Audrey Vernick's Blog, page 7

Affection, Confidence and Humor: Melissa Conroy Interview

The title for today's post comes from Melissa Conroy's description of the family stories she listened to as a child. But look at the first two images here–you can see all three there, too, no? Affection. Confidence. Humor.

Nicely played, Melissa Conroy.

When you read on, you'll also see that I worded one question weirdly, asking about her father and leaving out all the other surely interesting folks in her family. Melissa's father is the author Pat Conroy. As someone who was alive in the mid to late eighties, when  everyone who lived in North America was reading his book THE PRINCE OF TIDES, I couldn't not ask. (I hope I didn't understate that; I can't speak for the other continents.)

And now the Conroy literary legacy extends to the next generation. Though Melissa's talents, as you'll see, extend far beyond words…

I love that dolls led you to writing for children and I am a sucker for stories like the one about how you came to write your first book. Can you talk about your dolls and how they led you to write books for kids?

I started making dolls six years ago. At the time, I drew regularly with my daughter. I loved one of her drawings so much, I made a doll from it. That one doll led to many more.  I made dolls from my daughter's drawings as well as my own characters. Some of the dolls are caricatures of real people while others are made up from whole cloth. I wanted each of the dolls to seem like a familiar person, perhaps a neighbor, friend or family member, so I wrote something about each doll's personality traits and created a website to post pictures of them. I called the dolls, "Wooberry Dolls." People began asking for custom dolls from their children's drawings and it took off from there.

It didn't take long before the art director at Blue Apple Books saw a picture of one our dolls in Time Out New York Kids. After that, Blue Apple's publisher, Harriet Ziefert, met me at a craft show to talk about making a children's picture book using the dolls as characters. I couldn't have been more happy about the idea. Writing and illustrating a picture book had always been a desire of mine too precious to express.

How did you get the idea for your new book, GRANDMA IS AN AUTHOR?  Did you make a conscious effort to follow up your grandfather book (POPPY'S PANTS) with a grandmother book?

[image error]Originally, GRANDMA IS AN AUTHOR was a follow up to POPPY'S PANTS. Poppy and Penelope were to be the main characters. My publisher loved the story, but they wanted to have Elliot Kreloff illustrate it. So, I re-wrote the story for two new characters.  In the end, I prefer the story with Margot and Rusty as characters. An underlying theme to POPPY'S PANTS is the lengths Penelope will go for acknowledgment from her distant, pre-occupied grandfather. Margot and Rusty's relationship is different. They enjoy working together which made it easier to resolve as a story. The Margot character is inspired by my mother-in-law, Margo Mensing. She is an artist who uses writing quite a bit in her work. In GRANDMA IS AN AUTHOR, there is a grandma character who makes art from toast. The idea came from one of Margo's projects whereby she collected toast from 50+ friends and asked each friend to write something about the toast they mailed to her. You'd be surprised by the varieties of toast out there.

When you were young, was your father a storyteller? What drew you to stories?

My dad, his brothers and sisters and my mom all told stories. When Dad and his siblings were in the room, an impromptu storytelling competition would commence. The unstated challenge being who could describe the most miserable childhood through humor. As a kid I heard more stories recounted by family members and friends than out of books.  Those stories were told with affection, confidence and humor. It was hard not to fall in love with stories.

Who were some of your favorite characters in the books you read as a child? What books did you love with all your heart?

THE LORAX by Dr. Seuss was the first book to break my heart. I love that book. It gave my young self so much to think about and helped shape my point of view. I wanted to do something important after reading THE LORAX. FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER and HUCKLEBERRY FINN were favorites as well. The character I admired the most as a kid was Pippi Longstocking.  I was a tomboy and she was my superhero. I missed out on ANNE OF GREEN GABLES as a kid, but recently read it to my daughter. We both totally fell for Anne, Gilbert, Matthew and Marilla. There's so many characters to love in that book for so many reasons.

What are you working on now?

I am in the middle of several works in progress right now, all in transformative stages too fresh to talk about in depth. I'm superstitious in that way.

One must always respect the power of the jinx.

You can learn more about Melissa and see more of her awesome dolls by visiting her website.

Coming Attractions

In the weeks ahead, it's time to focus on supremely talented people named Melissa. (That was not an easy theme to decide upon, but I'm sticking with it.)

