Photo Shoot with Stormy

Stormy and I had a photo shoot over Valentine’s Day. The Cannon Beach History Center invited a photographer to take pictures of Humans and their pets. A portion of the sitting fee was donated to the Cannon Beach History Center. He was very proud of his book!

The Cannon Beach History Center also carries copies of my middle grade, Some Stories Are Not Seen, and a portion of the sale goes toward the Cannon Beach History Center.

In other news, I have been working with the City of Cannon Beach and the Parks Committee to sponsor a Little Free Library in Les Shirley Park. The design for the Little Free Library was approved and the builder/designer is working on it. The Little Free Library will be ready just in time for Oregon’s spring break week the last week of March. It is registered with the Little Free Library website and you will be able to locate it on the app if you are visiting in Cannon Beach.

New YA on Kindle Vella

I have a new YA mystery, romance on Kindle Vella. Kindle Vella is the serialized story program where one episode is published at a time. You can read the first three episodes of Celtic Dreams here for free.

Story Blurb: Fifteen-year old, Erin wants nothing more than to champion in the upcoming Irish Dance Competition. While sixteen-year-old, Michael, dreams of becoming a famous graffiti artist and exhibiting in New York City. When the two meet, sparks fly and soon Michael is helping Erin add a few passionate dance steps to her routine. But when all clues point to Michael as the criminal who destroyed her dress, Erin will have to decide if she is willing to risk it all and follow her heart.

New episodes will post weekly!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Dog

My sister published a story, “The Neighborhood Dog,” in the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul book! I was gifted a copy at Christmas and have enjoyed reading the stories in the morning with a cup of coffee or before bed. It’s a great book for dog lovers of all ages! Great job Becca Hardwick!

You can buy Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned From My Dog here.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

This month I participated in the Two Hearts Holiday Market and Bazaar in Gresham, Oregon. Sales were brisk and I sold out of my new book, The World is a Sniff, by mid-afternoon of the first day.

It was fun to see so many of the people I work with coming out to buy books. But, the best part was meeting one of my virtual high school students who came to see me!

I don’t often recognize my students because I teach in an online school and their cameras aren’t always on in the Zoom lessons. But once she introduced herself, I knew exactly who she was in my 11th grade English class!

I hope whatever you are doing this holiday season you find a little bit of magic in the moment!

There is still time to order any of my books from your favorite bookstore and receive them for Christmas gifts.

Holiday Market

I am participating in the 2 Hearts Marketplace and Holiday Bazaar this weekend. The Holiday Market takes place in the Portland, Oregon area (Gresham). I will have all my books to sell and sign. I will be there all day both days. They are also offering gift wrap!

World is a Sniff Published

The World Is a Sniff is now available in both print and ebook! The book can be purchased at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Or your favorite local independent bookstore including Powells and the Cannon Beach Book Company. The World Is a Sniff is also available for library purchase through Overdrive if you recommend it to your local library. I can also sell and mail some signed copies if you contact me directly.

Story Blurb: Stormy. Born for greatness as an agility dog. But greatness slips out of Stormy’s paws when he flunks his first puppy agility test and is reassigned as a pet dog, Now Stormy must learn the rules of backyard dog barking contests, how to coexist with a pesky cat, and most importantly, how not to steal other dogs’ treats in weekly training classes. A humorous and joyful journey told through the eyes of a dog who is trying to teach his Human how to see the world one sniff at a time. The book will appeal to dog lovers of all ages, especially those in the ages 8-12 range.

Fall Writing Workshops

I am presenting two writing workshops this fall.Both are on Zoom so anyone can sign up–no matter where you live! The workshops are both on Pacific Coast time.

Writing the Young Adult Novel with Portland Community College Continuing Education Program. Tuesdays. 6:30:-8:20. October 4-November 8. Zoom. Through readings, discussions, and individual and collaborative writing exercises, develop a young adult character voice and learn about the genre. Share your writing in a supportive space. Learn about publishing. All levels welcome. Register here

Writing the Picture Book with The Astoria Writer’s Guild. October 22. Saturday. 10 am-1 pm. Zoom. Picture Books are the most beloved story form of children’s writing. But how easy is it to write one? In this workshop, we’ll look at how to create a memorable child character, how to craft a simple plot to be read multiple times, explore pacing, and discuss how to publish picture books. The workshop is designed for those interested in learning how to write a picture book story and is also beneficial for illustrators wanting to know how to write a picture book. Register here.

August Newsletter

Cover Reveal–The World Is a Sniff

The cover is ready for my upcoming middle grade, The World is a Sniff! The cover art is designed by Su at Earthly Charms. The World is a Sniff will be released in September. For the last year, I have published episodes of this story on Kindle Vella. In May, I completed the story and it will now be a print and ebook with a release in mid-September. Kindle Vella was a great way for me to write consistently and finish this story, but my readers are not on Kindle Vella. So I was excited to bring it to readers through a print and ebook version.

The story is told from the point of view of my Cocker Spaniel, Stormy. His “voice” emerged on dog Twitter a couple years ago and I enjoy posting for him (more so then my own Twitter!). You can follow Stormy on Twitter @stormyspaniel. The story will be categorized as a middle grade but all ages of readers will enjoy it–especially dog lovers!

Stormy: Born for greatness as an agility dog. But greatness slips out of Stormy’s paws when he flunks his first puppy agility test and is reassigned as a pet dog. Now Stormy must learn the rules of backyard dog barking contests, how to coexist with a pesky cat, and most importantly, how not to steal other dogs’ treats in weekly training classes. A humorous and joyful journey told through the eyes of a dog who is trying to teach his Human how to see the world one sniff at a time.

July Author Newsletter