CT Childrens' Book Fair

On Sunday I headed out to UCONN to attend the book fair for the first time. Members of my crit group led Clifford the Big Red Dog around so he could have some photo ops. I was amazed by the number of people, especially enthusiastic reading children, that were there! And so many books to choose from....And so many author presentations to attend... I guess this will become an annual event on my calendar. It was very well done.

Alfred- Awesome Destruction

The storm made a huge mess, we are still cleaning up. I must admit, though, that on those days when the sun warmed up a comfy chair in the living room, it was nice to write and focus with no distractions at all. There was no phone, no TV, no where to be, nothing that demanded my immediate attention (except maybe the dog!) The quiet (except for the neighbor's generator) was blissful. It quieted the mind.

Alfred-Awesome Beauty

While the gingko leaves were lovely all covered with snow....there's a reason we usually don't see this combination.

Hello Halloween

Well, Halloween got cancelled for the first time in my lifetime! Snow, fallen trees and power outages put a damper on things. Our power was out for 10 days and I am only now starting to catch up with work on the computer.  So sorry, little pumpkin, no trick-or-treaters this year.

ENCORE

I am revising and organizing my ideas as I anticipate heading to the New England SCBWI Encore conference. I am looking forward to getting some fresh insight into this "writing for children" path I have chosen.

Simon Prowl

There is nothing like a little youthful exuberance around the house..feline style. The pound had so many to choose from, this one adopted us (and our hearts).

Alpaca Picnic

If any creature lends itself perfectly to a picture book, it must be an alpaca. With expressive faces, they look ready to start a dialogue on any heady topic. The tufts on the ends of the ears are just too much fun.
"It's so nice out, grab Ben and Abe quick...we'll go to the woods, alpaca picnic!"

Glacier

We may think that spring has been slow in coming to New England this year...but this is a picture of Glacier National Park taken in July. I guess a cool day isn't too hard to take when it could be snow instead!

The rivers in New England have been great for canoe racing. The latest, this past weekend, was on Otter Brook outside Keene New Hampshire. My husband and two nephews raced. It was a beautiful river and they finished unscathed with just a few bruises.

The Three "R's"

Well, I have spent most of the day doing my three "r's". These include re-visiting, reviewing and revising. I have been looking through all the dead wood in my documents. Some of them got off to a great start and then lost steam. I have been trying to find those stories that have some potential. Then, I revise, revise, revise...which isn't hard since some of these works are 5 or more years old. It is reassuring to find that I have grown as a writer.

Miles to Go Before I Rest

Well it's rusty and old and painted violet? But ever hopeful, it has new tires! Why am I so attracted to all things old and weathered that have great tales to tell? Could it have something to do with my crow's feet?

March Madness

Warm air, blue skies and basketball....must be March Madness. UCONN men and women won the Big East Tournament!

Tales of a two-wheeler

If this bike could talk, what story would it tell? Would it tell of a girl who saved her babysitting money for months in order to buy the beautiful yellow bike in the hardware store window? Would it tell of a giddy ride on the handle bars as a new boyfriend pedaled the happy pair home from school? Perhaps a  puppy was dressed in baby clothes and rode patiently in the basket, enduring any humiliation for the girl it loved... Now the bike rests, but it is still well cared for.

And, green grass!

A Few Links

I thought I would share a few more links I have found helpful along the way. One author's web-site I enjoy, perhaps because her interests are similar to mine is Kate Messner's http://www.katemessner.com One agent's site I have found useful is that of Jill Corcoran.http://www.jillcorcoran.blogspot.com I have found info about cover letters, queries and more. The final site is a more general one for writers, but does include a lot of resources for children's writers, you will need to ignore all the advertising though. http://www.writing-world.com/children/index.shtml Enjoy and hope they are useful.

What do you do all day?

SO your kids are in school all day, what do you do with yourself? I get that question more often than I'd like and I am reluctant to answer with a litany of seemingly mundane tasks. I sometimes admit that I am freelance writing for children. The response is generally something like "Oh, what a nice hobby." Well, it is nice and it is not a hobby. I thought I should maybe start letting people know more about what I do, but I really am not sure that anyone really cares. So...from time to time, I will jot down a few things here to let people know that I am not on the couch eating bon-bons.

Yesterday I spent time with two amazing older women doing some work for a service project. We are sewing pillowcases that will be used as welcome bags for children that arrive at the Hole in the Wall Camp, http://www.holeinthewallgang.org The camp does some amazing things for children who are too ill to go to any other summer camp. Making the bags was rewarding, but the time spent with these women was even more so. They have handled all the joys and sorrows that a well lived life can bring, and have reached a place a wisdom and grace that is amazing. I feel that I can learn so much from them, and not just sewing skills. Hopefully, someday I will have a lifetime's worth of knowledge to pass along and someone will actually want to hear it!

Wallpaper?

Sometimes I need a little inspiration to get writing. I am not one to sit and ponder in print, or sit and ponder at all for that matter. My son has agreed to upload some pictures now and then to get me started. This one is an awesome wall treatment we saw at Gillette Castle in East Haddam CT. The texture was amazing, though it did lend a dark and gloomy atmosphere to the room.

View from a 10-speed

Hope springs eternal! On a cold muddy day, this picture brings me back to summer in the Adirondacks. I can smell the damp sand on the road and feel its coolness under my feet. The grasshoppers leap to safety as we pass. Life is good and summer will be here soon.