A Bookstore Party

Thanks to Nicola's Books for hosting a celebration of two new books on December 5:
My Bookstore , an anthology of writers telling where they like to shop, and why; and Elena's Story , my new picture book about a girl of the Guatemalan highlands. It was great seeing readers, neighbors, and friends, including  writers/bloggers/illustrators and book-group members. I was honored that Nicola introduced me, and that my editor, Barb McNally, explained the process of bringing story and art together in Elena's Story.
      I brought tostadas, sheep's-milk cheese, and sheep-themed cookies, because my Sheep in a Jeep characters made an appearance in My Bookstore. They try cybershopping in "Sheep Phone It In," part of my essay about Nicola's. Coming across a smartphone, they test its capabilities:
Nicola Rooney, Owner of Nicola's
   Sheep tap screen and go online.
   Cyber-shopping--how divine!
   Items land in shopping cart.
   Wow! This phone is really smart!

   Alas! The books they order aren't what they want.
   They have to visit Westgate Shopping Center to ship
    their purchases back:

   Returning from their shipping chore,
   Sheep espy a special store.
   At Nicola's, their spirits soar!

   So the shopping adventure turns out well.

Syndicated columnist Katherine Salant, author-illustrator Tracy Gallup, and author-illustrator Deb Pilutti were three of the writers who came to the book party.