UP! — INTERNATIONAL DOT DAY 2021 is here! :D

OK, how on earth can another year have gone by? I know I’ve been steadily busy, not just with the pandemic books I published, but life in general. I’m betting you can likely say the same thing 🐝🐝🐝

If you follow this blog, you’re likely familiar with International Dot Day. Well, it just rolled around again today!

Last year was the first time I was able to post my Dot as a “Celebri-dot” and it was one of those “dreams” fulfilled 🙂 I couldn’t have been happier about it. But what is EXTRA special about this year is it’s the first year I got to celebrate with my 4-year-old granddaughter, Charlotte 🥰 Continue reading

UP!–My 2020 “FALL WRITING FRENZY” Entry :D

I have to tell ya — the last thing I thought to be doing right now would be writing just for the fun of it! I’m so ridiculously busy, it doesn’t even cross my mind. And although I WANTed to participate in this year’s Fall Writing Frenzy, I didn’t expect to. Long story short, the other night, during the very-difficult-to-watch Presidential Debate, I happened to catch a reminder tweet from Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez, co-organizer along with Lydia Lukidis, that it was almost entry time and, of course, I again checked out the “Rules” page with all the image prompts.

Maybe it’s that I miss writing for fun. Maybe it’s how much I miss autumn peaks that no longer exist where I live — not for a good 15 years. Maybe it’s just that I ached for a creative break — the kind that doesn’t involve pressure or promotion or anything “required” other than staying within the 200-word count.  Continue reading

UP!–I Made a CELEBRI-DOT for Dot Day!!!

Yes, I could NOT be more thrilled about it For years I’ve been participating in International Dot Day here on my blog with my own little dots and I can’t believe that this year, not that I’m published (self, though it may be), I created an official Celebri-dot! Continue reading

UP!–I’ve PUBLISHED BOOKS!

Yep, you heard me right! I bit the self-publishing bullet and published books–6 of them!

Since March, when the U.S. got heavily hit by COVID-19, I began work on a pandemic-themed story which I decided to publish in 6 diverse versions.  Yes, the story is exactly the same for each, but the reader gets to pick the version preferred by gender, skin and hair color, and [coming soon] family type. Continue reading

UP!–A BRILLiant Book on BULLYING & BRAVERY

If there’s one thing I feel very strongly about—it’s bullying. I hated it when I was a kid, even more when my son was in school (I wrote a poem inspired by an incident that involved his friend), and I witness it on a daily basis, especially now. Bullying takes forms in countless ways, and not just by kids or on school playgrounds, that’s for sure.

Unfortunately, we live at a time when this abhorrent behavior is actually encouraged by some, so it’s that much more important to address the subject in ways that have the best chance to have positive impact. That’s why I was thrilled about Darlene Beck Jacobson’s middle grade novel in verse Wishes, Dares & How to Stand Up to a Bully. Continue reading