Hi, friends! So, I finally have some more great news to share, and a story. Some of you may know that when I first started writing for kids, I wrote picture book manuscripts, not novels. In fact, in my pre-agented … Continue reading →

Hi, y’all! The pandemic is keeping kids out of the classrooms, but thanks to the Writers’ League of Texas and Project WISE, young writers everywhere can be educated/horrified/traumatized/enlightened AT HOME by yours truly! I hope you enjoy these 27 minutes … Continue reading →

Hi, y’all! If you’ve spent any time with me, you know how I feel about graphic novels. They were the reason my younger son got hooked on reading in elementary school when novels weren’t working for him, and he never … Continue reading →

Howdy! I’ve been loving my social media free-summer so far, but I wanted to check back in to let any readers out there in the Central Texas area know about a great new bookstore and a free writing workshop I’m … Continue reading →

Howdy, y’all! I am just back from Whidbey Island, where I spent a week writing in one of the most beautiful places on earth! I came thisclose to finishing a draft of a new novel, and that made me very … Continue reading →

Happy 2019, writer and reader friends! I hope your year is full of books… and maybe even a few short films. 🙂 Once again, I have the great pleasure of co-hosting the annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival in San Antonio, … Continue reading →

  Are you a young writer (or know a young writer) in search of the perfect creepy tale to tell? Join the amazing Kat Shepherd and me for a writing and craft-filled workshop sure to scare the stories out of … Continue reading →

Howdy, y’all! I am excited about this weekend (September 28-30), since it means I’ll be in Houston at their amazing SCBWI conference teaching and learning and playing with all my big city writer friends. I’m giving a mini-workshop on writing … Continue reading →

Happy October, friends! I hope you’re doing what I’m doing these days! That is, writing spooky stories, picking your Halloween costumes, planning where to hide the Snickers bars from your own dear trick-or-treater children, and gearing up for NaNoWriMo, or … Continue reading →

Oh frabjous day! Friends, if you are the sort of reader/writer/librarian/humanoid who listens to podcasts… or likes book reviews of fun/funny/wonderful middle grade books… or wants to laugh as I use ALL THE  EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!! while talking about great books?* … Continue reading →