Ahoy Mateys!
Methinks it be a good time to send out a warning: a book be on the horizon!
CliFF the Failed Troll (Warning: There be Pirates in This Book!) will be launched on January 19th! A boatload of thanks to Fantastic illustrator Justin Hillgrove (the artful Captain at Justin Hillgrove's Imps and Monsters), Fabulous editor Ben Clanton (First-Rate Navigator and Narwhal Spotter), and the entire Flawless crew of Little Bigfoot!
CliFF is already available for pre-order on the good ship(per) Amazon.
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Happy World Read Aloud Day!!!
I suppose this is a good day to confess my read-aloud oddity…
Whenever I share Stubby the Fearless Squid, Razor Clam comes out with a thick New York accent.
Yes, it’s a fact that razor clams are Pacific coast animals, but apparently when I speak for this guy…
I fuhgeddaboudit.
Old News… But GRRRREAT News!
At the end of 2019, Grizzly Boy was chosen by Washington’s Whatcom County Library System for inclusion in a Books That Suit You celebration deck!
To commemorate their 75th anniversary, WCLS created a deck of 52 Reading Recommendation Cards. Each week throughout the year, they announced a selection and why it was chosen. The books selected came from many genres (both adult and youth) and were categorized by suit.
♣ Clubs = Belonging
♦ Diamonds = Strength
♥ Hearts = Love
♠ Spades = Growth
As you can see by the photo, Grizzly Boy was the Queen of Spades! What an absolutely delightful honor!! Thanks so much, WCLS! Bear hugs to you all!
The Stubby Guide!
I’m super-excited to announce that STUBBY THE FEARLESS SQUID now has his very own Discussion and Activity Guide! It’s available as a FREE download and is squid-tastic for teachers, homeschoolers, and folks who just want to take a fun dip into the deep end of a picture book.
The guide was created by Debbie Gonzales, MFA. Deb is a career educator, curriculum consultant, author, former school administrator, and adjunct professor. I’m sure you’ll find her Stubby Study Guide to be FIN-TASTIC!
Get your Stubby Guide and check out her website in the link below:
Launched!
May’s STUBBY THE FEARLESS SQUID launch party was squid-tacular! Many thanks to everyone who bravely attended! And, as always, oceans of thanks to Village Books of Fairhaven for providing the perfect venue!
GRRREETINGS from across the pond!
I’m thrilled to be in the UK where bears are MILD and trouser-FREE! Yes, I’m calling you out, Pooh and Paddington!
Tomorrow I’ll be in Heffers Bookshop of Cambridge where a beary fun story time is planned. It’s going to be a GRRRRREAT time, for sure!
ALA Midwinter Meeting!
On January 28th I had the amazing opportunity to speak at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting. It was so wonderful to finally have the chance to thank librarians for the difference they’ve made in my life.
You see, back when I was a kid my family home lacked what I craved more than even chocolate— Books! Indeed, this might have been a dire situation for a future author. However, as luck would have it, my town had a slew of superheroes! You could usually spot them by their sensible shoes, and the fact that they were fully armed with date stamps, shushes, and reams of recommendations. Yes! Librarians to the rescue!
Thank you, thank you, librarians! I am ever in your debt.
October, November, December -- Oh my!
Well, there are late bloomers and late bloggers, and alas, I’m obviously both. It seems that when it comes to writing, I am much like a dairy cow— I eat up about 100 pounds of experience every day and then sit around and chew… and chew… and chew… the cud of it before it can become something useful. Please bear… um… bovine(?)… with me.
September Recap
The month roared in with GRIZZLY BOY’s book bearthday on the 4th, and the launch party on the 8th was pawsitively awesome! Prizes and snacks and bear facts, oh my! We even played a “Bearly” Bingo game… proving that bears know next to nothing about Bingo, but they’ve got scavenger hunts down cold.
A great big bear hug to all the folks at Village Books in Fairhaven for hosting this fabulous event!
When the party was over, I got back to the business of writing and revised a couple of manuscripts. Fingers crossed that they may one day find their way into book form!
The month finished off with another big batch of fun at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Tradeshow. Here’s a fact for you— book folks are the BEST! It was especially fun to meet booksellers and librarians from the great grizzly bear states of Montana and Alaska!
Well, that’s a recap wrap!
Wishing you all the BEARY BEST October!!
And so it begins...
I am most definitely going to begin this blog today.
April fool! :)
The Mind's Elbow
If your mind has an eye, I'm pretty sure it has an elbow, too. It's the part that does all the hard work when you're creating great stuff.
If you're in need of a creative jump-start, check out my previous blog: