I was interviewed on Part-Time Author Podcast!

In case you ever wanted to hear me talk for almost an hour straight, now's your chance!

In all seriousness, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Genny Heikka and Aaron Robbins for their Part-Time Author Podcast last week. It was so much fun! They asked me such interesting questions, I can only hope I came up with interesting answers.

Also, a peculiar thing I noticed that probably only I have ever noticed: both Genny and Aaron have two sets of back to back double letters in their name--first and last. NOW who's paying attention?

You can listen to it here.

Hear their other podcasts too.

It's okay to say no. Set your limits!

I'm delighted to share with you that my personal parenting essay is running in the parenting/lifestyle blog of the Huffington Post this week.

We're all so focused on not over-committing our kids...but do we treat ourselves with the same respect? I certainly wasn't. But I'm trying to change that. 

Read my essay The Year of The No: One Woman's Journey to the Dark Side of Yes. See you on the other side!

Google Hangout Interview and Reading

I'm finally getting around to posting my Google Hangout interview with Inspiration Laboratories. The technology is very cool, and hopefully the my responses will keep you from pressing that pause button. There is a slight echo--which we didn't have during the interview, but it is in the Youtube posting, so not sure what happened there. I'm sure the Goog is on it. Anyway, enjoy my talking head, and Tons of Trucks!

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Jennifer E. Morris, you've been tagged!

I'm tagging the very talented Jennifer E. Morris, the illustrator of our book that comes out this fall from Albert Whitman & Co., A Gluten Free Birthday for Me!, for the Global Blog Tour (see my previous post). Check out Jennifer's blog post to learn about all of her other exciting book projects, and see the wondrous things she can do with clay!

The Next Big Thing: A Global Blog Tour

The Next Big Thing: A Global Blog Tour

My first blog tour! I was tagged by my wonderful Tons of Trucks illustrator, Betsy Snyder, to participate in a blog tour. So the deal is I answer some questions about a recent or upcoming book and then pass it on to some author and illustrator friends. Still with me? Okay, here goes:

1. What is the working title of your next book?
The title of my next book is Robots, Robots Everywhere! and it will be illustrated by the talented Bob Staake, and published by Random House's Little Golden Books on August 6, 2013. I am still pinching myself that I am the author of a Little Golden Book! I have such fond memories of that shiny black and gold binding. I always knew that if my Mom or Dad pulled out a Little Golden Book at bedtime, that it would be one I liked. And now my story about robots will join that family. I'm thrilled! Here's the adorable cover:

 2. Where did the idea for the book come from ? 
I had been toying with the idea of a book about robots, but wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. I loved the idea that there are all of these robots in our world that we often don't even recognize or realize help us with things every day. Robots that milk cows, build cars, assembly line robots and the like. Most people think of robots as the metal boxy toys, and there are so many more! My first attempt at this robots book was actually as a novelty book, because I'd just come off of revising Tons of Trucks, which is a touch and move book. My agent and I were getting some nibbles, but no offers. Then we showed it to Little Golden Books and it resonated with my editor there. She had me revise all the more abstract scenes from it and focus 100% on real robots in the world. The book took shape and I'm hopeful that kids will love learning about robots in rhyme!

3. What genre does your book fall into?
This is a picture book, aimed at ages 2-6, but I think adults who like robots will like it too!

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
What a hilarious and fun question. In the book, different children explore the world with robot helpers, and they observe real robots in action. So in that case, I would have to say my sons Owen and Wyatt, my niece Erin, and my nephew Jack.

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Robots, Robots Everywhere! is a fun, rhyming book showing kids all the real robots in our world today.

6. Who is publishing your book?
Random House Little Golden Books -- wow!

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft?
Well, because I consider first drafts to be just the bare ideas on paper, first drafts usually don't take me too long. After the initial draft, it took me a couple of months -- letting it sit for a bit at times -- until I felt it was in good enough shape to share with my writing group. After they made some recommendations, I revised again. But after we got an offer, it took me another month to revise (back and forth with the editor) to get it just right. So maybe 6-8 months?

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It's always hard to compare without sounding arrogant, but if you make me...Sandra Boynton's books and maybe Nancy E. Shaw's books -- Sheep in a Shop, Sheep in a Jeep, and so on. Just buoyant, rhyming fun.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I love robots and my kids love them too...I have a small collection going to prove it. (an ornament, robot salt and pepper shakers, a wind-up robot, and a key chain!).

10. What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
How about a stanza or two?

Under couches, over rugs, 
Vacuum robots have no plugs.

Working robots drill and grind.
Rescue robots seek and find. 

And the fact that it is illustrated by Bob Staake - his art style is so fun, colorful, and vibrant!


Thanks so much for reading!

And I'll be tagging 2 other authors/illustrators soon, so come back and check!

A defining book review

Because I simply did not have enough on my plate....I lined up an occasional gig reviewing newly released picture books for Daily Candy Kids-and my first review ran today! Woohoo!

They're called "Book Reports."
 
I don't get a byline or anything fancy like that, (well, maybe a little street cred). Mostly I'm doing it because 1. I love to write, and 2. I think there are so many wonderful picture books coming out now that may go unnoticed, or simply not get the publicity they deserve. Unless they have 'hat', 'cat' or 'llama' in the title these days, I fear the masses won't hear about them. So it's my personal mission (along with Daily Candy), if you will, to discover and reveal the golden eggs being laid by talented authors everywhere.

So, I invite you to read my review of Noah Webster & His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch.

Teddy has found a home--and my cousin lost hers

So, I know I don't blog too much (trying to get better at blogging more regularaly--it's on my new year's resolutions like everyone else), but I do want to stop and share some good news I just got, that started my week off on a high note, and then some bad news that has made me feel less than great.

Last week my agent and I heard from my editor at Little Golden Books that they want to buy my pet book. Hooray! I'm doing backflips! I'm so so happy I could fly. Not just because I sold a book (by the way, that feeling of an editor saying yes, never EVER gets old) but because this was a manuscript I'd almost written off--literally. Just sort of put it aside and wasn't sure I'd ever revisit it.

When my new office was finished, I made a point to get more organized in my writing life, starting with putting all of my final manuscripts on Dropbox (finished/published/most updated draft). And I started reading them all again. I found that I still really liked this one, and decided to give it more attention. I turned it into a real rescue story, where the family goes to the local rescue to choose a pet. I called it To the Rescue! It's since been changed to "We're Getting a Pet", which I understand, but I will say that I liked my clever title a smidge more. Anyway...I managed to work into the story my own rescued Lab, Teddy, so it is that much sweeter.

This is Teddy. We rescued him last August from the Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Rescue. How cute is he?

While on the high of the book sale, Hurricane Sandy was about to tear up the East Coast. I've learned that my sister and family are safe, but without power. My cousin Kate, however, lost her beachfront house in Rockaway Beach--the house she and her siblings (my other cousins) grew up in, and the house that as a child, I spent a bunch of time in (I grew up in NJ).

From the photos, it looks like the ocean just came in and swallowed up the bottom half of the house. They'd just finished remodeling it, and ironically, were in the process of building a sea wall. Not sure if that wall would have held back the ocean's force, but still. Makes me sick to my stomach. Makes me drop my jaw at the power of mother nature.

This is the view from the beach, looking at the house. This house was 2 stories.

I know they'll rebuild, and Kate is a very strong person, but just wish they could have come out of this unscathed. Thanks for listening.