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Finally, the little book that almost broke my heart is here!

If you are interested, you can click the link over on the side to purchase.  Ah heck. I'll put a link right here. This will take you to the Secrets of Selkie Bay page where you can click on the vendor of your choice.

Thanks for dropping by and celebrating with me!!

xo--

hrh

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Hello again!! Welcome to Story School #3

What is Story School, you ask--let me tell you.  Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

Thanks for last week's stories!  I am still working on my Escape Chapter myself, so I am not quite ready to move on yet. Hoping to finish it today.

But I will not leave you hanging without a prompt. In honor of my husband's* birthday, the prompt is, in fact, BIRTHDAY. 

Maybe it will be one of your characters' birthdays. Maybe he or she will make a wish. Wishes are tricky things, you know how they say to be careful what you wish for.

Maybe you will write about a big party that is incredibly wild. Or a small party, with only a mouse, a snail, and a cricket.

Maybe you will write about cake.  

Cake is awesome. Here are a few inspirational cakes:

I usually like a lot of frosting on a cake, but this one looks like the frosting is all soaked in, which is probably darn tasty.

This one is pretty, but I dunno. Maybe something is hiding inside.

Seriously, if someone dared me to eat all of the buttercream roses, I would. Seriously. #sugaroverload

Noel made this one (I decorated it with flowers) for Cali's birthday. It was Soooooooo Yummmy!! So enjoy your birthday writing! And remember, you can leave some of your writing in the comments section, or share with me at [email protected]. hrh PS. Happy Birthday, Sean. You make all things seem possible.

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I got home yesterday from the American Library Association Conference in San Francisco yesterday, although the festivities are still going strong. For those of you that don't know, this conference hosts the celebrations for the winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards, (the Newbery, the Caldecott, the Wilder, the Printz, the Geisel, etc) so it is a veritable who's who in children's literature. The last time I went was three years ago, right before THE SEVEN TALES OF TRINKET came out. This year, I was there to celebrate the release (July 7th!!) of SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY.

Let me be honest here. It is an overwhelming event.

What happens is that there are so many people that you "know" either from their books or their online presence--like SO MANY PEOPLE. You kind of feel like you might be friends with them--the trouble is that you have never really talked to them in REAL LIFE so it is...weird. This is how it went for me:

Me:  Is that who I think it is?  Yes...it is!  Now wait...maybe not...no, yes, it is!

IDENTIFICATION ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

Me:  Okay, so that person is totally talking to someone else. I won't interrupt. I'll just...hang out over here...close enough to say something...in a minute, of course...not yet...L'll look over at the desserts so I don't look too creepy like I am eavesdropping or something...even though it is impossible to eavesdrop because it is SO LOUD IN HERE.  Hmm..that looks like salted caramel frosting on the cupcake...oh..darn..

SUBJECT HAS CHANGED LOCATION. CONVERSATION DENIED.

Me:  So there's another person that I know...Hey!  It's my editor!  Yes!  Okay, I'll talk for a bit, try not to be too clingy or anything.  

CONVERSATION ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

Me:  Rats. Editor has to move on--I guess he edits more than just my books. Figures. Okay, back to spotting people I know. OMIGOD!!!  I cannot believe it!  It's really her!  I finally get to meet an author idol...I just...okay...well, what am I going to say?  "Hi, you don't know me but I know you from your twitter and your books, which I LOVE and it's not creepy, or anything, that I favorite everything you say...is it?  Because I am just a fan, but I write books, too, not anything you've heard of or anything....blah, blah, blah, blah, blah..."  NO!  I AM NOT GOING TO SAY THAT.

Me: Stares blankly. Examines tops of shoes.

COWARD ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

So, yeah, It is weird. There were so many people there that I knew in the virtual world, but only a handful I was brave enough to talk to. Don't get me wrong, it was lovely and all. I actually talked to more people that I "knew" than I thought I would.

This was the set up right at the beginning of the Macmillan Dessert Party. Look how friendly my book is to Caldecott Honor Book FRIDA by Yuyi Morales. They are having a conversation. Unfortunately, I never did get to have a conversation with Yuyi Morales and tell her how much my students loved her book and how, with her multi-media art, she is inspiring an new generation of artists. Alas

Before the dessert party, I didn't want to eat too much so I settled for bread and water. (NOT REALLY!) I ate a few grilled oysters that were awesome, but they didn't last for pictures.

Breakfast meetings would be incomplete without oatmeal at The Grove.

