Cats, squirrels, horses and pigs, oh my.  

How cute are these paper clips?
Okay, there's an upside down blue bird and pig plus two cats about to pounce, but these clip critters are ready to get to work.    
 What a lovely gift for the Skywriters.

                    Skywriters Back to Business and Fun

We had much to celebrate during this critique meeting at Peaches in Ellenton.

JC's  returned from her sabbatical. Janet's feeling and looking wonderful. Augusta's home. Sue's returned from California too. 

We're back to regular meetings and recently two of us have heard good news from editors. 

Bookstore in Moreton-In-Marsh , England

Books Yule Love, a lovely bookshop  (as it's called in England) is nestled among historic buildings and homes that make up the small market town of Moreton-in Marsh. It's in the Evenlode Valley part of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Gloucestershire, England. 

I kept feeling as if we were walking through Disney because this couldn't be a real town, but it was. 

                                                                     Best trip ever!                                                     

THE HAPPY SQUASH

No, it probably wouldn't make for a riveting PB,

 yet it was a happy squash face among the zoodles I made for dinner last week. 

But, what if it leapt from the bowl onto the counter and asked,

"Which way to the beach?"

    Okay, now we're talking Kid Lit.  

TWO TAMPA BAY AREA AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS 

Fred Koehler presented at the Tampa Bay Times  Festival of Reading

on the USFSP campus today, Saturday, November 17, 2018.

For more on the middle grade novel GARBAGE ISLAND and Fred Koehler go to www.ilikefred.com

                       From left, Greg Neri, author of GRAND THEFT HORSE ( and many other award-winning books), presented at Tampa Bay Times  Festival of Reading. He and Fred Koehler, author of GARBAGE ISLAND (and author-illustrator of many  Picture Books), take a moment to let a friend and fellow writer snap a picture. Of course that request came from me. Both were at the festival to speak about their most recent published books. What a treat for the community and those who drove long distances to hear them speak.

                    For more on Greg Neri and his newest book check out: www.gregneri.com

Picture Books:The Next Level with Rob Sanders

What a treat to participate in one of SCBWI's Boot Camps. This one held at The Portico in Tampa and presented by author and teacher, Rob Sanders. Picture Books: The Next Level, brought writers from all over Florida, even one participant from Georgia. 

Rob's boot camp spoke to everyone from new writers to published PB authors and everyone had an opportunity to ask questions that mattered most to them. New friends were made. New ideas were spawned. I left feeling motivated and determined to revisit the PBs I've written. Okay, I planned to write a new one too. The boot camp turned out to be both inspiring and informative. Plus, we all had fun! Thanks Rob and thanks to SCBWI. 

Rob Sanders is a writer who teaches, and a teacher who writes. His picture books range from the Rodzilla to Ruby Rose Off to School She Goes to Outer Space Bedtime Race, all are funny and delightful reads to the empowering and educational books,  Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag to Peaceful Right for Equal Rights to his soon to be released, Stonewall: A Building, An Uprising. A Revolution.  Check 
out: wwwrobsanderswrites.com  


The Portico, 1001 N. Florida has community meeting rooms and a cafe. This is what is posted on its web site: Imagine a meeting and event space where every time you book an event, you impact the community in a positive way. Spaces for 4-400 people are available. 

Even the money we spent to buy lunch was funneled into helping the homeless. How great is that?

For more information about the space or the cafe check out:
theportico.org

Do you see what I see?

Ideas for stories and scenes pop up everywhere for writers. For me, that's especially true when I observe the nature that's always around me.

Walking through a parking lot outside a Target store, I spied these mushrooms in a patch of grass. They looked so delicate. They had such texture. I had to snap a photo. 

Can't you imagine this spot as a peaceful place for a fairy to sleep? Or could these mushrooms shield a Leprechaun from the blistering Florida sun? 

Look around wherever you are and you may find the next idea for a short story or a novel. 

Or maybe just revel in the moment and the beauty.