We sail into the village on a gentle wind, my mother and me. Not like Mary Poppins or that Vianne character from Chocolat. But not unlike them either. We’ve come to stay for a time before moving on. “How long will we be here, Mama?” I ask. “Do I ever answer that question, Lilly?” She…
Today stinks. That’s what Lucas thought, anyway, because most school days did. So why should today be any different? Nothing good happened unless it was here on the farm. He didn’t have to worry about his clothes or where his parents were or who knew his story. Plus, the farm had Tracy and the sheep…
And why is it all over children’s literature…and oozing into some adult lit, too? I’d agree with you if you said that the word “magic” is overused almost to the point of meaninglessness. But don’t become jaded to magic. It’s anything but meaningless. In children’s literature, magic spins a golden thread. You’ll find it in…
Sneak a Peek into the Life of Author Susan Lynn Meyer! Have you ever wondered what the life of an author is like? Take a look at this Q&A session with award-winning author Susan Lynn Meyer. Susan is the author of three picture books and three middle grade novels, including Black Radishes, Skating with the…
Ahhhh, Spring. Is this anyone else’s favorite time of year? The weather slowly leans toward lovely, like it’s just resting on your shoulder. The greens are greener, the pinks are pinker, the sky is fresh and blue. Everything seems sharp and in focus. Plus, there are jellybeans everywhere. Anyhoo… I learned a new word last…
Planning/plotting/outlining these are methods some writers adopt before they begin to write. Other writers just go for it with nothing but a general idea in their head of what they want their story to be. Neither way is wrong. Whatever method a writer (you!) uses that helps them finish their story is the best method….
Zachary rested his chin on the tabletop and counted the seconds as he resisted the lure of jellybeans in the jar in front of him. “One-Dastardlygoody, two-Dastardlygoodies…twenty-Dastardlygoodies…eightynine-Dastardlygoodies…ninetyseven-Das—” With a groan, he grabbed the jar and jammed his hand in for the sweet candies, then stuffed them in his mouth. These weren’t ordinary jellybeans. They were…
An old house has a past, whether you know about it or not…and that past echoes through the halls and the walls, whether you hear it or you don’t…and the idea of being forgotten makes an old house cranky…people too. April loved her old Victorian home where she lived with her parents in a little…
It’s short story time. This one is an origin story about a character in the middle grade novel I’m currently working on. I hope you enjoy it. On the fringes of a small village in Scotland, on the downward slope of a hill, a Highland cow struggled to give birth to her second calf. Dunsmuir,…
Plaude couldn’t be bothered unfolding her gossamer fairy wings. The heavy sky threatened rain. Of course, it did. “One shade darker today, as expected,” Plaude noted. She walked in her satin slippers, sinking into mud. “Ugh. I just don’t have the energy.” Perry and Cosmo, her best friends, joined her, walking to the ancient…
