Book 7

I'm happy to report that book 7 is coming along nicely and should be available for the holiday season. It's titled "Captain Calliope and the Great Goateenies" and wait until you learn about the goateenies. Bailey and her friends are having lots of fun with them. There are also some scary parts involving Sparrow, and even Bailey when she goes to a slumber party.

I'm giving a talk tomorrow at the Louisa Historical Society, 10:30 a.m. See you there.

Manatee Cow Grass and Loggerhead

Bailey, Sugar, and I are enjoying our morning walks on Sanibel beach. We've had several surprises, as always. A few days ago the warm Gulf washed up mounds of something called Manatee Cow sea grass, which looks like little pieces of pasta. So far it doesn't smell bad. Then, this morning, we saw that a sea turtle had come ashore during the night, dragged herself over the sand, sea grass and up a ledge to dig an hole and lay her eggs. Won't hatch until September if they survive the waves and weather. But it was exciting to see. Bailey picked up a lot of goldies to take back to Virginia to show Noah and Fred what the goldies look like. We're staying longer, but they fly home on Friday.

Every day the beach is different. New types of shells. The waves come from from a different direction. The tide is farther in or out. It's wonderful.

Richmond homeschool convention

We hope to see a lot of you this weekend at the huge homeschool convention at the Science Museum. Tabby House will have a booth and I'll be autographing and discussing my books. Homeschools tell me how valuable the books are because they combine literature and history, and sometimes a little science. Parents like the discussion questions and activities available through the teacher's guides. See you there!

Bailey Fish book 7

There's been a big delay in blogging. We've been moving, painting, cleaning and setting up libraries and computers. And, I've been working on book 7 and trying to keep my 20-pound cat, Rover, from typing his own chapters. He's got a paw on the keyboard right now, so you may get a strange message. Spring is wonderful in Virginia, especially on the days it isn't raining. Bailey and Sugar planted tomatoes before we did, and their beets and lettuce are already up. We planted many types of squash, tomatoes, parsnips, and asparagus, but that won't be ready to eat for three years. Our new yard is surrounded by trees and I feel like I'm wearing a cloak of green when I step outside. It's wonderful. Will be glad when it gets warmer and stays warmer. Now, back to work on book 7.

Crestwood and Trevilians

Recently, I've had two wonderful school visits. One was at Trevlians Elementary School, in Louisa, where I spent the day talking to classes about writing and researching my books. Students from Mrs. Breen's class later sent me letters, which I have answered individually. They said they appreciated the tips on writing, such as using strong verbs.

Then yesterday, I was at Crestwood Elementary School in Chesterfield, Va., as part of a writing week. The Target Company gave them a grant to purchase copies of The Mysterious Jamestown Suitcase and to give a copy to each family to read together. I talked to all students in two sessions (the kids were great and had good questions), then again in the evening to a large gathering of families. Again, the questions were wonderful. One parent said she appreciated the way I worked in that families are all different--not the traditional two-parent model--so that kids could relate to the books. Little Jake, a kindergartener, told me before the program started that he was there for the ice cream, and hoped that I wouldn't talk too long. Unfortunately, he had to wait. There were lots of questions.

Both schools were warm and caring. Thanks, everyone.

Snow

I'm enjoying watching a light snow fall from the office in our new house. We don't live far from our old one, but it is more of a drive to see Sugar and Bailey now. They are coming over for dinner tonight and Sugar is bringing one of her famous peach pies. Bailey hopes she can see the deer that come in our backyard. I saw them last week, the night we moved in. The glided out of the woods, sniffed the bird feeders, and the doe had a sip of water from the bird bath. I haven't seen them since, but they have accepted the apples we tossed out for them.

The snow is pretty, but I'm really ready for spring.

Readers' ideas

A group of students associated with the Ladysmith Library in Caroline County recently read "Ghost of the Chicken Coop Theater" and has been corresponding with me about it. They wanted to be characters in my next book. I asked them what type of character they would be. Their answers made me smile.

Kaitlin said, "My name would be Emily Stowers, and I want to be in the middle of mean and nice, and I want glasses and a dog the kind is a yorky, so cute!!! Anyway, I love your book and have a great day."

Addison wrote, "I want to be a street racer who is protectful. I want to . . . have red spikey hair with black highlights. Car to look like . . . to have blue flames with the engine sticking out. A Lamborginni. A dog named spot."

Kirby said," I want to be a girl. She has long blond har, a lime green Mini Cooper, and I wood be good. My name wood be coco."

Grace wrote, "I would like to be an adventurous problem solver named Alex. I would like to have brown hair and my favorite color would be camoflage. I want it to be in the present time. I want to be rich, with no job, with a Camo Eclipse. I want to have a jack russel dog named Buster."

Morgan said, "The character I would like to have my different name. Rosey Elizabif Collins. Shady and nice/mean. Light blond hair with black and red high lights. "

Micheal said, "My character would have the same name. I will be happy and mad. I'd have blond hair. I would be a wrestler and also be strong and I'd have a nusky named spike. Oh and he is a boy with blue and green eyes. P.S. the Dog would be nice to good people and mean to bad people."

I think their ideas are wonderful and have actually changed the spelling of one of my characters in book seven from Cocoa to Coco.