A Facebook Group, And A Movement I’ve been teaching about writing in elementary classes recently and sharing some of my early chapters in my manuscript. The kids got so excited they asked me to help start a fan club and way for them to connect now. Hence, the Emissaries! A bit about them: Emissaries are secret agents charged with a special mission. Yes, they look like gnomes, or tomtar (in Swedish) but that’s only to fool you, to let down your guard. These Emissaries are on the roof, ready to spot trends, and find avenues for fun. I’m recruiting support…
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
It’s been a full time lately, with big challenges, and neat opportunities, too. But it’s very tiring. And we’ve been battling the spring colds. Now, I’m finding such refreshment in the simple things. Walks in the park, blossoms on trees, cool breezes with bike rides. Flying a kite. Sometimes during a hectic season, it’s nice to slow down and enjoy the moment. It takes a settled soul to look for that pause, and leave room for reflection. Some of my favorite moments lately: Smelling the flowers at gorgeous gardens Sipping wine with my favorite guy Silly moments with games Stepping…
What is a Teen Book Festival?
Last week I attended my first Teen Book Festival in Ontario, CA and I was so very impressed, I’ve created a VLOG (short video blog) for you! It was thrilling to hear from and meet amazing authors like Jay Asher, Marissa Meyer, Nicole Maggi, Andrew Smith, and Jessica Brody. I got to see San Diego author Stephanie Diaz again and loved her comments, too. And my friend Mary Weber was there and I finally have a wonderful signed set of her Storm Siren Trilogy to keep me company when I’m writing. If you’ve ever considered going, I highly recommend it….
Stolen Candy, Second Chances
Thoughts for today’s teens, and anyone needing fresh perspective. The first day of acrylic painting instructions in high school, someone ate my main project. No joking. We showed up with large canvasses, wide as I could stretch my arms. A 3×5 index card. And piles of very colorful salt-water taffy in wax-paper wrappers. Then the assignment: don’t eat the sweets, blow them up huge on the canvass! First, we glued them to the cards and made notes of the lighting so we could work on it for a few weeks. Then we carefully watched proportion and sketched the lines, shadows,…
Adapt to Open Doors
Part Three in the New Beginnings Series One of the special moments in pursuing your dream is when unexpected opportunities land on your doorstep. Sometimes they come at the craziest moment, when you’re tending a sick one, or mid-stream in another project on an entirely different subject. Has this ever happened to you? How did you respond? Were you rigid in sticking to your schedule or flexible enough to let yourself be open to possibilities? I’ve learned it’s important to pause and give special attention to the moment. Okay, the laundry may back up. And perhaps some other commitment has…
Life-giving Hugs
Recently Bethany Hamilton, of Soul Surfer movie fame, shark attack survivor, and world-class among women surfers, visited Southern California. One of Bethany’s great sayings is, “I can hug more people with one arm, than I ever could with two.” There were many impressive speakers before she came on, but when hundreds of tween and teen girls surrounded the stage to sit at her feet, my insides just melted. What a humbling, huge embrace! “We are all beautifully flawed in God’s eyes; He can use our flaws,” she shared. Seeing all these beautiful girls, and some amputees that are part of…
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