Newsflash - A cancellation and a new beginning

First off, the bad news:  LitFest Pasadena has been postponed due to rain!  It's an outdoor event in lovely Central Park, Pasadena, but the forecast calls for stormy weather.  The good news is, they've already rescheduled for May 12th-- a day the almanac has called rain-free for 10 years.  So, my apologies to all the book fans who were looking forward to celebrating the day.  I hope to see you all in a couple of months.



And now, for the new beginning:  I'm teaching a class!  Yes, I am getting back in front of the blackboard, or in this case, the sofa, for an intimate, small group YA novel writing class.  It's been a few years since my last official class for adults, but I know that group spawned some awesome novels.  Let's do it again!


The class is being offered through Writing Workshops Los Angeles starting April 25th.  We'll be meeting Wednesday evenings for eight weeks at a student's home in Glassell Park, where tea and story structure are the order of the day.  If you're interested, check it out and sign up fast-- there are only eight spots and it's filling up!

Meet the Author - LitFest Pasadena!

Do you know what's so special about this Saturday?  Three things:

1.  It's March 17th, St. Patrick's Day!
2.  It's also my birthday!
3.  And it's the first annual Pasadena LitFest!

Come help celebrate all three wonderful events this Saturday at Central Park in Pasadena, CA.  I'll be moderating the Youth Knows No Bounds: Breaking the Cliques and Clichés of Young Adult Literature panel at 10:30 am with fabulous local authors Cecil Castellucci, Lauren Kate, Ron Koertge, and Lisa Yee.  Come by, join the conversation, and be sure to wear green!  (I'm not above pinching people!)

Storytelling in the Sunshine State

St. Luke's Lutheran School

How lucky am I?  I'm just back from a visit to St. Luke's Lutheran School in Oviedo, FL as part of their S.P.L.A.S.H. Literacy Festival.  (If you're wondering, S.P.L.A.S.H. stands for "St. Luke's Promotes Literacy At School and Home.)  The festival is the brain child of two teachers, John and Anita Glanzer, who have been spreading a love of books across the country as part of their life mission. 

I must say, Florida is fast becoming my favorite state for school visits.  Gorgeous weather and friendly people, not to mention some of the craziest, most imaginative kids!  The stories we told in our writing workshops started with Crazy Hat Day as an inspiration, and went well beyond.  From Ghost Hats to evil tacos, flying horses to guys who just really need to take a bath-- well, as you can see, we had a blast!  One class had even created a map of events in FLYGIRL, laying out the story like a navigational map for a pilot-- what an amazing idea!  (I'd show you a picture but my photography skills couldn't do it justice.)
Thanks to the S.P.L.A.S.H. organizers, the St. Luke's staff and Parent/Teacher League for bringing me out.  Thank you to all of the students who worked so hard on their stories and made me feel welcome.  An extra special thanks goes to Sherry for the lovely tea cups and to my host mom, Siobhan, for taking care of me every step of the way.