I've decided to move my blog over to Blogspot if anyone cares to follow me over there. Too much spam here but I'm hoping to keep in touch with everyone through facebook. 2011 is time for super changes!

All of a sudden I'm getting spammed through LJ? Anyone else having the same problem? I'm getting spam emails and the only responses I get are spam. I'm thinking perhaps the end of the year will be the end of LJ for me.

I've been so busy I've found it hard to keep up my blogging, even just my Friday Five. So today, I'm catching up and posting the Friday Five or however many it takes to bring me up to speed.

I had a great trip to Florida and it was the first time I brought my netbook with me so I could write. I only used it on the plane ride to and from but I'm glad I did. I managed to work on several projects that I just couldn't find the time to do at home. Florida reminded me that it was one year earlier that I was sitting on the beach with my girlfriends writing limericks for my joke books. Today I received the cover scans for these two books that will be published in February of 2011.



I have so many fun activities planned for school visits with these.

So when I returned from Florida it was crazy getting everything ready for Thanksgiving dinner. That Friday I attended my 30th class reunion. I had a great time seeing everyone including our favorite principal.

I spent last Friday and Saturday at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians Conference in Long Branch. It was the first year I presented a session and I have to say it was a lot of fun. It was also nice catching up with all of my author friends and making new friends. I was tired after the two days I think mostly from watching all of the librarians race from session to session both days.

And now Christmas is just around the corner but I'm happy to say that thanks to the great deals on Amazon I was able to get most of my shopping done without having to drive all over the place. Speaking of Amazon, Amazon.com today announced that authors who use Amazon’s Author Central service (http://authorcentral.amazon.com) can now view Nielsen BookScan’s weekly geographic sales data for their print books for free. I only looked at it briefly this morning but it looks like a great feature.

We all know that deadlines happen whether it's vacation time or the holidays. I'm working on completing the second three titles in my new series "I Love My Dog" which reminds me this cute little guy who is spending his first Christmas with our family




Merry Christmas and best wishes for continued success to everyone in the New Year!

I like to get some of my writing ideas from my own backyard. When I do school visits I show the kids these photos and explain how I wrote a nonfiction story or article that I then turned into a fiction story.



Well this green anole wasn't exactly in my own backyard, he was a pet. But green anoles can be found in many backyards in the south. I think I even took a few photos of green anoles during our visit to Charleston, SC. I then turned this guy into a girl and she became the main character in my short story, "The Case of the Missing Lizard."




I discovered these adorable bunnies in my flowerbed one day and they were so cute I wanted to know if I could touch them. I went online and did research on wild rabbits. After I found out that many people take wild rabbits thinking they've been abandoned by their mother when they're not, I wrote a nonfiction article about them. It wasn't long before this bunch of bunnies grew in numbers and into my picture book, "Too Many Bunnies."




And this is my favorite photo in this series. Two ducks appeared in our pool one spring. In an attempt to scare them aware we bought all different inflatables and floated them in the pool. As you can see, the ducks didn't mind at all and I think they actually enjoyed the company. It wasn't until I went online did I find out they were using our pool to mate and
there's a lake just down the road from us! Of course, my research turned into a nonfiction article and this picture was used to add a scene in one of my early chapter books still in progess.

So, for today's inspiration I'm going through old photo albums to find my next treasure of an idea.

PiBboIdMo
30 days of inspiration and motivation created for picture book writers thanks to taralazar


I'm excited to be participating this year and the timing is just right. September and October tend to be the least productive months for me. With the kids back to school, dance school starting, sports, and volunteering I don't tend to get a lot of writing done. I've learned to let it go (not altogether but better than before), and do what I can until things settle down and I have more time. So, I'm very excited to be spending the next 30 days cooking up some new picture book ideas. I'm going to try to keep a journal of where my ideas come from each day and post updates on my Facebook page.

On your mark, get set, go!

1. I thought alot about comic books after Comic Con and even read a few that I picked up at the show. While browsing through a box of old comics at a dealer table, my earliest memory of comic books came back to me. It was rainy weekends at our lake house. My parents would take myself and my two brothers to the store and we were allowed to pick out a few comic books. Unlike my brothers, I always had a book to me, but comic books were special because I don't remember being able to buy them when we were home. So, my earliest memory of comic books is Archie, Jughead, and Betty & Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch on rainy days at the lake house. What's your earliest memory of comic books?



