Once again I will be participating in the Huntington Beach Author Festival this coming January. I have been selected by Oak View Elementary School and will be visiting them on Tuesday, January 30. Should be fun!

Got back from a week in Tuscany. Absolutely beautiful! It is also the birthplace of Collodi, the author of Pinocchio. There were puppets everywhere!

Just send another manuscript to my editor at Henry Holt. Entitled THE WIDE AWAKE PRINCESS, it is the story of a fairy tale princess who refuses to sleep. The king and queen send for help, and it arrives in the form of all the king's horses and men, Little Bo Peep, and Little Jack Horner among others. In the end, a mysterious old woman arrives with a crafty solution...

I have finished my manuscript submissions for the time being:
DOG SCENTS to Groundwood
EXTRA EXTRA to Bailiwick
HOLES ALL AROUND to Ripple Grove
FAMILY IN A JAR to Albert Whitman
WELCOME TO THE VELVET ARMS to On Stage
In the meantime I am working on a new picture book entitled THE WIDE AWAKE PRINCESS, about a fairy tale princess who refuses to go to bed. Her parents, Old King Cole and the Queen of Hearts invite other nursery rhyme characters to help, including All the King's Horses and All the King's Men, Little Jack Horner and Little Bo Peep. Mother Goose finally arrives with the perfect solution!

Still on a roll with my manuscript submissions:
FAMILY IN A JAR to North South Books, Sleeping Bear Press, Shadow Mountain, and Ideals.
ZOMBERELLA to Splashing Cow, and Farrar Straus & Giroux.
Only eight more to send!

I have been quite busy submitting manuscripts this week:
EXTRA EXTRA to Capstone, Chronicle and Peachtree
SHIVER ME SHIVERS to Charlesbridge and Holiday House
EVERYWHERE HOLES to Clarion and Dial
ZOMBERELLA to Flying Eye and Pajama Press
WELCOME TO THE VELVET ARMS to Jolly Fish
Wish me luck!

Just completed my latest middle grade novel entitled DOG SCENTS. I plan on sending it to Boyds Mills as soon as possible!

Unfortunately, Boyds Mills did not wish to publish FAMILY IN A JAR. I will send it off to my editor at Henry Holt, Inc. next!

Just sent a picture book manuscript entitled FAMILY IN A JAR to my editor at Boyds Mills!

I am now reworking NEW YEAR'S EVIE into a stand-alone novel entitled FALLON'S FOLLY. It's about a girl named Fallon Demarest who takes on a babysitting job for a very timid boy named Brandon. She brings him out of his shell by introducing him to the three dogs in her life.

Just sent my picture book manuscript FAMILY IN A JAR to my editor at Boyds Mills Press. Wish me luck!

I am starting a new picture book entitled FAMILY IN A JAR about a family of snowmen that is unaware that they actually live in a snow globe. When a cat gets ahold of the jar, they are surprised and delighted with the change in the weather!

I am starting a new picture book manuscript entitled FAMILY IN A JAR. It's about a snowman family that lives in a snow globe. When the cat gets ahold of the jar, the family's calm and predictable life becomes anything but!

Warning: If you are an author wishing to get published or looking for marketing, do not contact SBPRA Publications. It is a scam! I have received emails from this company and it is well known as a ripoff. Please let others now about this as well...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I am now reworking my sequel to EGGS OVER EVIE and will try to make it a stand-alone novel with different characters. I think it's a great story and worth resurrecting!

Got back from my daughter's wedding in New Orleans last week. Had to take a little time off from writing to be Mother of the Bride!!!

Just finished a new picture book manuscript entitled DOGS ON THE ROOF. It is the story of a woman who discovers that 100 dogs have taken up residence on her roof. She tries various methods to to try and coax them down until one clever solution finally proves successful.

I am rewriting NEW YEAR'S EVIE as a stand alone title about a girl who takes a dog training class. Wish me luck!

Just got back from New Orleans and Mardi Gras! Had a wonderful time and got some inspiration for a new picture book called it's only Tuesday. Let the good times roll!

Just got back from the CATE conference (California Association of Teachers of English) in Santa Clara, Ca. It was fantastic! I talked to a group of teachers about how I introduce the writing process to students, then I had a book signing. Even with the rain, it was a great day!

I will be speaking at the CATE (California Association of Teachers of English) this Friday in Santa Clara, California. After that I will be signing books in the Exhibit Hall. Wish me luck!

Just had a wonderful experience at College View Elementary in Huntington Beach. I did three presentations, signed lots of books and then had lunch with a few of the students. It was a fabulous day!

Just sent my revised manuscript of WELCOME TO THE VELVET ARMS to Cheryl Matthews at Boyds Mills Press. I think it is much improved and hope that she enjoys it. Wish me luck!

Holidays are over and it's time to get back to work! I will be heading down to Southern California for the Huntington Beach Author Festival at the end of the month and then up to Santa Clara to speak at the California Association of Teachers of English conference in February.