On Monday, an interview with the delightful Melissa Conroy about her latest, GRANDMA IS AN AUTHOR and the Dr. Seuss character who broke her heart.

[image error]And sometime thereafter, an interview with Melissa Sweet, whose BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY is hogging all the stars from the review journals (five and counting…).

In the meantime, if you just feel–and really, who among us doesn't?–that you need some more Audrey before delving into all that Melissa, the delightful Pat Zietlow Miller was kind enough to interview me on her awesome blog.

More soon.

The Gift of Art

I love writing picture books (especially when the writing's going well).

I've now been privileged to be through the process a few times, and it is very clear that my favorite part, by far, is when I first see the illustrator's vision for the book. It just happened again last week–you may have heard my squealing and howling and snorting at Henry Cole's brilliant sketches for BOGART & VINNIE: A COMPLETELY MADE-UP STORY OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP. You probably did. I was pretty loud.

[image error]What a gift! A talented illustrator read my words, thought about them, conceived a vision for them, and brilliantly executed that vision.

And it keeps happening! First Daniel Jennewein's buffalo!

Then Don Tate's gorgeous work for SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY.

And the two books coming out next year–Kirstie Edmunds' illustrations for SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCK STAR add so much to the story.

Steven Salerno's work on BROTHERS AT BAT: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING ALL-BROTHER BASEBALL TEAM is nothing short of incredible and awe-inspiring.

Last week I got to add to the list–Henry Cole's Bogart. And Vinnie! I can't wait to share them.

It's an embarrassment of riches. I can't believe my good fortune. Look at all that stunning art–not a clunker in the bunch. I am so grateful that the words I wrote turned into such beautiful books.

The first time anyone illustrated one of my stories was decades ago, for a short story in an obscure literary magazine. I remember where I was standing when I first saw it–in my tiny Charles Street apartment in Boston. It felt so remarkable–that someone had taken the time to do something like that. An artist had considered my words and come up with art in response.

WHAT is better than that?

[image error]It's time for me to get back to novel writing. But on the side, I've decided to participate in Picture Book Idea Month, aka PiBoIdMo (mellifluous, no?). Thirty picture book ideas in 30 days. (I'll also be guest blogging there with the ever-amazing Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich next month.)

I just love picture books. So yeah, my focus for the end of this year/beginning of next is a novel, but PICTURE BOOKS! I love the the prospect of 30 ideas  growing and ripening in the back of my brain while the rest of my mind is consumed with housebreaking a puppy, living through a kitchen renovation, and writing a novel.

And then, some day, I'll get back to my PiBoIdMo ideas, find those that are sturdy enough to grow into solid texts and, with a lot of luck, maybe develop all the way through to that amazing, magical day when a fully fleshed out series of illustrations–a gift of art–arrives in my inbox or on my front porch.

I was spurred on to be a PiBoIdMo participant, in part, by the proclamation that's been making the rounds. For the two of you who haven't yet seen it:

Stay tuned, readers. I have some great interviews coming up, and some puppy photos, too.

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Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween.

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A Yearlong Celebration of Children's Books: Anita Silvey Interview

I love learning little-known stories behind some of my favorite children's books. Which, of course, is why I adore Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac, with its quirky facts and behind-the-scenes insights, and the bright light it shines on some of the best in children's literature.

Anita Silvey has enjoyed a long career in children's publishing, and is in a unique position to share wonderful stories about children's books and their rich history.

Today the Children's Book Almanac celebrates its first birthday. We celebrate with an interview with its founder.

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You've spoken about the way children's books, for most of us, are linked, viscerally, in memory to the person with whom we shared them. I can't get enough of that. Can you share some of your own childhood book memories and some you've observed/learned about in a professional capacity?

[image error]One of the most amazing projects that I have ever worked on became EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM A CHILDREN'S BOOK. The book contains testimonies from 110 society leaders. Children's books caused many to choose their career. Famous people remembered the name of the person who gave them the book, when often they had forgotten the author. All of them had whole book memories, with the people involved, the place where they got or found the book, and what they were doing when they read the book. As I talked to everyone from Pete Seeger to Steve Forbes, I realized I was tapping into some of the most powerful, and pleasant, memories that exist for all of us.

