This is Willa R. Finnegan's blog, where she shares books and authors she loves, what it's like to be a young author and how to get your foot in the door, plus all kinds of tips and tricks that she's stumbled across when creating her stories and so much more!
June, 2025
Written By Willa R. Finnegan
TOPIC ON THE TABLE: SPRAYED EDGES
To spray or not to spray? That is the question....
Hi, I'm Willa R. Finnegan. For those of you who don't know me, I am the 13-year-old published, award-winning author of Snow: Cursed. I originally wrote my debut novel when I was eleven, published it when I was twelve, and it was released in paperback form by my publisher for my 13th birthday. Now I am working on the sequel for Snow: Cursed, which is only the first book in the Snow Saga. But enough about me. Let's dive into this subject!
Every time I walk into a bookstore these days, whether that's Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, or our local bookstore in Salina, Kansas (Red Fern Booksellers), I am bombarded by colors. "Well what do you mean by that, Willa?" I mean that I am bombarded by magnificent sprayed edges.
I'm going to tell you right now that I LOVE those edges. This publishing fad (in my humble opinion) is turning books into works of art. Now don't get me wrong. Books are already complete works of art, and their covers are too. But somehow, I think sprayed edges make it more personal.
Here's an example. You could be standing halfway across the store, flipping through a book (let's say that book is Snow: Cursed, my debut novel that you can find on Amazon), and then you see another book with beautiful sprayed edges. You feel so warm inside just by laying eyes on those colors that you are instantly compelled to travel all the way to the other side of the store (Snow: Cursed still in hand, because how could you put that down) just so you can pick up that book you saw. And you don't even know the name of the book. Or what it entails. But the artwork and those sprayed edges, drew you to it.
I'd say that at least half of the books you see nowadays have a deluxe edition with sprayed edges or something of that sort just because it draws people in.
Currently, I have four books on my shelf with sprayed edges. The Wizard of Oz, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Elphie by Gregory Maguire. Each book is different and unique. Each book pulled me in.
I highly encourage you to count up how many books with sprayed edges you have on your shelf right now. I want you to recall those wonderful memories of picking each of those books up. I want you to ask yourself: was I drawn in by the edges, or the story? Or maybe the cover, even?
Remember those times you picked up each piece of art. And never let go!
Thanks so much for tuning in to my blog! Come to my website again for July's blog post from me, Willa R. Finnegan. Sign up and subscribe at the bottom of the page today!
May, 2025
Written By Willa R. Finnegan
TOPIC ON THE TABLE: LITERACY
People are constantly asking my parents and I how I accomplished publishing a book at such a young age. The answer is: literacy. That's right, literacy.
Hi, I'm Willa R. Finnegan, and for those of you who don't know me, I am the 13-year-old published author of Snow: Cursed. I originally wrote my debut novel when I was eleven, published it when I was twelve, and it was released in paperback form by my publisher for my 13th birthday. But enough about me. Let's dive into this subject!
My mom was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer when I was barely five years old and was really, really sick, so she couldn't do much with me. One of the only things she could do was read. We read and read and read in bed all these different kinds of stories, and it was always really important to her if something happened and she didn't make it that I knew how to read. My mom always says that if you know how to read, you can do pretty much anything else, along with excelling in school. You can do math, science, social studies...if you can name it, you can do it. Additionally, reading and writing go hand in hand. The more you read, the more you're exposed to good writing. Good writing is modeled in published books that you read. My parents have always had the philosophy that they don't mind spending money on books because books are an investment in your literary future.
Studies show that 1 in every 4 children grow up without adequately learning how to read by the age of eleven. I truly believe that one of the biggest things impacting this statistic is screens. Everywhere you go you see kids on screens, whether they're at the store or eating at a restaurant. This statistic is startling. Limiting screen time and opening a book instead will help build a strong foundation in literacy.
Also, there's a large divide between people that read books and people who don't. When you walk into a Barnes and Noble, you're not going to see someone in there who hates books. There's a large polarization between the two sides. And honestly, how many people do you see with library cards nowadays? Libraries are great resources for communities. You can join a book club, research a topic, etc.
I have a challenge for you. Consider decreasing your screen time and reading one book a month to start. I encourage you greatly to take on this task. If you really start missing your screen, you can always read an eBook as a compromise. Start changing literacy one book at a time.
Thanks so much for tuning in to my blog! Come to my website again for my blog for the month of June. Sign up and subscribe under the avatar icon today!