2. Yesterday I met with Officer Shawn Meade and his K-9 Lucky to present him with a copy of my book, Police Dog Heroes in which they are both featured. It's been nearly two years since we met and I interviewed him for the book. It was very kind of the principal of one of the elementary schools to allow us to do the presentation for a large group of children and the mayor even joined us. I hope they had as much fun as I did!



3. I'm reading Winter Garden (an adult book!) with my book club which I think we decided on an official name, The Page Turners . I'm enjoying the book so much it's probably the quickest I've read an adult book in a long time. Does anyone have any suggestions for other good book club books?

My teenage daughter has been an anime fan for years. She loves to read it and does some fantastic illustrations. Just this past year she started going to anime cons. This is something new to me, but she has a group of friends that travel near and far to attend the cons and they've been kind enough to include her. These kids sometimes spend weeks sewing their own costumes and I've even purchased a wig or two from China. Well, this past weekend was the Anime/Comic Con in NYC. Although we didn't have the time to spend the weekend, I agreed to take my daughter and her friend in on the train on Sunday. So I attended my first comic con and although I was exhausted, I had a lot of fun. Here's me posing with a Lego display.



I enjoyed strolling Illustrator's Alley looking at all of the great artwork being displayed and watching everyone sketching. What I didn't realize was that Comic Con offers some great professional panels. I sat in on a few about writing comics.



It was great comparing what I know about writing children's books and what I learned about writing comics. This panel, in particular, had a great sense of humor. Throughout the day what I heard over and over again was to READ, READ, READ! And not one genre (who knew there were different genres of comic books?) and not to write just one genre. Nothing new, right?
And just like children's books these guys don't usually illustrate, they write the text, unless of course they happen to be writers/illustrators. So am I going to start writing comics? Probably not. But I may play around with the idea and see what happens. My first thought was that I haven't picked up a comic book since Archie and Jughead.

I also walked the floor and who can come home from Comic Con without at least a photo or two of this superhero:



I picked up a few gifts and had a great day exploring the world of comics and superheros.



Now it's back to reality!

Look what I just got! Copies of all of my new books from Amazing Working Dogs series and Imagining the Future series (except for one that isn't in yet). Brody was checking them out.



Since it was a rainy Sunday, he did read all of them and gave them all a paws up. But when I asked which was his favorite one, he sniffed around a bit...



But then he chose this book as his favorite:




Brody often gets mistaken for a puppy Portuguese Water Dog like Tuxedo, who's on the cover of the Therapy Dog book so it's no wonder that he chose it.

1. It started with a school visit that during lunch I was going to meet with their book club.

I wanted to be able to talk to the kids about the book they were currently reading, so prior to the visit I read the book myself.

2. At the end of the book were some random interesting facts, one of which gave me an idea for a new picture book.



3. That idea sat in a drawer for over a year while I was busy with my freelance work.


4. I signed up for the Picture Book Marathon and committed to writing one picture book a day for one month. I needed thirty ideas, so it was the perfect time to pull lots of old stuff out of that drawer.



5. On Monday, Brody and I will take a walk to the mailbox and mail it. I'll let Brody lick the envelope for good luck although I know he would prefer to rip apart another flip flop.



So, when it gets published, I already know a book club that it will be dedicated to!

While I was in Red Bank this week it just so happened that the public library was the only library that had a particular book I needed for research for my new picture book. Normally, I would just have the book transferred to my library, and this would take some time, but since I was in town I figured it was the perfect opportunity to save time and pick it up myself. So, I asked the kids if they knew where the library was and it turned out it wasn't very far away from the school. When I pulled in the driveway this is the view I saw. Since I happened to have my camera with me, I couldn't help but take a few photos.







This same view can be seen from inside the library that boasts large glass windows. Now wouldn't you want to just sit and stare out the window all day? So, not only was I excited to find the perfect resource, I was able to put the finishing touches on my manuscript.

Thanks to the wonderful librarian at the Air and Space Museum who took the time to help me with my research. I know how swamped they are with requests.

I'm happy to say that a new story will be going out in the next week or so and hopefully it will find a nice home. It feels good when you've had an idea brewing for quite some time and you finally find the time or should I say "make" the time to turn that idea into some real.

