Story Time, Blue Earth County Library

Saturday morning, January 15,
at the Blue Earth County Library.
I read Woof and Wag: Bringing Home a Dog and Freya got to meet all sorts of people and be her happy, gentle, goofy dog self. Her best buddy Maggie came along, too, so the little people who came to story time got to meet two giant dogs: a Newfoundland and a Wolfhound.
Top: signing Parker's book
Middle: hanging out with kids, dogs, and parents after story time
Bottom: Freya and Maggie are seriously checking out the library.
A grand time was had by all.

Ashley's Blog

BooksObsession posted the Chasing AllieCat book trailer. Cool!

But wow, that's the weirdest link I've ever seen.

http://booksobsession.blogspot.com/2011/01/chasing-alliecat-trailer.html?showComment=1295021652267_AIe9_BGLzDpRz-DhfSDW-ICC7mU65BITREdKrio1M9GbMN13Hn1vkOLMPetW5XFcAQV_HLfZ5Yvt8sVTfuYXmFDrUoFv9nk855xlJDdmP0CR-0-9e1_FkCX0-SDLzqSUti8vJCdPjVEScyaG5IaCV-2IHrhVR3lcHhcHW5oOSvcM-clvOGdFZbnZrWJx0Emje1rxr5WDf70tqj6W3EwiC5KwxRiB3OdXqQ3DHoZl61ub0KusAjdr8OQJAz3XuXH88TDdftJxAdQup1MK8w0n5aT2ovGnu_LM7opyL3rOCB0NBQUWdjLBDJWF1me75-oTi-Yp5UNieWskRRDIWudgLql0wlqMjaYpGKhBnTCWNamM1FG6KbRrjGILGRhPMw43gNS-NResrqLgphZaC7_K7rnJTxL-vOj7wchFKTHjvCCIvW_OmDyEGMrC8Tm8xpgrevo_gha3qfOyK5LMq7oFLkSrh1Y_Sl4EbD16biY4U1z5BIf247LDL4wZRwgeKvK6CmfwPHO_t1KUXWxGha17tZQkA8OtIrMBu0yuyXXz171Yhps5UtqZBQo#c7824857691583750436

YALSA top 99 picks for 2010

Along with announcing the 2010 Newbery, Printz, Caldecott, etc., awards this week,
ALA--YALSA selected their top 99 Best Books for Young Adults from 2010.
What an impressive list! So proud of Swati Avasthi for making the list,
along with Laurie Halse Anderson, Cornelia Funke, Gary Paulson.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestficya/bfya2011.cfm

Anybody have time to read them all? I would love to...
(And dare I wish to be on this list sometime???)

Chasing AllieCat featured at FLUX booth at ALA

I've never had so much fun feeling like a real author. Signing my book for people excited to read it, meeting awesome YA bloggers who are a blast, hanging with other FLUX authors and FLUX staff--Brian (Acquisitions Editor), Steven (Publicity Director), and Eric(Sales Management).

I've wanted to be an author since I was four years old. It was so important inside me that I rarely talked about it. Somehow, Chasing AllieCat is making me feel like I finally, really, truly am an author.

It doesn't hurt to get to be in 60-degree San Diego weather, either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXxnSf1EugQ

San Diego ALA

It's 60 degrees here, and people are walking around in sweaters and bundled in down coats. We Minnesotans can't help but laugh!

Here's the premiere of the trailer for Chasing AllieCat!

Happy New Year!

It's really and truly 2011. Can hardly belive it.

Sara Frederick wrote a story for the Mankato Free Press Mankato Magazine about Chasing AllieCat, and I guess about me. I told Sara that I have realized I'm simply not a calm person, and place helps me center myself, be calm, and write. That's why my little farmhouse is such a good place for me to write. Freya loves it, too--always a boon.

Sara did a great job with the article. She's an amazing writer.

Anyway, one of my goals for the new year is to be calmer. Even when I'm stressed out or have too much to do. Calm. All I can do is try. Right?

Writing and riding my bike daily calm me. School too often takes those two things away. I'm going to work extra, extra hard this year to not let that happen, to keep writing and riding even during the busiest part of the school year.

On a much lighter note, I never published this photo I took in North Carolina when I was there for Thanksgiving. No time like the present, eh?

It cracks me up. If anyone can explain it to me, please do!