iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

WHERE THE LIGHT SHINES IN by Jenny Mattern ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @jengelmattern.bsky.social

Book review typed on white background. 5 Stars

"Thank you NetGalley and North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press for an eARC of Where the Light Shines In by Jenny Mattern.

Where the Light Shines In is the story of thirteen-year-old adoptee Gloria who plays the “Birth Mother” Game with her best friend, in which they rate strangers’ likelihood of being Gloria’s birth mother based on physical similarities. When a perfect ten looks up at her from the obituary page of her local newspaper, Gloria is determined to attend the woman’s funeral and learn about her likely birth mother. But finding the answers she desperately needs requires spinning a web of lies, implicating her best friend in the process, and hurting the people who love her most. And she’s not the only one concealing the truth.

Where the Light Shines In is a beautifully written story that is equally heartbreaking and heartwarming. Mattern illuminates the complex emotions related to adoption for adoptees, their adoptive families, and biological parents alike and treats all involved with incredible empathy and compassion. I loved how Gloria’s sense of identity and definition of family evolved so poignantly over the course of the novel. The symbolism of fixing broken pottery with gold to show that there is beauty in the broken places was also a perfect parallel to Gloria’s journey and a helpful reminder to young and old(er) readers alike.

Raw, honest, and hopeful, Where the Light Shines In is a must-read for adoptees, the families that love them, fans of heartfelt middle-grade contemporaries, and anyone who’s ever teared up listening to “What It Sounds Like” from KPop Demon Hunters."

Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

As a recovering perfectionist, I tend not to dive in until I feel capable, but I'm realizing the learning journey is a destination in and of itself. So today I "just started." A few hours later, I have a decent raspberry trellis (supporting wires later) & a boost of confidence. Just start.

Me wearing my NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED sweatshirt, a black vest, safety goggles, and a pleased smile.

A raised bed with three raspberry plants and a wooden trellis om either side.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Anyone else feeling like a pirate lately?

Black words on white background. Light-related lines are left-justified and dark-related lines are right-justified and bolded. "I’m a pirate. Well… becoming one. (It’s a work in progress) Pirates were the masters of navigating Two worlds at once. The light and the dark. The deck of ship is about as B R I G H T as can be. The radiant sunshine cascades from above and reflects back off of the shiny waves. But below deck, the light is shuttered. The belly of a ship is the dead of night compared to the decks above. But the pirates had a trick, you see. Cover one eye with a patch, and that eye is always in the dark Even when the blazing sun dazzles the other. When the hatch above closes, and the darkness of the hold rushes in, A pirate need only switch the patch to the other eye. The previously patched wastes no time adjusting to the world below, Ever ready to slip into shadow."

Black words on white background. Light-related lines are left-justified and dark-related lines are right-justified and bolded.

" Like a pirate, I’m living in two drastically different worlds. There’s the light— the joy and laughter that share gap-toothed smiles, Perfectly mispronounced words, And the best hugs at bedtime, And the dark— Pings and pop-ups that announce hate, prejudice, and greed Each more shocking than the last. Ignoring the dark endangers the light But living too long in the dark and I forget How bright the light shines above. So I must become a pirate. To see clearly in the darkness below without lingering too long So that my sun-drenched eye is still familiar With the light that gives me life. " Light-related lines are left-justified and dark-related lines are right-justified and bolded. "

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Sharing this excerpt from my feminist, gender-stereotype-breaking MG contemporary novel today for... No reason in particular. 🍿

(White text on black background)
I bite my lip, trying to choose my words carefully, as one rogue tear skates down my cheek.
I wish I could be the baseball manager, kicking and spitting and putting on a scene at the plate. Angry crying doesn’t have the same effect. I pray Troy doesn’t notice.
My prayers aren’t answered.
“This is why girls don’t belong in the booth.” He laughs. “Too emotional. Must be that time of the month.”
Crushes. Emotions. Periods. This boy uses anything to cut me down. It ends now.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

This poem has been brewing for a while and finally puts words to why I've felt so damn isolated lately. (Despite living in a blue area of a 💙 state, almost everyone I interact with in person supports this administration. 😔)

“Don’t mention staying at your boyfriend’s apartment
around Grandma and Pop Pop,” Mom says.
Their house is adorned with
Crucifixes, Virgin Marys, and framed pictures of Jesus,
So I put on my best “good Christian girl” mask,
(Even though I already am one.)
I don’t mind.
It’s only a few hours.

