A "Sing Out" to Illustrator Wendy E Wight

We were SOLD OUT on February 29th for my talk “Make your Manuscripts Sing.” I think we all had an enjoyable day. I’d like to thank everyone who attended and Jennifer Lynn Alvarez for inviting me to be the first in the new Sonoma Speaker Series. Jennifer is the author of the popular and unputdownable (if that’s not a word it should be) Guardian Herd and Riders of the Realm series. Please click here to visit her website.

Discussing the difference between being an author rather than the director of your story

Discussing the difference between being an author rather than the director of your story

It was only on the day that I discovered Jennifer had commissioned illustrator Wendy E Wight to create the logo specifically for my talk. What an honor. I loved her delightful image the moment I saw it, but I had no idea it had been drawn solely for my event. Honestly, it made my day. Thank you Wendy and Jennifer. If you would like to see more of Wendy’s work please click here to visit her website.

Illustration by Wendy E Wight

Illustration by Wendy E Wight

Pints and Prose: Litquake Edition

This is not suitable for kids, but parents are definitely welcome. I love reading with my amazing Tuesday Night Writer friends. We’ve been meeting for over fifteen years and are so lucky to have Molly Giles, Holly Payne and Nina Schuyler reading with us. We have music too by Danny Montana, so it promises to be a fantastic night. If we have time we may also have an Open Mic.

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Reading at The Gallery Bookstore, Mendocino

My amazing editor and friend Shirin Yim Bridges ran a retreat at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse last weekend. I was lucky enough to go along and hang out with her Stanford Extension Students, her sister Natasha Yim Carter and Susan Chang of Tor Teen. We all got the chance to read at the Gallery Bookstore, an amazing shop with a view of the sea in Mendocino.

Celebrating Purple Dragonfly Awards

I couldn't resist posting this picture of me with my two Purple Dragonfly Award 2018 certificates. Thank you Story Monsters for your encouragement and support. The Lost Celt won the Middle Grade Fiction and Charity/Making a Difference categories.

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The Lost Celt on Middle Grade Lunch Break Blog

The wonderful writers at Middle Grade Lunch Break recommended The Lost Celt, along with friend Darcey Rosenblatt's The Lost Boys, as Memorial Day reads. They also recommend some of my all time favorite books e.g. Wednesday Wars, Wolf Hollow, Inside Out and Back Again and Echo. Thank you so much Anne-Marie Strohman! Read the entire article here.

A. E. Conran Interviewed by Darlene Carman for KMTV15

Last year, having met Darlene at the Orion School Author Day, I was delighted to accept her invitation to be interviewed for her community TV program. Thank you Darlene and the crew for being so welcoming and enabling me to share my story and book with a wider audience. 

A. E. Conran's book, The Lost Celt, is about soldiers of war, past and present and the effects on families. This program was aired on KMVT15 Community Media.

#PitchWars Middle Grade Mentor, 2017!

I'm delighted to announce that I was one of the 54 from over 300 applicants to be chosen as a mentor in the 2017 #PitchWars. For more information see the website of the co-founder, Brenda Drake.

This is my chance to help a middle grade writer looking for an agent or editor to revise their manuscript and pitch their book. I'm honored to be part of this contest that has helped so many people on their road to publication.

Rockin' Jump Authors Day

A few pictures from the Rockin' Jump authors' day, including evidence of MG and YA authors, Jennifer Gennari and L. B. Schulman, trampolining before opening time. If the writing in your personalized book looks a bit shaky, this is probably why. Thank you Shells Legoullon of Rockin' Jump, Vacaville, an SCBWI member, for inviting us to such a rockin' day. And a big thank you to Rita's Italian Ice for the  free samples! The mango ice was delicious!

California School Librarians Association Conference: Rohnert Park, 2017

My fellow MG writers Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, Guardian Herd Series, Jill Diamond, Lou Lou and Pea and the Mural Mystery and I were warmly welcomed on Saturday by a room of school librarians passionate that their students should not skip middle grade books for YA: the topic of our talk. That was followed by an enjoyable author mix and mingle and an evening with award winning author Kristin Cashore. Wow, what a day celebrating the people who strive to get great books into the hands of great kids!

The Lost Celt Mentioned in Dispatches, the Magazine of the Military Writers Society of America

Pun intended, The Lost Celt appears in Dispatches, the MWSA magazine, alongside award winners in all the literature categories. Very grateful for the recognition and good company.