"When you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!'
Then get busy and find out how to do it."
— Theodore Roosevelt
Then get busy and find out how to do it."
— Theodore Roosevelt
Happy 2016! I hope you're looking forward to the unfolding of this new year as much as I am.
2015 was a year of doing. Not as much writing as I'd have liked, but many events. For those who might have missed some of them on Facebook or my blog posts over the year, here's a recap of what took place.
2015 was a year of doing. Not as much writing as I'd have liked, but many events. For those who might have missed some of them on Facebook or my blog posts over the year, here's a recap of what took place.
In February, I was the first guest interviewed by Chris Allen, founder of a new online podcast called "The Pickleball Show." I felt honored that he selected me, and I enjoyed being part of this new format. The show has grown to over 40 episodes containing great information about all aspects of the sport. Click here if you'd like to listen to my podcast. Sales of The Art of Pickleball continue to be good—for a while, it jumped up in rank on Amazon.com and was a bestseller! I owe some of that success to things like this podcast, but most of it is due to you, my readers, who tell others about the book.
In March, Richard and I headed south with our animals (two dogs and three cats) so I could sell books at the Tucson Book Festival with YA author Ann I. Goldfarb and kids' author M.J. Evans. The festival was marred by gale-force winds that made it difficult to display anything (books kept blowing open or away), and I came down with the flu. My partners carried on without me (thanks again, friends) who sold books for me while I was gone.
In April, a revised Bruce and the Road to Courage received the OneBookAZ Award for Children's Books. Winning this award has opened doors in ways I'd never imagined. Thanks to the Arizona State Library and ONEBOOKAZ.org for all they do to help encourage reading within the state. Part of the award was the opportunity to travel to libraries and schools throughout Arizona (Yuma, Prescott Valley, Sedona, Cottonwood, Morenci, Chandler, and Red Mountain Community College), where I spoke to kids and adults about writing, my books, and what it's like to be an author and self-publisher. It was a busy couple of months! You can read my full post about receiving the award here.
June brought me to Berkeley, California, to the first annual Bay Area Book Festival. Located on and around the site of the old "People's Park," I was reminded of my days there as an undergrad in the early '70s (after the unrest was more-or-less over). Book sales were good and I got to see my two grandsons and other family members still in the Bay Area and enjoyed a bit of a vacation when the festival was finished.
Throughout the year, I also helped others with their books, doing editing, typesetting, and/or publishing for author friends with deserving books.
 Eveline Horelle Dailey's novel, The Drum Made from the Skin of My Sisters, is a fictional account based in truth about two young girls from Iran and Afghan-istan who are saved from horrible deaths and brought to the USA, where they reside with a recently widowed French ex-patriate who eventually adopts them. Read more here. |  Rita Toma's first young adult novel, David's Ghost, deals with a teenage girl who struggles with her ability to see ghosts. David is the most recent, asking Megan to find out who murdered him. Struggling to be accepted in a new town and a new school, Megan wants anything except to be talking to ghosts no one else can see. More info . . . |
 Ellen Buikema's first chapter book for chil-dren was just published and is receiving great reviews. I edited the text and typeset the pages, which included artwork by my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Engel. Charlie learns life lessons about moving to a new town and school, making new friends, and dealing with life's ups and downs. His pet fish, Frankie, is particularly lovable. If you are looking for a gift for young readers (grades 0–3), The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon: New Beginnings might be just right. Learn more here. |  Soon to be published, Joyce Sorensen's first book is a memoir about her life with her husband, Dick and is written in his memory. They met at age 15, married at 19, struggled with dysfunc-tional families, Dick's deployment to Korea, and eventually Alzheimer's, which took Dick to his own world, leaving Joyce alone. In a rare, serendipitous moment, lucidity returns, and they again share the great love that was the hallmark of their life together. Release date: February 14, 2016, from Two Cats Press. |
August brought an interview for the magazine Story Monsters Ink--a fine and free magazine for kids and parents published here in Arizona by Five Star Publications. I was so pleased they chose to chat with me about my Bruce and Friends series of books. I enjoyed the interview and talking about how I came up with ideas, my writing process, and more. (Authors like to talk. :-) ) You can read the interview here.
October brought more book sales at Sun City Grand's Oktoberfest, an annual event held at the community where I used to live (and a hop and skip from where I am now). It's always great to get back there and see my friends.
October brought more book sales at Sun City Grand's Oktoberfest, an annual event held at the community where I used to live (and a hop and skip from where I am now). It's always great to get back there and see my friends.
Later in October, Richard and I again packed up the animals into the RV and headed to Glendora, California. It was there, several years ago, that a wonderful teacher asked me to visit her classroom and speak with the students who were reading Courage. I jumped at the chance—my first time talking with students—and enjoyed each minute. It's hard to describe the joy of having children tell you they love you and your books, or that you're their favorite author.
This year, the visit expanded to four schools and nineteen classrooms over a week and a half. I loved every moment, and I look forward to doing it again in 2016!
I was also pleased to again visit Glen L. Downs school in Phoenix. Librarian and author Constance Escobar gave me space in the library and nearly all grades from 2 through 8 visited during the day so we could chat about writing and publishing. I was surprised how many of the students expressed an interest in writing (no doubt thanks to Connie's encouragement).
Attending the Phoenix Comicon Fanfest for the first time in December was a highlight of the year. Ann Goldfarb and I again shared a booth and we had good book sales—but we would go back again just to see the wonderful costumes and the great stuff they had for sale. We now have our names on the waiting list for a table at the summer Comicon, which is even bigger and better.
Beyond that, two of my short stories were published in the annual anthology of work from the West Valley Writers Workshop (called Inkslingers 2015: Doorway to Discovery), and Two Cats Press published that anthology when it was complete. I also moderated a critique group with ten other writers that met bi-monthly throughout the year.
2015 was busy, indeed. Despite that, I managed to amass 130,000 words so far in the first draft of my new epic fantasy novel for young adults called The Rift. A few more chapters and that draft should be complete—then on to editing and polishing. While I'd hoped book one of The Rift would be finished sooner, I vow you'll see it this year. I've also promised the students that I'll complete book five in the Bruce and Friends series (Bruce and the Road to Freedom).
I hope you had a great 2015 and that 2016 will bring more joys and successes to all of us. Thanks for taking this journey with me!
2015 was busy, indeed. Despite that, I managed to amass 130,000 words so far in the first draft of my new epic fantasy novel for young adults called The Rift. A few more chapters and that draft should be complete—then on to editing and polishing. While I'd hoped book one of The Rift would be finished sooner, I vow you'll see it this year. I've also promised the students that I'll complete book five in the Bruce and Friends series (Bruce and the Road to Freedom).
I hope you had a great 2015 and that 2016 will bring more joys and successes to all of us. Thanks for taking this journey with me!
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