top of page

Celebrate Black History Month with Agent Syrone Harvey!

Writer's picture: Heather MachtHeather Macht

Hi, readers, writers, and community-helpers of all sorts! We're absolutely thrilled to celebrate Black History Month with Jr. Literary Agent at Belcastro Agency, Syrone Harvey.  Syrone is here sharing her new book series, a perfectly fun and fitting reads for the month (or any time of year!) The Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay! Neecy and Nay Nay are twins with twin-tastic adventures who are all about adventure, friendship, and helping others in their community.  Want to know more about Syrone, her new series written with her twin sister, PLUS want a chance to win a ten-minute virtual query critique with her? Read on...
Hi, readers, writers, and community-helpers of all sorts! We're absolutely thrilled to celebrate Black History Month with Jr. Literary Agent at Belcastro Agency, Syrone Harvey. Syrone is here sharing her new book series, a perfectly fun and fitting reads for the month (or any time of year!) The Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay! Neecy and Nay Nay are twins with twin-tastic adventures who are all about adventure, friendship, and helping others in their community. Want to know more about Syrone, her new series written with her twin sister, PLUS want a chance to win a ten-minute virtual query critique with her? Read on...

Q: Hi, Syrone! Thanks for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit. We’re thrilled to host you and hear all about your new chapter book series with Little Bee Books, The Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay. These seriously look like such fun reads! Can you share a little bit about yourself and your path to becoming a children’s book author? 


A: It’s great talking to you! The Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay are written collaboratively by me, and my twin sister, Simone ‘Neecy’ Dankenbring. Books have always been an important part of our lives. Growing up, we frequented local libraries, and never left with less than 10 books each. Reading is what fueled my imagination and motivated me to write. My sister and I began writing early on, however, we didn’t begin writing together until years later. The books evolved from our early childhood memories. We were imaginative, inventive, and kind of mischievous. We found ourselves in a lot of sticky situations. These books are reflective of these experiences.




Q: Neecy and Nay Nay are twins with the most twin-tastic ideas including becoming hair stylists, helping local residents in their community, and more! Can you share more about your book series and the adventures we’ll see from Neecy and Nay Nay? 


A: The Twins come up with some pretty hair-brained ideas. What I appreciate about Neecy and Nay Nay is that they are bigtime creatives. They’re also gutsy, daring, and kindhearted. They love their family, friends and community. And, they’re always ready to help when it’s needed. In Book 2, Neecy and Nay Nay and the Glitter Girls, the Twins attempt to earn their Make a Difference badge. They choose to help Mr. Otis, an older, toothless friend who simply wants to enjoy some of his favorite foods, instead of his usual, mashed potatoes and gravy. The Twins put their heads together and decide to borrow their Big Mama’s extra pair of false teeth, ‘choppers’. They offer them to Mr. Otis, but of course, they don’t fit. So, the girls and the other Glitter Girls join forces, to collect donations, raise money for their community and give the Twins a chance to collect enough for Mr. Otis to buy another pair of choppers. This book is guaranteed to create giggles. Also, each book offers a glossary to help with ‘big’ words, and ends with an activity or a recipe related to the story. For example, Book 1 shares a recipe for Snickerdoodle Cookies. Book 2 offers an activity on how to create painted rocks with positive messages. 



Q: What inspired your chapter book series? And what has working with Little Bee Books to bring your stories to life been like?


A: The  Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay evolved from our rich, childhood memories. We had such a layered childhood. Being a twin meant having someone to get into trouble with. We were certainly never bored. The antics of the Twins mirror what growing up was like. Another thing, our parents, family and friends called us by our middle names. Simone was Chanice- shortened to Neecy. My middle name is Cheney, so I went by the nickname, Nay Nay. Hidden in each of our books are sweet nuances that pay tribute to special people in our lives. Nicknames, special sayings and characters are reminiscent of their presence in our lives.We were fortunate to have a wonderful agent, who fell in love with the Twins and their stories. She shared Neecy and Nay Nay with Little Bee Books. They loved the stories and recognized their potential. It was a great connection. Having an agent that believes in our books, and an awesome, hardworking publishing team, has been amazing! 



