Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
Nachos, picture books, and a chat with author Sandra Nickel
In this delicious interview, discover Sandra Nickel’s forthcoming book Nacho's Nachos, which tells the true story of Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, who invented one of the world’s favorite snacks.
An Ordinary Extraordinary Book About Moths
I first "met" Karlin when she asked to do an author interview on the release of my first book, Halloween Good Night. Of course I had to follow suit (i.e., steal her excellent idea!) to celebrate the release of her second book, An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth.
Into The End of the Wild, a book by Nicole Helget
The End of the Wild is a sweet little story about fracking. No, not really. It’s about a little girl named Fern coming to term with her mother’s death. Well not really. It’s about what it takes to win the science fair (otherwise known as STEM fair). Except really it’s about a poor girl in a small Michigan town who has to decide between her rich grandpa and poor stepdad. Or maybe it’s about nature, preserving the woods or friendship, or dogs...
Misleading Trains? The Wrong Train by Jeremy de Quidt
The Wrong Train by Jeremy de Quidt came up as a novel in my search, but is actually a collection of horror short stories with a thin thread of a storyteller and an abandoned train platform to connect them.
A Great Trash Read: Follow Me Back by AV Geiger
AV Geiger's novel is perfect for those times when you want a good book that's written well but isn't going to make you work too terribly hard.
Engrossing and full of twists and turns. I loved the premise in Follow Me Back of an agoraphobic girl connecting via social media with her crush—a famous pop star.
Un-Horror: The Devils You Know by MC Atwood
I don’t know that I’ve ever read YA horror before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I found in The Devils You Know by MC Atwood was rather odd—Scooby-Doo meets The Breakfast Club with a little funhouse thrown in for kicks.
Books that Changed Me: The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie Sue Hitchcock
Sometimes I review a book the moment I finish it. Fresh details, sharp recollections. Other times I like to wait, let a book seep into me and become something—part me, part what was on the page. I chose to do the latter with The Smell of Other People’s Houses.
All About Ready to Fall by Marcella Pixley
In Ready to Fall by Marcella Pixley the premise alone stops me with its awesomeness: his mom dies of a brain tumor that then, he believes, moves into his own head. Raw, a little crazy, huge potential for story. And the book did not disappoint.
Another Week, Another Book: Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster
I go through phases where I don’t want to read fantasy, no matter how well-reviewed it is. Unfortunately I was in one of those phases when I picked up Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster The opening I read reluctantly, my will rebelling. But it didn’t rebel long.
A New Year of Books! Still Life with Tornado by AS King
The book that started it all, the one I finished around midnight as Emeric nursed and my husband snored so loudly I ended up smacking him with a pillow, was this: Still Life with Tornado by AS King.