Who are the cutest tree huggers in the world?

New research suggests that koalas use trees for temperature control. How cool is that? Click here to learn more: tree huggers. I wish I could have included this neat fact in my book, A Cool Summer Tail, about how animals stay cool in the heat!  

Webinars: Tush-based Tech Rocks

If you haven’t tried webinars yet, you are missing the high-powered speedboat. To view a webinar, you need an internet connection, audio through your computer speakers, and time. That’s it!  My first webinar was in 2011, chosen through Writer’s Digest because they were professional and had great course offerings. I loved the medium so I participated… Read more »

In Which I Answer Some Good Questions About A Cool Summer Tail and Writing NF

Michigan author, Jennifer Rumberger, was kind enough to interview me for her blog. She reviews picture books and participates in the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday series. She’s an insightful seeker (and share-er) of knowledge in the kidlit world. Yay, Jennifer! Her adorable first book, Ducklings on the Move, is available by digital publisher, MeeGenius. 

How to Write the Ha-Ha

Adding humor to writing can be daunting and hard to define as a technique, so I wanted to share this article that was written by Tim Bete and appeared in Writer’s Digest five years ago. I think it can really help us develop a funny bone to use in our manuscripts… The old TV game show “Match Game”… Read more »

Clever Fox

I love learning about animals and how they navigate their often harsh existence. Maybe that’s why I chose animal adaptation for the topics of my first two books (A Warm Winter Tail and A Cool Summer Tail due out mid-February). This video clip shows a red fox catching mice that are buried under feet of snow!! How cool… Read more »

You should do this! SCBWI Work-In-Progress (WIP) GRANTS

The SCBWI Work-In-Progress (WIP) Grants assist children’s book writers and illustrators in the completion of a specific project currently not under contract, and are made possible by a generous grant from Amazon.com.Award: Seven Grants of $2,000 will be awarded annually, one in each category. Seven Runner-Up Grants of $500 will also be awarded, one in each… Read more »

ALA Awards Are Up

My agent, Jodell Sadler, is posting the American Library Assocation awards rolling in today. Very exciting! Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/PictureBookLunch/posts/579170455498150

Kickstarter.com and The Cutes

One of my blog readers,Vincent Noot, contacted me about a Kickstarter project he’s created. It is a highly illustrated children’s search-and-find book that is pretty darn cool. According to Publishers Weekly (January 13, 2014), nearly 1000 children’s book projects were crowdsourced by Kickstarter in 2013. I’m interested in how this is working for new authors… Read more »

A Cool Summer Tail arcs are out! Squee!

There is nothing quite like receiving an advanced reader copy of your own book. I wish these moments upon every creative person out there. Opening that package from Sylvan Dell Publishing was a true highlight.    The amazing Christina Wald brought to life the summer worlds of many of the same animals as in A Warm… Read more »