Obligatory Golden Gate Bridge Picture. I am pretty sure that there is an alien craft in the upper left part of the picture.

At Dean and Deluca in Napa. So true

Stayed a night at Harris Ranch on the way home. Someday ask me why I needed to stay at Harris Ranch on the way home and I will tell you--it is far too long a tale for this blog, filled with events so quirky and unbelievable it defies reason. But yeah, there were cows there.

The takeway?  Actually, I don't know what the takeaway is. The ALA conference is awesome. I got lots of arcs and swag and had a great time looking at colleges with my daughter and her friend afterwards. I got to live in the world of children's publishing for a day and it's a lovely place to be. So many dedicated people.

But now I must venture back to the land of writing. It is a little less crowded, which is good for me. Just me, actually, and a desk, and my Darth Vader flash drive.

And Darth Vader doesn't seem to mind much if I don't make eye-contact or talk. He's probably sleeping inside of that mask anyway.

xo-

Shelley

PS. If you saw me there and I didn't talk to you, it's probably because I was cowardly. Sorry.

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Hello and welcome back! 

What is Story School, you ask--let me tell you.  Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

First off, thanks a bunch for the responses to last week's prompt. I foresee lots of books in the future about baby monkeys!!  I loved the poem that began:

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Se there's this book coming out in two weeks called SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY.  Perhaps you've heard of it?  (hahahaha!)

Oh, the creepy deliciousness!

Made me cry and that's the truth.

Nikki Loftin just keeps getting better!

I am thrilled and honored to have her support for Secrets of Selkie Bay.

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I've got a new book coming out in less than a month.

This pub date has really snuck up on me! July 7. Yeesh!

There is so much to do--so much I want to tell you about it before it's here and it will have to do the talking for itself.

First of all, here is the cover:

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Hello and welcome! Welcome to the first Story School of 2015!

What is Story School, you ask--let me tell you.  Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

Often, I get inspired to write by looking at pictures.

When I was talking with my class last week about Story School, we starting googling images of stuff to get ideas. 

Somehow we ended up with baby monkeys:



Now, I have long been a fan of the BabyMouse series:



 I was thinking maybe it is time for a Baby Monkey book (or series!)

So, that is the prompt for today, Baby Monkey.

You can write a poem, a story, or ANYTHING you want!  You can share your writing with me at [email protected] if you like, but really, the writing is mostly for you. Have fun with it! Because the truth is, I keep writing because it is fun for me. And it is fun to do fun things, right?

(Whatever you do, do NOT google "Baby Monkey Riding a Pig Video" or the song will be in your head FOREVER!)

Have fun!

hrh

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Thursday was the last day of school.

Wow.

It was...weird.

I am still trying to process it all. To be honest, it was one of the least relaxing year-ends I have ever experienced. A lot of things got switched around on our calendar this year (due to TESTING) and then a bunch of things just kinda got stuck during the last two weeks of school. This week alone, we had the annual Multicultural Festival with performance form each class, two field trips, and our annual Third Grade Marketplace Day (where kids buy and sell home-made items from the fake money they earned in class.) On top of that, our school is getting new carpeting (yay!! long overdue!!) but that means we all had to pack up. And those of us that are moving to new classrooms had to box up EVERYTHING.

Note to teachers:  If you are leaving a school or a room and decide to leave a bunch of your stuff there so the next teacher can use it--DON'T. Far worse than coming into a room that is completely barren is a room filled with other people's stuff that they couldn't bring themselves to get rid of.

I found stuff in my classroom from three teachers ago!  And while it was cool to go through the old stuff, we were on a time crunch. The carpet folks gave us one day from the end of school until they would arrive.

It was crazy.

And then, in my class, I was reading the Seven Tales of Trinket*. We finished it on the last day and I have to admit, the ending is a bit emotional. Right after I closed the book, my students presented me with a lovely gift--things they had written about me. I read it aloud and got a little teary. Some of the kids called out, "Let it go, Mrs. Thomas. Just let the tears out!"  though I was determined to keep it together.  But then I looked down and Uliver was weeping. Weeping, folks. And once it started, it was contagious. Kid after kid after kid began shedding tears. Some were sobbing.

It was the crying-est last day of school I have ever seen in my life.


I think we were all just pretty exhausted. It's normal to cry when tiredness takes over.

However, this was a special class. This class really bonded over the course of the year.   They were not a perfect class, but they were a perfectly awesome class. I will miss them so much!  (Yes, I know I told them I would be at the Cole Library every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. to help them find books.I know I will see many of them next week.) But I will still miss them. I will miss US--the people we were when we were together. They filled me up, every single day.