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H.A. and Margret Rey

I was wondering if you have many lasting friendships with writers from your days working in publishing, and any stories about them to share?

I have been fortunate to work closely with many authors and illustrators and still count creative people among my most valued friends. In the Almanac I am trying to record some of my memories of those people no longer with us. Because I became Assistant Editor of HORN BOOK in 1971, I got to meet an incredible array of authors who worked in the 1940s-1970s.

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William Steig

In Almanac entries, you will see me talk about some of them — Robert McCloskey, H.A. and Margret Rey, Ezra Jack Keats, William Steig, Scott O'Dell, Elizabeth George Speare, Pamela Travers, and Jim Marshall. The list goes on and on.

What children's book character would you have liked to move next door to young Anita? Why?

Young Anita wanted Anne of Green Gables as a neighbor or Mary Lennox of THE SECRET GARDEN. The adult (or sometimes adult) Anita still finds characters in books that I would love to hang out with. That is part of the charm, of course, of reading a book. It allows us to be neighbors with these characters in our minds for at least a few days or months.

When I started this blog, it was with George and Martha in mind; I have great respect for their friendship. Are there any literary friendships that stand out in your memory?

I am always amazed at the friendships that exist in the field of children's books. Jim Marshall, who wrote about friendship in GEORGE AND MARTHA, was one of the best friends anyone could ever have. He, Arnold Lobel, and Maurice Sendak were best friends for years. Leo Lionni helped the struggling Eric Carle. When I know of great friendships, I try to celebrate them on the Almanac.

What's ahead for the Children's Almanac?

The Almanac celebrated its first year on October 24. I am now working on the manuscript to make this into a book (to be published around August of 2012). Every day an essay will continue to be published; one or two each week will be entirely new. The others will be updates from the year before. At the Almanac's website, readers can find book recommendations and events tied to the day. I hope people join me there and chime in about their own enthusiasms.

I hope you'll join me in making daily visits to the Almanac, a real treasure for those of us who love children's books.

Happy birthday! Here's to many happy returns…

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Finding Friendship in a Book

I've always been a fairly inarticulate critic, an especially embarrassing quality in a writer.  I know when I love something, but I get a little tongue-tied when I try to explain the reasons. It's a visceral thing, that art-love connection, hard for me to translate into language.

So I always ooohh and aaahh when I come across an especially articulate explanation of an arty-phenomenon. It happened just yesterday, when reading Kathleen T. Horning's interview with Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer in the October issue of SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL.

Feiffer describes exactly what I'm trying to get at with this Literary Friendships blog thing.

"One of the wonderful things about children's books is that a kid can read something and find in the book a friendship, an ally, something he doesn't have at home. He can create a relationship with the text that is profound, in a way that is different from any other experience he has. And then he can look back on this book and others as one of the big changing moments of his life."

Exactly. Thank you, Jules Feiffer.

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Slack Jawed By Brilliance: Bob Shea Interview

There are some writers and illustrators whose greatness reduces me to the mental state of screaming Beatles-girl.

Bob Shea, with his efficient seven-letter name, is one such author-illustrator. I adore his books. I make teenaged children listen to NEW SOCKS because I don't have little kids at home anymore. BIG PLANS made me snort out loud in semi-grotesque fashion. And in the Dinosaur, we have the joy of a character who keeps coming back. I think Bob's upcoming title with Hyperion (read on) has the potential to be my favorite–it's a book I already wish I wrote, based solely on title envy.

If you don't know all of Bob's work, fix that immediately. He's on my very short list of absolute favorites.

But before you run out and buy all his books, read this.

Has the dinosaur found a worthy opponent in the library? When you're thinking about potential titles, let's say in the dinosaur series, does it come to you verbally or visually first, or are they all entwined?

Well, there are lots of places Dinosaur is allowed to roar, the library isn't one of them. The first version had Dinosaur getting shushed at every turn but I didn't want to reinforce that tired stereotype. A visit to the beautiful Cambridge library reminded me that libraries are dynamic, lively places and not stodgy and stiff. Kids naturally love visiting the library and I made sure I portrayed it that way.

As far as potential titles, it's a mix. I may doodle a little character, or think of a line for a story. I am a prolific sketcher, so my notebook is always full of something. Not good, just something. So I really have no set process, I'm just trying to get the story out.

