Our Planet and Writing

A profound statement and photo to match that I discovered on my FB feed this morning. It truly resonates with me, and therefore, is showing up in my books- my first picture book, my MG and even my YA. I can't avoid the deep pain I feel with how we are treating our planet. I also read about an oil pipeline that carries 309,000 barrels a day in Ecuador burst after a landslide, and the oil is on it way to pollute the Amazon. When will it end? No wonder dystopian novels have been so popular. I'm ready for a little Utopia. How about you?

A Snorkling Break

The last two weeks I've been pelted with waves of information: researching agents, going over the SCBWI Blog on the last conference, logging on to the WriteOnCon conference, and reading the five critiques I recently received. Definitely time to swim away from my computer. Yesterday was the day! Ideal conditions for snorkeling at my favorite beach (pictured above). Snorkling is always a magical experience-the graceful movement of the kelp, the bright orange Girabaldi fish darting in and out the seaweed, purple starfish clinging to the rocks, and an occasional Bat Ray cruising across the sandy floor. Refreshed and inspired, this morning I dive back into revising.