Listening…

Nothing much to write as I’ve just been reading HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS and listening to HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN on CD while I work out and clean and sit on the porch gazing a the lake. Read anything good?

Eagle Spotting

  You’ll never believe what coolness happened to us this past winter. We had an eagle viewing. Not a spotting, but a twenty minute show! We were sitting at our kitchen table and I saw this GIANT eagle swoop down over a flock of coots and buffleheads. Not ten...

My Writing/Your Writing – The Timer

I stole this idea from the fabulous writer, Arthur Slade. Anyone who knows me knows that the first draft is a killer for me. I can revise until the geese come home (we don’t have cows here on the lake), but first drafts? I need to be super-glued to my chair....

Teen Topic Tuesday – Reading for revenge!

Today’s topic is actually about grade schoolers, but I could see teens jumping on this bandwagon. At East Side Elementary School in Chattanooga, TN, the kids exceeded their reading goals and their reward (besides reading the books) was they got to throw pies at...

More Ways to Win!!!

If you write a book review and post it as a comment here (50 words or less, please and no spoilers), I’ll put your name in the hat twice. If you send someone new to my site and they enter to win, have them include your name in their post/comment and I’ll throw your...

Free Book Monday!

Last week’s winner is Olivia D. She’ll be receiving a book of her choice from my stash! Congratulations, Olivia and thanks for your email! Olivia chose The Boggart and I threw in the second one for fun. Now don’t you wish you’d entered? This week, I’ve...

Rules for Free Books

1. Please send only your first name or a username if you’re under 18. 2. If you are the winner, and you’re under 18, I will require your parent or guardian to send me an email with <strong>their</strong> name and address on it claiming your prize for you....

Oooops!

I’ve been collecting author interviews with the idea of posting one each Friday. I have a few on hold and when I went to pull one of those today, I realized all the ones I have are slated to be posted later when those authors’ books are released. That left...

Bonding With a Gosling

I got to hold a gosling last Saturday! He wasn’t too thrilled about it, and I now have one less shirt to wear, but it was still a very exciting experience. Near our house, there’s a walking trail through some very thin woods along the lake – it’s more like...

Humor – or an attempt at it

I’ve decided to make a little change on my website because I want to be funny. Everyone else is funny, why not me? Actually, here’s the deal…we have a lot of funny things happen here, mostly to do with animals, often to do with our cats, and I write...

Teen Topic Tuesday – Scientific America!

Last week’s Teen Topic was preempted by the news that I HAVE AN AGENT. Ummm…but you knew that, right? What I had intended to write about was about a seventeen year old student who discovered that iPods might interfere with pacemakers. Here’s the...

Monday Madness – Win a free book!

Last week’s winner is Karen H. She’ll be receiving a book of her choice from my stash! Congratulations, Karen and thanks for your email! This week, I’ve mixed it up with a few new titles and some from last week. Here’s what’s on offer: SOMEONE LIKE...

Questionable YA?

  Earlier today I mentioned to an online, non-writer friend that I have a website that her daughter might be interested in checking out. She emailed me back to tell me that her daughter loves to read and she was sure to enjoy my site and she was excited about it....

Friday Five – An interview with Dori Butler

This week I interviewed children’s writer, Dori Butler. Her book TRADING PLACES WITH TANK TALBOTT just won the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (reader’s choice for grades 4-6). That book is also on award lists in Iowa, Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Many of...

Most Fabulous News! Yippee! Yahoo! Yay!

We interrupt this regularly scheduled post called “Teen Topic Tuesdays” to bring you this important message (and I decided to leave it up all week…until Friday’s Author interview anyway)! I now have a literary agent. Yep, an agent! Kathy...

Free Book Mondays! Your choice…

The winner of last week’s book ARTEMIS FOWL – THE ARCTIC INCIDENT is…me. Yep, me. I get to keep it. I guess y’all have read it already so no one wanted another copy. This week, to entice you, I’m giving you your choice from some of my...

SHACKLETON’S STOWAWAY by Victoria McKernan

This is not the type of book I usually read. It’s an adventure story, based on true events. It’s fabulous! It was recommended to me by someone who works with the author, which is why I picked it up when I normally would’ve walked right past it. The...

Friday Author Interviews – Anne Marie Pace

One of my favorite writer friends is Anne Marie Pace. She’s one of those sweet people who always have encouraging words and she also knows a lot about the business, so you can ask her questions and she usually knows the answer! Gotta love that. So, welcome, Anne...

THE THING ABOUT GEORGIE by Lisa Graff

Wow! What a great book. I am not a huge MG fan, as you know, and the lower end of MG really doesn’t speak to me too often, but this is the exception. Run, don’t walk, to get your copy. And if you’re a grade school teacher, this is a fantastic book to...

Thursdays – Your Writing

Today I want you to post your website or blog link so that I can visit you. Also others who stop by here can find some more sites to check out. If you’re not a writer or you don’t have a blog or website, feel free to post the URLs of some of your favorite...

Wednesday – My Writing

All I have to say today about my writing is STAY TUNED FOR SOME VERY EXCITING NEWS! P.S. And don’t forget to enter for a free book this week. Even if you have THE ARCTIC INCIDENT, I have alternative prizes!