But new times bring new masks.

Beloved neighbors raise flags of hate
So I don my “Everything is okay’ mask,
while pulling the softer parts of me inwards
For safekeeping, knowing
It’s only for a few hours.

Conversations draped in a black cape
Punctuated with snip-snips of chestnut hair
No longer pamper.
I slip my mask over my disappointment
And shrink into the elevated chair.
It’s okay.
It’s only for a few hours.

Hate surges.
Rights slip away.
Humans are shipped off like cattle.
Surely this is a line in the sand
A move back towards our shared humanity
A chance to take off the protective mask.
And see person-to-person once more
How naive.

Family visits.
They echo the laughter of my precious children,
Whose future they gleefully trade away for their precious privilege.
My mask feels wrong in the place I called home.
Anger and sadness pull at me for weeks though my visit
Was only a few hours.

Finally, life grants me time with a friend
whose “I’m okay” is as fake as my own.
The same sadness lurks behind their cheerful facade.
Together, we drop our smiles.
Drop our masks.
Safe.
I sigh.
But only for a few hours.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

I've been struggling to rediscover parts of the me that existed b4 raising 2 young children through a pandemic & 📈 dystopian world. But this is 1 of them. Crouched in an awk angle, 📷 in hand, coaching some BFFs into ridiculous poses, & struggling not to laugh before the camera's shutter blinks.

Dani, crouched on the ground against an upturned dog bed, looking through the camera at some unknown/unseen creepiness, smiling.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

This haiku was inspired by the tender green growth in my garden that yearned for warmth/sun & instead weathered plunges into the 20s this week. The sun will shine again. And they'll bask in it. (So will we) Does anyone else say "toward" as one syllable or is my Jersey showing?

Haiku with black text on white background. "The hopeful green leaves / threatened by icy rain/ stretch toward brighter skies."

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Thank you, @yangsookchoi.bsky.social, for the wonderful school visit. My daughter was so excited to tell me about your story, your thinking chair, and the way you craft unique characters. When she got home, she jumped into her art chair and created some characters of her own. 💙 #kidlit #PB 📚

Miss 6 sitting at her easel with art supplies drawing her own characters.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

I'm back, y'all! Feels good to be in the trenches again. Anyone else start with super quick responders to get that first R out of the way? #amquerying #kidlit 📚 #MG

Query Manager response:
THANK YOU FOR QUERYING [redacted].

YOUR QUERY FOR [redacted] was received.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

COMING SOON: THAT GIRL & MOOSE ( #MG Contemporary) 12yo Paige can breakdown when to run the draw play or go for it on 4th down, but when her Commentary Clubmates call "penalty" for being a 🏈loving girl, she'll learn that unfair rules are meant to be tackled. 👀Any Swifites in their football era?

Me, wearing a huge smile and a commentary headset, broadcasting football games for my college radio station.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but if you haven't read DONT WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER by Deke Moulton yet, you need to. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #MG #kidlit 👍🏻📚

Goodreads review of DONT WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER by Deke Moulton.

5 stars

I don't typically read paranormal stories, but I'm so glad I read this one. Every single word of this book is carefully selected and intentional. It's brimming with compassion, raw honesty, nuance, family/found family, and the strength found in shared identity even amongst those that are otherwise strangers. DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER celebrates Judaism while gently dismantling common anti-Semitic tropes, especially those prevalent in vampire-lore. But it's not just the Jewish characters that are celebrated--the cast of characters in DWTBYM is beautifully diverse and Moulton highlights our shared humanity at every turn of the page. This book grabs the reader by the heartstrings, then keeps them flipping the pages to solve the mystery. It's a must read.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

This book was a really fun way to introduce my budding artist to different famous painters and their art styles. Picasso, Dalí, O'Keefe, Van Gogh, Monet, Pollack, and more. #kidlit 📚👍🏻 #pb (and no, you don't see my chipped nail polish.)

Cover for IF PICASSO PAINTED A SNOWMAN by Amy & Greg Newbold. It features the happiest looking mouse with a navy and white striped shirt and a paintbrush in front of a snowman painted in the style of cubism. (The justaposition of the different boldly colored shapes that represent the snowman is quite jarring).

