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

Book Birthday for Angela

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to THE JOURNAL OF ANGELA ASHBY!!!! Release day marks a very special day in an author’s journey. It’s the day when we finally get to share our baby with the world. Writing a book is a labor of love. From the wondrous moment when inspiration strikes, through getting to know the characters, who they are, how they … Read More

The Advent of Angela Ashby

Tomorrow is the day … finally. The day when The Journal of Angela Ashby is released and I get to share her and her story with the world. Why do I say finally? Because this one has been a long time coming … and it’s the word Angela uses. The roots of this story go back to 2009 while I … Read More

The Journal of Angela Ashby Book Trailer

This will be a super short post because the video does ALL the talking that needs to be done … The Journal of Angela Ashby Book Trailer!!!! I am excited to share it with you because you’ll have a chance to see some of the fabulous illustrations by Mister Sam Shearon. If you like the illustrations, check out the Liana … Read More

7th Grade Revolution – Winner 2018 American Fiction Awards

I am DELIGHTED to announce that 7th Grade Revolution has the HONOR of being a WINNER in the 2018 American Fiction Awards competition. It is truly an honor to have won the category and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’d also like to give a shout out to my publishing-mates Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor and Mary Ting for … Read More

7th Grade Revolution Finalist in 2018 International Book Award Competition

I am DELIGHTED to announce that 7th Grade Revolution has the HONOR of being a Finalist in the 2018 International Book Awards competition. In a field of 2,000 entries, it is truly an honor to have achieved a Finalist award and I couldn’t be happier about it. This is going to be an incredibly short post, because I have some … Read More

Cover Reveal – The Journal of Angela Ashby

The time has FINALLY come where I can share the awesome cover created by Mister-Sam Shearon for my upcoming Middle Grade novel, The Journal of Angela Ashby. Rather than rattle on about the cover, because I can talk about how perfect it is for the book, I’ll just share it with you along with the back cover copy. I have … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Broken Heel

Having sprained my ankle, or I should say ankles, more times than I can count, I can no longer wear heels. A modest inch or maybe two in a boot, cowboy-style, is about the best I can manage these days. I have even sprained both ankles at once by simply stepping off a curb. What can I say? I have … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Into the Dark

A small crew of the Washington Academy 7th Graders went down into the tunnel — the entire grade couldn’t go because someone had to monitor the FBI. As they moved away from the tunnel opening and the fluorescent light bars in the room above, they learned how dark things could really be. True darkness is not something we experience often … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Dangling

Why is it when we’ve set our course and taken life by the horns we frequently find ourselves dangling in midair hanging on for dear life? After all, we’re supposed to pursue our goals with confidence, right? We envision our goal at the end of a wide-open eight-lane highway, when in reality it sits at the end of a winding, … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Humiliation of Rhonda Snodgrass

Of all the characters in 7th Grade Revolution, the one my inner twelve-year-old identified the most with was Rhonda Snodgrass. Smart, funny, individual thinker, reader, and definitely not one of the “IT” crowd. And klutz. At twelve, I was an athlete — softball and swimming — and I couldn’t figure out how I could excel in things requiring hand/eye coordination … Read More