Marie Benedict & Courtney Sheinmel, THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Totally Booked with Zibby" Episode: Marie Benedict & Courtney Sheinmel, The Secrets of Lovelace Academy
Release Date: June 23, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, host Zibby Owens welcomes co-authors Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel to discuss their collaborative work, The Secrets of Lovelace Academy. This marked the first time both authors teamed up, merging their expertise to create a captivating story aimed at young readers.

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The Collaboration: How It All Began

Zibby delves into the origins of the partnership between Benedict and Sheinmel. Marie explains that their collaboration was orchestrated by their agent, who acted as a "matchmaker of sorts" for the two authors.

Marie Benedict [05:33]: "It was a setup."

Courtney adds that the initial meetings felt like a "blind date," emphasizing the organic nature of their partnership.

Courtney Sheinmel [06:03]: "It was a virtual setup initially."

Their collaboration began virtually due to living in different cities, allowing them to build a strong working relationship despite the distance.

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Conceptualizing The Secrets of Lovelace Academy

The authors discuss the genesis of The Secrets of Lovelace Academy, highlighting their desire to create a historical adventure that resonates with middle-grade readers.

Courtney Sheinmel [07:36]: "Lovelace Academy is the quintessential kind of English boarding school... but for girls at a time period when girls were completely left out of the educational mix."

They aimed to design a setting where bright girls could receive a genuine education, mirroring the opportunities young men had at institutions like Eton. This historical backdrop provides a rich tapestry for the story's events and character development.

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Incorporating Historical Figures: Mileva Einstein

A significant aspect of the book is the inclusion of Mileva Einstein, Albert Einstein's first wife, who was a brilliant scientist in her own right but often overshadowed by her husband's legacy.

Marie Benedict [08:39]: "Mileva Einstein... was a brilliant mathematician who never got the credit she deserved."

The authors sought to shed light on Mileva's contributions, integrating her into the narrative to inspire young readers about unsung female figures in history.

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Character Development: Lainey's Journey

Central to the story is Lainey, a young girl whose personal journey intertwines with historical figures and events.

Marie Benedict [12:00]: "Lainey could... figure out where she comes from and where she's going and her place in the world."

Lainey's adventures across Europe are both physical and emotional, allowing readers to explore themes of self-discovery, resilience, and the importance of community.

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Themes and Messages

The authors emphasize that while the book is an adventure story, it carries deeper themes relevant to today's youth.

Marie Benedict [14:03]: "There's more work to be done and the work continues with all of us."

The narrative aims to highlight the progress made in girls' education while also acknowledging ongoing challenges, encouraging readers to continue advocating for change.

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Co-Writing Process: Balancing Voices

Benedict and Sheinmel share insights into their co-writing dynamics, emphasizing the importance of blending their voices seamlessly.

Marie Benedict [20:36]: "You can't be too in love with any of your own sentences... It becomes a voice that was like a third person who was in the room with us."

Their collaborative approach ensures a uniform narrative voice, free from personal biases, resulting in a cohesive and authentic storytelling experience.

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Intended Audience and Reception

Targeted primarily at middle-grade readers, The Secrets of Lovelace Academy is designed for those who enjoy adventure and historical fiction without the need for fantasy elements.

Marie Benedict [26:00]: "It's an adventure story... if you're someone who's interested in story and finding yourself in books, I hope you pick this one up."

The authors hope to inspire young readers to appreciate history's unsung heroes and understand the significance of their own roles in shaping the future.

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Future Projects and Inspirations

While specific future projects remain under wraps, the authors hint at exploring other historical figures, particularly scientists, in upcoming works. Their passion for history and storytelling promises more enriching narratives ahead.

Courtney Sheinmel [24:38]: "If you looked at Marie's catalog, adult work, we would get some supreme hints."

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Conclusion

Zibby Owens wraps up the episode by expressing excitement over the collaboration and the impact The Secrets of Lovelace Academy is set to have on its readers. She commends the authors for their inspiring work and encourages listeners to explore their books.

Zibby Owens [28:31]: "I'm so excited that the two of you teamed up and put this into the world... Thank you for all your work and entertainment and inspiration."

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The Secrets of Lovelace Academy stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, historical appreciation, and storytelling aimed at empowering the next generation. Through this episode, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the book's creation, themes, and the authors' dedication to bringing untold stories to the forefront.