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

I'm so grateful I stumbled across this beautiful #pb This was a wonderful book to share w/ my 5yo. It prompted a great convo about the strength in our emotions & our role in doing good, spreading 💙, & advocating for change. (Who says a PB can't validate and mend sad adult hearts too?) #kidlit 📚👍🏻

Picture book cover for STAY ANGRY, LITTLE GIRL, inspired by Madeleine L'Engle and Illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan. The cover features a little girl, with a Rosie-the-Riveteresque head band on her head with her hands confidently on her hips. She's standing in a library with signs that say READ and BOOKS UNITE US. CENSORSHIP DIVIDES US ontol of the shelves.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

This two leg (and her two-legged daughter) loved THREE. THREE is a sweet story about a grateful pup that explores his city and greets all sorts of creatures along the way. The art style is gorgeous! And who doesn't love a story about a pup finding his furever home? #kidlit #pb

Cover for THREE, a picture book by Stephen Michael King. The illustration shows a nighttime city scene, with a white and orange dog with three legs under a spotlight in the center. The dog is adorable and seems quite happy! Clearly a good boy!

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

FINDING KINDNESS is a great book to remind our kiddos (and ourselves) that kindness is simple and beautiful Kindness is often a small act with a BIG impact. Love this #pb. #kidlit

Cover of FINDING KINDNESS picture book, authored by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Irene Chan.

The cover shoes two girls with roller skates sharing a cookie on a bench whole a happy cat snoozes at their side.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

BRB... Making this book my entire personality! BYE FOREVER, I GUESS by Jodi Meadows ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #kidlit 📚👍🏻

Book cover for BYE FOREVER, I GUESS by Jodi Meadows, which features the main character and her two gaming buddies in their real life form and with their role-playing avatars.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

BRB, making this book my whole personality! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ BYE FOREVER, I GUESS by Jodi Meadows 📚👍🏻

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 25/10/2023

Two rejections, including 1 I got my hopes a *little* too high for, on my birthday. Please tell me that's at least a spot on the querying BINGO board. 🤣 (There's still time to make it 3!) At least this guy seemed to think I was interesting enough to "request more" info & come in for a closer look.

Huge giraffe with immaculate eye lashes checking out the rear window of our pickup.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 17/10/2023

One day I hope to have an author brand so strong that I get tagged in on-brand pictures. To be clear, I'm hoping it won't be teeth, but I have a funny feeling @allymalinenko.bsky.social won't mind. Pssst... THIS APPEARING HOUSE is a *great* spooky season read, friends.

Creepy, glow in the dark teeth inserts for Jack-o-lanterns seen at a local farm and pumpkin patch, which reminded me of THIS APPEARING HOUSE.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 16/10/2023

DREW LECLAIR GETS A CLUE by @katrynwrites.bsky.social Observations: -- I finished the book in just over a day --I have 2 young children (one of whom doesn't sleep) and almost zero free time. Conclusion: I LOVED this book and couldn't put it down!

Cover of DREW LECLAIR GETS A CLUE by Katryn Bury features the MC Drew holding a magnifying glass. The picture of Drew is a part of a crime board with red yarn connecting different clues to each other.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 01/10/2023

I'm not saying the "Fear of Being ONE book" episode is magic, but I listened to it today in the grocery store and a character just introduced herself to me fully formed. 👀 New mantra: "I'm a writer. Not a book." Thank you Eva & @katrynwrites.bsky.social *happy dance*

FEAR OF BEING ONE BOOK episode of WRITE WHERE IT HURTS podcast. Pink ribbon with podcast name across a pale blue heart with a pencil diagonal across the back.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 26/09/2023

I told myself I wouldn't buy more books until I read down my TBR a bit... I lied. HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, @michellemohrweis.bsky.social Can't wait to read this one! (And if you haven't read THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS yet, please do!)

Book cover for THE PROBLEM WITH GRAVITY by Michelle Mohrweis. Navy blue background with space objects in the background. In the foreground, a blonde character with an astronaut helmet holds hands with a brunette character holding a baton.

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Dani Terk @dterkwrites.bsky.social · 24/09/2023

Today is the 5th anniversary of Grandma Annie's passing. My current MG is my tribute to her. The way she put saltines in her meatballs. The special relationship we shared. The connection I feel to her through her recipes/my children. And while that is ENOUGH, I'm open to querying ❤️ too. 🤞🏻

Grandma Annie with a huge smile and her hands clasped in front of her chest, her signature pose. She has short, brown hair, eye glasses on a chain, and small gold hoop earrings. She's wearing a red shirt and sitting in the kitchen, her favorite room in the house.

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