Here are the covers of my new six-book series that will be available this fall. They were fun to write and a completely new experience for me to work with an illustrator. These books are for grades K-3 and include the history of each topic, what each one is like today, then gives kids some ideas, plus some open-ended questions about what things might be like in the future. I can't wait to use these for school visits to help urge kids to use their imaginations! I'll be curious to hear what some of their answers will be to the open-ended questions...probably nothing like the answers I imagined when I wrote the questions! Kids love to surprise us.

Couldn't help to pause and take a look back at my very busy week. It's no wonder I didn't get too much writing done but I had fun.

1. Monday - helped out at the Dance for the Cure booth at the Rotary fair handing out flyers and glow bracelets.

2. Tuesday - softball game, we won and I thought I left the field with two cleats.

3. Wednesday - softball game, and I arrived with only one cleat! Go figure. We lost playing in the rain with several delays because of lightening.

4. Thursday - Went to see the Wedding Singer at the outdoor theatre in the park. Was able to read while waiting in line for the ticket booth to open. I can save documents in PDF format and upload them to my nook, made handwritten notes which I entered into the computer when I got home. Read a few more chapters of my book before I curled up in my chair and took a power nap. Hope I wasn't snoring!

5. Friday - Bagel day at work where I'm working on getting lots of great books submitted for awards. Then I came home to relatives from Florida that were such a pleasure to see after so many years.

Did you know you can save on printer ink by using the Century Gothic font? Apparently it consumes one third less ink than Arial. I don't know about you, but I go through ink like crazy and I print nearly everything using fast draft. I do take advantage of the Staples ink catridge rewards program. For more 98 more money-saving tips check out http://www.aarp.org/money/

I'm thankful that we had perfect weather for our beach vacation and that I found a great place to write overlooking the bay.


We also visited an awesome little bookstore where the title of this book caught my eye:



I was impressed that for such a small store they had a whole wall of great nonfiction titles to choose from.


I love visiting bookstores like this one. Having one within walking distance on vacation was something to be thankful for.

I returned from vacation to find out that there's a new book club on the block and I could even be a part of it if I wanted to. The best part is our first book is



I was excited because I already started to read this book on my vacation. I had downloaded a sample onto my




so I'm actually ahead of the game for once. I can't wait for our first meeting in August. If anyone has any book club tips, please share.

What I enjoyed most about taking my new nook on its first real road trip was that I was able to bring this many books and more with me. Some other great reads I enjoyed on our long ride and during our stay in OBX were:







So, needless to say, I'm excited that I was blessed with so much reading time...truly a vacation! But I'm a little

that it's over!

I'm excited to have signed a contract for six more books about...you guessed it...dogs!






These are the breeds I'll be writing about and it even includes mixed breeds. Writing about dogs is soooooo much fun. And then there's our collection of dogs...


Can you find the real dog? I'll give you a clue...he's the one that chewed two pairs of flip flops in one week.



Here are the two baby birds I found this week in our fig tree. Lots of new things springing up at our house!

My Friday Five:

1. Don't
2. Fight
3. Change
4. Embrace
5. It!

I'm embracing many changes lately (too many to list), but today I'm embracing changes to a manuscript that is near and dear to my heart. Change can be good so remember, don't fight change...embrace it! You may be pleasantly surprised.

(I changed this post at least 10 times!)

I'm looking forward to reading and speaking at the Expressions of Hope Event at the Elizabeth Campus of Union County College this Saturday. All proceeds benefit Haiti Relief. What a perfect way to wind down this school year.

1. My new Amazing Dog series goes off to the printer today. Know what that means? In just 60 days real live books will be arriving. I can't wait!



2. Today I'm reviewing two of the titles for my Imagining the Future series for last minute corrections/changes. Know what that means? They'll be off to the printer soon too. I'm hoping to have cover images available soon.

Know what that means? I'm going to have a very busy summer getting ready to present 12 new books for the fall!

3. I just got back from Aruba where my husband and I spent a few days relaxing and celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We learned to never sit under a tree with iguanas in it.





4. Our daughter will graduate with honors from college next week and we pray that she will find a teaching job. Teaching has been a dream of hers for a very long time and we know she will be an awesome teacher!