Truth: Sometimes teaching does not fill you up. Sometimes it drains you. Sometimes it takes little  pieces of your soul and makes you ache because despite how much you are doing, it is never enough.

And then, sometimes teaching is joyous. Sometimes, you thank your lucky stars every day that you get to do the job that you do.

That was my year. Sigh.

And so, as I look towards summer, (and I still can't believe that I an standing on summer's porch, getting ready to run into its big yard and whoop like a wild thing) it is bitter sweet. But you know, I kind of like a little bitter with my sweet.  What do they say, better to have loved and lost blah, blah blah...?

I guess it is better to have had this class and promoted them on, than to have never had them at all.

hrh

* I have read Trinket to my classes for the past few years. What an awesome experience to read your own novel to a group of students. Their questions are the best. Their favorite voice?  The Old Grave Digger.

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A Star Wars baseball cap.

A half-filled bottle of S. Pelligrino mineral water (or half-empty, depending on your mood.)

7 post-it notes

Shampoo and Conditioner (?Why???)

2 empty shoe boxes (but they are cute, so I want to do something with them other than throw them out.)

A six inch stack of books about Ireland.

Hole-puncher

Highlighter (yellow)

A turbo-force fan

a screw driver

2 thank-you cards awaiting inscriptions

a roll of fluoro green duct tape (why did I buy this??)

National Geographic (IS ANYONE OUT THERE? Space issue)

Dia de los Muertos mug filled with receipts for school that I will forget to turn in, and thus, never be reimbursed for.

3 royalty statements (Yay Good Knight Books!!! Hundreds of thousands of copies in print!!)

One expired Disney Pass

Deflated beach ball (I am not making this up)


Yup. It's the end of the school year. The avalanche has tumbled down the hill. There was no stopping it. Now I must deal with the aftermath...provided I survive the next few days, of course.

hrh

P.S. What's the most random thing on your desk?

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May has always been a busy time for me. Part of that stems from the fact that I am a teacher and winding up a school year is far more difficult that starting one out. There are SBAC tests to live through, field trips, school-wide Olympics, multicultural festivals, Open Houses, end of year concerts, graduations, promotions...and I am sure I am forgetting a lot here.

It's also a time of great reflection. And I have personally been reflecting on this school year a lot.  You see, I have loved this year so much. Every Sunday evening when I'd be sitting miserably thinking about how early I'd have to get up the next morning, I'd remember the class I'd get to see on Monday morning and just like that, my whole attitude shifted. I'd be excited to get up.

So I've been thinking about that, and trying to figure out how to bottle some of that optimism to save for next year so that when the well starts to run dry (and it will, oh yes, it will) I'll be able to pull the cork out of the bottle with my teeth, swallow some back and say, "See?  It ain't so bad."

And I've also been writing. New stuff.


I spent most of Jan, Feb, March, and April revising a very special book. I love this book, but I took a real risk by writing it, and I still have no idea what will become of it. But it is different and, well, it threatened to sap the very soul from me a few times. But then it was done....and revised....and....well, I felt so light. I felt brave enough to start something new.

I started in again with a picture book or two. Perhaps something involving a Space Hippo. Perhaps also something else involving a few of my former literary creations (*cough* good knight *cough*).

And then, well, I started typing a few words about something that I can only describe to you as weird, fantastical, heartfelt, and...weird (again.).

And in a few short weeks, I'll have TIME to pursue these crazy ideas full time!  I can't wait!

So, that's what I've been up to.

How about you?

hrh

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Dear Jon,

Just wanted to let you know how much of an inspiration you were to me when I was a young teacher who dreamed of being a writer.

I first got to know you through your book, THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS. My teaching colleagues and I actually used to have competitions to see who could read it aloud with the best, funniest voices.*  I loved that book to infinity.

And then, THEN you wrote THE STINKY CHEESE MAN AND OTHER FAIRLY STUPID TALES. Wow. This book. It was a game changer. So completely bizarre, yet just wonderful.  Countless first graders throughout the years learned to read by reading the Giant's Story over and over and over again. (And don't get me started on Jack's Bean Problem!)  I read it for the first time when one of my student's checked it out from out school library on its very first day in the school. The librarian told the student she MUST bring it back the very next day so others could check it out. It was on One Day Only circulation. Well, the student forgot and the librarian was pretty darn mad. I felt bad about it, since I had vouched for the child, so during lunch, I ran to the bookstore and bought another copy, supposedly to give to the librarian for her collection, BUT...I didn't end up doing that.

