Had such a fun time reading to Mrs. Anderson's kindergarten class on Wednesday, the 15th at Matthews Elementary School.  The children were attentive, curious, and so sweet. Reading to children is the very best reason to be an author!

​A big day on Saturday, April 27th at Ernest & Hadley Booksellers in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day and to kick off the Week of the Child.  The Tuscaloosa Writers and Illustrators Guild will be launching 'Tuscaloosa Stories,' a book of historical fiction and nonfiction for young readers, third grade up to tweens.  This is a book first conceived to help celebrate Tuscaloosa's Bicentennial.  My contributions are a nonfiction piece about animals that once roamed in this part of the state, and an historical fiction story based on the first airplane flight here in this city.  Jim has also contributed two historical fiction pieces.

But first, I will read and sign my new children's picture book, 'The Messy Room.'   A fun day all around!  

Jim and I so enjoyed the huge number of people we visited with at the 10th Annual Druid City Arts Festival April 5 & 6th!  Such a grand festival!  Perfect in every way!

I love being invited to book clubs.  It's always a special experience to hear from readers how differently each person in the room experiences my writing.   Sometimes I'm given ideas about my characters I've never even considered.  Like whether the person ultimately arrested in 'Tuscaloosa Moon' for the murder of Priscilla Beaty might have been a serial killer long before this book began.  What an interesting hypothesis!   Sometimes, readers ask me to place a part of the story in one place or another, and whenever I can, I accommodate.  I love the organic feel of creativity being a living, breathing organism, a true collaboration of reader and author.  Thanks so much, Ernest & Hadley for hosting 'Tuscaloosa Moon' this past Thursday night, and thanks to those brave, brave souls who ventured out in weather fit only for young meteorologists who stand with raincoats and rain boots, umbrellas turning inside out, during televised news reports! Despite the wind and rain, what a fun night!

December has proven to be such a busy month for Tuscaloosa Moon, Tuscaloosa Boneyard, and Kaleidoscope Jane, as well as for my husband's book, The  Cistern!   On December 2nd, we began the month at the Tuscaloosa Public Library, signing books with a number of other local authors during the library's annual Holiday Open House.  This is always a special afternoon filled with music, food, and fun for library patrons and authors, alike.

On the 8th of December, we were thrilled to help Ernest & Hadley Booksellers celebrate their Second Annual Fall for the Authors Festival.  There were over twenty authors featured during this celebratory day and it was a joy to meet so many patrons as well as amazingly talented local authors.  The 8th was also the day of the Tuscaloosa Writers and Illustrators Guild's Christmas luncheon.  What a diverse collection of supportive, talented, and productive colleagues this group is!

On the 15th and the 22nd of December, we joined with fantasy author, Patricia Correll and the author of the short story collection, Record of Our Debts, Laura Hendrix Ezell, to participate in the very first season of the City's Very Merry Market at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.  Artificial snow fell on us as we met other vendors and watched the community ice skate while meeting book lovers and those seeking great holiday gifts. 

Jim and I thank everyone who has supported our writing and our book signings over this past year.  We both have several projects in the works for 2019, and our first signing in 2019 will be at our wonderful local Barnes & Noble, Tuscaloosa, on  Saturday, January 5th, from 10 until late afternoon. Hope so much to see you there!