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In this photo, I’ve just received my author copies of Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg.
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Readers
should read Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg because
. . . once they start talkin’ like Cowpoke Clyde, there’s a mighty fine chance
they’ll wind up talkin’ like a cowpoke all day--and then some! Yee-haw!
I
came to write Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg . . . because of my neighbors’ dogs.
Every once in a while, their two big dogs would escape from their backyard and
race down the street towards the creek. Minutes later, they’d be chasing after
them. As I watched the drama unfold, I couldn’t help thinking that somebody
chasing a dog could be fun story. When the somebody turned into Cowpoke Clyde,
the story and Dirty Dawg took off!
Click here for an educator's guide.
Click here for a word search.
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This is a picture of my bookshelves. In the large bookcase
are all the picture books that inform and inspire me--there are many! The books
on the table are some of my published books. It’s always a treat to watch it
grow.
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Here is the book trailer created by the awesome
illustrator, Michael Allen Austin:
A
book that has touched my heart . . . would have to be Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary. Although I read it many years ago
when I was in grade school, I’ve never forgotten how close I felt to Ellen as
she navigated her way through fragile friendships and heartbreaking faux pas.
Would everyone discover her awful woolen underwear? Would she and Austine ever
be friends again? Would she ever win her teacher’s approval and be chosen to
clap easers? Inconsequential questions to the world at large, but oh so
important to that one character--and all the readers who read along.
I collect my ideas and inspiration for
writing . . . from everything around me. It may seem cliché, but ideas are truly
everywhere. The trick, I’ve discovered over the years, is to pay attention to
my thoughts and that spark of interest.
For example, I got the idea for my picture book Cindy Moo when I saw a figurine of a cow sitting on a crescent moon
at my local thrift store. As soon as I saw it, I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to write a story about how the cow got there?
(It was!) For Chicken Lily, the title
came first based on a pun for Chicken Little. Then, I thought--what if I wrote a story about a chicken--that’s
chicken? When inspiration seems scarce, however, sometimes you just have to
sit at the computer and make something happen.
Readers
should know . . . success in children’s
literature (and any other endeavor) is the result of persistence. One of my
favorite quotes is by Calvin Coolidge:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of
persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with
talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will
not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent.”
For most authors, the path to
publication is paved with rejections. But if they keep going, gradually, the
writing gets better. After a while--success! Then, more rejections and success.
To me, writing is like climbing a mountain--it is one of the most challenging
and exhilarating journeys I’ve ever undertaken.
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| For my upcoming book, Chicken Lily, I visited some of my friend’s chickens. That was a lot of fun and I discovered that chickens are much more interested in clean straw and feed than writing poems! (They’re very soft too!) |
Happy Book Birthday today to Chicken Lily!
Coming soon . . . May 3, 2016!
I'm much obliged to Lori for stoppin' on by to take a "Book Break!" with me! Come on back soon, ya hear?
Be sure to mosey on over to Lori's website!
