An unexpected package arrived the other day from Penguin Random House, the publisher of my upcoming picture book THE PAPER KINGDOM (release date: February 18, 2020).

If you’re a subscriber to my website, you already know the contents of the package because I just sent out my first newsletter exclusive to subscribers!
(If you’ve subscribed and didn’t receive the newsletter, be sure to check your spam folder and also, be sure to allow images to show up because there are some cool photos in there. Oh, and if you subscribed using a gmail address, it could’ve landed under the Promotions tab.)
And for the general audience, I’ll reveal the contents of the package later this summer on this website…
Why am I being so (unnecessarily!) secretive??

I’m trying to learn the art of building suspense, partially because I’ve been drafting a new manuscript. It’s a story with a lot of mystery, a true departure from my usual projects. I’m hoping the manuscript is getting better with each revision, though all I see at the moment is a huge mess.
I know, I know. Too much suspense with no resolution can be annoying, so I promise to reveal the package contents very soon! But subscribers are already in the know 🙂
I’ll be back soon with some cool updates, but for now, I leave you with several fun images…

Here’s Sherwin cuddled next to my thigh as I read on the sofa. Who needs a blanket when you have your own personal (and adorable) space heater??

Here’s a kid photo of the great comedienne, Mindy Kaling. The photo appeared in an interview with Mindy in the New York Times. Isn’t she too cute?? I love everything about this photo — the hair, the smile, the turtleneck, the overalls, and those glasses! She looks like a cartoon character. In fact, someone should write a picture book about Mindy as a child.

A while back, I signed up for a watercolor painting course, and a sweet lady there always painted the same subject: her adorable & patient little dog Meimei. Meimei always came to class with her human and was so incredibly calm. She held poses for looong stretches of time — I couldn’t believe it! If I tried to paint Sherwin, he’d likely knock over my supplies and step all over the canvas. He often pushes me out of the way when I’m sitting on his favorite part of the sofa. He’s such an impatient bully! But just look at Meimei. Wow, what a doll.

Meimei, the perfect model!