I missed a month of posting because of this! Right hand fingers are a little more mobile now, so here goes nothing...

I mentioned the SCBWI bookshop promo and my appearance at Bookies bookstore in my last post. Today I want to say thank you to the folks who arranged the Bookies event for 35+ local Colorado children's authors, and to those who came to visit. If you missed it, but you still need holiday gifts, I highly recommend their new location for its space and cozy vibe, not to mention their support of us locals.

I remember from before I became an author, the thrill of meeting book authors in person. It was as close as I got to a celebrity. From the other side of the table, celebrity is the last thing on my mind. It's all about the readers. The most fun  part of events like that is meeting readers, chatting, and especially seeing their eyes widen when I give them my elevator pitch. That's the one or two sentences I recite that sum up my books. 

Don't get me wrong, this was no lining up for hours, the line going around the block, for a chance to get the latest Harry Potter book. Instead it was tables spread out around the store, each shared by two authors, waiting to meet and chat with anyone who wandered by. Opportunities like that are rare for authors. The low key, no pressure set up meant everyone was relaxed. How fun it was to discuss the state of YA publishing with a fellow writer who came to shop, who happened to be an editor and writer herself! These were my grateful Thanksgiving thoughts, which I couldn't share in November.

With my wrist in a removable brace, and finger movement improving daily, I am not looking forward to the holidays as I usually do. No baking or knitting for me for a while. I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself, because I did get to help decorate a tree with two of my favorite little boys, and I will have family surrounding me for the next few weeks. I am one of the lucky ones. I hope you find yourself in a good place, good frame of mind, and good health. Happy Holidays!

Do snow days signal to you that it's a good time to curl up with a cup of cocoa and a good book? They do to me, unless I'm in the mountains and the ski resorts are open! I know I may be a little obsessed with skiing, but it's not for everyone. If you found this blog, you are probably a reader like me. 

Today is as good a day as any to get a jump on your holiday gift shopping. If you are in the Denver area, come join me and 35+ other local authors at Bookies, 2085 S. Holly Street from 10 am to 2 pm. Meet the authors, get your gift books signed, find a good snow day read or three. This is a Society of Book Writers and Illustrators event sponsored by Bookies, and you will find this year's picture, middle grade and young adult books all in one place. 

​See you there!

​Not only did this beautiful creature stop and pose very thoughtfully and long enough for me to run for my camera, but she then caught and ate a mouse right then and there! Way to go! Look at that bushy tail, all ready for the cold winds about to blow in snow (according to the forecast). 

I am delighted to report that my book has gained recognition and momentum from readers who post reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you so much, reviewers! Your work has encouraged over 14,000 to add my books to their want-to-read lists. That is really encouraging. 

Today I want to offer a little teaser for those of you who might be on the fence on whether to start this book. How about an excerpt that tells the Netah origin story? 

Since the books take place in north America, and I decided that the Netahs predate the humans. I imagined a kind of fable they would tell their children. Many native American stories include people who could transform into animals. In fact, cultures around the world have such stories, so it seemed only natural. Finally, Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, showed how her people care for their world. I highly recommend her book. 

In addition, I have some experience taking fables, fairy tales, poems, and short stories, and turning them into something else. In my book, Literary Ideas and Scripts for Young Playwrights, I turned those things into short plays for the classroom, demonstrating how to take an old, familiar story and make it new again. This is also not a new idea. Did you know that the Disney's Lion King is based on Shakespeare's Hamlet?

Those were my thoughts when writing this fictional origin story. I placed it in book 2, when Hesta, the elk Netah chief, is leading Josh "Down in the Valley," hence the title of the book. They stop for the night and Hesta tells Josh a story about their people. 

In the beginning, there were people and animals, and they all got along very well. The people took care of the animals when they were injured or sick. The animals taught the people where to find good foods like berries, nuts and fish. The people were grateful to their older brothers for teaching them how to live in the world. The makers were very proud of the people and animals and decided to give them a gift. If they wanted, they could transform from an animal into a human or from a human into an animal. 
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Some people liked the idea, some didn’t. The animals had the same reaction. 
Two separate societies formed on that day. The ones who didn’t chose to change in the beginning were never able to do it later, and they became angry and jealous. This led to wars. Animals attacked people, and people killed animals. The makers were very upset that their gift had created such problems but were unable to make things right again.
The Netahs found their own solution. They separated themselves from the others and made their own societies and villages. Wars still happened when the Netah villages were discovered. The makers gave the Netahs another gift to help them. They took away the Netah’s scent so they could hide more easily.
Hesta stopped talking. He noticed that Josh was very still. “Josh?”
“Hmm?”
“Good night.”

So there you have it. This is what happens when writers read other authors, as I mentioned last month, when I read J.K. Rowling's From the Wizarding Archive. If you are also a writer, consider reading this, and particularly the foreword by Evanna Lynch. It is inspiring as well as loads of fun for Potter fans.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t my favorite kind of weather for writing, because I didn’t do much of it. Also, I’ve been a little distracted playing with my canoe buddies!
What I have been working on is character background sketches. I downloaded the latest J.K. Rowling offering, an audible book called From the Wizarding Archive. In it, the author shares some of her famously detailed background information on her characters, places, magical artifacts and creatures. This kind of information is an essential part of world building for any fantasy writer. It was great fun, plus it gave me loads of ideas and inspiration.
I thought about my own built world. While I am comfortable with the backstory for my main character, Josh, other characters are more mysterious. Why is that information important to an author? And why am I allowing it to distract me from the satisfying task of spending time with my characters as I throw them into new circumstances and watch for their reactions? (Like with my canoe buddies?) It’s not for world building, I placed my secret society in the wilds of my beloved Colorado.
Instead, it's all about motivation. What drives Josh to persevere in his new circumstances? What makes some Netahs helpful and others obstructive? So far, Josh has been very reactive. I want him to be more proactive in book 3. I want him to decide what he wants and to go for it.
What does he want? He has new friends, both of the male and female persuasion. He has a new found family. What he wants is romance. He wants love, a deeper connection to someone in his community, a soul mate, a person he can turn to in bad or good times. Don’t we all? This will inform his actions in book 3.
This is why I am such a huge fan of Ms. Rowling. She not only entertains, she teaches. Thank you, Ms. Rowling!