Last November, an eleven-year-old girl named Marley Dias decided to make a stand. She was tired of reading books that didn’t reflect her. She felt that most of the books she read in school were about “white boys and dogs,” so she started a book drive. But not just any old book drive. She started [...]
Yesterday, through one of my new writing friends, I heard about Susanna Leonard Hill’s 1st Annual Valentiny Writing Contest. The rules were pretty simple, come up with a short story 214 words or less (2/14, get it?) that includes a grumpy character. Always up for a challenge, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enter. [...]
Since Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, I thought I’d share three of my most favorite classic children’s books about love. 1. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Anita Jeram – This timeless tale demonstrates it’s not always easy to measure the amount of love between a parent and child. When [...]
My first official give-away has come to a close. :( Thank you to all who entered! A special thank you to Tammi Sauer and Debbie Ridpath Ohi for introducing me to the wonderful books the winners are sure to love - Me Want Pet! and I'm Bored - and for taking the time to sign [...]
On Thursday, in light of my New Year's resolution to be spontaneous, I signed up for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Regional Conference in Miami the following day. The conference was amazing! It gave everyone the opportunity to meet writers, illustrators, editors, and agents that were all so eager to share [...]
It’s hard to believe another year is upon us. It seems as though 2015 flew by in a whirlwind of events. A few highlights for me were my daughter’s Sweet Sixteen, finally selling my Grandmother’s house, the Women’s World Cup in Vancouver, my 40th birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I’m sure certain events stand out in [...]
Last week, I found myself heading to the post office in the middle of a monsoon. As I was hurrying toward the entrance while contemplating the possible misnomer of our state motto, “The Sunshine State,” I noticed an elderly woman waiting outside. I started to shake the water from my umbrella but decided to ask, [...]
Have you ever surprised yourself by doing something you didn’t think was possible? Something you didn’t even know you were capable of? How did it make it you feel? Amazing? Fantastic? Strong? Unstoppable? Two years ago, I had the crazy idea to enter my first Tough Mudder – a grueling 10-12 mile race filled with [...]
OH MY GAWWWWDDDD!!!!! I knew what it was as soon as I entered the car. It was over-powering. My eyes slowly began to water. Could there be anything worse? You know exactly what I’m talking about. Yes, my dearest youngest daughter left her nasty, funky cleats and shin guards in the backseat of my car [...]
Don’t you love those special moments between a father and his children? The moments that you just know your adult children will look back on and smile? Family time is important in our household, so we do our best to make sure our kids have plenty of those moments. This summer my husband had the [...]
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