Transcript

[Zibby Owens]

Hi, listeners of Totally Booked with Zibby. This June we have one episode coming out every single day. And to celebrate that, I've started the June Listening Club. You can sign up on zibbedia.com or you can just keep listening and every day there'll be a little quiz on Instagram. We're giving prizes away every single day this month. You're gonna get amazing stuff. You would all be invited to a party and a zoom at the end of the month to celebrate with a special certificate. So sign up on Zibbe Media today. Make sure following Totally Booked with Zy on Instagram and get ready to listen. Make it a challenge. June is crazy. Find some airtime for yourself. Put it on in the background. Get ready to listen, learn, laugh, and enjoy life. Ready to order? Yes. We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver Card. So let's just get one of everything. Everything. Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27 and they're earning unlim 3% cash back. Yes, Chef. This is so nice. Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert. Ooh, tiramisu. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the Capital One saver card. Capital One what's in your wallet?

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Terms apply. See capital1.com for details.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Courtney Sheinmel]

Is that an enterprise sales solution?

[Zibby Owens]

Reach sales professionals, not professional sailors. With LinkedIn ads, you can target the right people by industry, job title, and more. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Get started today at LinkedIn.com results, terms and conditions apply. Today's episode is sponsored by gab. The youth mental health crisis is all over the news and we know social media is driving it. This shocked me. The US Surgeon General warns that kids who spend more than three hours a day online are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety. With four kids of my own, we are constantly debating when is the right age to give some of our kids a phone? How do we monitor the phone usage? For others, it is non stop. But now there's a solution. Here's the good news. A company called GAB has solved the problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech in steps. Teckin Steps works by providing kids safe phones and watches tailored to every age, offering the right device at the right time. From GPS tracking enabled watches for young kids to increased features and parent enabled apps on the phones for tweens and teens. Each device grows with your child. Bottom line, you don't have to give your kid a device that was made for an adult. Get them Gab which keeps them socially connected safely. I can't recommend Gab enough. Use our code to get the best deal on something that will make parenting easier and give you peace of mind. Visit gab.com that's G A B B.com totallybooked and use code totallybooked for a very special offer. Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books in my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest or underrated authors and story whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know, get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbemedia.com and follow me on Instagram ibyoens Courtney Sheinmel and Marie Benedict are co authors of the Secrets of Lovelace Academy Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than 10 years of experience as a litigator at two of the country's premier law firms. She found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present day, where readers can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions and as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. Marie is the author of many books for adults, including the New York Times bestseller the First Ladies. The Secrets of Lovelace Academy, written with Courtney Sheinmel, is her first book for kids. Courtney Sheinmel is a chocolate lover, Mac and cheese expert, mom to Archer, and the Author of nearly 30 books for kids and teens, including the acclaimed Stella Batts and My Pet Slime series for young readers. Her book she Persisted Helen Keller was part of Chelsea Clinton's She Persisted series. Courtney received a National Scholastic Educator Award for her work as a writing instructor at the nonprofit Writopia Lab. And by the way, she contributed an essay to my anthology on being Jewish. Now visit her [e-mail] welcome back to Marie Benedict and to Courtney Sheinmel, who have both been parts of other projects that I've featured on the show from On Being Jewish now to many of books of Marie's. Anyway, it's so great that the two of you have teamed up. I was so excited when I saw your names together on a book, the Secrets of Lovelace Academy. Welcome, first of all.

[Marie Benedict]

Thank you.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you. It's a joy. And how. How did you two team up?

[Marie Benedict]

Well, we were set up by our agent, who is a matchmaker of sorts, and she. I. She had long been sending me books of Marie's because I loved them. And then she called one day, and I think she spoke to Marie first before she spoke to me. I don't know, but she called me and said, I have. There's someone I want you to meet. I think you guys can do something together. So it was. It was a setup.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

It was. It was kind of like a blind date. An author.

[Marie Benedict]

It was a great blind date.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

You know, really good blind date. Yeah.

[Zibby Owens]

Was this a zoom date, or you went for coffee? What happened?

[Marie Benedict]

It was zoom. I don't remember zoom or on the phone, but we don't live in the same city.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Yeah.

[Marie Benedict]

So it was not. It was not in person.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

It was a virtual.

