A New Year

It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to new adventures. The sun coaxes tiny buds to show their color and stirs nature to release its energy.

For the past year, I avoided social media and turned my attention to more hiking, more reading, and, of course, more writing.

But I feel the urge to reconnect with friends, so I will post here more frequently and on fb and twitter. 

What have I been doing? When the pandemic began, I knew that I would not be visiting schools. Since I couldn’t imagine my life without the joy of writing side-by-side with children, I hopped on the Outschool platform to teach writing to ages 5-12. It was and is a fabulous way to connect with children around the world. I’m still offering a few classes, but not as many as in 2020.

What have I been reading? Most recently . . .  Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka, Gone to The Woods by Gary Paulsen, and Pompeii by Robert Harris. 

And I’ve been writing. As of today, I have eight books in different stages of production at four publishers. Each project is unique which creates exciting days of revision and adding backmatter. I can now share that these talented artists will be illustrating some of these books: Gabi Swiatkowska (the illustrator of Arrowhawk),  Savannah Allen, and James Yang. The talent is amazing!

I know you’re ready for sunnier days and warmer nights. Enjoy it all!