Our Published Community

Written by Rhonda-Kay Gatlin and illustrated by Sarah Hawklyn. Releasing December 14, 2024.

The Finding Home Series follows Riley and Mia searching for a forever family. In book one, Bending Willow, the girl's grandma dies, and Riley takes charge. They make their way from Nevada to Idaho, while avoiding the Amber Alert, in search of a father who doesn't know they exist. In book two, Stretching Willow, the girls settle in at their grandma's farm and shy Riley must learn about making friends on her own. In book three, Finding Willow, the girls finally reach their family's ranch. Like a fish out of water, Riley must adapt to ranch life and that cows are not pets. In book four, Willow's Ride, Riley learns to be a cowgirl, keep boys at bay, and navigate a challenging new friendship. In book five, Willow's Roundup, Riley goes on her first round-up as a working cowgirl and then uses those skills to help a friend in need.

Written and illustrated by Bonnie Kelso. A young girl explores the wooded area near her home and encounters a variety of animals that are curious about their new visitor. Tails twitch, bodies ripple, and leaves drift. They watch each other from a safe distance. Could the Wonder of the Woods be YOU? Wonders abound as you explore nature in this lyrical picture book about curiosity and harmony. Releasing September 17, 2024!

We want to celebrate all our Nevada SCBWI PAL members' new releases. You can submit up to six months before your release date, and your book information will remain here for six months after.

Suzanne Morgan Williams is author of thirteen fiction and nonfiction books including her newest novel, SIERRA BLUE. Her novel, BULL RIDER, won a Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, was a Junior Library Guild Selection, represented Nevada at the National Book Festival, and was on several state library award lists. Suzanne is a Nevada Arts Council teaching artist and Regional Advisor Emerita of SCBWI Nevada. Her writing, research and teaching takes her to classrooms to connect with students, to universities and museums to work with experts, and to communities to share stories and experiences.

A lifelong Texan, Russell J. Sanders made the adventurous decision of moving to Las Vegas six years ago. Having already published seven young adult novels, he has written and published three more since his move, with another to be released in December of 2024. His books speak to everyone, but his goal to show teens that being gay is normal and something to be celebrated. He is a proud gay man, happily married to his husband of ten years.

Linda Kay Hardie writes stories, poems, and books for children, including the PB Louie Larkey and the Bad Dream Patrol (Moon Mountain Publishing, 2001). She has a story in the MG fantasy anthology Paradoxical Pets (Word Balloon Books, 2022), and an historical mystery about a girl in Mesopotamia in Cricket magazine (January 2024). She also writes horror, fantasy, and crime stories for adults, which appear in anthologies. Her writing awards date back to the fifth grade, with a first place trophy for an essay on fire safety, and in 2022, she was honored with the Sierra Arts Foundation Literary Arts Award for fiction.

Jacci is the author of sixteen books, fourteen for middle grade and young adult readers. She loves living in Northern Nevada and hiking in the desert with her dog, Rosie.

David McMullin is a picture book writer, illustrator, and children’s poet. His debut picture book is Free to Be Fabulous with HarperCollins. His upcoming book, Rock ’n’ Roll Baby is with Penguin/Random House. He also has poems featured in several magazines and anthologies. Honors include an SCBWI Ann Whitford Paul Award, an Astra International Picture Book Writing Contest award, and a Madness Poetry championship. David and his husband are currently full time world travelers, bird nerds, and YouTubers. In past careers he was a Broadway actor, an educator, and a children’s librarian.

Bonnie is an author and illustrator from Las Vegas, Nevada. Environmental conservation is very important to her and her stories often include subtle messaging. Her sweet, silly, and often sassy characters engage children so they don't even realize that they are learning stuff. With a background as an exhibit designer for organizations such as NASA, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian Institution, Bonnie enjoys taking complex information and distilling it into bite size pieces. Her passion for nature and environmental awareness shines through in her books, murals, and community art workshops.

Markowitz Award–winning author Naseem Jamnia writes speculative fiction for adults, teens, and kids. Their adult work has been nominated for the Crawford, Locus, Astounding, and World Fantasy awards; their contribution to the YA horror anthology The White Guy Dies First was called “artful” and “reminiscent of director David Cronenberg’s work” by Kirkus Reviews. A former neuroscientist and Persian-Chicagoan, Naseem currently lives outside Reno, Nevada, with their geologist husband and four furred creatures. Their middle grade horror debut The Glade releases May 2025. Learn more and follow their newsletter at www.NaseemWrites.com and follow them on Instagram @Jamsternazzy.

I'm Iva, a children's book illustrator and author based in Reno, Nevada. I'm on this wonderful journey writing and illustrating for children — a dream come true after decades of doing graphic design and "more serious" writing. I'm very grateful to have three children's books published [The Little Candle, Wasteful Emma (illustration), and When I Grow Up: All that I Can Be from A to Z], and I'm looking excitedly forward to the next ones.