Productivity or Random Stupidity

Holy Productiveness Batman
I lost most of the evening yesterday because I had fallen asleep before the kids' storytime, but at 11pm I woke up and started working on my never ending "to do" list.

So instead of going to bed like a normal person, I decided to get some stuff done. First, I worked on revising my resume since I'm applying for a professor position at a local community college. Yay me! I believe I have the resume the way I'd like it. I still need to do some more tweaking on the teaching philosophy statement, though.

I fought with my scanner for a couple of hours while it wheezed and protested. I think it's dying. Mid-scan it would freak out and make clicking and buzzing noises. After a while, I found out that it was much happier on a completely flat surface instead of a pile of papers. Who would have known?

I did a little shopping. It wasn't the fun fun type. My older son's class is behind, so I went online to buy one of his textbooks and a few workbooks. Since I was on the education kick, I looked online for more resources for boy #1 and emailed the links to another parent of a 4th grader in a class that is lagging.

Then, I realized boy #2 has a spelling test that he hasn't studied for and frantically searched the house for his word wall words. One hour later (with all the kids papers sorted), I've only found weeks one through ten. I can't imagine they're only on week ten, so I'm hoping this week's words are easy.


Here's the stupidity:
I stayed up all night. I'm more awake than if I had actually slept eight hours, but I'm going to pay for it later.

Oh well...
Since I'm up, I cleaned in the kitchen a bit, ran the dishwasher, and started making picky boy's lunch (that's boy #2). He's getting a burrito and a carrot. Boy #1 is buying (not a picky boy and basically a bottomless pit when it comes to food).

Writerly stuff...
I'm dissecting one of my finished novels... again. .

Blogmania

It seems like almost everyone has a blog, and a lot of people post regularly. I’ve been, um, posting something like once a month. I guess I’m not on the blogmania bandwagon.

I do like to read certain blogs though, but it's difficult to keep up with it all. Here are my favorites for certain topics:

Editor and Agent Advice
Nathan Bransford has lots of great information regarding the submission process, publication, and writing in general.

Jill Corcoran Books has submission advice in addition to industry news.

Tracy Marchini has a lot of great information on her blog too regarding submission and the writing process.

Cheryl Klein not only has great information on her blog, she also has a wealth of information on her website: Talking Books.

Writer Blogs
Writing for Kids While Raising Them

Haunting the Broken Tree

NaNo What?

Well NaNoWriMo was a bust, but there’s always next year, right? Seriously, I don’t work well that way. I still haven’t gotten last year’s NaNo novel in readable shape, though I do believe the story has promise.

What I want to know, is who thought November was a good novel writing month? You have Thanksgiving and other pre-winter holiday activities.

NaNoWriMo

Okay, so my friends talked me into doing NaNoWriMo again, and I’m miserably behind in the word count. I’ve decided that I just don’t work well in the NaNoWriMo state of mine. I can’t regurgitate words that will be tossed aside once the NaNo-insanity is over. I’m one of those “revise as you go” kind of gals.

All isn’t lost though. I have started another science fiction / mystery novel, and I’m hashing out the plot. If I can get a general framework of the book’s direction, maybe the writing and revising following NaNoWriMo will go smoothly.

55,000 words of dreck in a month – I don’t think so. But I'll be insanely happy if I can cough up 35K.

NaNoWriMo

Am I a glutton for punishment. Seriously. I signed on as a NaNoWriMo participant, and I'm behind already. My brain just doesn't work that way.

On the brighter side... my house is a little cleaner.

Kids, kids, Kids...
Tonight's reading selections:
a Magic Tree House Book
Geronimo Stilton
Axle Annie and the Speed Grump

My Time

A Writing We Will Go...
In the past weeks, I've been crazy busy with doctor appointments, volunteer stuff at the school, and Cub Scouts. I have done some new writing, but mostly I've been revising my YA dystopian WIP. I just hope dystopian is still in by the time I'm finished polishing it.

Scouts, Scouts, Scouts...
During the first couple weeks of school, Scouting programs really start up. I don't know about other packs, but we have a great program for the boys.

Back to the Grind

I’m a Newsletter Editor!

I now am the newsletter editor for RACWI Reports, the newsletter for the Rochester Area Children’s Writers & Illustrators. Some of my friends think I’m crazy for taking on yet another responsibility, but I’ve done this before.