[Marie Benedict]

We started dating virtually first.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Yes. And, I mean, Laura, you know, she saw, you know, Laura, you know, I know, you know, Laura City, you know, she. She had had in her mind that, you know, obviously she knows both of us, knows our work intimately, maybe all too well, and she saw just the two of us as a great working relationship, but then also the potential for us to do something really fun. And I had been asked many times by readers if I would ever adapt any of my books for younger audiences, and I really struggled with that idea because, you know, I'm not an expert in the. In the world of younger readers like Courtney is, but I knew that younger readers definitely didn't want to read about women in their 30s and 40s, which is generally the age. Not always. Sometimes I have younger, you know, younger heroines, but they. It's over a period of time. It's not their jam. And Courtney and I just started talking and got into our heads that maybe we would do something with some of. Some or one of my women.

[Marie Benedict]

We had a lot of bad ideas to start.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

A lot of. Lot of time travel. Sippy.

[Marie Benedict]

A lot of time travel, like twins.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

And not very good.

[Marie Benedict]

Yeah.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

But then I think, like, Lovelace kind. Lovelace Academy kind of came out on its own as sort of a, you know, for people who haven't read the book or don't know what it's about. Lovelace Academy is this. It's the quintessential kind of English boarding school that you think of when you think of, like, an Eton or any of these classic institutions, but for girls at a time period when girls were completely let out of the educational mix. I mean, formal educational education really wasn't even really a thing until pretty recently. And for girls, if you were lucky enough to get educated, it was just pretty much about what would service your family or service, if you were lucky enough to be wealthy, service you as a hostess and as a, you know, a hostess in a home situation. So, I don't know, we just started thinking, what if, right? What if there was a place where bright girls could actually get a real education? Something like what young men were starting to get at a place like Eaton.

[Marie Benedict]

Don't you think we knew which heroine that Marie has written about that we wanted to start with in terms of who would be. Wouldn't be the center of our book, but would be somebody that would be in our book, and that was Mileva Einstein, who was Albert Einstein's first wife, who is. Who was a brilliant, brilliant scientist in On Her Own and has been lost to history, although Marie has written extensively about her, so she's not as lost to history as she was. There is an incredible novel, the Other Einstein, that really does celebrate Mileva and tell her story. But, you know, there. There is a school of thought, a very, you know, deep and credentialed school of thought that she contributed to her husband's work in really significant ways. And it tracks with what her background was and her education level and how brilliant she was. And she was a mathematician, and she never got any credit, as women often still don't, but specifically didn't in her time. So we knew she wanted. We wanted her to be in our story. We weren't sure who our main character was for a while, but we knew that she would be meeting up with Mileva.

[Zibby Owens]

I feel like I'm in my Einstein era because I'm also. I have yearbook, of course. And then I was reading a couple weeks ago, my son started reading Stuart Gibbs's Charlie Thorne books. Have you ever read any of those about. And the last equation, which starts on Einstein's deathbed and how he puts his equations in the fire. It's for, like, middle grade. You guys should read it. You should actually do an event with Stuart Gibbs.

[Marie Benedict]

I know. Well, because we shared a babysitter, his nanny for his kids, moved to New York and was my son's first nanny.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

So small world.

[Marie Benedict]

It's A very small world. But I. But I have a five year old, so we haven't quite gotten to Stu's books yet, but I actually have a few on the shelf waiting for him.

[Zibby Owens]

This is like past the, the, the other ones. This is past the spice. It was a little bit older, they're longer. Anyway, I don't mean to go off.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

On it, but I have two boys and we have spent quite a lot. Quite a lot of time, for sure.

[Zibby Owens]

I feel like Sarah Lynowski introduced me to him and to Laura, your agent, which is how I feel like this all comes together anyway.

[Marie Benedict]

Well, Sarah introduced, who's one of my closest friends, introduced me to my agent as well.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Yeah, talk about matchmaking here. I mean, that's like, that's a crazy full circle there.

[Zibby Owens]

I might. Maybe I shouldn't even admit this, but I sent my original proposal for Moms don't have Time to Read Books, the book to Laura, and she turned me down and was not my age.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Come on. She did not.

[Zibby Owens]

She did. I did. Yeah. I think now she feels bad a little bit. No, I'm kidding. I mean, I think, I think we love you, Laura, like a wonderful relationship. I shouldn't say she feels bad. She doesn't feel bad. I just mean, like, probably does. We're now like friends, you know, she's been so supportive in so many other ways. And to her credit, the book was not a good idea at that time anyway, so. But she was very helpful in the beginning, so I have a lot of gratitude to her.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

That's. I mean, to me that would regret if I were Laura Dale. But anyway, that's neither here.

[Zibby Owens]

No, no, no. Anyway, so back to the book. So Melena is making a cameo. That's all you knew at the beginning.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

That's right, yeah.

