Dreams Can Come True: A Guest Post by Amanda Peters
It’s been one year since Amanda Peters’ debut The Berry Pickers was announced as our 2023 Discover Prize winner, and it’s only fitting for her to round out our final Monthly Picks of the year with her paperback release. We couldn’t wait to catch up with Amanda — read on for her exclusive guest post on what the past year of her life has looked like and discover what she’d like to say to her devoted readers. Here’s Amanda Peters, in her own words.
Paperback $17.95
The Berry Pickers: A Novel (B&N Exclusive Edition)
The Berry Pickers: A Novel (B&N Exclusive Edition)
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.95
A profoundly moving novel told from the alternating point of view of two siblings, this is the story of a Mi’kmaq girl gone missing and the lasting effect it has on her family.
A profoundly moving novel told from the alternating point of view of two siblings, this is the story of a Mi’kmaq girl gone missing and the lasting effect it has on her family.
A writer does not publish in a silo. She may create alone but there are so many people who contribute to a story getting out into the world. Editors, copywriters, designers, the often-forgotten-but-important work of the publicist and of course the bookstores. Since the publication of The Berry Pickers, I have been surrounded and supported by amazing people who believed in this little story. Since The Berry Pickers won the Barnes and Noble Discover Prize, my life has been very busy, but an incredible kind of busy. A busy that a writer can only dream of. Notes from readers, attending book clubs from all over Turtle Island, going to events and meeting the people who have appreciated the hard work that goes into writing a book, especially a debut.
I know many people have bought the audio, e-book, and hardcover but it’s also exciting to see a new iteration, the paperback. As a reader myself the first thing that I think of is “this is definitely a little easier to carry on vacation or on an airplane!”
To all those who have read The Berry Pickers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. To those who sat with Joe and Ruthie, who walked in their shoes with them, who understood that this was a book about consequences and how they ripple through time, I thank you. Thank you for giving your attention to these characters, thank you for asking hard questions and be willing to discuss them, thank you for all your support and kindness.
It isn’t very often a person is able to say that their dreams have come true. I have wanted to write a book since before I could even spell (and to be honest, I’m not that great at it now) and I never thought I could do it. And you have shown me that, no matter the age, no matter the geography or the differences, dreams can come true. And a big part of that the was attention from Barnes & Noble. Without them, The Berry Pickers may have sat and collected dust, people unaware of the story between the pages. Thank you for reading.