Yes. I used write and edit a newsletter for the MOMS Club for a couple years before my children aged out of the activities, and our schedules no longer meshed.

Doing the Happy Dance

Don’t get me wrong. I love my children, but they really, really needed to get back to school. It wasn’t until the end of summer that I realized just how dependent on routine they are.

Now, I push the kids out the door as soon as we hear the school bus round the bend. Time to write and draw!

Desperately Seeking Sleep

I sit at my computer type, type, typing away. Before I know it, I’m tipped back in my chair with my head resting on my shoulder and a crick in my neck. “Go to bed,” you say. And I do. I drag myself up to bed and lay down. Then… I’m wide awake… for another two or three hours no matter how hard I try to sleep.

Tried exercise – just made me achy and awake

Tried reading – got too involved in the book and stayed up until 4am

Tried a warm glass of milk – just gave me nasty breath in the morning

So, I either get sleep sitting in an awkward position (wake up in pain), or I lay awake until I eventually drift off.

This has been my week. I guess all those thoughts sucked out of my brain through kid prattle have come back to haunt me as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Contest Alert - Free Book!

If you kids are between 8 and 13 and love to read, there is a contest to win a free signed copy of Donna St. Cyr's debut novel The Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate at http://community.livejournal.com/classof2k9/.

Still Going...

I’m still plugging away. In anticipation (hoping) of more educational writing gigs in the fall, I’ve been thinking about stories I could write and submit. I’ve started a few, but they are just festering ideas right now.

Most of my writing time has been spent in revisions and reading. I’m sprucing up one of my novel’s characters and polishing picture books.

Great Reads…

I just finished reading The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. And wow! I had bought the trilogy at a Scholastic Book Warehouse sale out of curiosity. I had seen the movie and wondered if the book deviated from it much. They seemed to follow the book pretty well, but I need to watch the movie again to be sure. Setting aside the religious controversy surrounding the book, it's a well crafted story, thick in plot and intrigue, and an excellent study for novel writers.

Illustrating…

In the past week, I’ve been drawing in my head. Okay, that sounds weird, but if you can write in your head, can’t you draw in there too? Eventually, I hope to start journaling some of my sketches.

No more teachers, no more (text) books…

My kids are living it up since school let out last Tuesday. They’ve been watching movies, playing games, and reading lots and lots of books. If only they weren’t sick. Yup. We’ve been shut up in this house since last Wednesday. Sickie boy number two spiked a fever of 104 degrees on Wednesday, and he’s been battling the little cold beasties ever since. I only hope I don’t get it too.

The kids’ school has a summer reading contest, and both boys are determined to win the top prize this year. We have a little competition between the kids, even though I told them that the school awards the prizes based on grade level. Boy #1 (9 yr old) is mad that the boy #2 (6 yr old) is reading mostly picture books and easy readers.

What are they reading this week?

The 6 yr old:

1. Geronimo Stilton
2. Dr. Seuss
3. Berenstain Bears
4. Magic Tree House

The 9 year old:

1. Geronimo Stilton
2. Animorphs
3. Series of Unfortunate Events

I love having a couple of little readers in the house, but if they keep going at this rate, they will have read our whole collection of children's books by the end of summer.

Wall of Shame and other things

I’ve continued on my weightloss efforts, and I managed to squeak off a few pounds, but not as much as I would like to. My weights are posted, and I’m very thankful that the woman managing the blog didn’t post my last name along with my weight. Is that shameless?

Since I’ve taken on the job of Cubmaster, my exercise regime has really faltered. Laurie Halse Anderson, in two speeches she gave at two different conferences, stressed how exercise helps a writer focus and write constructively. I did notice a difference when I was exercising, and even though I have tons of time conflicts that keep me from the gym, I have no excuse. I need to resolve to do something again. The weather is nice. I have a bike and exercise equipment collecting dust in the basement.

Time to Make a Change

Change is good, right?

We change our underwear. That’s good. We change our toothbrushes. That’s good too. And sometimes, we change ourselves, for better or worse.

I decided I need a change of body. Since I can’t trade in the parts that don’t work quite the way I’d like them too, I need to trim down so people can’t say "this or that" is a weight issue. It’s a little difficult when you have BIC (butt in chair) disease, a condition that you have willingly inflicted upon yourself in order to hone your writing skills. But who says a person needs to give up the life of a writer to trim some fat.

