abundance

So far this week, I’m averaging a thousand words per day. I could have used those words to finish The Ghosts in the Castle (though what to do about Brexit? write it into the story or ignore it?), but instead I switched gears and dove into Dragons in a Bag. The goal is to finish three novels this summer. I don’t know if my agent will want to send them out to editors, or if I’ll just go ahead and self-publish—and right now, it doesn’t matter. It feels good to be writing again, and to know that next month I’ll be sharing my dragon story with kids in Brownsville and Hollis; I’m leading two book clubs for the National Book Foundation’s BookUP program, which is partnering with Boomwriter and the Department of Youth and Community Development. I’ve been invited to speak with teen readers at Howard University in Washington, DC and just booked a train ticket to my cousin’s August wedding in Boston, but mostly I’ll be staying close to home this summer. And that feels good! I’ve made a summer wish list and already scratched off the first item: a trip to Coney Island (complete with Nathan’s hotdog and double-scoop cone). This coming weekend we’re going to visit the Alice Austen House in Staten Island. I’ve lived here for over twenty years and have NEVER been to Staten Island! I’m sure my summer would look rather dull to some folks, but I’m grateful to have these simple pleasures and so much time to write. I was out last week and every time I looked at something on offer I was able to say, “I’ve got that already.” Flowers by the bed, food in the fridge, good books to read, and story ideas swirling in my head. The icing on the cake? A fabulous, in-depth review of A Wish After Midnight by Nazahet Hernandez over at Read Diverse Books (check out our great interview, too). I once thought that book bloggers of color had disappeared, but I was wrong—they’re out there and they’re doing the work that many white bloggers can’t (or simply won’t) do. One exception, of course, is Lyn Miller-Lachmann who published the first review of The Door at the Crossroads over at The Pirate Tree. Last month Tiffa at The Picture Book Review did a lovely write-up for A Hand to Hold…I don’t get many reviews, but I’ll take quality over quantity any day. I’m trying to do things differently this summer, which is the theme of my forthcoming picture book with Tilbury House, Melena’s Jubilee. We had some trouble with the illustrations but now the book is ready to go to print and it looks great. Melena spends one day doing things differently, and that’s my goal for this summer: eat vegan during the week, try a one-month plank challenge, find a puppet show. Focus on abundance instead of lack…

Illustration by Aaron Boyd