Welcome to Day 3 of the 7th Annual March MG Madness! Click here to see the full schedule and links to other days.
A Sprinkle of Spirits
(Love Sugar Magic #2)
By Anna Meriano
February 5, 2019
Walden Pond Press
Leonora Logroño has finally been introduced to her family’s bakery bruja magic—but that doesn’t mean everything is all sugar and spice. Her special power hasn’t shown up yet, her family still won’t let her perform her own spells, and they now act rude every time Caroline comes by to help Leo with her magic training.
She knows that the family magic should be kept secret, but Caroline is her best friend, and she’s been feeling lonely ever since her mom passed away. Why should Leo have to choose between being a good bruja and a good friend?
In the midst of her confusion, Leo wakes up one morning to a startling sight: her dead grandmother, standing in her room, looking as alive as she ever was. Both Leo and her abuela realize this might mean trouble—especially once they discover that Abuela isn’t the only person in town who has been pulled back to life from the other side.
Spirits are popping up all over town, causing all sorts of trouble! Is this Leo’s fault? And can she reverse the spell before it’s too late?
Q1. What three words best describe your book LOVE SUGAR MAGIC: A SPRINKLE OF SPIRITS?
Lazy answer: Love, Sugar, and Magic! Real answer: identity, ghostbusters, community
Q2. Grab a copy of LOVE SUGAR MAGIC: A SPRINKLE OF SPIRITS and answer the following
Favorite chapter? Tied between Chapter 7 (“The Heist”) and Chapter 17 (“Spellcraft”).
Favorite page? 184 or 265.
Favorite setting? Has to be the bakery kitchen, which is such a cozy and busy place and is always full of delicious smells. Though I do like that we get to see more of Rose Hill in this book, such as the park and the City Hall.
Flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentence teaser:
“What were you thinking?” Alma whisper-hissed at Leo as soon as they were safe.
“What were you thinking?” Leo turned to Brent, who was looking way too pleased with himself and his empanada.
Q3. What inspired the LOVE SUGAR MAGIC series? How did the story come to be?
I worked with Cake Literary on this series, so the original idea came from them. We met and talked about the themes that were important to me, like showing different levels of Spanish fluency throughout the family and making sure the books were a celebration of culture and place, and of course, all the baked goods we wanted to see.
Q4. Tell us a bit about your character Leo. What makes her special? What do you love about her?
I love Leo’s determination. She always wants to improve her baking and her magic, and sometimes that can lead her to forget other people’s feelings or make not-so-great decisions, but I love how fiercely she goes after what she wants. She also brings that same determination to fixing the mistakes she makes, so that’s good.
Q5. What do you love about writing and reading middle-grade lit?
Middle-grade literature is so interesting because nearly every book is an attempt to look at some part of the world with new eyes. The characters might be discovering how their family works, how school works, how magic works, or even how some of the darkest and scariest parts of life work. So I love how—both as a writer and a reader—these books bring me back to that space of discovery and help me ask new questions about the world.
Q6. What is your all-time favorite middle-grade book?
I’m completely in love with The Moon Within by Aida Salazar. I was lucky to read an early copy a few months ago and this book has not left my head since.
(But if we’re talking about books I read when I was a middle-grader myself, I’ll have to go with Ella Enchanted.)
Q7. Fill in the blanks:
I’m really awesome at whistling, just like my mom.
I’m really embarrassed to admit how many of my friend’s books I haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
The last great book I read was Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World.
Q8. If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by LOVE SUGAR MAGIC: A SPRINKLE OF SPIRITS, what would it look and taste like? What would you call it?
Well, since my books combine traditional pan dulce with modern Texas flair, my cupcake would have to be a manteconcha, the trendy new muffin version of a panadería staple. It has brightly colored crumbly swirls on top—marbled pink and dark blue to match the book covers—and the fluffy dough has a hint of cinnamon. Of course, if this treat really is inspired by the series, you should be careful before biting into one. It might make you fall in love. It might even fly right
out of your hand!
Anna Meriano grew up in Houston, Texas, with an older brother and a younger brother but (tragically) no sisters. She graduated from Rice University with a degree in English and earned her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. She has taught creative writing and high school English and works as a writing tutor. Anna likes reading, knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and translating English song lyrics into Spanish and vice-versa. Her favorite baked goods are the kind that don’t fly away before you eat them.
Win a copy of A Sprinkle Of Magic!
Walden Pond Press has generously offered one copy for one winner.
-US only
-ends 4/5/19
-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen prizes
I agree that a bakery is a great setting. Sounds like a fun book!
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be a fun book to read! What a clever idea for a story.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting and engaging book. I like bakeries so it’s got to be good.
ReplyDeleteA Dash of Trouble was such a fun book to read. So excited to see that A Sprinkle of Spirits was released. I still chuckle when I think of this quote from the first book "some reactions are irreversible, you can't unburn toast by putting it in the freezer."
ReplyDeleteI loved reading a Dash of Trouble. I added the book to our classroom library and it has become a popular read. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series.
ReplyDeleteThis series looks just too adorable (and it matches your blog so nicely too!). :-) Thanks for sharing this wonderful interview!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I loved the first book in this series. Wonderful characters!
ReplyDeleteI like the design of the book cover. This sounds like a fun and magical story.
ReplyDelete