Busy week here at Frederick Spy Cat . . . er, Rescue Cat Academy. Timber Howligan would like to report that the two youngest recruits made it through boot camp and are off to their next assignment, infiltrating the animal rescue network and living off nothing but the bottle-fed handouts of total strangers. They're well … Continue reading Spy Cat Academy Update
Why I don’t write (here)
It's been over a year since my last blog post. Any blog post that begins with an apology for how long it's been since the previous one is doomed, so--no apologies here. Just the facts, and no excuses. If I haven't been blogging, what have I been doing? In the past year, I: parented two … Continue reading Why I don’t write (here)
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!
One Bite at a Time
“I can’t wait until June.” My son’s friend came up to me at lunch today and spoke these words, rousing me from the Good Part of my book. I was supervising the class of fourth graders, who usually talked amongst themselves, played cards, or otherwise stayed occupied with age-appropriate activities. It was an easy gig. … Continue reading One Bite at a Time
It takes a certain kind of bravery to write…
I wrote this the other day when I was feeling dejected. (The book I’m in the middle of tearing apart and putting together is Timber Howligan Book Two. Book One hasn’t even been published yet.) My solution to the revision blues? NaNoWriMo. Today I finished Chapter One of Timber Howligan Book Three. I realize at … Continue reading It takes a certain kind of bravery to write…