I kept it for myself.



I could not let it go!!**

The best part of this story, though, happened when I received my Scholastic Book Order and the publisher had enclosed a cassette tape featuring an interview of you and Lane Smith!  I played it right away, naturally.

When you said that you were a schoolteacher and a writer...well, that rocked my world. That someone could do BOTH of the things that I loved so much was just so incredibly affirming.

And now, my students (third grade) are falling in love with Frank Einstein!

So, thank you, Jon, for proving by example that there was hope for me. Thank you for instilling the spark of resilience and optimism within my heart. For writing books that break all the rules and find their way into the hearts of kids everywhere.

I am forever grateful.



hrh

*Yes, I usually won. But my colleagues would probably say that they won. But they would be incorrect. It was ME!

**The student did bring the book back, of course. It just took an extra day. Not really that big of a deal. However, I was a newish teacher in New Mexico (and my husband was still in school) which meant I was about as far down on the pay scale  as it is possible for any teacher anywhere to go, The fact that I went out and bought a hardcover book is a testament to Stinky Cheese Man's amazingness.

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I thought I'd try something a little weird and read my book, NO, NO, KITTEN! to my cat Elvis. To be honest, he was not quite as enthusiastic as I had hoped. Maybe there is a reason cats don't usually read.

However, I persisted. Writing teaches you persistence.

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In honor of one of my favorite holidays, St. Patrick's Day, I am pleased to present to you the cover of SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY (July 7, 2015)

Gilbert Ford did the art. He is awesome. I love the colors he chose.

Yay!! Now I don't have to have the fake cover thing anymore!! Or the COVER TO BE REVEALED thing. Yay!!

And you can click HERE to read the first review from a librarian.

This story is so close to my heart. Now I'm off to make corned beef hash, which might be the best way to eat corned beef ever.

hrh

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This week really began before this week began, if that makes any sense. You see, a couple of weeks ago, I went up to Long Beach for the the Southern California Independent Bookseller's Children's Literacy Day to give away free copies of NO, NO, KITTEN!

Boyds Mills gave me stickers and everything!

It was so much fun, giving away copies of my little book to SoCal indies. Then a very cool thing happened. I met Maureen Palacios from Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose. She'd brought several of my books from her store for me to sign. Then she told me about how GOOD NIGHT, GOOD KNIGHT was the book that her daughters took to school to read in front of their classes All By Themselves. And she told me how her husband, who was just learning to read in English back then, used to read GNGK with her daughters (who are in college now!!)

The table is ready! There is a give away for Kitten prints on the left, and free Kit-Kats in the middle, and of course, BOOKS!

My monkey Oreo is telling me that he wrote a book called NO, NO, BANANA!

And then one of my students DID write a book called:

This Banana wants to rule the world!

So this was a pretty awesome week. Very exciting and exhausting. I'll leave you with this:




xo-

hrh

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This week is going to be busy!

Monday- Assembly at Jefferson Elementary School to kick off Read Across America. My staff will be performing NO, NO, KITTEN!  It goes without saying that high-jinks will ensue.

Tuesday-Celebrate release day with my class by doing fun things.

Favors for my class!

 Read Across America at the Cole Library, 3:30 pm. I will be reading NO, NO, KITTEN! and helping kids find books to check out. There will be snacks and crafts, too!

Wednesday- Catch my breath.

Thursday-Official launch of NO, NO, KITTEN! at 6:00 p.m. There will be crafts and you can eat a Kit-Kat with Kitten! (But not Kit-Kats as cool as these. I mean, I WISH!

By Friday, I hope I am still standing. Seriously. (And next week, there is more!!!)

I can't wait for you to meet Kitten!

xo--

hrh

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Things have been busy here. Last week, I was a guest on USC Trojan Vision's CU@USC television show. It was really a lot of fun and everyone was wonderful, even though I was battling a really crummy cough.

Me with the producers and crew of CU@USC. Remaya was my interviewer. I was her first interview and she was so cool, calm and collected. She is right on the other side of my books. On my right is AnnaLiesse. She is the head producer. Thanks for having me, guys!

We talked about the Good Knight, Trinket, and No, No, Kitten! (which comes out in only 2 weeks!!) I'll post a link to the interview soon. It's full of embarrassing factoids about yours truly.

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On February 2, the American Library Association will announce their Big Prizes (Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, etc).

