Book Signing Excitement!

Book signings are incredibly exciting! I love them! Yesterday, Jackie Rogers and I were at Blackwood and Brouwer Book Store in Kinderhook, NY to sign our new book, "A Free Woman On God's Earth." Ann-Elizabeth couldn't be there because she was in Washington, DC at the National Archives where she saw a plaque dedicated to our hero, Mumbet, right next to the Declaration of Independence! We signed many books, and met many enthusiastic readers, young and young-at-heart. It was a great day. This month and next month and on and on will be filled with book talks, signings, and author visits! This is what it's all about.
In March, I will be flown to Minnesota, where my book, Weeping Under This Same Moon, has been selected to be read by 6 cities in the St. Croix Valley of Minnesota and Wisconsin. I will be speaking to students, teachers and librarians, and am setting up book signings and talk around the area. Life is good!

A Free Woman On God's Earth is here!!!

"A Free Woman On God's Earth" The True Story of Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, The Slave Who Won Her Freedom is here and waiting to be read! I am so proud of the work Ann-Elizabeth, Jackie and I did on this amazing book. And thanks to Adam Rothberg, my amazing graphic artist for his beautiful cover design! The book is available at amazon and in your local book stores, so I hope you will support us and buy a copy for yourself or a child in your life.

A Free

Weeping Wins Again!!!

I am thrilled to announce that Weeping Under This Same Moon is the winning selection for
Valley Reads 2010; the St. Croix Valley, Minnesota/Wisconsin Arts Council pick for 6 surrounding cities in the YA category. Everyone there will be reading my book!
This is a huge honor and I am over the moon!!

Moving Ahead!

It seems like it is taking forever for my book babies to be born and though I am chomping at the bit, I am trying to be patient. Mumbet (A Free Woman On God's Earth) is being typeset right now, with all the amazing illustrations placed lovingly on their pages. It will be worth the wait, I know. Children and adults alike will pore over the black and white drawings, wanting to see every detail of the life of this amazing woman.
The Adventures of Charlie & Moon is also at the final stage, its cover hopefully completed today and ready to be placed upon the book, which kids (big and small) are gonna go WILD over!

Ann-Elizabeth, Jackie, Martin and I are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves!

Valley Reads Nomination

I just got word today that "Weeping Under This Same Moon" was nominated for the St. Croix Valley Minnesota and Wisconsin VALLEY READS! This is a huge honor. If Weeping wins, it means that everyone in the six cities surrounding the St.Croix Valley area will read it, kids and adults! And I will get to go out to the area and talk with students and teachers, librarians and Rotarians, artists and other writers! I am beyond excited.

Getting Ready for the final push

A Free Woman on God's Earth and The Adventures of Charlie and Moon are slowly but surely making their way out into the world. All 40 plus illustrations for A Free Woman...are ready to be placed within the pages and then sent to the printer. Charlie and Moon is so close I can taste it. All sorts of wonderful book launches are planned for these babies, so keep watching.

Summer Writer's Institute

I had the great privilege to be the guest author at Harrison High School's Summer Writer's Institute last Friday. I spoke to two groups of young writers and was very impressed with the depth of their questions as well as their writing. In telling my own story, I hope to inspire them to keep at their craft. The school will be using Weeping Under This Same Moon as part of the curriculum and I'll be back in May to talk about it!

A Wedding

I just had the privilege of attending the wedding of the daughter of my dear friend and writing partner, Ann-Elizabeth. After all the rain we have had, today was picture perfect and to be on the top of their mountain, surrounded by such love and friendship was truly a blessing. The bride wore a yellow strapless gown and her flaming red hair was French braided and surrounded by white flowers. The look of love between the couple truly took my breath away.

busy... and grateful for it!

I don't think I have ever truly been this busy is my entire life, although many times in the past it seemed like I was, always running. But this is for real and it's the best kind of busy. The best because amazing things are happening at every turn. People keep coming into my life who I have been connecting with on deep levels. We are helping each other. Projects I have been working on are coming to life. Dreams are being manifested. Awards are being won. People are connecting to my book and the books I am a part of like I've never seen before. So much synchronicity! The universe continues to surprise and delight me. I am just having the time of my life!

"A Free Woman on God's Earth"

I am totally blown away! Jackie Rogers, the amazing illustrator working with me and Ann-Elizabeth Barnes on our new book, "A Free Woman on God's Earth" The True Story of Elizabeth 'Mumbet' Freeman, The Slave Who Won Her Freedom, has completed the color cover and it is perfect. Beautiful to say the least. I am thrilled beyond belief!