Wall of Shame:
Okay, at first glance, people don’t guess how much I weigh, and it’s not a bit of information I care to share. So, in the interest of keeping myself motivated to lose those extra pounds, I’ve joined a contest along with a friend and a bunch of her family members to lose the biggest percentage of weight by December 31st. Every week, I report my weight and pay $5. Fun Fun.

My first week was sabotaged by a wonderful writing conference with lots of food and chocolaty desserts. Luckily, I didn’t gain any weight. I didn’t lose any either. My weights for the first two weeks are posted (with my name) on a blogger’s wall of shame. Sorry. I’m not sharing the link either. Wish me luck!

Now for the Creative Part:
Before the summer is over, I plan to add the special something to my middle grade novel that an editor recommended during my one-on-one critique at the NJ SCBWI conference. AND… I plan to use it as a learning experience in my study of children's illustrations.

My other goals include polishing and revising two picture books based on the recommendations by Cynthea Liu (thanks to her Red Light Green Light contest) and completing an illustration portfolio (and posting it on my website).


So, ready, set, here I go!

Busy days

Illustration attempts…
I did it. I cleared off my messy art desk in the basement, where the creepy spiders like to lurk, and I sat down to work. It only took a couple minutes for the cats to notice I was downstairs, and they mewed and rammed the door until I opened it. Only Penny, my long-haired cat came out.

She sniffed the floor, rolled around, tried to hop in the puppet theater, and then decided to check out what I was doing. I would have loved to hold her, but then I wouldn’t get any work done. So, she hopped down and explored while I worked.

Before I started getting pinged by Cub Scout emails, I managed to get 3 pages of a book dummy and part of a storyboard finished. I was hoping to do more, but I guess I need to think in small steps. Tomorrow, I’ll try to finish the dummy and the story board (after my library work). Then, I’ll take a stab at illustrating my cousin’s chapter book.

I love black and white illustrations. Last year, I took a chapter book / middle grade novel illustration workshop with Patrick Collins, Art Director for Henry Holt. It was fabulous! I am hoping to build a small portfolio before I go to the NJ SCBWI conference in June. Wish me luck!


Weeds!
If the weeds didn't choke anything I placed in the garden, they'd be kind of pretty to leave in there, especially the ones with the yellow flowers.

I love gardening (the veggie kind), but I really hate the weeds. They have invaded and taken over my garden space, and I dread the task of clearing them out. On the brighter side, my chamomile is up and there is a lot of it. Tomorrow, in my spare time, I’m going to harvest some of it.


Scouts scouts scouts…
I am up to my ears in Cub Scout stuff. I get at least five scout related emails a day now and at least one phone call. Now, if only they could make a flattering uniform for women that stayed tucked and buttoned… it would be nice if I didn’t need to wear a shirt underneath during the summer.

Scouts, Writing, and Frogs, Oh MY

A Scouting I will go…


Did you know that the Boy Scout program was modeled after The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling? I didn’t before my kids joined.

When my boys asked to join Cub Scouts, I was thrilled. My husband—not so much. The Cubmaster at the time convinced me to be a Tiger Den Leader. It was a scary idea at first, but it grew on me. I’ve been a den leader for three years now. The boys know me and sometimes joke around as if I’m not there. (excellent opportunity for story fodder) One of my scouts even called me “dude.” I’ve never been duded by a kid before.

My older son is now a Webelos, and my little one is a Wolf. They love Cub Scouts. So, when we found out that nobody wanted to be Cubmaster, and the pack would fold without one, I made a decision. Some may call me crazy, but I volunteered to be Cubmaster. Wish me luck. I have big shoes to fill. (My Webelos are very excited about it, by the way)


The Writing Life…

I will be stubborn. I will not give up. And I’ll revise until my fingers lock up or fall off. Then, I’ll type with my nose.

After the incredible responses from my local MG/YA critique group, I have redirected my writing focus. I’m working on my YA science fiction novel again.


Frog…

The frog is making croaking sounds. He is definitely out of hibernation, and I’m thinking about buying a few friends for him.

