Sunday, March 12, 2017

My Birthday Books and other Ramblings

                                                                                                                 

My last post was early October, 2016. That month I attended a local chapter SCBWI conference where I received a written critique on my picture book and got a chance to share with some of the editors video of baby Ziggy, a harbor seal at PMMC. That's me, above holding Ziggy before getting bottle fed. Editor, Annie Berger of Sourcebooks, Fire/Jabberwocky loved the video, and she was the one who critiqued my PB, which is about a sea lion pup. She gave me some things to think about, and I was revising, again. So, it's been months since I've written; "efil" events can disrupt the flow. "Efil" is "life backwards☺.
I'm discovering inspiration again and part of that has been reading this incredible book, Silent Sparks the Wondrous World of Fireflies, by Sara Lewis. This author has been studying fireflies for decades and is a professor at Tufts University. I discovered this book on line and had the title written on a post-it "to buy" for months. I was pleased to stumble on a copy at a nearby Barnes & Noble where I snatched it up with my B-day gift card. It's a beautifully written book with incredible photos. Sara has a lyrical way of wording the science of these creatures which makes it a captivating read. Her love and devotion to these magical beetles shines through on every page.The perfect research book for me! When I've finished this book, I'll be diving back into revising my middle grade novel, a low fantasy-adventure about two boys and fireflies❤
Ever since I started writing children's books about seven years ago, I've always purchased a Dr. Seuss book on, or near my birthday. It started with The Lorax which was purchased at a Barnes & Noble where my first critique group use to meet. This last one, Your Favorite Seuss includes 13 original stories and illustrations, historical photos and bio on Seuss, along with personal commentary from those who new him and/or were inspired by him. When I asked the cashier if there were anymore copies, she said that the one I had didn't show as inventory; according to B&N system, none existed. I struck the Mother lode with Janet Schulman and Cathy Goldsmith's large hardcover compilation, copy written in 2004, Random House. Too big to hold, I enjoy reading it in the morning at the breakfast table with my green eggs and ham☺

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