Mumbet and Charlie & Moon

This is a time for endings and beginnings.
Ann-Elizabeth Barnes and I are putting the finishing touches on "A Free Woman on God's Earth" The True Story of Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, The Slave Who Won Her Freedom! Jackie Rogers has begun illustrating it and it's going to be beautiful. We are beyond excited about this project. Mumbet has become very dear to me. I admire her so much and cannot wait to bring her alive for children to read!

Martin Meader and I are also working crazily to get The Adventures of Charlie & Moon ready to go to press. The story just keeps getting better and better and so far, every kid who has been privileged enough to read it, has loved it wildly! I see great things for this book! I cannot wait to see it born.

GOLD MEDALIST!

I am beyond thrilled to announce that yesterday at the Book Expo America in NYC, ForeWord Magazine announced the winners of the Book of the Year Award and my novel, Weeping Under This Same Moon took the gold in the YA catagory! I was there in the audience when it was announced and it felt like I had just won the Oscar! What a thrill to have my novel be considered the best in young adult fiction! It feels great and it gives me a boost of confidence and a feeling of great joy.
I am wondering where all this will take me, but for right now, I am soaking it in and feeling much gratitude and appreciation for this honor and for all my supportive family, friends and readers!

The River

There is an icy clear stream near my home. It's the place I love to sit and meditate, my bare feet dipping in and out of the moving water. The water is numbingly cold and can be deliciously refreshing on a hot day. My dog, Jordy loves the river as much as I do, but he is braver than I, and swims no matter what the weather. I must wait until it is so hot I can barely stand it, and then I will inch my way in. Some days the river is deep enough to swim a lap, other days it is only deep enough to skim a smooth flat stone. I will go there tomorrow with my dog, and I will sit and think about things.

What Fun!

I just got back from spending two days in Mystic and Norwich Connecticut. I did a reading and signing at Bank Square Books and then spoke with 300 high school students at Norwich Technical High School.
When I first got to Mystic, the entire English Department as well as the Principal and Vice Principal took me out to an elegant dinner. Then we went over to the book store for a book signing. Not too many others showed up, but we had a great time. The next day I spoke for 3 hours in front of freshmen, sophomores and juniors, all of whom had read Weeping! It was incredible. Mostly everyone had interesting questions and comments. There were some tough customers, but that's high school! I got huge applause, which was just heartwarming. Kids came up and talked to me about writing, what they are doing and their inspiration. Some of them wanted me to sign autographs. I could get used to this!
It was a wonderful time.

So much to do!

I am in the throes of getting three books ready for publication and feeling a little like a crazy person! A Free Woman on God's Earth is almost ready to be born!
The Adventures of Charlie and Moon, by my friend Martin is starting to take off and The Twelfth Stone is almost ready for typesetting. Then there's Jasmine who is just at the beginning stages.
So, aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, I'm having so much fun with all of it, that I had better not complain!
:)

Another story!

So Melody Lea Lamb and I are going to collaborate on a wonderful story about a stray greyhound from England. Don't want to tell too much just yet, but her name is Jasmine!

Visiting Schools

I am really excited because I will be at Mt. Everett Regional High School in Sheffield, MA this Friday, May 1 to talk with students about my novel. Then I will be at Norwich Technical High School in Norwich, C T on the 15th of May talking with those students and I'll be at Monument Mountain High School, in Great Barrington some time in May as well. All these schools have taken Weeping Under This Same Moon as part of their curriculum.

Not only that, but Melody Lea Lamb is going to be working with me on a book about an incredible dog from Warwickshire, England, named Jasmine. More about that later!

Woodpeckers!

I love the country life, but for the past few weeks I've been awakened by a knocking sound at around 4 am. At first I thought it was the radiator knocking, but now I realize that it is a very noisy and persistent woodpecker! What to do?

New Book is Coming!!

Hi All!
My new book, A Free Woman on God's Earth, The True Story of Elizabeth "Mumbet" Freeman, The Slave Who Won Her Freedom (long title, I know) co-written with Ann-Elizabeth Barnes and illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers is due out this August! It's a middle grade chapter book about the life of Mumbet, the amazing woman who sued for her freedom and won in 1781!
I just returned from a wonderful trip to Florida with a couple of friends and am now tan and relaxed and ready to get back to editing and writing!

I am so excited to tell everyone that I have a new book coming out! It's called The Cat's Meow and will be illustrated by Melody Lea Lamb. I wrote this story for my son when my daughter was born, and it's for all little sibs of newborns!
My book, Weeping Under This Same Moon was given a great review in Berkshire Living Magazine. It's a story about a Vietnamese refugee artist and the young American teenager who befriends her