Cynthea Liu's Library Lovin’ Challenge

Do you love libraries? I do. I buy a lot of books, but I also check a lot out from the library. When I didn’t have money to spend on books as a kid, I could always rely on finding something to read.

Cynthea Liu is participating in the Library-Lovin’ Challenge organized by author writerjenn. As a thank you to the libraries, she is donating 10 cents to for every comment made on Cynthea's blog up to $100. So, hop on over and make a comment. She is giving away signed bookplates and a couple of lucky people will win a signed copy of her newest book, Paris Pan Takes a Dare.

The Book-a-holic

Too many books? Nah. Inconceivable!

This weekend I spent a couple of hours digging through the books in the kids’ rooms. In my older son’s room, the books were piled two deep, and my husband really wanted me to open up a few cubes in the big shelf for the cloth toy baskets. It’s a “book shelf” not a “toy shelf.” Okay, so my #1 son has a ton of toys and books in his room, and I had to find a way of dealing with it.

I had an idea. In my #2 son’s room (very small shoebox of a room), he has drawers under the bed. His room is too small to play in, and it gets trashed when he does – nowhere to walk. So, I emptied one of the big drawers under his bed, and thought, hey, I could make a book drawer. He absolutely loved the idea.



Hours later, I had pulled out a bunch of baby books to store or give away. I moved the chapter books (from #1 son’s room) and all the beginning readers (from #2 son’s book shelf) into #2 son’s drawer, and I moved picture books from #1 son’s shelves to fill the gaps on #1 son’s shelves. Then I moved novels to the little shelves in #1 son’s room.

I was feeling very good about myself, but I still had no holes to fill with toys. After another hour and more weeding out of books that could fit in #2 son’s drawer, I have room.

I haven't even begun to tackle the jumble of books in the living room, but I need more shelves to do that.

I’m a book-a-holic. I admit it.

Just Another Day

Frog:
I dug the frog out the other day, rinsed him off, and called the kids. They rarely get to see the little bugger any more.

The frog calmly sat in my hand (still in the tank) while I called, “Kids, come see the frog.”

Both kids came running and sliding into the kitchen.

My little one said, “What frog?”

I guess he forgot we had him. We left Dash (the frog) to rest in the water. I knew he’d just go bury himself again, but… he didn’t! The frog is out of hibernation. Of course, we’ve had a couple of warm days, and we’ve finally made his scratchy log more of a shelter (no bottom). So, instead of staying under the dirt and moss, he hides behind his log. He keeps an eye on us at all times.

Writing:
I haven’t been writing as much as I would like. I’ve written a new picture book that I’ve left to fester a bit before I tinker with it again. A few other ideas have sprouted, but nothing significant. Mostly, I’ve been revising stories I had on the backburner and reading.

Reading:
Linda Sue Park told us at a recent RACWI meeting that writers have to be readers. I’m an avid reader of children’s books. Shhh! I enjoy them more than the adult books – more imagination sometimes.

Anyway, in the past four days I’ve read three books:

Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman – excellent read and told from the perspective of a severely disabled teen with Cerebral Palsy



Frindle by Andrew Clements – surprisingly clever story about a boy and the power of words



Just Ella by Margaret Haddix – an interesting twist on the Cinderella tale



I enjoyed all three books and pretty much read them without interruption. Who needs sleep?

Frogs, Writing, and Books

Frog:
I dug the frog out the other day, rinsed him off, and called the kids. They rarely get to see the little bugger any more.

The frog calmly sat in my hand (still in the tank) while I called, “Kids, come see the frog.”

Both kids came running and sliding into the kitchen.

My little one said, “What frog?”

I guess he forgot we had him. We left Dash (the frog) to rest in the water. I knew he’d just go bury himself again, but… he didn’t! The frog is out of hibernation. Of course, we’ve had a couple of warm days, and we’ve finally made his scratchy log more of a shelter (no bottom). So, instead of staying under the dirt and moss, he hides behind his log. He peeks through a crack in the bottom and keeps an eye on us at all times.

Writing:
I haven’t been writing as much as I would like. I’ve written a new picture book that I’ve left to fester a bit before I tinker with it again. A few other ideas have sprouted, but nothing significant. Mostly, I’ve been reading and revising stories I had on the back burner.

Reading:
Linda Sue Park told us at a recent RACWI meeting that writers have to be readers. I’m an avid reader of children’s books. Shhh! I enjoy them more than the adult books – more imagination sometimes.

