Two months from today…my first book comes out! It still seems like just a wonderful dream. I’m busy planning my book launch, to be held at my local library on August 14 (more information coming soon). In the meantime, I wanted to take a moment to encourage anyone who plans to buy the book to […]
The Closet Creative Blog
It’s a real book!
I recently opened my mail to find my first copy of “Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse!” This definitely wasn’t the first time I’ve seen the book. I’ve been looking at Corinna Luyken’s wonderful art at various points in her illustration process, and I’ve seen the book in electronic form and then a couple […]
So Much Book Fun!
Friends, Apologies for not blogging while my new website was built (shout-out to the super talented Ilsa Brink for creating this site for me!). Over the past few months, the art for my book was completed (a HUGE shout-out to the amazing Corinna Luyken). The book is now being printed and we are gearing up […]
Lessons on Plot
I’m just back from the Northern Ohio Regional SCBWI Conference, and my brain is teeming with ideas, so much so, that I feel I need the morning to decompress before diving back into writing my middle grade novel. While reviewing notes from the conference this morning, I’m thinking a lot about Newbery-winning author Linda Sue […]
Awesome Basement Re-do Starts with Something I Said I’d Never Do
Oh hey, what are you doing this summer? I’m outlining a new novel for middle graders while renovating our basement.As I’ve mentioned here before, I find that this whole thinking and planning stage of the writing process goes more smoothly if I regularly take time to let my mind just wander while I’m doing something […]
My New Favorite Thing: Little Free Libraries
Little Free Libraries are such amazing things, and I’m so proud to have played a part in bringing one to our elementary school. I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to stop by the playground with my kids on the weekend and see children peeking eagerly into that box or sitting on […]
Writer’s High
So, it appears I’ve forgotten to post for awhile. In fact, I teased you with a February post just before I attended my first Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference in New York, and then I never followed up to tell you how it went, and that was very naughty of me, […]
Taking a Stand
I’m a week away from attending my first Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ (SCBWI) Conference and am feeling nervous and excited. The suitcase is already out. I’ve solicited advice from friends on what to wear, and disregarded it. (Everyone said to dress in black in New York, but I bought a skirt of […]