabbatical, Grace and Alvina talk about their past trip to the Grand Canyon, the importance of setting goals and admitting your dreams (Alvina wants to go the Oscars and Grace wants win gold!). They end, as usual, with what they are grateful for.

Grace and Alvina are in the audio studio together! They discuss the technical details of how they usually record this podcast, talk about the differences between having success early in your career versus later in your career and the pros and cons, and remember when they started blogging, particularly the group blog the Blue Rose Girls. And they end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina talk about what their ideas of paradise would be, and what their ideal lives are. Alvina talks about the Walter Awards Symposium and the two books she edited that were honored, GHOST BOYS by Jewell Parker Rhodes and THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X.R. Pan. Grace shared a gross but fascinating fact about angler fish! They discuss Alvina’s upcoming sabbatical, and take a trip down memory lane and remember their vacation to Beijing and Shanghai together.

Grace and Alvina continue their conversation from the previous week and talk about whether being white or POC in publishing is a help or a hinderance, touching on issues of college admissions, white privilege, and affirmative action. Grace remembers the time her father gave her a surprise review on Amazon and what he said, and we talk a little bit about our parents and the different ways we were raised. And they end as usual with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina follow up on episode 7 and discuss the ways they grieved and coped after their husbands deaths. They also discuss a listener’s question about whether or not publishers have official or non-official quotas that limit the acquisitions of books by and about POC and other underepresented groups. And they end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina share about their love stories with their late husbands, and how both of them had to deal with caring for their loved ones while they battled cancer, how they survived after their husbands deaths, and how caregiving and grief affected their work. They end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina talk about how they balance work with life (do they?), and take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about what they thought they wanted to be when they grew up when they were kids. And, as always, they end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina talk about how they balance work with life (do they?), and take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about what they thought they wanted to be when they grew up when they were kids. And, as always, they end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina talk about how Sales Conference at a publishing company works, and how they’ve both developed as public speakers when it doesn’t come naturally to either of them. And, they end as always with what they’re grateful for.

Grace and Alvina talk about how they measure success in their fields, remember when Grace first wrote and published her first novel, The Year of the Dog, and end with what they’re grateful for.