Anyway, in the past four days I’ve read three books:
Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman – excellent read and told from the perspective of a severely disabled teen with Cerebral Palsy

Frindle by Andrew Clements – surprisingly clever story about a boy and the power of words

Just Ella by Margaret Haddix – an interesting twist on the Cinderella tale

I enjoyed all three books and pretty much read them without interruption. Who needs sleep?

Confusion

The other day I had a long conversation with a children’s librarian about the American Library Association (ALA) awards. I was surprised when she said most Newbery winners have been young adult novels. She gathered the 2008 award winning books I needed to read for an upcoming writing meeting, and the conversation ventured into age levels for children’s books. 

For the past six years, I’ve been under the impression that there was a set of universal standards for breaking books target age ranges. The definitions got fuzzy when the librarian started talking about midway, middle grade, and young adult novels. She told me that middle grade is considered to be for middle school children, and midway or transition novels were for kids in the latter part of elementary school. I thought that the writing world and the reading world followed the same set of rules. I guess I was wrong, unless my town’s library follows their own set of rules not shared with other librarians in the country. 

So, packed full of doubts, I pulled out several writing books for some affirmation that I wasn’t delusional about my previous beliefs. I found the same information across the board. 

• Easy readers / early chapter books (48-64 pgs) – 4-8 yr olds
• Younger Middle Grade / Chapter books: usually between early chapter books and novels in length – 7-9 yr olds
• Middle Grade: are usually 128-200 pgs and are traditionally for 8-12 yr olds
• Tween / Upper Middle Grade / Transitional: 128-200 or more pages – 10-14 yr olds
• Young Adult / YA: up to 250 pages – 12 and up or 14 and up depending on the content and situations

Makes you want to go hmm.... I couldn't find the age level guidelines the librarian quoted me, and I guess I'm not going to worry about it unless someone else tells me otherwise.

Save an Editor: Buy a Book

In the past two months, we’ve seen a drastic blow to the children’s publishing business. Big publishing houses are consolidating and laying off editors in order to cope with the economic crisis. Others have declared a moratorium on submissions.

Last November, RACWI sponsored (along with Liftbridge Books) the Rochester Area Children’s Book Festival. We had record numbers of attendees and some of the authors were left with no books on their tables by the end of the festival. People were still buying books in November. Has America’s purchasing habits changed that much since the festival, or were we just seeing an isolated event?

My family has not stopped buying books. Since the beginning of 2009, I have bought more than seventeen children’s books. I can’t remember all the titles because my children ferreted some of them away.

1. The Secret Cheese Syndicate by Donna St. Cyr (bought 4 copies- some for gifts) – Middle Grade
2. The Grave Yard Book by Neil Gaiman –YA (IMHO)
3. The Boys Book: How to the Best at Everything by Dominique Enright and Guy Macdonald (elementary and up)
4. Penguins and Antartica by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce (chapter book)
5. The Magical Dress by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
6. The Daring Rescue by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
7. The Missing Medal by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
8. Saving Christmas by Charles Nolan (chapter book)
9. The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear, Illustrated by Jan Brett (picture book)
10. The Faery Taile Project: Book One by Jim C. Hines and Christopher Kastensmidt (YA)
11. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
12. A guide to current card games like Pokemon (for my son, but it’s still on order) – Middle Grade
13. Crogan’s Vengeance by Chris Schweizer (graphic novel, YA)


What about you?

Nothin' Much

Does it Rub Off?

Some people may remember the aunt who would rub babies on the arms and backs of newlywed couples in hopes of inducing fertility in said couple. Or maybe that was just my aunt. She’s a little silly with her superstitions at times, but we all still love her.

So, if you bump elbows with a published author does some of that publishing success rub off? I wish it was that easy.


Writing and Illustrating Frenzy

One of my online writing groups (yes, I have more than one) has made a writing goal that I haven’t exactly stuck to. I’m writing, but not as much as I’d like. Most of my time over the past month has been spent revising. Note to self: Don’t forget those YA novels waiting to be completed.

A local writer/illustrator has given me the kick in the butt I needed. We meet once a month, and she has been checking up on me to make sure I’ve been drawing. I started working on dummy for one of my picture books and hope to have something to show her at next week’s meeting.