[Marie Benedict]

I knew she'd be in it in some capacity. Yes.

[Zibby Owens]

And then I think.

[Marie Benedict]

I think in the beginning we thought she would be a larger part. Then as we realized, you know, the audience we were writing for, and as Marie was saying before, you know, not wanting to center a story for middle grade readers on someone in her 30s, even though I frankly think women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, are the most interesting people there are, you don't necessarily realize that when you're 10 years old.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Not interested in that.

[Zibby Owens]

10 year olds. Just want to read about like 12 year olds right the next day.

[Marie Benedict]

And the other thing we felt like, we knew that Maliva came to the table with a lot of struggle and we knew that whoever our main character was needed to have A story of her own that would make you root for her, but was different from the struggles. So we were working on what that story could be and how this girl who we named Lainey, could. Why she would be at Lovelace Academy and which is a very school for very privileged people, and how she ended up there and what her. Her journey was.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

I mean, it was an interesting way to take a look at middle school age girls in a different time period so that younger readers could see in some ways how far we've come, not in all ways, and then give them an opportunity to intersect with a historical woman that. That really did pull herself up by her bootstraps and do incredible things, but whose stories we don't know and to leave the door open for other Lovelace Academy girls who come down the pike to intersect with the stories of other historical women and kind of expl the evolution of girls education. Bright young girls who are trying to achieve in a time, in different time periods, but time periods that are definitely not encouraging of that and struggling with things that girls today are still struggling with. You know, I mean, very relatable things.

[Marie Benedict]

One of the things that we hope readers take from it too is, is the idea of looking up a story like this that's set in 1905 and how far we've come and also how far we have not come. And there are a lot of things that, in the story that are not just about middle school politics, but about the world at large and where women fit in in the world and girls fit in in the world at large that have not changed to the extent that we believe they should.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Right.

[Zibby Owens]

So as part of the mission of the series, this sounds like it's going to be a series now, which is brilliant, of course, as part of the mission, empowering today's girls to continue so fighting for change and being amazing.

[Marie Benedict]

Yeah. I mean, not to be like super heavy handed or preachy about it, but certainly we hope that is what you take away from it after you read it, that there's more work to be done and the work continues with all of us. And one of the things that I think was interesting for us in terms of coming to the story was when we started out and we had in the time travel era of thinking about this book, and we were. And we're both mothers of sons, and we were like, oh, you know, it'll be a boy and a girl. And they go help. They go back in their time machine and help Mileva Einstein. And it took us a moment to realize we didn't need a boy main character for this story to reach our sons and other boys and to be an important story and an appealing story to our boys and other boys. And I think that was like a big, you know, to borrow a phrase from Oprah, aha moment for us when we're like, oh, wait, they can read about Lainey and just Lainey and Mileva, and it's still a valuable story even if they're boys. And so that was like part of our journey as well and seeing how we need to, like, sort of change the world and also change our approach to story.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

You learn so much about yourself as you're crafting, you know, crafting these worlds and your own preconceptions about what is an appealing story, which should be an appealing story, how to reach people. But yeah, as Courtney said, it's not meant to be heavy handed. It's a historical adventure is really what it is, that that has some of these layers in it, but that hopefully there are some takeaways. And I think, you know, we now, I'm not saying we're all the same age because I'm older than you ladies, but, you know, we grew up in an era when, when things were changing. And I think a lot of, of younger kids today are that much more removed from that. And I think getting to look at the past through the lens of somebody who's more closer in age to them, to actually see the scope of those changes is really important because, you know, we live in a time when things, you know, could return to where they were. And it's important for us to understand from whence we came so we don't head back that direction.

[Zibby Owens]

