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This is an old picture of me. I just wanted to post something other than the picture you are used to seeing. Author's are supposed to have photos that show them looking pensive and intelligent. I don't have one of those. Dotti Enderle used to have a picture of herself with a butterfly on her nose. I loved it, but I'm not that creative.

I suppose I should have someone take a new picture of me to use professionally, but so few people have the skills to get rid of wrinkles, age spots and double chins in photographs. It is a real problem.

The pictures of me that you are used to seeing were taken at our daughter's wedding a few years ago. I was very happy that day because she had a beautiful wedding and married a wonderful man. The joy wasn't posed it was heartfelt. Maybe I'll just keep using that picture. What do you think?

I have fond memories of being read to in school. My teacher read the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder to our class, and Jack London's White Fang. I can remember being transported in my mind to those places and times. I loved it. I love movies, but it just isn't the same as escaping into a book.

I asked Dotti Enderle if she had any fond memories of being read to. Here is her answer:

My fondest and most prominent memories of third grade were of my teacher reading to us. She read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Charlotte's Web. I was engrossed and taken in by both, and remember being as much enthralled by those books as by my favorite TV shows.

Dotti Enderle
http://www.dottienderle.com
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Be sure to read Dotti's latest book:

MAN IN THE MOON (Delacorte Press)
"A worthwhile read with a satisfying conclusion that will be long remembered." --School Library Journal

Today we are joined by the delightful Dotti Enderle, who has dropped in to share her seven answers to my seven questions. Thanks for joing us, Dotti. 1. Tell us a little about your publication credits. If you have none, tell us about the genres you prefer to write, and your current projects. Right now I have nineteen books in print, but I have eight more books coming out next fall – two

Hidden, By Dotti Enderle
Illustrated by T. Kyle Gentry
Pelican Publishing Company (August 15, 2007)


Hidden is a treasure.

"You can learn a lot from dead people. You just have to know where to look," says twelve-year-old Fiona, the day after her grandmother's funeral. She's none too happy about being recruited by her mother to help sort through Grandma's worldly possessions. That is, until underneath the drawer of an old cash register, Fiona finds an intriguing anniversary card to Millie from Don, with a strange message about having found "a new hiding place." A new hiding place for what?

Unable to draw her mother or dad into the mystery, she turns to a newfound friend named Eugene who seems to appear at the drop of a hat, and disappear just as quickly, especially when Fiona wants to introduce him to her parents. They work together to interpret the clues hoping a valuable treasure will be found. The mystery turns deadly when Grandma's house is broken in to and searched, or as Fiona observes; It looks like the house puked.

Hidden is a real page-turner. I know that's an overused expression, but I couldn't stop reading! A very enjoyable story for 8-12 and beyond. This adult reader enjoyed it immensely. Dotti Enderle's writing is funny, family-friendly, descriptive and concise. No words are wasted in this 'tween mystery. T. Kyle Gentry's illustrations are an added bonus. I'd recommend it for all.

Dotti's Website

Amazon

I didn't really know what to write about today--it's been a whirlwind since getting back from CA after Thanksgiving and the Big Sur conference, and now I'm heading back out to CA for Christmas on Thursday.

As always in the weeks leading up to the holiday break, there have been a lot of social obligations, holiday parties, etc. I hope you won't think that I'm getting paid by Sony to talk about the Sony Reader again (I'm not, but if someone wants to pay me, I'll take it), but I've found myself "showing off" the Reader to a lot of people at these events and parties (but was so sad that I forgot it at work when I went to the Kidlit Drink night last Monday! Sorry, Kate). In fact, I've just purchased a new iPod Nano, which is truly a thing of beauty, but have been showing off my Sony Reader so much more. What's been exciting for me as an avid reader working in publishing is that it's not just publishing folk who are interested in seeing the Reader: people I don't necessarily consider to be book lovers are really fascinated by the gadget. Who knows, maybe electronic book readers will create some new readers!

Another interesting thing I've discovered while continuing to use the Reader is the mechanics of how I read paper books. I am somewhat of a speed reader, so when reading a physical paper book, I tend to start turning the top corner of page before I've finished reading the bottom of the current page, because when I'm dealing with actual paper pages, my eyes are able to finish scanning the last few lines before I fully turn the page, my eyes jumping from the bottom of the page to the top of the next page. Of course, I never actually fully realized I did this until I started using the Sony Reader, because obviously, you can't do that with the Reader. I don't know how many times I've had to push the back page button after pushing the next page button prematurely and realizing that I hadn't read the last lines of the previous page.

And that is all I'll say on the Sony Reader. Until next time.

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I'll end with a bit of news: promotions at my company were announced on Friday, and this year it was wonderful to see a long list of promotions across departments, all very well deserved. Well, with the possible exception of one: I've been promoted to Senior Editor. I don't quite feel worthy, but it's definitely exciting for me, although nothing much will change in my day-to-day job responsibilities. But it's lovely to know that I can work in a job and industry that I love, and continue to grow.