FROG

We rarely see this little guy now that he has gone into hibernation. I had to dig him out of his aquarium to get this shot. Yes, Dash (the name the kids gave him), has a new habitat. No more froggy escapes for this guy.

Back in the Saddle Again…

Writing and such
Writing while on vacation, especially when you aren’t at home and there is nowhere to escape to write without hurting the relatives’ feelings, is a surmountable task. I did accomplish something while the kids were on school break. I worked on my super secret, unmentionable short story project, and I revised and polished some existing stories. So, all was not lost.

Now, I’m looking at the three month mark following the Rutger’s One-on-One Plus Conference and thinking “Egads! Where did the time go?” I have a handful of editors I’d like to send either a picture book or one of my novels to, and I’d like to send something to them before the three months is over.


Job Hunt
I did it. I applied for a couple of scientist positions. So far, I’ve only looked at two local companies, but I will expand my search as the year progresses (still planning to stay in Rochester). It has been great staying home with the kids, but they are both in school and money is tight.

I miss having my hands in the science, but I love writing too. At several conferences, I’ve met scientists who write for children while working. And my kids are in bed by 8:30pm, so I do have free time in the evening. It’s all about priorities… do I want to watch an episode of CSI or Everybody Loves Raymond, or do I want to write? The only show I follow regularly is Heroes.

Bring on 2009

On the Road
I love to travel. Growing up, I moved 18 times and lived in seven states before starting college. In a way, I miss seeing all the new and interesting places, but stability is good.

This year we decided to visit my brother in Tennessee during the kids’ school winter break. Even though flying would be much quicker and less tortuous traveling (think little kids in the car fighting) we decided to drive. Fifteen hours is a long time to be in the car with two young boys, but they did pretty well on the way down. Instead of asking “Are we there yet?,” they looked over our shoulders and told us, frequently I might add, how many miles were left according to the GPS device. And occasionally, we were told what the speed limit was and what speed we should be going.

Leaving Rochester, we passed through Ohio and then Kentucky before arriving in Tennessee the next day. I would have loved to stop and sightsee in Kentucky. We passed some interesting places such as Mammoth National Park and a few other places I can’t remember at the moment. We had a nice visit with my brother and his family – the kids had many Nerf battles.


My parents came up from Florida to see everyone too. And the weather was beautiful. I didn’t miss the cold, gray Rochester winter at all.

Next, we headed toward the Catskills to visit my husband’s family. The kids didn't do very well on the way through Tennessee and Virginia, or on the next day through West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. But as we passed NYC and approached the Catskills, the squabbling died down.

We had a nice visit with the relatives, but I'm ready to go home. My youngest has a touch of the stomach bug. The ride home should be interesting.

After we arrive home, the total travel time for our trip will be around 40 to 42 hours.


New Year’s Resolutions

Writing
In 2008, I made writing goals and accomplished most of them. Most, but not all. Sometimes, I wonder if I set myself up for failure by aspiring to do more than I could handle. My goals were certainly more realistic than previous years.

Over the past months, I’ve polished seven picture books and one of my middle grade novels, rewrote one of my YA novels in the first person, and received a personal invitation to submit to an anthology edited by a Canadian author. Sadly, my anthology submission didn’t make the cut, but the anthology’s editor plans to invite me to submit to the next one.

This year, I was accepted to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference, and my mentor was Lisa Cheng from McElderry (she has since moved to Atheneum). She gave some great comments on three picture books before my 45minutes were over. The conference was over quickly, and I wish I had mingled more during lunch.

I also secured another writing gig with the unnamable educational company. Hopefully, they’ll send more work.


What are my writing goals for 2009?
Submit, submit, submit… Next week, I hope to prepare a bunch of submission packets to send out to the various editors I’ve met at conferences. I have seven picture books and one novel ready to go out. Over the next month, I hope to polish my other middle grade adventure/fantasy and send it out too. My YA novels will take a little longer to fine-tune.



Organization and Such
Anybody who really knows me would say that I’m the Queen of Clutter. I save everything. In 2009, I hope to change that (or at least make some progress in cleaning up clutter). In the basement, there are boxes that have remained unopened for close to twenty years. I’m going to let go of some things and better store others.


Happy New Year to all! Bring on 2009. I’m ready.