As the New Year quickly comes upon us, I send my best wishes for a happy, healthy, and book-filled year. In the spirit of finding new stories to thrill and enlighten, I share the books my sons and I enjoyed this year. May you find some joy for yourself in this bounty. Food: A Love […]

Sean Doolittle, closing pitcher for the Washington Nationals’ in their Game 1 World Series win yesterday, spent the season promoting youth reading and indie bookstores on his Twitter feed. What a fabulous way to use one’s platform — inspiring young (and grown-up!) fans to make reading a part of their daily lives. ??????? You can […]

I’m so pleased to share that the fabulous resource website for teen writers TipsForTeenAuthors.com is GIVING AWAY a signed copy of my writing craft book WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES to go with my in-depth interview about freelance editing as a career. You can read the interview and enter the giveaway at  http://bit.ly/2lxDbrV.

Today, some inspiration for fellow writers, and some insight for readers. In the spirit of “don’t just tell it, SHOW it”, here’s a quote from talented storyteller Neil Gaiman, which he said in his MasterClass: “I would much rather not tell you how to feel about something. I would rather you just felt it. . […]

Last Saturday was Read Across America Day. The Friday before, I read to two classes of fourth graders. What a treat! Because I’m always in teaching mode, I started with a quick bit about how a book goes from a writer’s pencil to the paper, then gets feedback from an expert so the author can […]

I tend to be skeptical of discovered manuscripts, wondering if the author just didn’t finish them or consciously deemed them not right for publication. Maybe the manuscript was tucked away for good reason, and the publication of it wasn’t what the author wanted, for her/himself or for their readers. But I am curious to read […]

On March 1, 2019, schools, libraries, and communities across America will celebrate literacy with the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day. Of course, reading isn’t a one-day thing. Read every day, everywhere–with books in cozy nooks, with phone apps while standing in lines, with audiobooks while driving, exercising, or doing chores. Parents, read to […]

So clever.  Strangers gather in a comfy place to read in silence among fellow lovers of reading. But is it weird? The people who started this practice worried that it might be. But they threw the party anyway … and people came. And loved it! “Now we hear from people that they can’t fit reading time […]

So many fabulous books are published each year, but only a few can make the lists. So use the list as your key to fab book discovery. Type the award-winning book you love into online retailer sites, then look at the Other Customers Also Bought recs that come with it to find more great reads! […]

Sometimes I edit at home, but often I pack up my stuff and to go a nearby B&N cafe to work at a table there, surrounded by books. Some days I’ll pick a table by a window to catch a glimpse of the garden outside, but just as often I sit at a table alongside […]