So true. Oh, my gosh. So how did you two write this together? I have never written with anyone else and I am endlessly fascinated with how this process works. How did you do it? How did you make sure you had the same voice and like, how did, how did you do it? Today's episode is sponsored by Wayfair. There's just something about a beautiful outdoor space that is so, so satisfying. Having your own backyard oasis is like a dream come true. And Wayfair has everything that you need to level up your outdoor space and make it really yours. They have patio sets, lounge chairs, outdoor bars, hot tubs, fire pits, gazebos, and of course, string lights. It is so easy to have a one stop shop where you can make over your entire outdoor space with a resort feel or whatever you love without a resort price tag. I, as you know, I'm obsessed with Wayfair and have decorated my home and office using Wayfair. I recently loved the new outdoor rugs that they have. I love the Waikiki blue indoor outdoor rug, which will look great in my new temporary place in Santa Monica. I want my outdoor space to feel like me. I want it to welcome people and make them feel comfortable and right at home. And Wayfair has everything. Plus, shipping is so fast and the prices are fabulous. And it's convenient that Wayfair has everything your home needs, especially for this warm weather season. Wayfair's huge selection of outdoor items makes it easy to find exactly what's right for you. There's something for every style and every home, no matter your space or budget. Wayfair makes it easy to tackle your summer home goals with endless inspiration for every space and budget, including the outdoors. So don't wait. Make your outdoor space your dream oasis today with Wayfair and enjoy it all summer long. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop a huge outdoor selection. That's W A Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every home. Ready to order? Yes. We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver Card. So let's just get one of everything. Everything. Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27, and they're earning unlimited 3% cash back. Yes, Chef. This is so nice. Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert. Ooh, tiramisu. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the Capital One Saver Card. Capital One, what's in your wallet?

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Marie Benedict]

Well, we. Nothing.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

But not Courtney on that. Thank you very much. Because she has. She's the.

[Marie Benedict]

I've done it before. So this was not my first co writing rodeo, but I feel like if you're co writing, one of the most important things is like, you can't be too in love with any of your own sentences that if your co writer writes over them or, you know, gets rid of them completely, you can't. It can't be the thing that you're too attached to, but we would write and pass back and forth. And so it became not my voice and not Marie's voice, but a voice that was like a, you know, almost a third person who was in the room with us. And. And. And therefore could be pretty. It could be uniform throughout the book. And we didn't really take anything personally, or at least, you know, didn't tell each other if we were taking anything personally.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

If you can reveal it now, I.

[Marie Benedict]

Really got upset when you changed that, but I think that's, like, sort of the deal you make when you get into it as a co author, that you're okay with someone changing your work because it's not your work, it's your work together. So it's a different animal entirely.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

I think, too, knowing that you start out with the same goals, the same desire to tell the best story that you can, to honor the historical women and the characters you're creating, you have to surrender your ego. Like Courtney said, you can't be too much in love with any part of it. But knowing how that Courtney had the same exact goals as me, that, you know, we really wanted to create a world that. That could really inspire and engage readers and. And very, very much love the same themes, it gives you that sense of, I. I'm not in love with my sentence. Because you probably know what a better sentence is, right? Or it's not just, as Courtney said, just my work or your work. It's our work together. But I will say Courtney is the master here. I mean, I. This is not my time period. These are not my. Well, not my time period.

[Marie Benedict]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

This is.

[Marie Benedict]

My time is an encyclopedia. If you want to know anything about anything in history or any person or what they were wearing in, I don't know, Switzerland in 1804, she will tell you, like, she knows everything. Everything.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

It is a problem. I mean, I do harbor a lot of arcane facts in my head, and it was so fun to be able to pull them out and be like, oh, you want to know how they would go to the bathroom? Absolutely. I know how that happens.

[Marie Benedict]

Yeah. I was just like, I would write, like, a part of a chapter and then leave these, like, blank spaces and, like, in parentheses. Right? Like, you fill in whatever makes sense here. And then it would come back with just like, first of all, all of my sentences would be vastly improved, but then come back with details that in. I could have spent a month researching, and I never would have gotten that kind of detail and authenticity. So I highly recommend, if you're doing historical fiction, to write a book with Marie Benedict, because there's kind of no other way to do it.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

You are too kind. Thank you. And it's wonderful to employ all that arcane knowledge in a variety of ways. I mean, it is funny, you. But you file away in there, you know, I know.

[Zibby Owens]

I feel like I have, like, some crazy memory now for book covers or book characters or whatever, but then ask me about something totally that I should remember either historically or my own life or. And it's gone. It's like, why I ran out of room for all these other things. Like, I pushed it out. The files are overstuffed.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

You do have to do pruning from time to time. I do think, you know, bathroom habits of the 18 and 1900s might be something that I could prune. I feel like it's.

[Zibby Owens]

Now you put them. Put them to use, you know, so it's fine. It's fine.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

They're done.

[Zibby Owens]

So which historical characters are you toying with, including in future books?

[Marie Benedict]

We haven't said yet.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

We haven't said. I don't know if we're allowed to say. I would. Could we say scientists?

[Zibby Owens]

Okay. Scientists. I mean, I think I'd leave it at that.

[Marie Benedict]

If you want, you know, you can. If you looked at Marie's catalog, adult work, we would get some supreme hints.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay. Okay.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

When you think about Lovelace Academy and the kinds of girls that go there, the sorts of brilliance they have and how their world might intersect with another. Because there's a secret in Lovelace Academy, because it's not just a school. It's also a place where women. Adult women who have a variety of accomplishments are being fostered and supported and encouraged. So, yeah, let's. We could leave it at that, maybe.

[Zibby Owens]

Yeah, that's good.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

There's lots of opportunities, though, for. For the Lovelace girls to. To intersect and bound out into the world.

[Zibby Owens]

So for parents who are, you know, have kids who are interested or this age range or whatever, who is the right type of reader for this book? Like, what should they know when they're like, this book versus the other ones? And, I don't know, are kids reading fantasy, like, what should I get them? Or graphic novels? Like, it's. It can feel overwhelming. So what's the. What's the sweet spot for the book?

[Marie Benedict]

Well, it's not a graphic novel, and it's not a fantasy, but it is, like. It is an adventure story.

[Zibby Owens]

It is.

[Marie Benedict]

I think it's a really Ambitious, big story about a young girl's journey to figuring out where she comes from and where she's going and her place in the world. Coming from tragedy and, and writing her own story and understanding where you come from doesn't define who you are. So I think that. And that also you can end that like, and that you can make your mark. And making your mark on the world and being there for other people in a lot of ways is how we define ourselves. You know, we are not islands. We are, you know, we're, we're a species that is very community oriented. I think we are when we are at our best. And so I would say, like, you know, the reader for this book. You know, if all you want to do is read. If you're a reader who loves graphic novels, this is probably not your story. But you're someone who's, who's interested in story and finding yourself in books. I hope you pick this one up.

[Zibby Owens]

That's beautiful.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

I love how you put that, Courtney. My gosh, that up. It's also, like she said, an adventure. And not just an interior adventure. It's actually a real adventure.

[Marie Benedict]

Oh yeah, there's planes. Well, there's not planes. There's trains, there's ships, there's horse drawn carriages.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

There's all sorts of calamities along the way. And there's a lot of characters. It's not, as Courtney said, nothing happens in isolation. You know, we are all part of a community. And one action kind of ripples out into all sorts of ways you might not anticipate. And Laini not only journeys physically across Europe in circumstances that are really quite dangerous for a young girl at that time, but she's also journeying in terms of who she's meeting, who she's encountering, and then taking all of that and undergoing this internal journey that. And I think the time period is part of the adventure, you know, for the reader to take them someplace much like you do in a fantasy novel. You're going someplace you've never been. History is a little bit like that. I mean, it is someplace you've never been for sure. And it is different, but it is also funny and engaging. It's not heavy handed in the slightest. And it was just a joy to write. And Courtney is like so joyful to write with, I mean, and I think that really comes through on the page.

[Zibby Owens]

Amazing. Well, I'm so excited that the two of you teamed up and put this into the world and that you are some of the people most inspirational to today's Rising Women. I mean, it's pretty awesome. I could think of nobody better. So there you go. Thank you. Thanks for all your work and entertainment and inspiration.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Thank you so much.

[Marie Benedict]

Thanks for having us and thanks for being you, Zibby. We really, really appreciate you so much.

[Zibby Owens]

Oh, thank you. I appreciate you. Okay, have a great day.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Take care.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you. Thank you so much. Bye.

[Marie Benedict]

See you.

[Zibby Owens]

Bye. Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have time to read books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review. Follow me on Instagram, Ibby Owens and.

[Marie Benedict]

And spread the word.

[Zibby Owens]

Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books. Ready to order? Yes. We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver card. So let's just get one of everything. Everything. Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27 and they're earning unlimited 3% cash back. Yes, chef. This is so nice. Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert. Oh, tiramisu. Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the Capital One Saver Card. Capital One what's in your wallet?

[Courtney Sheinmel]

Terms apply. See capital1.com for details.

[Zibby Owens]

Hi guys.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

It's Hannah from Giggly Squad with some around the corner.

[Zibby Owens]

I wanted to tell you guys how.

[Courtney Sheinmel]

I'm staying comfy and stylish.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Courtney Sheinmel]

Leggings since college and I'm out of college. I know I don't look it, but I am.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Courtney Sheinmel]

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[Zibby Owens]

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[Courtney Sheinmel]

Even wicks sweat and as a sweaty.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Courtney Sheinmel]

You know it's going to be my best friend when I play tennis this summer.

[Zibby Owens]

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