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Three books from Tonya Cherie Hegamin in 2008Andover, MA (May 27, 2008): One picture book. One young adult novella. A full-length work of YA fiction. With a trio of titles hitting the shelves in a single year—a true feat for a first-time author—new talent Tonya Cherie Hegamin reveals a rare gift for writing across age groups and genres. Coming out in June is her YA novel M+O 4EVR (Houghton Mifflin), followed in September by the novella Pemba’s Song: A Ghost Story, written with Marilyn Nelson (Scholastic Press), and finally Most Loved in All the World, a picture book illustrated by Cozbi Cabrera, to be released in December (Houghton Mifflin).“It was clear to me from the get-go that Tonya was the real thing,” says Andrea Pinkney, VP, Editor-at-Large, Scholastic Trade Book Publishing, who acquired all three books (two while she was Vice President and Publisher at Houghton, the third after moving to Scholastic). “I read the manuscript of Most Loved in All the World on the train to Brooklyn and called Tonya on my way home to give her the news.” And when Tonya Hegamin went on to write the novella Pemba’s Song in collaboration with acclaimed author Marilyn Nelson—three-time National Book Award finalist; winner of the Pushcart Prize and PEN Winship Award, among other accolades—Pinkney confirmed that the relative newcomer could pass the ultimate test: “Can this fresh face hold her own? Can she cut it? It’s like pairing a new actor with Ruby Dee—and yes, she can.”Editors at Houghton Mifflin are equally excited about Tonya Hegamin’s highly distinctive voice and subject matter. “Her writing reads like poetry,” enthuses Amy Flynn, editor of the full-length fiction title M+O 4EVR. “Her novel crafts two parallel stories that explore the question of what it means to be free—free from slavery, free to discover yourself, free to heal from a great loss. The power of love is a strong thread.” Houghton Mifflin Executive Editor Ann Rider adds, "Tonya brings a poet's keen ear to the very poignant story of how a little girl begins her journey on the Underground Railroad in Most Loved in All the World. I remember all of us in the editorial group were immediately moved by her spare powerful words. We worked hard to find an artist who could capture both the force and warmth of her words and were ultimately delighted with Cozbi Cabrera's truly unique textile collages and acrylic paintings. "Slavery is a theme that Tonya Hegamin weaves into all three of her books; in her novels it haunts contemporary characters that draw their grit and realism from the author’s own past experience working with teens in crisis. “I use history in my books as a launching point, not an anchor, so that readers won't feel bound to the past, but fulfilled by it,” says Hegamin.Publishing three books in one year in today’s crowded marketplace would be considered a coup by anyone’s standards. But for debut author Tonya Hegamin, who holds an MFA in children’s literature from The New School University and served as program director at Soul Mountain Retreat, it is also the logical, if serendipitous, result of a lifelong pursuit. “I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old,” she says. “And now I want to affect my readers as much as the books I loved affected me as a youth.”Tonya Cherie Hegamin releaseAbout the Books:M + O 4EVRBy Tonya Cherie HegaminJune 2008 • Houghton Mifflin • Age 12 and upA YA novel tells a poignant story of unconventional, unconditional love.There are two constants in Opal’s life: her dad’s grungy green baseball cap and her troubled pal, Marianne, whom Opal loves as a best friend . . . and even more. But nothing stays the same forever. When Opal receives some horrifying news about Marianne, she suddenly must live her life and make decisions based on one person instead of two. With the help of her family, and guided by the story of Hannah, a runaway slave, Opal begins to free herself from the weight of her memories, her ghosts—and her own truth.“A touching…debut about friendship, family and race…lovely.” – Kirkus ReviewsPemba’s Song: A Ghost StoryBy Marilyn Nelson & Tonya C. HegaminSeptember 2008 • Scholastic Press • Age 12 and upIn a novella of prose and poetry, Marilyn Nelson pens the ghostly voice of a mulatto slave, and Tonya Hegamin crafts the voice of a contemporary teenage narrator.When fifteen-year-old Pemba is uprooted from her home in Brooklyn to live in small-town Colchester, Connecticut, she not only misses her boyfriend, Malik, and her best friend, Raysha, but she finds the old house she’s moved into strangely unnerving. As the days go on, Pemba has the feeling she’s being watched—and can’t shake the weirdly vivid dreams she’s been having, even in the daytime. Only by confiding in Abraham, a black history researcher at the library, can Pemba unravel the mystery of who has been haunting her, and why.Most Loved in All the WorldBy Tonya Cherie Hegamin, illustrated by Cozbi CabreraDecember 2008 • Houghton Mifflin • Age 5 and upThe poetic story of a mother’s love and sacrifice for her child’s freedom.Mama is a field slave on a big plantation, but her calloused hands don’t stop her from piecing together a special quilt at the end of the day. One night when she sneaks her daughter out to a clearing in the woods and calls out a whistle, the little girl understands that although she and Mama cannot be together, she will carry into her future a gift to guide her—and remind her of how deeply she is loved.# # #For more information on the author, visit www.tonyacheriehegamin.com.To arrange an interview with the author, or discuss speaking engagement possibilities, contact: Deborah Sloan, 978.684.5005, [email protected].

Three books from Tonya Cherie Hegamin in 2008Andover, MA (May 27, 2008): One picture book. One young adult novella. A full-length work of YA fiction. With a trio of titles hitting the shelves in a single year—a true feat for a first-time author—new talent Tonya Cherie Hegamin reveals a rare gift for writing across age groups and genres. Coming out in June is her YA novel M+O 4EVR (Houghton Mi... More