Author Success Story: Thomas Salerno

An interview showcasing the journey of writing and publishing THE RIDDLE OF THE TONGUE-STONES

Thomas Salerno published his debut children’s nonfiction book The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones: How Blessed Nicolas Steno Uncovered the Hidden History of the Earth on February 3, 2025!

This is such a fun, beautiful little book. Nicolas Steno’s scientific discoveries and story of faith is written in a simple yet interesting style with lots of great illustrations. I love geology, so I easily fell in love with this book.

In this interview, Thomas shares her journey of writing and publishing The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones. I hope it inspires you to keep working on your own passion projects!

Why did you write this book? What was your inspiration?

Honestly, even though I’ve been creating stories for as long as I can remember (and writing professionally for a number of years) it took a while for me to convince myself that I was actually talented enough to write a children’s book! The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones would not exist without the relentless encouragement from my mom. (Readers will notice that I dedicated the book to her!)

Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by science and the natural world. I devoured every book I could find about paleontology and fossils. When I was older, around the time I started college, I became aware of Nicolas Steno, a seventeenth century polymath who laid the groundwork (pun intended) for the geosciences as we know them. He did some pioneering research that demonstrated that fossils were exactly what they appeared to be—the petrified remains of living organisms from long ago. Steno was also a convert to the Catholic faith who eventually discovered a vocation to the priesthood and became both a missionary and a bishop.

Nicolas Steno has been a hero of mine for years. His life beautifully reflects that famous quote from Saint Pope John Paul II: “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” The message of The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones is this: science and religion can exist together in harmony, even support one another. I want young readers to know that.

How did you get from the initial idea to finished manuscript? Describe the journey of writing it.

As a nonfiction writer, I enjoy intensive research. I pored over any information I could find about my subject. The only full length biography of Nicolas Steno available in English—The Seashell on the Mountaintop by Alan Cutler—was an invaluable source.

Then I organized my notes and began working on a rough draft in the Autumn of 2022. I wanted to have a complete manuscript that I could pitch to publishers at the Catholic Writers Guild online conference in February 2023. With that goal in mind, I plowed forward, pushing all other writing projects aside. I went through several drafts before I thought the book was ready to pitch.

Like many writers, I struggle with perfectionism and writer’s block. But those challenges didn’t hinder me when I was writing The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones, probably because I was so passionate about introducing Nicolas Steno’s story to an audience of young aspiring fossil hunters! I basically set out to write the book I would have wanted as a ten-year-old.

How did you publish it, and what was that journey like?

The first publisher I pitched the book to was intrigued by the premise but ultimately concluded that The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones was not the right fit for their audience. And that’s a totally reasonable decision. I wasn’t too discouraged by that initial rejection but I didn’t know where to turn next.

Then I told my friend Matthew Becklo about the project. Matt is a fellow nonfiction author and the publishing director at Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire apostolate. He suggested that I submit the manuscript to Haley Stewart, managing editor of Word on Fire’s children’s imprint, Votive. So I wrote up a book proposal and contacted Haley, who was very impressed by the concept. On May 1, 2023, I got the news that Word on Fire Votive had accepted my book! But my journey was only beginning!

In my (admittedly atypical) experience, traditional publishing involves weeks (sometimes months) of waiting, punctuated by frenetic bursts of activity—rewrites, revisions, copyedits, proofreading, approving artwork. Perhaps the most challenging task of the entire process was writing all of the definitions for the glossary and vocabulary sidebars in the book. The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones is intended for a middle school audience. My vocab definitions needed to strike a fine balance: they had to be concise enough for a fourth grader to understand without compromising accuracy. Haley and I spent a lot of time working to get those glossary terms right.

I’m glad I went the traditional publishing route for my first book. Having access to the resources and skills of an entire publishing team was a massive advantage. Everyone worked incredibly hard to make The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones the best book it could possibly be.

What are you most proud of about this book?

Maybe I’m biased, but I believe that The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones is the best-looking kid’s book on the market! Everyone who’s seen it raves about the cover design, the layout, and the splendid interior artwork. Even the paper and binding is of superb quality. (It was printed in Italy!)

The cover is made to resemble a centuries-old weathered field notebook. I love it! The entire design team at Word on Fire always sets a high bar and they outdid themselves. And my illustrator Dillon Wheelock is a genius! His remarkable sketchbook-style pencil drawings bring my words to life.

If there’s one lesson I’ve taken away from my publishing journey, it’s that creating a beautifully illustrated children’s book is a team effort. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to collaborate with so many talented people.

Looking back on your journey, what would you do differently for a future book?

Actually, I’m already hard at work on a follow-up to The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones. I’m making some changes to how I research: this time around I don’t want to rely too much on a single major source of information about my subject.

While that means more extensive time and effort will be expended on the research and planning phase, I believe this will save me trouble in the long run. I found that one of the most difficult parts of drafting Tongue-Stones was approaching the story in a fresh way that wasn’t just regurgitating or condensing the information I found in The Seashell on the Mountaintop. But the entire road from page one to publication was an enjoyable learning experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

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Final Note from Katelin

I didn’t help Thomas with The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones, but I had the privilege of cheering him on and encouraging him in my Accountability Group for writers since 2023 when he got his book deal. It has been an exciting time!

You can read more about Thomas’ writing journey and his other projects at his Substack: Pageturning. Check it out!

Thank you for reading! If you’re new here, I’m Katelin Cummins, a Catholic writer, book coach, gamer, and fantasy fan. If you would like to know more about what I write, check out this post. If you want help planning, writing, or revising your novel or nonfiction book, check out my services on my website.