Readers, want a closer look at The Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay? Check out some sample pages here!





Q:  What’s it like writing a book series with your twin sister? It sounds like a BLAST!


A: I live in Southern California, and Simone lives in Oregon. We learned how to navigate the writing process across the miles. We discovered a great way to create the stories despite the distance. It helps that we share similar creative ideas. It’s been a lot of fun developing these unique characters. I ran through a ton of jaw breakers and jelly bellies during our writing sessions. I believe that our character’s voices represent us well, and mesh together perfectly.



How fun - thanks for sharing!



Q: What takeaway do you hope readers of all ages have when reading Neecy and Nay Nay and why is your series a perfect read for Black History Month?


A: The Twins are all about Black girl joy and sisterhood. But, they are also supported by their amazing, multi-cultural cast of family and friends. Girls and boys will be drawn to Neecy and Nay Nay, and most of all, kids will easily relate and see themselves reflected in the pages of the books. Black History Month is the perfect timing for the books to be released, simply because of messages of friendship, acceptance, community, service, love and unity. Neecy and Nay Nay and their friends are determined to make a difference for those in their community. Whether it’s assisting the unhoused, the animal shelter or people in need, the underlying message is that change can only happen when everyone works together. These attributes were modeled by our Black American icons.   





Thanks for sharing this with us, Syrone. It was such a treat getting a closer look at your books! Readers, want to know what we thought of The Adventures of Neecy and Nay Nay? You can find our reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.





Q: Would you like to leave a treat for our readers?


A: Yes! I would like to leave a Tip and a Treat.


Tip: As a tip, I just want to encourage writers that before you submit a query, make sure that you double check the wish list for the agent of interest. It's really important that you submit a query for an agent that you would envision working with, someone who would be a perfect fit and the agent to best champion your project. Check thoroughly, what they're looking for and what they would love to see in their in-box.


Readers, want to know Syrone's wish list? You can check out her MSWL here.


Treat: As a treat, I would be happy to offer a 10-minute virtual critique on a 5-page query submission.


Wow - what amazing tips and treats! Thanks so much!


Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter to win Syrone's amazing giveaway, 1) share this post on social media and 2) leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by! Sister-Themed GIFs are appreciated and welcomed.


Giveaway winners will be drawn on or about 2/15!



About Syrone Harvey:

Syrone ‘Nay Nay’ Harvey, the youngest of the twin collab team draws from her eclectic publishing experience as a Children's Author, Journalist and Jr. Literary Agent. Her creative ideas come from her quirky imagination—fueled by a whole lot of caramel, pecans and Jelly

Bellies. Syrone lives in Southern California with her husband, Michael, a chatty parrot, and a lively rescue furbaby.


For more about Syrone, visit the below links:



To purchase a copy of Syrone's book, or to leave a review on Amazon, click here.









 


104 views

9 Comments


Thanks for sharing. I love the Glitter Girls concept. Awesome!!

Like

Laura Roettiger
Laura Roettiger
6 days ago

Neecy and Nay Nay look like a fun pair and I know my students who were in the Early Reader stage of books would have gobbled these up! Even those who didn't have a twin had siblings that they were close to, and still are which makes my teacher heart so happy! My favorite thing is seeing them growing up and still being close friends with their sisters as high schoolers, and it looks like you two have captured that love in real life and on the page as well!



Like

These books sound like so much fun!

Like

cfreeland.phd
cfreeland.phd
6 days ago

The Neecy and Nay Nay books look engaging and fun. Thanks for the great interview.

Like

amhizmir
amhizmir
7 days ago

Love the fun twinship vibe of your series! Thanks for sharing and for your generous giveaway opportunity. I also posted on Twitter.

Like

Contact Me
Are you a publisher or a traditionally published author who wants to be featured on the blog? Send a message!

Thanks for submitting!

© 2022 - Present by Heather Macht / #SeasonsOfKidLit

bottom of page