Looking for a Good Read?

I just finished reading Linda Sue Park’s A Long Walk to Water.

A good, short read, but I thought the best part was the parallel story about Nya, whose day is consumed by two trips to a pond to fetch and deliver life-sustaining water for her family.

The main story is about Salva, a refugee from Sudan, who becomes a "lost boy" as he runs from his war-torn homeland searching for his family and safety.

Not one to spoil a clever ending, suffice it to say the two stories make sense in the end.

I had the pleasure of meeting Linda Sue Parks in November at the 2nd Annual WNY Children's Book Expo. She is also the author of  A Single Shard, for which she won the Newbery Medal -- I will make sure I add that to my “Must Read” pile.

First Step

So…

I got a quick start on my 2017 New Year’s resolutions today. Here’s the back story:

At one of my writers’ group meetings last year, I read one of my most recent additions to Eye of the Peacock. I was really pleased with the new character that had to be created to take the story line in the direction it was supposed to go in.

But let’s say it was met with little enthusiasm.

On the drive home, I realized that my fellow writers were correct. I was getting too far away from the original story line. But to cut that part of the plot, I realized the ending of the story would need to be changed as well. And for that to happen, another method for murder had to be considered.

On that quiet drive home it all came together. The cut would have to come and it would have to be drastic. I dreaded it.

So today the cut was made. More than 4,000 words set aside. (I never delete. I may need it someday.) And to go with that cut, highlighting of sections that may need to be rewritten to accommodate the new plot twists.

I have a lot of work to do in 2017.

Happy New Year!

I love a clean slate. My resolutions for 2017?

1.    To blog on a more regular basis, and therefore catch you up on all the things that have been happening

2.    To stick to my 20 minutes of writing a day, which will undoubtedly lead to my next resolution

3.    To finish Eye of the Peacock, so that I can begin drafting the third book that is plaguing my brain

4.    To unclutter my life, which I hope still allows me time for resolutions 2 and 3!

I wish you all health and happiness in the new year along with, of course, great ideas for writing!

Book Fun!

What is more fun than a room full of books?

A room full of books and the authors that wrote them!

I spent several hours this weekend at the second annual Author Expo in Buffalo, NY. It was organized by a great little bookstore called Monkey See, Monkey Do.

There was fun and surprises around every corner, and I left with several new titles under my arm.

Authors are wonderful people who just want to make people happy by sharing their stories. They are people who love words and the power they have over our thoughts and emotions. I had some wonderful conversations with several. Keep an eye on this spot over the next few weeks for some highlights.

The Universal Dylan

So, Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize for Literature this year. It’s an interesting choice. It made me stop and think.

As far as being a prolific writer, I don’t think anyone has had such an impact on the pop culture scene as Dylan. Most of his writing was done at a time of great upheaval in this country.

But what I love most about Dylan’s lyrics are their abilty to conjure up almost exact moments in your life. I know those songs by heart. He created characters that remain with me, Mr. Tabourine Man, the boxer, Quinn the Eskimo. Many echo a haunting passion for life – the human experience. It is that universality of his lyrics that have earned him the prize. And so many still ring true:

Yes, and how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, and how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows
That too many people have died?

Now, Mr. Dylan, please come out of hiding to accept the award so many of us believe you have won for all of us.

Thanks all!

Wow! What a great day yesterday at Appleumpkin in Wyoming, NY!

First of all, a perfect Autumn day in Western New York. Sunshine, and 68 degrees.

Add to that some gently falling yellow leaves, a constant flow of foot-tapping country music my perfect perch on the porch of the Middlebury Academy, and it couldn’t get much better. But it did!

I met some wonderful people, who love ghost stories, history, books, quaint villages or a combination of any or all of the above! Not only did a bunch of people leave with copies of Relic, but I left with a great number of topics to research. Some will be future fodder for plot lines, while others will just be some great items to read about.

Some authors say that events like this make them feel less like authors – it’s not time spent writing. But I say otherwise. These folks, who share the excitement of my story – they’re the reason I write.

Thanks all who came out to meet and talk!

Book Signing Set!

I am mega-excited!

On Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., I will be signing copies of Relic at the Middlebury Academy in Wyoming, NY, as part of the annual Appleumpkin Festival!

This is truly a special occasion for me because the village of Wyoming was the inspiration for Willowbend, the setting of Relic. Many of the line drawings that begin the chapters started out as photos from the village.

And I'll be sitting on the porch of the building you see here, the Middlebury Academy -- the academy on the hill -- which served as the inspiration for the school that Abigail attends.

So, Relic really will be coming home to the setting of inspiration. If you've read Relic, come down and see the beautiful village first-hand. While you enjoy Appleumpkin, make your own scavenger hunt. See if you can spot the places that head many of the chapters!

And, please, find your way to see me on the porch of the Middlebury Academy! I'll gladly sign your copy of Relic. If you haven't read it yet, come down, buy a copy and get it signed!

I can hardly wait!

Good fun!