Happy New Year!

Hi, there!

I hope you're happy, healthy, and enjoying a great start to 2014. It's been a very, VERY snowy one here, and depending on which groundhog you believe, we're due for six more weeks of winter...or not. The fluffy white stuff is pretty—and great for productive writing days—but my fingers are crossed for an early spring!

As it's been a little while since my last post, I wanted to give you a quick update on what I've been up to lately. Writing-wise, I've been plugging away on a few different projects, both young adult and middle grade. I wrote and revised Merits of Mischief 3, and I've also been working on some new things. This has been an interesting experience, as it always is. Brainstorming new ideas and exploring new stories is fun and exciting, but picking the best one to plow full-steam-ahead on can be tricky. My agent and I have been working together to find the "right" project to pursue, and this has entailed a lot of writing (me), reading (her), and revising (me). But I think we have it now! The story's still in its early stages so I can't share too much yet, but I can say it's middle grade—and really fun to write.

Things have been quite busy in my non-professional life too! A few months ago we moved from our little cottage near the sea to an old farmhouse. Between packing, tossing, unpacking, and organizing, moving is always a chore, but this move was particularly challenging. Mostly because our new house required a bit of work before we could actually get in and start making it ours. But get in we did, and it didn't take long for it to feel like home!

Oh, another reason I'm looking forward to spring: gardening. I've never done this but have big plans for our new yard! Flowers, fruit, veggies—if there's a seed, I want to sow it. :) Any and all tips for turning my plain thumb green would be greatly appreciated!

We also took a few trips. We visited family in Florida, traveled to our favorite spot in the desert, and headed north for a few days. I'm a huge fall/foliage fan, and as I've spent a lot of time in New England over the years, going back always feels a little like going home. So that trip was particularly fun.

Speaking of fun, I now love football! Anyone who's known me a while, like all of my friends and family members, is very surprised by this, because up until two or three years ago, I never paid much (or any) attention. But my husband has always been a Giants fan, and with the help of his thorough, and often patient, explanation of the game, rules, positions, and everything else, now I am too! (I think the intrigue first started after watching Friday Night Lights, which made me interested in the players off-field, and it's just grown from there!) I do all sorts of things I never used to. Besides watching every Giants game, and a lot of non-Giants games too, I now watch ESPN and visit its website every day; check in with the Giants website every day; watch football documentaries; and read football books. My birthday was a few weeks ago, and one of my favorite presents was an Eli Manning jersey! I have to say, I never saw this interest coming, but I'm very glad it did.

So, those are some of my recent highlights! A few visual accompaniments are below. I hope to post more pictures—especially of my Adventures in Gardening—sooner rather than later!

Until then, Happy Early Spring! :)