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?
Homeschooling—Not for the Faint of Heart
"Faint of heart": Is it a metaphor or a metonym? Or maybe an idiom? I don’t know, but now I’ve got enough material for my daughter’s next two ELA classes. Even though I’m a writer, I’m no expert in teaching figurative language (fortunately, the Internet is). But that's what homeschooling is all about. It all … Continue reading Homeschooling—Not for the Faint of Heart
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)
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
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
With all these books, do we need one more? (Hint: We do)
Have you read every book in the library? Every one in Barnes & Nobles? Do you have any idea how many used book stores there are in the world? Even if the book industry collapsed today, we’d all still have plenty to read for the rest of our lives. But our kids especially want the … Continue reading With all these books, do we need one more? (Hint: We do)
Timber Howligan–The art is here!
The interior illustrations for Timber Howligan, Secret Agent Cat are done! Always trying to support local artists, I hired Wendy H. Wilkins, who is also a children's writer. Here's a sneak peek!
Why You Should Self-Publish
Why You Should Self-Publish. Great article by Hugh Howey in the Huffington Post, courtesy of The Passive Voice, and possibly the best quote ever about the subject: Remember that it's okay to write and publish just to make yourself happy, to make yourself fulfilled. There will be authors out there, readers, publishing experts, and booksellers … Continue reading Why You Should Self-Publish