I always find it fascinating when a writer/illustrator only writes or illustrates some titles but does both on others. Why didn't you illustrate BIG PLANS? And why didn't you write ME WANT PET?

I didn't illustrate BIG PLANS because Lane Smith showed an interest in doing it. Have you heard of Lane? He's done a book or two himself. So when he said he was interested I said yes as soon as I regained consciousness.

I didn't write ME WANT PET because Tammi Sauer did such a good job. Had I written it, the caveboy would spend the whole book riding dinosaurs which is historically inaccurate. Tammi's version where the caveboy looks for the perfect pet and meets resistance from his family is much more in line with how life was back then. Google it, you'll see.

Were you a big reader as a child? Were there any characters you wished would move next door to be your new best friend?

I was a big reader, which was not as common as it is now. I remember other kids being surprised when I would read just for fun and spend time in the library. I loved Encyclopedia Brown and The Great Brain Series. I think the first book I really remember liking was THE CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE. The Silver Sword was a big one for me as well.

Live next door? Not really. Those Silver Sword kids had it pretty rough.

Is there any book you wish you'd written? Any book you wish you had the chance to illustrate?

[image error]Right now the book I wish I had written is I WANT MY HAT BACK, by Jon Klassen. I can't though because I'm not smart enough. This Klassen fella is a clearly a genius. Art, story, typography, overall design all perfect. Oh, and it's funny! Oh, and it gets worse. I met this Klassen person one time and HE'S REALLY NICE! What's up with that! The only thing I can hold against him is that I think he's from Canada. Hard to work up a good angry head of steam over something like that. Eh, I'll make it work.

I also like STOP SNORING, BERNARD by Zach OHora. The illustration is the really, really good kind. That's the smartest way I can say it, I am slack jawed by its brilliance. A guy that good is probably mean to birds. Has to be.

You know who else I'd like to punch in the face? I mean, whose work I like? Peter Brown. I'm pals with Lane Smith and sometimes I forget he's Lane Smith. We send each other funny links or joke around then he sends me an image to check out and it hits me. "Oh yeah, you're Lane Smith!" He's my favorite.

So, Mr. Big Plans, what's in the pipeline and what are you working on?

There are a couple more adventures with Dinosaur on the way. I'm doing a book called CHEETAH CAN'T LOSE with Balzer+Bray. It's about a Cheetah who races some little cats. The cheetah always wins until the cute little cats even the odds. Also, UNICORN THINKS HE'S PRETTY GREAT for Hyperion. There's a new, magically popular unicorn in school and goat is none too happy about it. Luckily, unicorn is pretty cool and notices the great stuff about goat like those fantastic hooves. They're cloven!

I'm also illustrating a series for the ridiculously talented Charise Harper. She's funny and nice. I think she is terribly underrated. I find these hilarious titles of hers and think, "Why is this not given out when you sign up for a drivers license? It's hilarious!" She reminds me a lot of the hilarious and talented Laurie Keller. Not just because they are both girls, which they totally are.

Are you slack-jawed by brilliance now too, reader? Are you tired from Beatles-girl screaming? When you recover, go buy Bob Shea's books.

Learn more about Bob by visiting his website.

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Jean Reidy on Cozy Places, Cumulative Verses, and the Library She Loves

[image error] This is probably one of those no-introduction-needed situations.

Today author Jean Reidy stops by to guest-blog on Literary Friendships. You know Jean from her picture books TOO PURPLEY and TOO PICKLEY. Now get ready to know her in a new way as as she launches LIGHT UP THE NIGHT.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT was inspired by every kid who threw a sheet over the kitchen table and called it a clubhouse. It's for every kid who makes a fort out of couch cushions. And it's especially for every kid who huddles down under a blanket at night ─ where safety and security reign, allowing imagination to blast off.

little Jean Reidy with a book

I was one of those kids. For me, my favorite space was my own bedroom in the house where I grew up. Well, it wasn't really my own. I shared it with three sisters, with my grandmother just down the hall. My brothers commanded the first floor. But the "girls only" attic bedroom, which my dad fashioned out of knotty pine and oak parquet, had enough cubbies and closets to hold many "treasures." From there, I embarked on some of my most amazing adventures. Most were in my head. Other times, I might have been holed up in our garden shed, or hidden between the fruit trees and the fence with friends, deciphering secret club codes or spying on squirrels. Every shrub became a hideout. Unfinished basements were canvases for kingdoms and castles.