5. Happy Mother's Day!

PBS documentary tracks human-canine connections - Boston.com

Posted using ShareThis

Hooray for nonfiction! National nonfiction day is planned for November this year. Check it out!

National 'non-fiction day' planned for November | theBookseller.com

My Friday Three.
Here's three tidbits I thought I'd share on a Friday for National Poetry Month.

Check out PBS Poetry Everywhere
I really enjoyed listening to poet Billy Collins read his poem "The Lanyard."

Or you can sign up for a poem a day at Poetry Everywhere
The daily poem helps inspire me to write my own poem a day for the month of April.

In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, New York City is hosting the 8th annual
Poem In Your Pocket day (PIYP) on Thursday, April 29, 2010. Join in the excitement by carrying a poem in your pocket. You can write your own poem or borrow one from your favorite poet; just make sure to share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Happy April! Happy Poetry Month!

1. For Poetry Month I'm committing to writing one poem every day. It may not be the best poem but it will be a good poem that I'll be able to go back later and make perfect. Hopefully, when April is over I'll have enough poems to choose from for my poetry collection.

2. I'm looking forward to the Young Author's Conference this month where I can't wait to meet some wonderful young writers. My order with Vista Print is in for a great banner and great postcards to sign for the kids.

3. I'm enjoying this sunshine and have started cleaning out the flower beds. Need a trip to the nursery for new plants, definitely some with purple flowers!

4. Still putting finishing touches on my new series being published this fall, Yesterday, Today, and Imagining the Future. This project was very different from any other that I've worked on before. It was a real collaboration between editor, photo researcher, illustrator and myself. What it turned out to be in the end is a fun series that includes history and a great opportunity to get kids imagining about the future. I love it and can't wait to see it in print.

5. Hope the Easter bunny brings me lots of chocolate! I've been very good Easter Bunny!

No matter how many times I hear the song "I Just Haven't Met You Yet" I just don't get tired of it. When I heard it today it began to take on a whole new meaning. I've been revisiting a manuscript that I've rewritten time and time again. Looking into the history of this story I discovered that it has been more than seven years since I first put the original version down on paper. Is it really worth hanging onto the hope that someday it can be a picture book that children will love to have read to them over and over again? The passion I have for the main character made me feel like I shouldn't give up which has resulted in yet another rewrite. But this time it was a big overhaul and I feel like I'm getting closer. During the rewrite I wondered if I just wasn't ready as a writer to write this story seven years ago, five years ago, or even one year ago. That's where the song comes in. Now these particular lyrics in the story remind me to be patient:

"And someday I know it'll all turn out. You'll make me work so we can work to work it out and I promise you kid I'll give so much more than I get. I just haven't met you yet. I might have to wait. I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck. Wherever you are, whenever it's right you'll come out of nowhere and into my life."

Who knows, maybe I'm still not ready to write this particular story. Maybe I won't be ready until next year or five years from now. I've accepted the fact that I can't force it and when I'm ready as a writer and the time is right for this story, it will all work out. I've got time and when the time comes it will be all that more amazing. Until then, I've loaded a new song on my ipod..."The Best is Yet to Come."

Yesterday I spent the day with several of my author friends at our New Jersey Council of Teachers of English conference. We met lots of wonderful teachers from many different school districts throughout the state. We were fortunate to attend two very interesting sessions that had nothing to do with writing but lots to do with teaching English. It was quite a learning experience.
We were even more fortunate to hear two great authors speak:




I've heard Gordon Korman speak at an SCBWI conference many years ago and if you've ever had the opportunity to hear him speak you would understand why I looked forward to hearing him again. He's written many books since I met him last and he was awfully gracious to come over to our table of authors and speak with us. Thanks Gordon!




Author Philip Beard told his incredible journey of becoming an author and read the first chapter of his book, Dear Zoe, out loud to us. Thoroughly enjoyable, I can't wait to read the rest of the book. Thanks Philip!

I was fortunate to spend the second half my day with my other girlfriends, shopping and having dinner together. Thank goodness they were there picking up all of my belongings that I was leaving everywhere throughout the mall. I think it was because I was tired. I don't normally get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday.

Thanks to Cablevision and ABC not being able to come to an agreement, I will not be able to see the Oscars tonight unless I go to someone else's house that has a different cable company. Not sure why they're punishing me so I'm not happy! I want to watch the Oscars on MY couch!