Thursday, January 24, 2013

4th graders: first-of-a-kind question

Fan letters are always fun, and I love it when kids tell me stuff. Such as why they're mad at a little brother or how it feels to move to a new school. They tell me the names of their pets, frogs included, and their favorite teachers, and they ask great questions about writing and stories, often wondering about my favorite book as a child. A question and comment in today's mail by a 4th-grader and her BFF was a first:
     "What kind of phone do you have? [We have] a Samsung Galaxy." 
Are you kidding? Ten-year-olds with $200 cellphones? Don't get me started. Meanwhile, I'm just thrilled they took the time to write a real letter on notebook paper AND included self-addressed stamped envelopes. Now that's impressive!

P.S. to any middle-grade teachers in Oakland, California: if you have a 9-year old student who wrote me about The Secret of the Junkyard Shadow, please say hello and that his kind words mean a lot. I'm bummed to say I can't write him back because there was no return address!


Monday, January 7, 2013

snow on seashells

20 degrees and snowing
As I look out our kitchen window, I'm torn. Our seashell wind chimes make me yearn for the beach and a warm breeze. Yet snow falling on the Christmas wreath my mom sent us is beautiful, too. Both bring good memories.

I'm excited that editing is nearly complete for The Phantom of Hidden Horse Ranch, #7 in the Cabin Creek Mystery series. I love writing these, especially because I'm reminded of when our boys were little and wouldn't go to bed. Bribes were easy. "Want to hear a Jeff and David story?" I'd ask, and zooom they were under their quilts. Snowy nights or summers with windows open, they were willing listeners. Thirty years later, I'm still thanking them.