[image error]My own four kids also cherished their special spaces and beloved security items. Corners and closets were much preferred to full blown playrooms. Tents were better than bedrooms. Beds were better bunked. And when we moved into a new home, my kids' biggest concern was that their blankets and their "guys" (stuffed animals) moved with us. Security and a sense of place seem essential to childhood.

But unfortunately, as we know, not all children enjoy that security and sense of place. Over the past six years my family has developed strong connections to the country of Uganda and its people. And with that came my understanding of the plight of Uganda's children. HIV/AIDS robs these kids of family and health. Past civil war threatened their security as many were kidnapped out of their beds to be child soldiers. And the warehouses and refugee camps where they currently seek security and safety are unimaginably inhumane.

So it was with both an overwhelming sense of gratitude for what we have and a deep sense of responsibility for those who have not, that I wrote LIGHT UP THE NIGHT.

During my musing on LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, I was drawn to the idea of the universe embracing the child with its many layers, like a nesting doll. I thought instantly of The House That Jack Built and settled on the cumulative verse which I thought kids would like. So while LIGHT UP THE NIGHT is my longest book thus far, weighing in at a whopping 650 words, it's the repetition within the cumulative verse that raises that word count. Once I had the rhythm, the verses flowed fairly easily. I'm thrilled that my agent, Erin Murphy, and Disney Hyperion loved the story. I hope kids will too.

Folks often ask how much control I have over the art in my books. Writers frequently want to know what guidance I've given the illustrator in my text. My answer? Very little. And I prefer it that way. I like to leave room for the illustrator to not only complete my stories but take them to a whole new level. That's exactly what the brilliant Caldecott Honor artist Margaret Chodos-Irvine did with LIGHT UP THE NIGHT. My only "Illustration Note" on the original text mentioned that the story zooms from out to in (duh!) and that the blanket should appear, in some form, on every page. I have a feeling Margaret understood that long before she read my note.

While considering a manuscript of mine, one of my editors once said, "In the hands of the right illustrator …" She didn't need to finish that sentence because I knew what she was thinking. The right illustrator would get the vision she and I shared. And that editor ultimately bought that book.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this picture book process is a bit about trust ─ trusting your agent, your editor and your illustrator. And I do. Margaret proved to be not only the right illustrator, but the perfect illustrator for LIGHT UP THE NIGHT.

visiting Musana Children's Home in Uganda

The LIGHT UP THE NIGHT story ends in the sublime comfort of a kid's cozy bed – so I'd like to close this post with some good news and hope. When I travelled to Uganda in the summer of 2010 (and Audrey, as you know, your Buffalo travelled with me!) I worked at the beautiful and joy-filled Musana Children's Home in Iganga which provides a home and school to 80 children and education to an additional 120 day students. The Musana community was founded and is run by three young women from my hometown here in Colorado. In addition to dormitories and classrooms, the school has a small library badly in need of books. On November 7-18, I'm holding an online auction called Light Up the Library which, in coordination with Books for Africa, will provide funding for thousands of books for Musana's library. I hope you will join me at the auction – I've got something for everyone ─  and reach beyond our borders to celebrate literacy and a love of reading ─ as well as earth, space and a kid's sense of place.

For more information on Jean and her books, please visit her website. For information on Light Up the Library see http://lightupthelibrary.blogspot.com.

Jean's on tour! Visit all her stops:

October 10-14: Rob Sanders' Picture This

October 11: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's Sharing Our Notebooks

October 12: Tamson Weston Books

October 14: Julie Hedlund's Write Up My Life

November 4: Tara Lazar's Writing For Kids While Raising Them

Character Driven and Honest: C.K. Kelly Martin Interview

Sometimes you can really get a good sense of someone from her website.

I loooooove C.K. Kelly Martin's website. There's a lot to explore there, but you definitely don't want to miss this part, on the kind of books she wants to write (and the kind she doesn't).

But first, read this interview and learn about her can't-wait-to-read-it new YA novel, MY BEATING TEENAGE HEART. Then stick around to leave a comment and you could win your own copy.

Without further ado…

Your books are character driven and honest, which are the main two things I want in a book. Can you explain how you get to know your characters and your stories? How much do you know when you're first beginning? What gets you started?

