Archive for September, 2007

Here’s that cicada shell. My editor called today to say the proofs are on their way. I should get them tomorrow and I should send them back via overnight tomorrow. Needless to say, I am keeping my morning clear. I went to hear Deborah Wiles read from Aurora County All-Stars at Lemuria this afternoon. I can’t wait to read it to my boys. Read about her tour on her blog. When I drove into the driveway this morning, I nearly ran over a snake. I wished I had my camera handy, but it was long gone by the time I got back outside. It was speckled with yellowy green and had dark green or black as its background color.

I found this during today’s walk. It was in the middle of the street. A few days ago, my dog spotted one that was still alive. It was buzzing, but not able to take flight. I have been seeing the shells around the yard. I’ll post a photo of a shell soon. My creative partner (husband) and I set up a quick studio shot near a window. We took this using natural light with a Nikon D200 with a Tamron 90 mm macro lens.

My editor sent me an email saying the book was ‘off to the film house.’ He sent me a pdf of the cover and it looks fantastic. As soon as I get permission from the folks at the press I’ll post the cover art. It amazes me that it looks exactly like I had hoped it would — even back during the days when I was dreaming and musing and saying “wouldn’t it be great if…” I can’t wait now for the galleys. Having this book be so close to publication is really helping me get motivated about the next project. I have an SCBWI conference coming up in October. (Check out the details here.) The manuscript I am submitting for formal critique must be ready by the middle of next week. I’ve done my outline so now I just need to write. Right?

Another of my mother’s photographs for her photography class. We’ve called it American Gothic in the family for years. You get to guess which one is me. It was taken around the time I wrote “The Eight Balls.” Rules have been a theme in my writing for a long time. One of the first stories I wrote for the children’s market was titled “David Learns the Rules.” It followed a kindergartener through his first week as he learned to keep his car on the green road. I wrote it after I saw how much the behavior modification plan of my son’s kindergarten teacher had captured not only his imagination, but also those of his two younger brothers. Their artwork was green, yellow, and red for weeks.

I am putting together the story of my (writing) life for the biographical section of my website. I am lucky to have a mother who kept many of my early creations. I am doubly lucky because she is also a photographer. When I wrote my first story (or at least the one that has become the stuff of family legend), my mother was enrolled in a photography class at a local college. She took a black and white shot of the story, titled The Eight Balls, and printed it in a borrowed darkroom.