Fulfilling a long-time goal to have backyard chickens (and more importantly, their eggs), we got ten baby chicks last week. Though I had no confidence in my ability to keep them alive, they’re thriving so far and I’ve even let my kids name them. The problem is, they’re like donuts—you go to Tractor Supply, pick … Continue reading What Color is Your Potato?
How to Tell if You are Really a Cat Person
Timber Howligan Secret Agent Cat is a book about saving animals, and I have celebrated that in many ways. When I finished my first draft, I went to the local animal shelter and adopted two cats. They were on sale, real cheap-$1 each! Since then I’ve paid thousands of dollars in vet bills for them, … Continue reading How to Tell if You are Really a Cat Person
I HAVE MADE IT AS AN AUTHOR
You can’t tell by book sales. I’m not on the best-seller lists. I’m still able to safely walk through airports without being flagged for autographs. But the other day I walked into my eight-year old daughter’s class (I was there to volunteer as a writing coach), and I had to wait. I was happy to … Continue reading I HAVE MADE IT AS AN AUTHOR
Do Reading Logs Make Reading Horrible? Here’s a Handy Short-cut!
I don’t know about your school, but my kids’ school is pretty cool. If my kid wants to take his shoes off and run around in his socks, he can. If my daughter needs to chew gum because it keeps her from chewing her hair, no problem. I walk into the lobby, and I’m surrounded … Continue reading Do Reading Logs Make Reading Horrible? Here’s a Handy Short-cut!
Does Timber Howligan pass the Bechdel test?
I believe in equal opportunity reading. Having both a boy and a girl, I’ve seen some differences in their preferences for certain kinds of stories…they’re gender differences, but is that a bad thing? When my daughter wants to fill her shelves with Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious, I don’t make a big deal out of it. … Continue reading Does Timber Howligan pass the Bechdel test?
Timber Howligan First Month Update: Success!
Self-publishing is a business, so here’s the accounting: I promised to donate any proceeds to charity, the animal rescue organization Alley Cat Allies. Here’s what Timber earned in his first month out in the world: $4.07 from CreateSpace (11 copies) $11.87 from Draft2Digital (5 copies) $85.70 from paperbacks I sold directly (28 copies, including 12 … Continue reading Timber Howligan First Month Update: Success!
Day before publication
Yesterday my husband came up with a really good idea for marketing Timber Howligan. “You should partner with Animal Rescue Societies, and get them to sell the book to raise money.” What I should have said was, “That’s a great idea, honey. Thanks for thinking of ways to help out. In a few months, once … Continue reading Day before publication
Less than a week–publication date June 12th!
Less than a week until Timber Howligan’s publication date (June 12th! June 12th!)! You may wonder what the penultimate week in a self-published author’s life looks like. This is my basement, where I set up shop… Screenprinting t-shirts. Yes, that’s right. My kids just finished their last week of school, so one batch of t-shirts … Continue reading Less than a week–publication date June 12th!
Making things is fun…even books
It’s a long-standing controversy I probably have little original to add to it. But since some professional writers have argued that self-published novels dilute the quality of fiction on the market, making it harder for readers to find good reads, now that I’m actually self-publishing my first novel, I have a more informed opinion about … Continue reading Making things is fun…even books
Timber is an Alley Cat Ally
A long-promised post: When “Timber Howligan, Secret Agent Cat” comes out in June, I said I would donate any proceeds to the American Humane Association. That was my first pick. I like that they are concerned with the lives of all animals kept by humans, not just house pets. Having lived on a farm, Timber … Continue reading Timber is an Alley Cat Ally
