What Have I Been Up To?

One of these days, kids, I am really going to get myself together. And on that day, you are going to be bombarded with all my writings – books, articles, interviews, blog posts, you name it. But until that day comes, the best I can offer is a recap of what I’ve been up to since last month.

I completed a coloring and activity book to accompany my books Buckle Pocket and Buckle Pockets. It was my first time creating an activity book and I really had a lot of fun. I hope that kids who pick one up will have a great time coloring in the images I copied from those two books, as well as doing the mazes, the word searches and scrambles, and all the other activities I created and drew by hand for this book. It’s not for sale yet because we had a small issue with the cover design (we’re learning as we go!) but it should be ready for purchase within a month.

I also drew another coloring book that’s maybe more for an older audience. I want to include some kind of poems or quotes or something to go in between the pages, but I can’t seem to find exactly what I’m looking for – the words that will exactly capture the feeling that I get when I look at the simple, semi-geometrical, sort-of abstract designs. So that one is not on pause, per se, but it may be awhile before it goes to print.

My husband and business partner is working hard at illustrating my fifth children’s book, Ina Changes the Sky, which is about an old woman searching for a way to reverse time and become someone different. It’s been a really fun collaboration. Ina is so cute and I can’t wait to share her with you.

And finally, my local PBS station, WTCI, collaborated with a local writing group, Rhyme N Chatt, to pair local children’s book writers with poets to discuss the themes of the books and show our audience that writers and poets live right here in their community. The woman who created and is hosting the show, Marsha Mills, said that when she was growing up she felt like all the authors she read about lived far away in big cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. She didn’t think that she herself could ever grow up to be a writer because no one around her was one. So her goal is to change that for young children in our community. And I got to be a part of this project by discussing my book Scribble with poet Kelly Williams. The episode should air sometime in April. I’m very excited to see how my interview turned out, as well as see the dozen or so other authors and poets who worked together.

That’s it for now. If you’re a writer, keep writing, and if you’re a reader, keep reading!