I LOVE that an important component of children's book writing is to read, regularly.  I already read regularly for bedtime and fun with the little one, but now I get to read for leisure and research.  Here are a few books that I recently picked up at some bookstores (aside from Where the Sidewalk Ends, that has been in my possession for over 20 years).  And, I didn't realize we already had a copy of Where the Wild Things Are.  These new books all popped out for me, and were both fun to read, and very informative in terms of structure, format, voice, and more.  I'm looking forward to continuing the research journey at the library, with the occasional purchase along the way.

​Happy reading!

It is the perfect time to start this blog as I am embarking on some new and uncharted territory out in the open.  In addition to my full time job, family, and other creative endeavors, for the past five years I've been secretly writing children's books.  Well, a handful of people knew, but now - anyone who visits will know, and hopefully soon more will too.

I took a huge step towards the realization of this creative passion, and attended my first ever writer's conference.  Last fall I joined SCBWI (the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators), and registered for the regional conference.  The 2017 Golden Gate Conference of SCBWI took place at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, March 3-5.  It was a phenomenal personal experience, and great conference.  I got a ton of new (and extremely useful) information, met some great new friends, and got some feedback on my work as well.  

The theme of the conference was "Find the Heart of Your Story" - which could not have been a better note to start on.  As a first-timer, I was quite nervous - not really knowing what to expect, but I found people to be very generous and kind, and again - so much great information.  I'm looking forward to re-start the journey and share the experience here!