Thank you! Because those are the two main things I want most in a book also. Usually I have a hard time pinpointing what gets me started – ideas start floating in and out of my head when I'm looking to write a new book but not all of them stick. For me, a character and their situation seem to arrive hand in hand. I start hearing the main character(s) voice(s) inside my head in moments of quiet and the story basically unfolds there with what feels like minimal interference from me. It sounds sort of airy fairy but the majority of the time I feel like I'm almost channeling people (who happen to be fictional instead of real) rather than making them up. Once this listening to the characters has been going on for a while and I feel I have a fairly good idea of what happens in their story, I transfer what I know into a chapter-by chapter-outline. It's usually a really brief outline – a couple of sentences per chapter.

[image error]In your new book, MY BEATING TEENAGE HEART, you're exploring some new other-world territory. I'm curious if you knew you were heading there before you started writing.

I knew I was heading somewhere unusual because after writing (I'm counting now), eight purely contemporary YA manuscripts in a row I really wanted to try something different. I thought I'd write a YA book about a zombie invasion but when I found, after the first few pages, that I wasn't completely into it, the idea for MY BEATING TEENAGE HEART arrived. That was literally minutes after abandoning the zombie book* so maybe it'd been sitting in my subconscious in some form, waiting for its chance.

What children's book character would you have liked for a best friend? Are there any children's books you reread with any regularity?

I used to wish I could be friends with Anne of Green Gables because she had such neat ideas about kindred spirits and was always getting into "scrapes." Tintin definitely would've been up there too because he was constantly going on cool adventures to exotic places. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Winnie the Pooh. One of the oldest books I have is a copy of THE WORLD OF POOH that my aunt gave me on my second birthday. I don't think there's anyone out there who loves a fictional character more than I loved Pooh when I was young. I still have a special fondness for him and had a Pooh calendar up next to my desk last year.

Since I just read it recently one of the people I have to say that I know my thirteen-year-old self would've wanted to be friends with is Marley from WATER BALLOON because she's not really concerned with doing "teenage things" or exuding a cool image of herself. She just wants to do what she wants to do and be who she is, not that she never feels odd or left out, but still, even when she feels that she doesn't really want to be different than she is. I could also relate to the babysitting stories and her affection for her dog.

(Brief pause for blogger to swoon.)

I don't think it's strictly speaking a children's book but I have a tiny picture book called DEAF ELEPHANTS sitting on my living room shelf. It's so simple that a child certainly could read and comprehend it and it's something I reread every couple of years. It's super short and stunningly beautiful in its message and spare style. It always makes me teary.

What are you working on now?

I just finished line edits on YESTERDAY, my fifth YA book for Random House, which is going to be something different again because it has some sci-fi elements in it. It probably has more plot in it than anything I've ever written so I hope you still like it! Anyway, with that finished, I've gone back to rewriting my very first YA novel. It was never published but it still has my heart and I'm not willing to let it go so I'm rewriting it from scratch. It's basically a first love story about a Canadian girl (Egyptian/Irish) and an Irish guy. They meet during a summer she's spending in Dublin but when she gets home she can't forget him.

Is there anything you wish you could tell your pre-first-contract self?

I'd let myself know, in as gentle and supportive a tone as possible, that this is going to be so much tougher than you think (and it's not like I ever thought it would be easy!), not the writing itself but the publishing business. I'd say that having a book published won't make getting the next books out any easier but that I shouldn't stress about it too much because you have to do what you have to do and one way or another, writing is a thing I have to do.

Isn't she awesome?

For more information, visit Carolyn C.K. Kelly's website. And if you're wondering about that *zombie book, you can read the first few pages here.

We'll be giving away a copy of MY BEATING TEENAGE HEART. Just leave a comment here to be entered in the give-away. And if you don't win, go buy the book and read it. You won't be sorry.

Hootie Alert

Instead of stalking strangers' dogs these days, as referenced in my blog's subhead, I'm being followed, almost every minute of every day, by my very own new puppy.

This is Hootie, who fought the good fight against the hideous parvo virus and is now a thriving, happy, sweet puppy.

Sure, I've skipped a post or two, but THE CUTENESS!

Literary Friendships will be back on October 13 with a great guest post by writer Jean Reidy.