Anica Mrose Rissi
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anicarissi.bsky.social
Anica Mrose Rissi
@anicarissi.bsky.social
Author of books for kids & teens 🌈 Fan of dogs & ice cream 💚 Faculty at VCFA WCYA

Most recent books: WISHING SEASON and HIDE AND DON'T SEEK

Up next: GIRL REFLECTED IN KNIFE (4/2026)

https://anicarissi.com/

newsletter: https://thisistheeavesdrop.com/
November 20, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Convincing you to read my novel with the first sentence. Share yours if you want.

(This is the opening of WISHING SEASON.)
November 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Also, I met this chonky cat.
November 8, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Stopped by The Briar Patch in Bangor & signed copies of WISHING SEASON—look for it in their Maine-ly Middle Grade section. While there, I grabbed Calvino’s SIX MEMOS FOR THE NEXT MILLENNIUM from their Books About Books table. We love a well-curated bookstore stocked to the gills with great choices!
November 8, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Today's office / Today's coworkers
November 3, 2025 at 9:49 PM
My heart is always happy to be back in Maine—this time for 3 school visits & an educator conference. But first: a walk at the granite quarry on the island where I grew up (& where WISHING SEASON is set), thinking about setting & seasons & whether/how time itself might be a character in my next novel
November 2, 2025 at 11:07 PM
"the scaryest story was If! I HATED THAT ONE! I give that book 2,000,000 ★!"

My readers write the best fan(?) mail.

(This is page 2 of a letter about Hide and Don't Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories)
October 31, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Okay, but who is the book for???
October 23, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Happy Dory Release Month to all who celebrate ♥️
October 18, 2025 at 1:20 AM
New scholarships available for incoming students in the Writing for Children & Young Adults low-residency MFA program at VFCA (where I teach), funded by kid lit legend Katherine Paterson.

Thinking about applying? I'm happy to chat! vcfa.edu/admissions/v...
October 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
'tis the season
October 11, 2025 at 12:02 AM
HIDE AND DON'T SEEK: AND OTHER VERY SCARY STORIES is "a strong choice for both horror fiends and those just wanting to dip their toes into scarier waters” (Booklist)—perfect for readers ages 8 to 888.

(Please don’t share it with any 889-year-olds. I shudder to think what might happen.)
September 30, 2025 at 11:00 PM
It's getting ~spooky~ out there, so just a reminder that this book exists. 👻🖤 It has "all the makings of a modern classic...like Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" (SLJ, starred review) and is "certain to be a gateway drug to @stephenking.bsky.social" (Portland Press Herald).
September 30, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The group chat is giggling over "(in Pan's palm)"

Thanks, @pwkidsbookshelf.bsky.social, for spreading the word about The Eavesdrop! Here's the link to our first issue: www.thisistheeavesdrop.com/issue-1-begi...
September 25, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Thanks to everyone who already signed up for The Eavesdrop! We'll pick our giveaway winner at the end of October, so if you hit subscribe now (free!) you can still be entered to win a signed bk from each of us. We'll only step into your inbox once a season. www.thisistheeavesdrop.com/issue-1-begi...
September 22, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Happy Friday. Tato has some concerns.
September 19, 2025 at 2:46 PM
We’re excited to see where the conversation goes. We hope you'll listen in! Subscribe for free at thisistheeavesdrop.com

♥️ Anna-Marie McLemore, @exrpan.bsky.social, @anicarissi.bsky.social, @ryansara.bsky.social & @novarensuma.bsky.social

P.S. Each season's newsletter includes a bookish giveaway
September 16, 2025 at 4:50 PM
I've been making something fun with friends, and our first issue drops on September 22. If you're interested in craft, process, and the creative life, I hope you'll subscribe! (It's free.) Find us at thisistheeavesdrop.com. Here's the pitch: 🧵
September 16, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Meanwhile, on my windowsill...
September 15, 2025 at 7:52 PM
I play fiddle in and write lyrics for this electro-country band. After an intense summer in the studio recording tracks for our new album (coming in March 2026), we're pleased to be back onstage for three outdoor NJ/PA shows. More info in the alt text.

Come dance and cry along!
September 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM
NOBODY KNOWS BUT YOU was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. PW said its “exceptional pacing creates a breathless, adrenaline-filled chase through Kayla’s memories,” and The Bulletin praised its “psychological tension and twists.”

Here's a peek at the opening page. Happy birthday, book!
September 8, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The story is told in unsent letters interspersed with news clips, text messages, a court transcript, interview statements, rumors, and social media posts, which make for a fast read. It’s more of a “why done it” than a “who done it.” You can find it in hardcover, paperback, ebook, audio, and Dutch
September 8, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Five years ago today, NOBODY KNOWS BUT YOU, my YA novel about an intense friendship formed over a single summer at camp—a summer cut short by murder—came out. If you missed the release, no worries. I too was preoccupied with other concerns in fall 2020. But maybe you should pick it up now!
September 8, 2025 at 10:03 PM
This book is a gas--wickedly clever and full of cheeky fun. Excited to share it with my favorite kiddos 💚

Congrats, @danpoblocki.bsky.social and James Rey Sanchez!
August 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Maine friends, join DISES librarian Laura Lawford and me for a conversation about writing & storytelling on the Deer Isle Library lawn this Monday evening at 5pm. Deer Isle is where I grew up--and where my middle grade novel WISHING SEASON is set--and this wonderful library helped make me a reader 💙
August 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM