Yesterday, while sitting in a chemo chair having an IVIG treatment*, my agent, Italia Gandolfo, chatted me and asked whether I could talk. I gave her my usual smart aleck response that I could talk, as long as she does most of the talking and doesn’t mind monosyllabic responses from me … or in another words a fairly normal conversation … Read More
Does Nessie Have An Irish Cousin?
Just in case you think that Scotland, with the Loch Ness, has a lock on aquatic monster sightings, it simply isn’t so. Ireland boasts its share of sightings as well. One of the earliest sightings, dubbed the mystery of County Clare, occurred in 1850 where the beast was described as “sunning itself near the Clare coast off Kilkee.” Does a … Read More
7th Grade Revolution: Bats
Bats usually get a bad rap. They are linked to vampire lore and are accused of sucking blood. Even vampire bats don’t suck the blood … they lick it. While licking blood is still creepy, it lacks the horror of sucking. They tend to go after cows rather than humans anyway. 🙂 And contrary to popular belief, they don’t want … Read More
The Journal of Angela Ashby: Glimrick, the Gnome
As a writer, I am always being surprised by my characters. They never conform completely to any outline I put down. When I wrote The Journal of Angela Ashby I broke from my normal writing routine and didn’t use an outline, so when the gnome first showed up and went away again, I thought he was gone forever from the … Read More
Don’t Mess with the Ness
A friend of mine, Elizabeth Isaacs, greets each New Year with a word of intention rather than making resolutions. I’m not, and never have been, a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Because I don’t believe that I will suddenly make all these changes in my life just because we pull one calendar off the wall and put another one … Read More
Holiday Joy
I rejoice in the holiday season, not only because I love all the lights and decorations, but because with all the negativity in the world, I’m happy to celebrate anything. It seems like these days every time you turn around, there is another act of hatred being perpetrated somewhere, so for me it is especially significant to celebrate the time … Read More
Publishers Weekly Review for The Journal of Angela Ashby
The most amazing thing happened today and I cannot wait to share it, so here we go … I am absolutely thrilled to share this review in Publishers Weekly of The Journal of Angela Ashby. I am absolutely giddy they liked it so much. “… hilarious, startling, and sometimes unexpected … filled with achingly relatable tween moments and gentle lessons … Read More
The Journal of Angela Ashby: The Angel of Death
I couldn’t resist going with a something spooky for Halloween. The Angel of Death, Azrael, Abaddon, the Angel of Dark and Light, the Destroying Angel — there are many names for the winged and cloaked form representing death. If you see the hands or face of this figure, it is usually depicted as a skeleton, so bones and no flesh. … Read More
The Journal of Angela Ashby: The Crystal Ball
The Crystal Ball is a standard stock-in-trade for any fortune-teller, especially those of the carnival variety. It is both pervasive and mysterious and has a history of prevalent use back to the Druids. But what is it about crystal gazing that has hung on for so many centuries? In pre-industrial times crystal gazing was commonly practiced by the Pawnee, the … Read More
Weaving in a Cat
October is a month that evokes all things spooky … spiders and spider webs, witches, ghouls, ghosts, monsters, and there is always a black cat somewhere. Somehow, after being revered in ancient Egypt (3000 BC or thereabouts), the rise of witchcraft in Europe made the black cat suspect. During the fourteenth century, the Black Death was put down to black … Read More
The Journal of Angela Ashby: The School Carnival
When I was a kid, one of the best parts of going back to school was the school carnival. Who could resist a chance of wandering around the school in play clothes, not having to be cooped up inside a classroom. And you had a chance to see your teachers in a new light … wearing comfortable clothes, maybe with … Read More
Digital Book World Awards: Winner
As I write this, I’m a little blown away. Recently, I announced that I had been selected as a finalist in the Best Children’s Book category and the Best Use of Social Medial in Book Marketing category for 7th Grade Revolution for the 2018 Digital Book World Awards. I was so honored to have reached that stage and not only … Read More