1) I’m very nearly finished developing a website. Not quite but close. Thanks for all the well-wishes and cookies. I’ll let you know when I launch for good.

2) It’s rather disconcerting to take that one last big sip of coffee and see a rather large bug stuck to the bottom of your cup. I’m feeling blecky.

3)The amazing 

 has interviewed little ole me.

4) I never officially weighed in on “the word”. And I just can’t help myself:

It’s just a word,
it seems absurd
to make a big fat deal
of something medical,
it’s not heretical,
unless you cop a feel.
It’s not as if
Ms. Patron used
that word for scandal’s sake.
So please don’t shoot
the messenger.
I say we blame the snake.

 

 

 

I’ve disappeared into the deep, dark world that is called Creating A Website. I’ll let you know when I come back up for air. Please send well-wishes…and cookies.

Just a little warning for you: When you leave your home in the tropics for a month and a half, and close up all the doors and windows, and turn off all the ceiling fans, be prepared that you will return to fuzzy mildew growing on every wooden surface in sight. Nothing a little household cleaner and a wet rag can’t fix, but all the same, I just thought you should be prepared. . .

Been away far too long from my little home here in LJ land, though I have been peeking in on each of your lives periodically. Trips to America always demand a very different kind of schedule, most often dictated for me by others. That’s not always a terrible thing. It can be a really fun thing. But it just means that a lot of things I would normally spend time doing, I haven’t been able or haven’t chosen to take the time to do lately. However, I’ve managed my fair share of writing related activities. Here’s just some of what I’ve been up to:

1.) Bought an unbelievable number of books at the Scholastic Warehouse sale. Really, I’m embarassed to admit how many. Justified by the fact (to myself, at least) that I cannot get books in English in Brazil. Then proceeded to buy even more books at every place I go to that sells books. Not to mention the 100 books I’ve checked out from the library while I’ve been here. I’m hopeless. Really, I am.

2.) Met the wonderful 

for coffee and chatting (lovelovelove her upcoming REACHING FOR SUN from Bloomsbury) and then met Amy Thomas for coffee the other morning. Both were so encouraging and felt like I was spending time with a dear friend. In fact, I believe I was. : )

3.) Spoke with a critique group (not mine, one I visited here in the States), shared the manuscripts that recently sold and blushed and got teary eyed when they laughed in all the right places and cried in all the appropriate places. YAY!

4.) Spoke with both of my editors (first time I’ve ever called them MY editors!!!!) over the last couple of days. Wow. Just wow. I’m so happy. Things are moving forward and I’m so so so so privileged to be able to publish with these houses and these editors. 

5.) Wrote 4 poems (so far) for two upcoming anthologies. No guarantee they’ll be accepted but couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by, no matter how busy I am. Thanks to the 

 for making me stick to it and get at least these few done. Or mostly done. Still need to tweak a bit. I’m hoping to get more done but the next few days will be a whirlwind. 

I’ll be in a fairly remote (read: no internet connection) part of Brazil for the last two weeks of January, so I may not check in until the beginning of February. Maybe I can share my resolutions then. 

Happy New Year everyone!

In what has been the most unexpected turn of December events (I had previously thought that December was a dead month), I’m ever so happy, ever so excited and ever so about to jump out of my skin to announce that I have just received two offers from two different houses for two different picture books! 

The first is a short boy-friendly pb to Bloomsbury and the second is a short pb celebrating the wonders of having a better-than-best friend to Philomel. 

I couldn’t be more thrilled and can’t wait to share more as I can. But for now, LET’S HAVE A PARTY!!!!!

It’s hard to go from 85 degree (or hotter) weather in Brazil to 19(!) degree weather this morning when I stepped out of the house I’m staying in in South Carolina. It’s so nice to be here but it’s a shock to the system! Keep your fingers crossed for snow while we’re in the States. My kids would love to build a snowman.

Congrats to all the good news-ers lately (

and 

potential good news). No time to go back and find the individual posts but just wanted to say Hoorah! Here’s hoping the trend continues and a few more of us jump on the train! Choo-chooooooo!

An-tiss-i-paaaaaay-shun, it’s making me wait. Keeping me way-yay-yay-yay-yay-ay-tin.

Waiting is like trying to slurp rock hard ice cream through a straw. You know it’s gonna be good when it’s finally in your mouth. But it’s melting too slowly. Sigh.