Middle grade author friends Jen Calonita (Isle of Ever) and Alyson Gerber (The Liars Society: A Risky Game) both have mystery-adventure books coming out a week apart. That news has only brought them closer. Calonita and Gerber first met in 2021 at the FAME conference, when Calonita offered Gerber a ride to the Orlando airport, and they got to talking about all things publishing. They stayed in touch, and a few months later, ended up on the same flights to and from the North Texas Teen Book Festival. They’ve been friends—and writing critique partners—ever since.
Alyson Gerber: Hi Jen!
Jen Calonita: Hi Aly! This is going to be fun talking about our books and our friendship. Can you kick us off? Tell me about your series.
Gerber: The Liars Society is a middle grade mystery set at a prep school. It’s told from the perspective of Jack—an insider—and Weatherby—a fish-out-of-water scholarship student. They both get picked to join the most powerful secret society in the world, and they need to get in, because they have life-ruining secrets that they will do anything to protect. The first book is out now, and The Liars Society: A Risky Game, is out April 1. What about you?
Calonita: Isle of Ever is the first book in a new series about a girl who finds out she’s been left a fortune she can only collect if she plays a game to find a mysterious island that doesn’t exist on any maps. The stakes are high as she only has two weeks to find it. Think: pirates, cursed treasure, lots of puzzles, and an ancient diary from the year 1825 that provides a lot of the clues. My book is out March 25.
Gerber: Our books come out a week apart!
Calonita: Yes! Right now, we’re a few weeks away from both our books coming out in the world. They’re both middle grade, they’re both mystery adventures, and you would think we would be in competition with each other, but it’s the exact opposite.
Gerber: More than anything, we want to lift each other up. I always loved being on a team. I write a lot of sports and team dynamics in my books, and finding likeminded author friends, like you, has really changed the game for me.
How has building this type of friendship made a difference for you?
Calonita: One of my editors likes to say, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” I truly believe that, and our friendship is so special to me. It’s so refreshing to have an author friendship where we can talk to each other about our projects, what we’re struggling with and what’s working well, and we can support one another. I’ve been writing young adult and middle grade books for almost 20 years now.
How many years have you been doing this?
Gerber: I’ve been doing this since 2017, so for kind of a while now, but not 20 years! I think that’s what works so well for us. We’re coming at this publishing journey from different places, and we’ve been able to learn so much from each other. I mean, your breath of experience is unbelievable; you’ve been through the ups and downs of publishing, and you bring so much perspective. Every time I have a question, or I don’t know how to navigate something, you’re the first person I ask because you’ve probably been through it.
Calonita: And I feel like you are a breath of fresh air. It’s been a while since I’ve had a brand-new middle grade series come out into the world, and so much has changed. You’ve taught me so much about advocating for myself and my books, and how to find new ways to get them into readers’ hands. What’s really interesting is that we both are writing puzzle- and riddle-based adventure stories for clever readers who love cracking a case.
Gerber: Something I think we share is that we were both kids who wanted to be taken seriously by adults. We also both had grandmothers who listened to our ideas and dreams and encouraged us. That is a really powerful experience for a kid. I know that drives both of us to write stories that will make kids feel seen and encouraged. The thing that The Liars Society and Isle of Ever share is that they are elevated, fast-paced mysteries that don’t underestimate readers. They are both centered around family. And at the same time, they are fun stories with dynamic characters that kids and adults can read together.
Calonita: I remember you and I were at the North Texas Teen Book Festival a few years back, and I told you I was coming up with this idea for a new series unlike anything I’d ever written before. I was terrified because I wasn’t sure I could pull off a mystery. We spent the whole flight back from Dallas to New York with me reading a draft of The Liars Society, and you editing my proposal for Isle of Ever. We sat there at our little tray tables helping one another, and I just knew then that this amazing friendship was born.
Gerber: I feel like we’ve been able to help each other with our work ever since. It’s so special.
Calonita: It really is. Why do you think, in this industry, it’s so important to have author friends, and to have a friendship like we have? How do you think it benefits authors?
Gerber: I think that writing a book can be a lonely process. It doesn’t matter how fast you are at writing—it takes a long time to write, edit, and publish. And, so, if along the way, you can find people to be on a team with—when they have wins, you can be excited, and when you have wins, they can be excited—then, there’s a lot more positivity in your day-to-day. I think the most important thing you can do for yourself is find people who will lift you up, who you also want to lift up and cheer for.
Calonita: We’re alone in a room all day. We’re writing, and it could take a few years before anybody even knows this book we’re working on exists! So, to be able to call each other up—which we do regularly every week—and say, “Here’s what I’m working on. This is where I’m struggling”—is such a wonderful lifeline. I’ve learned so much from you on how to plot a mystery and how to elevate these riddles I’m coming up with, because I think you do it so well. It’s nice to be able to share information with another writer rather than feel in competition with them. There’s room for both our books and so many other incredible books out there. So, how can we help each other?
Gerber: And you taught me how to outline a book! I was always a pantser, and when I started writing a mystery I realized, “Oh, I really need to learn how to outline.” You walked me through the process. And you have so much experience outlining. For the first time, I now understand how to do it, which is possibly the most valuable writing tool I’ve ever had.
Calonita: You’ve taught me so much in this ever-changing social media world about how to promote my books. I love everything you’ve done to promote The Liars Society. I love all your content online. The funny thing is, both of us are big fans of friendship bracelets, and everybody knows now that we make them. It’s so fun!
Gerber: Yes! We make these friendship bracelets that have our book titles on them, and we’ve been handing them out to librarians and booksellers.
Calonita: I’m currently wearing The Liars Society friendship bracelet right now.
Gerber: [Laughs.] And I’m wearing my Isle of Ever bracelet. It’s not always easy to reach young readers. It’s a team effort and a collaboration with parents, school librarians, public librarians, teachers, and booksellers, so it’s really helpful to have a friend say, “Hey, I tried doing this, and this has worked for my book. You should try this too.” I love that about our friendship. We’re constantly trading ideas and trying to make everybody’s job easier.
Calonita: Yes! Both of us do a lot of school visits, and I feel like one question kids always ask is: “What are some of your favorite books?” It’s so easy for me to say The Liars Society because it’s the truth. If they like fairytales and dragons, I’m going to say Soman Chainani, Claribel Ortega, and Mari Mancusi. If they like spies, I’m going to say Christina Diaz Gonzalez, James Ponti, Stuart Gibbs, Lisa Yee, and the list goes on....
Gerber: There’s room for all of them! You don’t just read one book. I was such a reluctant reader. I had a hard time learning to read and identifying as a reader. I really thought it wasn’t for me, but once I read The Westing Game, which was my gateway into becoming a reader, it wasn’t like I stopped reading after that. It was the first step into what would become a lifetime of reading. There’s not only one book for every kid. Hopefully, there are lots of books that kids are excited to read.
Calonita: I was a very reluctant reader too, but when I read Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, it felt like my whole world opened up. I always want kids I meet to realize that you don’t have to read that one book every kid is reading. If it doesn’t interest you, that’s fine. What are your hobbies and likes and dislikes? Tell me and I can suggest a book that might change everything. When you find a book you love, your love of reading grows too.
Gerber: What’s next for you, Jen?
Calonita: I’m actually putting the finishing touches on the second Isle of Ever, which is titled Cursebreaker.
Gerber: I already read the first draft, and it is so good! Such a great sequel.
Calonita: What about you? What’s next?
Gerber: Everything I have next is a secret.
Calonita: [Laughs.] Spoken like a true mystery writer!