I have such mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand, I love finding out who the winners are and adding them to my TBR list (or cheering if I was fortunate enough to have read them already). It's important and special and all the winners make me feel proud to be part of the world of publishing.

On the other hand, I read a lot of wonderful books this past year. And I know this for certain: No award can change my personal connection with a book. I have loved many books over the years and many of them did not win awards. Not at all.

Awards are wonderful, don't get me wrong.  But the real prize is reading. The real prize is when you fall in love with a book and that book becomes a part of you, changing you forever. So, to the books I have adored this year (and you know who you are), if your day tomorrow ends without a shiny sticker, believe me when I tell you that you are still beautiful, just the way you are.

hrh

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So this is what I am striving for this year. Harmony. Harmony in my home. Harmony at work. Harmony in my writing. Harmony in life.

I have to ask myself exactly what I mean by this. (It is one of those things that looks good on paper, that has a nice sound to it, but how will I know if I a leading a harmonious life?)

For me, I think I want to make sure that the diverse elements of my life are working together, making me stronger, as opposed to pulling me apart in so many different directions. It is a sense of togetherness that works to make something that...sounds good? Well, better than something sounding discordant.

When I think of harmony, I naturally think of peace, too.

I'd like to live a more peaceful life. I'd like to help the world become more peaceful by the way I choose to live my life.

If this sounds like a resolution, I suppose it is, sort of.

Speaking of resolutions, I want to eat more meals that look like this:


or this:


These are re-creations of school lunches from around the world from this article.

So, that's it for me this year--harmony and better food.

What's on your resolution plate?

hrh

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I love decorating for Christmas. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to "remove" a few of the more interesting ornaments, lie under the tree and play for hours. Every ornament had a backstory.  As a grown-up, I most treasure those decorations with backstory--and if there isn't one then of course  I make one up!

Here's a glimpse of what it looks like around here:

These two trees are gifts from the Grinch.  He'd stolen them from Whoville and had meant to give them back, but forgot when he took a nap after eating all of that Roast Beast.  When he discovered his mistake, he couldn't find a graceful way to return them without having everyone think he was being "Grinchy" again, so he stashed them here. I didn't mind too much.

This is Dude.  He is from Hawaii. He is very cool--though not very happy about the hat.

Sean gave me the Santa Brothers for Christmas years ago. Now they have a little puppy whose name changes every year.  It's not because I forget what I named him every year...not at all. Oh, and next to them is Baby Noel.  My daughter got her for her first Christmas.  She used to hang from the tree, but somehow dropped and has a small crack now, so the Santa Brothers watch  over her.  Kind of like Three Men and a Baby, but with two Santas...and a really GIANT baby.

I have many Nativity scenes, but this is one of my favorites. Someone small in the house was playing and lost the Baby Jesus, so they substituted a Fairy Winkle (remember those?) thinking I wouldn't notice.  Well, I noticed, but I rather like it.

Made by my Great-Grandmother on my Dad's side YEARS ago.  It was my favorite thing in her house.  I am so lucky to have it.

LOOK AT THE VINTAGE JEWELRY!

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. I HAVE TWO OF THE VINTAGE JEWELRY CHRISTMAS TREES!! The bottom one was made by my great-uncle on my mom's side.  He must have read the same craft magazine as my great-grandmother did because they BOTH made one of these YEARS before the families were related by the marriage of my parents. SO WEIRD!! But awesome that I have them both. Oh, and yes, those are my dogs in holiday sweaters.  In California where it is 70 degrees.  What can I say--my 15 year-old did it!

Tree-topper:  A star from a paper shop in Albuquerque and a picture of Trinket. When Noel first say the cover, she said it looked a bit like a Byzantine Baby Jesus.  I thought she was right. When I look up at the top of the tree, I am reminded that you can see holiness everywhere, if only you are willing to look. (Oh, if you look above the tree, you can see a glimpse of a few of the members of my own personal Action League.  They are on the highest shelf and watch over Christmas to make sure things stay on track.  You can see Sun Kachina to the right (Made by my daughter from a tp roll,) and the Good Knight, and to the left, there is a likeness of a stature of Moses by Michealangelo backed up by Robot.  Not pictured:  Lego Indiana Jones, Irish Penguin, Chicken Wizard, Lego Han Solo.)

So, Merry Christmas to all!  May your holiday be filled with stories!

xo--

hrh

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Probably the question people ask me the most is How do you do it?  How do you balance everything? How can you be both a teacher and a writer?

