FIRST GRADE AGAIN? Third Time’s A Charm

A white banner boasting black letters in varied sizes stretched from one end of the chalk board to the other.
Mrs.  Old’meany,  or  Pinchedpuckeredface,  or
I. Don’trememberhername smoothed her pleated skirt, pointed a long, rubber-tipped stick at one of those dark figures, and called my name. My six-year-old heart pounded in my throat. Was I supposed to slide from my seat, stand up, and answer a question I knew would be wrong? Then what?

KidLit.TV SHARES There Are No Dragons In This Book Trailer

A gargantuan THANK YOU to KidLit.tv for including There Are No Dragons In This Book book trailer on their award winning website dedicated to creating fun ways to inspire a love for reading.

I heartily agree with the Children’s Book Council when they say KidLit.tv is an exciting and informative destination for authors, illustrators, teachers, publishers, and anyone with a passion for children’s literature. It is indeed a treasure trove of crafts and activities, read-out-louds, interviews, tutorials, and…book trailers!

Book Trailer Premiere! THERE ARE NO DRAGONS IN THIS BOOK

I first met KidLit.tv’s founder and author Julie Gribble at the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators Winter Conference in 2012. Julie was much further along on her picture book project than I was on my novel. Her Bubblegum Princess, illustrated by Lori Hanson, released the following year. If you love princesses I, and even if you don’t, press HERE. Eighteen months later we attended the Stony Brook University’s South Hampton Writer’s Conference. Julie was nearing the end of a fellowship and I attended to learn more on the craft of writing a picture book. Five days later, I packed my toolkit with meaningful lessons from renowned picture book author and illustrator Dan Yaccarino and Julie went on to manifest her vision – KidLIT.tv – I suggest you immediately check it and the podcasts on KidLit Radio out. Wow…just WOW!

Thank you dear Reader (writer, illustrator, and lover of children’s books)
for stopping by today
❤ Be Well ❤

MY DEBUT BOOK BLOG TOUR FAUX PAS…

Apologies to Kathleen Temean for not reposting her interview with me to my blog. She did me a solid to help get the word out about my debut picture book There Are No Dragons In This Book a few weeks ago and I somehow failed to reach out to you to show what a phenomenal job she does for the KidLit community.

Besides sharing authors’ and illustrators’ good news, she introduces agents willing to critique four work-in-progress first pages each month, as well as informing her readers of industry changes, contests, writing and illustration tips, and retreats. In fact, there are still a few spots open HERE for her virtual full manuscript 2024 retreat, one she holds each year. Kathleen’s site is a font of information you will not want to miss…and it’s FREE! 

 You, Kathy
have my ❤ felt apologies for my oversight
To everyone else…check out her site 
and thank you for stopping by ❤

DRAGON IS COMING: My Debut Picture Book Blog Tour Continues…

Many thanks to prolific children’s book author Susanna Leonard Hill for sharing another version of my journey to publication on her DEBUT TUESDAY  post. With only six days to go until the release of my picture book There Are No Dragons In This Book on March 5, 2024 🥳 her interview is an honor for me to share.

Are you still a wee bit curious? Come…follow me. Press HERE  ❤️

And So Begins My Debut Picture Book Blog Tour…

In the countdown to the release of my debut picture book There Are No Dragons In This Book on March 5, 2024, children’s book author Sandra Nickel  invited me to tell the story behind the story that won the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair’s prestigious Serafina Award…

Are you a wee bit curious? Come…follow me and
press HERE  ❤️

3-2-1 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

The 31 day countdown began on December 1, 2023. I thought I could do it…write my next blog post before the holidays. After all, twelve years ago I began blogging once a week. A few years later it reduced to bi-weekly and finally a couple of years ago it dwindled down to once a month. Sounds easy enough. Right? Except the clock’s ticking again…

this time it’s been nearly two months since my last post even though there were sixty-two days between December 1st and January 31st – plenty of time for an idea to funnel from the heavens into my brain thru my fingers and onto the keyboard. That’s 1,488 hours! Minus an average of 434 hours spent sleeping, that would leave me with 1,054 to bang out a post or two to fulfil my commitment to you, my intrepid follower, and myself.

Yet, with 8.5 hours to go until the calendar page turns to February, here I sit…not reading a book, as I am in my cameo appearance in my daughter-in-law’s debut early reader “My Day With Dad”, but checking out a few bloggers that I follow to distract me from my conundrum.

I’ve barely begun reading when

MOMENTS OF SANITY – A Thanksgiving Day Thought

Chile-red neon streaks the ridge line separating the sleepy mountain
from the grey-washed sky

With one swift brush stroke, the sun announces the start of a new day

Will it be turbulent?
Will it be peaceful?

 

The curtain of night continues to lift
tomato
pumpkin
saffron
lemon chiffon

PICK YOUR POISON – A Halloween Compilation part deux

My broom has stalled
I’m in a tizzy

Halloween’s here
and I’m still busy

WE ARE THE SAME ~ WE ARE DIFFERENT: A Single Sock Tale

Ten years ago, on this site, this phenomenon had been rated OSFA, One-size-fits-all, by the International Knee-Sport-and-Leisure-Sock Association of Planetearth. Otherwise known as IKSLAP. In the public’s interest, I’ve decided to repost and promise to follow thru with the initiative I’ve set forth a decade ago.

Have you seen this sock today?

MISSING-Last Seen Entering Dryer 12/12/12

After half a century of sitting on their hands, many members of CADS, the Center for the Abnormal Dematerialization of Socks, still refuse to accept that the daily disappearance of an inordinate number of the world’s socks is a problem of epic proportion.

THE INDEFATIGABLE FROG – A Tale of Comeuppance

One sun-drenched Tuesday morning many Mays ago, the king’s ward buzzed ‘round the royal garden clutching a golden ball gifted him by his regal guardian. The king’s warning rang in the boy’s ears as he scampered along the winding path. “Take heed. The bearer of this ball shall rule my kingdom one day. Lose it and you lose the throne.”

But in keeping with most of the lad’s behavior, he paid little attention to where his feet landed as he flew along, tossing it high up into the air and catching it, over and over again. As one might expect, he did indeed trip, miss the catch, and mumble profanities at the golden orb as it skipped down the manicured hill and