WOW! This weekend was a whirlwind of friends, family, readers, librarians, and teachers braving the icy roads and rain to welcome Wish Girl, and my friend Jo Whittemore’s new book Colonial Madness, into the world! It was wonderful, and you … Continue reading →

Oh, my. Today is the book birthday of my third book. This one is different in so many ways from my others, and the feelings I have today are much more nuanced than in years past. When my debut novel … Continue reading →

  Do Middle Grade authors really love teachers? Of COURSE they do! Heck, I permanently thanked at least ten of them in my last book, Nightingale’s Nest, by hiding their lovely names in it like eggs in a nest.  But … Continue reading →

Wow! I gotta tell you, Oklahoma is amazing. I didn’t know what to expect after that phenomenal last trip to Norman (two weeks of awesome), but it shouldn’t have surprised me at all that the schools in Stillwater would be … Continue reading →

Wow! I have to admit, I’ve been so busy with school visits, Skype visits, guest blog posts, family stuff, and (oh, yes!) finishing my latest novel (super creepy one) that I almost forgot to say happy book birthday to me! … Continue reading →

Hello!! I have been having the  MOST FUN January ever. Also the busiest one! You see, I went to Norman, Oklahoma, and spent two weeks visiting with the coolest readers and aspiring young writers, and meeting and chatting with the … Continue reading →

Happy Almost New Year! It’s been a terribly exciting year for me… full of terrible things (let’s not talk about dental work and editors who leave) and wonderful things, too. The book of my heart, Nightingale’s Nest, flew out into … Continue reading →

I have learned recently that, contrary to what I previously believed, my mom is NOT the only reader of my blog. So, hello, other readers! I’m sorry. I’ve been a bit… absent. Because writing is hard, and terrifying, and takes … Continue reading →

When I was a little girl, my grandparents took me to Mexico with them many times in the summers. My grandfather studied art at the Instituto de San Miguel, and my grandma … well, I have no idea what she … Continue reading →

I just got back from an amazing week in Oklahoma! I signed hundreds of books, met hundreds of librarians and thousands of readers, and had as much fun as an author can have, thanks to Permabound Books, Best of Books … Continue reading →