During the holidays, a good friend surprised me with a very cool gift. She bought me a subscription to MasterClass, the online courses that feature luminaries such as Judy Blume, James Patterson and R.L. Stine. What a perfect gift for a nerd like me! I’ve always loved school, so I devoured the courses, pausing the… Read more »
I have some fun updates to share! THE TURTLE SHIP is currently undergoing the color correction process. That means Colleen (the talented illustrator), Lee & Low (the amazing publisher) and the printing company are collaborating to make sure the colors represented in the book’s images accurately reflect the colors in Colleen’s original artwork. Jessica (our… Read more »
Happy 2018! I don’t know about you, but I’m super excited about this year! Politics and other heavy concerns aside, there are some good things in store. For one, my debut picture book, THE TURTLE SHIP, will be released this year! Check out the gorgeous cover above, which is provided courtesy of brilliant artist Colleen… Read more »
I recently read an awesome article in the NY Times entitled “My Year of No Shopping” by the writer Ann Patchett (Bel Campo, State of Wonder). It’s fantastic. The longest I’ve gone without buying a single item of clothes, shoes or accessories was two months. Yes, it was refreshing to press that pause button on… Read more »
Our puppy Sherwin is four months old today. During our first few days together, I seriously didn’t know if I had the chops to raise a pup. Rather than being overwhelmed by Sherwin’s cuteness, I was overwhelmed by a deep and strange depression. You see, I grew up with dogs and have always prided myself… Read more »
The mall in Century City has been undergoing a massive $1 billion makeover, and last night, some of the more famous new spots finally opened. One being Mario Batali’s Eataly. The other being Apple’s new location near the huge, shiny Nordstrom. And oh, the French boutique Equipment with their buttery silk blouses, which I absolutely… Read more »
[NOTE: When I was writing away years ago with no publishing deal in sight, I was always curious to know what the exciting parts of a writer’s life are actually like (not the hard part where you sit for hours at your computer — I already knew enough about the hard part!). So I hope… Read more »
I’m so thrilled to announce that Random House has acquired my second picture book, The Paper Kingdom. I poured my heart and soul into this story, and I’m excited to see the book when it’s released! I’ll keep everyone posted, and one of these days, I’d like to write a post about how the entire… Read more »
I’m happy to reveal the work in progress of Colleen Kong-Savage, the talented artist who is illustrating THE TURTLE SHIP. I find absolutely fascinating the thought process behind her artistic choices. For instance, Colleen is working to find a way to contrast the turtle enough to make him pop off the page, instead of blending… Read more »
Here’s my latest article for SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators), which covers attending the pro track for the first time at their conference. Featuring photos of Judy Blume and Newbery winner Linda Sue Park. Girl crush time!! Check it out here.