And even though I've answered this question hundreds (yes) of times, my answer really isn't that good.  I don't actually know how to do it all.  Most of the time, I struggle.

I love being a teacher. There is something so incredible about living a life dedicated to the future of our world. Everyday, I get to see evidence that what I do is making a difference in the lives of children.  It's just...wow.

And I love being a writer.  Being able to conjure something in my imagination, being able to put it into words and having those words be the right words is a puzzle that I can't stop playing with. Knowing that the stories I write are read by children in schools or to children as they lie in bed each night makes my heart soar.

But these two endeavors take time.  And we all get the same amount of time. I don't get more time than anyone else, so I struggle with how to stretch my time to accommodate my two passions. And with that stretching comes the understanding that sometimes (most of the time) I have to let other things go.

I've been deep into drafting a new novel.  I thought the last novel I wrote (SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY in case you were wondering) was HARD, but this new one, this strange sci-fi story that eleven year-old me won't give up on, is HARDER. I started it in 2013. I wrote 10 pages and stopped, then revisited in May of 2014 and have been deep into it since. But pouring so much of my soul into getting these words right means there is less of that soul left for other things. One of those things that I've had to give up a bit is my blog.  Aauugghh. It makes me so sad when I open my blog (which is where I always click onto my twitter) and see that I've not posted in weeks.  And although I really appreciate it when people read my blog (THANK YOU!!), my blog's true purpose is for self-reflection.  It is a web-log of my journey, both as a writer and as a teacher.

I hate when I have to let that kind of think-time go. It makes my head jumbly and forgetful.

But, as I said, there is only so much time.

And if you are wondering if my house is messy, it is.  Dinners are MUCH simpler right now. If it weren't for crock-pot Mondays and salad Wednesdays, we'd probably starve.  

This time of year it gets extra tricky because of Christmas (which I love). I have decorated, but with a lighter hand this year. I had to cut myself some slack.

I think that is probably what I am trying to get at here, what I am trying to reflect on more for myself so that I can understand and embrace it.  There is not enough time to do it ALL. There just isn't.

So I have to cut myself slack.

There is so much more I want to say about this, about how I basically get to watch NO TV, how reading is the most luxurious treat--but only if I finish my daily word count, how I have actually hit my head on my desk falling asleep trying to write more (but the next day finding out it was jibberish anyway), but I am running out of time. Again. This post was supposed to be filled with advice about how to manage a life such as this. Obviously I am in no position to give advice. Ha.

I guess all I can say is, when you are trying to balance your life, cut yourself some slack.

That is how I balance my life.  With slack. (How do YOU manage it?)

xo-

hrh


 

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 I am thankful that I even get to write books at all.  I mean, it really is an honor to be a part of the world of children's literature, to create stories and books for kids---it's just really the best.

But I do whine about it sometimes.  I whine that I don't have enough time to write.  I whine that what I am working on is "hard" and that revising it is "hard".  I whine that I am too tired sometimes to put a word on the page after a day of teaching school then coming home and being a mom. I whine because my characters decide to do things other than what I'd planned for them, or worse, when my characters do nothing at all and I have to keep throwing things at them to get some kind of authentic action.  Man, I do whine about that a lot.

I whine when I lack inspiration because it feels like the muse is giving me nothing--and then I whine when I am inspired, SO INSPIRED, because the muse has given me a ton but I don't know where to begin.

I whine because it takes me a long time to be satisfied with what I am creating and I wish I was faster. (I whine to myself about this almost daily.)

Whine, whine, whine.

But tonight, the evening before Thanksgiving, I will not whine that the pie crust is not made because my characters cannot decide how they are escaping from an secret library underneath Mont St. Michel. Nope. No whining (even though they are driving me crazy!!)  I am remembering to be thankful.  I am so fortunate that the stories from my heart are finding their way into the lives of children.

It's just really the best thing ever.

xo-

hrh

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I don't know what the deal was, but I ended up reading three scary middle-grade novels right in a row this summer.  Each made my spine tingle in a different way.  I started with:

Great cover, yes?

This book puts the creep in creepy.  I remember thinking as I read it in July that is would be a perfect October read--it totally screams Fall.  It's author, J.A. White, also managed several surprises in this book which blew me away.  

I adore this cover, too.  Something about the branches...

The first page of this book completely captivated me.  I could NOT put it down.  And yeah, it is best read during the daylight hours if you are a chicken like me. Well done, Aaron Starmer!

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