Ohioana Book Festival

I'll be signing my books at the 5th Annual Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio on May 7th. I'll be one of over a hundred authors at the festival. Besides book signing, festival activities include book sales, panels, roundtables, author readings and discussions, entertainment, and a special area for children. For more info, click here. Hope to see you there!

Hooked!

I don't read a lot of books about writing because I need time to actually write! And, frankly, many writing resources aren't all that helpful. But I found Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton to be worth the read. It delivers useful information not just about beginnings but also about story structure as a whole. Edgerton also offers plenty of good writing examples and practical tips. His down-to-earth style and sense of humor made this a fun read, too.

Ohioana!

I just found out I've been accepted for the 2011 Ohioana Book Festival! This is a special event that increases awareness of Ohio writers. I'll be there to meet people and sign my books. The festival is May 7 in Columbus, Ohio. More info to come!

Goodness Graces! Ten Short Stories about the Sacraments

Writing this collection of stories about the sacraments was quite a challenge! I wanted to help kids learn about and appreciate the sacraments in a fun, non-preachy way. So I tried to create realistic characters with problems middle grade readers could understand. Instead of lecturing, I tried to make one of the sacraments a natural part of each story, showing how it gave the main character strength and brought him or her closer to God. Some of the stories are humorous; some are serious. Hopefully, kids will find them fun to read and relevant to their own lives!

Missed It!

I drive a ’94 Camry. It’s been a good car: few repairs, pretty decent mileage, dependable and comfortable. Recently I noted that the odometer was getting close to the 200,000 mark. Wow! I thought. What a milestone! I planned to wait until the odometer was about to turn and get my husband to join me in the car as I drove past the magic number. How fun would that be? But one day I looked down and saw that the odometer was at 200,187. I had gotten so distracted by my busy life that I missed the big moment!
Okay, a changing odometer isn’t a big deal, but I had to wonder – what else have I missed? Like what happened to the summer? We have a lovely deck, but I sat out there and relaxed only a few times the whole season. And the fall? Well, that’s practically gone, too. I guess it was beautiful, but who noticed? And couldn’t I have spent less time dashing from task to task and more time actually talking to people, enjoying family and friends, appreciating my life?
The years are clicking by faster than the miles on my odometer. If I don’t pull over to look at the view now and then, I’m going to miss everything that matters.

Christmas is coming!

And it'll be here before you know it! Pauline Books and Media has a nice seasonal book out -- Celebrate the Season! Twelve Short Stories for Advent and Christmas. It's a great book for kids 8-12. You can check it out at http://www.pauline.org/. And, YES, I have some stories in that book!

On the Radio

I had my first ever radio interview this morning on The Catholics Next Door. It was fun, but it went by in a flash! Greg and Jennifer were so nice which was great because I was nervous. (Thanks, you guys!!) I'd love to get feedback from anybody who listened to the broadcast -- I can use your suggestions!