Category Archives: FREE FRIDAY

Want the Easter bunny to bring a book?

redbud in bloom (The Woodlands, Texas)

redbud in bloom

Today I’m enjoying a beautiful spring day: sunny, cool, low humidity. These are the types of days when I’m especially thankful to be a Texan! Redbuds and fringe tree are in their glory right now. I hate to gloat because so many of my friends are in misery with Old Man Winter breathing down their necks. In celebration of this spring and especially the EASTER season,

Gus peaking

Gus, the Wonder Cat, peaking out to see if it’s time to draw a name from the box yet.

I’ll be getting a book in the mail to you tomorrow, if you want one. That is, if Gus the Wonder Cat  wants YOU to win one. (He’s open to bribery, if you happen to have any fish flavored treats on you…..)Head over to my author FaceBook page to get in on the fun.

Baby E’s upcoming baptism has me wanting to diss work and head out to Abilene ASAP, however I’m speaking to the Houston SCBWI next Monday (come and join us for the FREE event!). I’ll speaking to the group about my summer spent at The Publishing Institute at University of Denver. It’s a difficult task to write or illustrate a children’s book and almost as hard guessing what those “books” might look like in the next couple of years. I’ve been trying to get a handle on the direction of publishing, looking at which format my readers might be meeting me with in an every-changing techno-world. That’s one of the reasons I went to grad school last summer. I’ll have out my crystal ball for the Houston writers and illustrators at their regular meeting, hoping my literary prognostications are more accurate than our weather forecasters lately. I realize in looking over my notes and photos just how much I’ve missed my friends and instructors in Denver – especially roomies Emily and Jen.

A room mate sandwich with me in the middle. Miss you, Jen and Em-dash!

A room mate sandwich with me in the middle. Miss you, Jen and Em-dash!

The other reason I went to Denver turned out to be a lie…Colorado in summer promised a respite from hot, humid Houston last summer, but promptly reneged on the deal. After a FREEZING 1st week of spring, I’m betting Colorado’s wishing she were a Texan right now, too!

Books, books and more books!

DPI class of 2012 trip to Frederic Printing, Denver

As I’m finishing up The Publishing Institute at University of Denver, I’m thankful to return to Texas. It’s beautiful and certainly not nearly so humid as we enjoy in the Houston area this time of year, but it is time to put into practice all I’ve learned. There will be lots of tears tomorrow when we graduate and I’m thankful for the many friends I’ve made and I know some will be life-longers. I’ve been encouraged, discouraged, sleep-deprived, and stretched. Cannot believe my +51 year old brain kept up with the many 20 somethings in my class, although it certainly did not run rings around any of them!

Speaking of publishing, I’d like to give away another copy of BLOOMIN’ TALES. Want one? I’m also receiving a shipment from my publisher of OUR SHADOW GARDEN, so if you’d like that instead, I’m happy to send it on to you. How can you win? Go to my author Facebook page and let me know you want one. It’s that simple! A relatively unbiased judge will choose a lucky winner next week. If you send someone else my author page and they tell me you sent them, you’ll be entered TWICE!

Send your gardening questions to me for GardenDishes. I’ll be cranking back up when I return to the real world next week.

c:

FREE FRIDAY

While looking forward to the monthlong learning experience I begin next week, I’m sad knowing my garden will suffer while I’m gone. It’s not that there aren’t others to fill in the gap for me, but they don’t look at things the way I do. If I ask for things to be watered if they need it, the question is inevitably “HOW DO I KNOW IF IT NEEDS IT?” If you are a cook-by-heart instead of by numbers type person, you’ll get what I’m saying: you just know.  My plants and I have developed an intimacy that goes on smell, look, and sound.  Even if I cannot tell you the specific cultivar name of a hand-me-down flower from a neighbor, I know her needs.  I’m gonna miss my garden.
 
Speaking of intimacy with plants, hope you’ll introduce a child in your life, or the child in YOU, to my favorite wildflowers by sharing their stories.  I’m giving away a copy of BLOOMIN’ TALES and would love for YOU to win it!  Just go to my author page on Facebook, LIKE it, and let me know you want a book or would like one for someone special in your life.
Or you can comment here if that’s easier for you.  A relatively impartial judge (she a RELATIVE, and sort of impartial) will let you know Monday who won and we’ll get an autographed copy in the mail to you.
 
Be looking for photos from my time at Denver University and the cool climes of Colorado.
SHALOM!
c: