The Latest in Nikki News

Hi again! Last weekend, I participated in a workshop. No, not for writing… for Zumba.
I am now a fully trained, certified Zumba instructor. Don’t laugh. I could be teaching your next gym class, and if you giggle at me in spandex, I will make you suffer.
All the physical activity seems to have done my writing a world of good, too. I finished another essay. (The family reacts in horror: who is she writing about this time? Will she tell lies about us all, and call it “creative nonfiction” or, worse, will she tell the truth? Wait and see…)
I also finished a picture book, titled The Best Grandmother Ever Competition. I have a “golden ticket” from the Houston SCBWI conference in February to send it to a publisher for consideration. Wish me luck!
On the “Soccer” front: it’s out to one editor, two agents, and a manuscript competition… and I have around 12,000 words written on the next book in the series!
More later….
Love to you all!

A Few Important Nikki Facts…

Hi, folks!
I assume at this point in my blogging life that almost all of my readers are family members or close friends, but on the off chance that someone out there in the wider world is curious about me, here are a few interesting facts!
1. I love to rollerblade, scuba dive, ride bikes with my kids, and run.
2. I ran three half-marathons in the past 18 months!
3. I took private Latin dance lessons from a Colombian national champion for three years. Ask me to shake my hips. Come on, I dare you.
4. I have been a popcorn girl, a hostess in a steakhouse, a primary-school music and Gifted Ed. teacher, a used book store clerk, a boutique manager, a grader for the UT Math Department, a jewelry designer/sales rep/marketer, a Director of Family Ministries for a large and a small Presbyterian Church, and a freelance writer.
5. Some of my favorite authors are David Sedaris, Christopher Moore (you must read Lamb!), Charlaine Harris, and Roald Dahl.
6. I have two bookshelves: one out in the hall, filled with fine, publicly acceptable literary works, and another one hidden in an understairs closet, jammed full of genre fiction. I would rather have strangers go through my underwear drawer than through that secret book closet.
7. I wrote for JewelryCrafts and Nomad magazines years ago, B.C. (before children).

And one more thing, for any of you who are wondering how I’m doing — I’m fabulous! I can’t wait to get out of bed each day to write. Taking this year off work was an excellent decision; I have finished two manuscripts and I’m hard at work (OK, it’s not that hard, but I’m writing a lot) on a third. In my current novel, I’m torturing Raymond Mahaney with Cotillion lessons…. can you imagine putting that snarky little guy in an etiquette class for summer camp? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Must go torment my main character now. Love to you all, N

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my brand spankin’ new website! Although my dear husband, Dave, would love me to spend hours every day updating this site (that’s never going to happen), I’m spending far too much time writing humorous children’s books, essays, and stories to do so. I will, however, keep you updated on recent events.

This week, I finished my manuscript, Perfect Mischief (52,000 word middle-grade fantasy), sold an essay to the excellent Texas Co-op Power magazine (over 1 million readers? I’ll be famous!), and have almost finished my next manuscript! (Raymond Mahaney, Soccer Failure, approx. 25,000 word middle-grade fiction)

Also, look for my short essay in Parent:Wise Austin (March, 2009) about my nine-year old son, Cameron, and our struggles with piano practice.