My friend Emilee

A fan named Emilee, who lives in the Boston area, recently designed a book jacket as a school project. I liked everything she wrote, and hope she becomes an author someday. She said the characters in my books are "excellent role models for children." When I get her permission, I will post some of her other comments.

I also had a wonderful evening last Thursday at Jouett Elementary School in Louisa. I talked to students and answered their questions and read a scary part of "No Sisters Sisters Club."

Happy Thanksgiving and don't explode a pumpkin in the microwave like I did by mistake.

busy weekend

With the first whirlwind of holiday booksignings over, I am tickled with the response to both books. It is gratifying to talk to people, especially youngsters, who enjoy reading and want to be writers. At my 7:30 a.m. booksigning at The Pear Tree Saturday, a mother and homeschooled daughter brought the copies that had purchased earlier in the week to have me sign them. They also wanted to talk about the writing process, and we had a wonderful conversation while they had breakfast. This Thursday should be fun at Jouett Elementary School's literacy night. I will be able to talk with the students, autograph books, and answer questions.

Book signings

We are very excited about book sales. We sold books and T-shirts at the Lake Anna Rescue building on Saturday--a perfect fall day, and talked to many people about the books. This weekend I have five book signings scheduled. On Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Fabric Hut in Louisa; from 3 to 5 p.m. at Lake Anna Florist at Anna Point Marina. Then on Saturday, from 7:30 to 10:15 at the Pear Tree in Spotsylvania Courthouse, and from 11 to 3 at Jabberwocky in Fredericksburg. Then on Sunday, from noon to three again at Jabberwocky. So, I hope I will have writer's cramp from autographing so many books!

Beautiful day

I wish this weather would never end. The trees are full color. It is so warm that we had to unzip our jackets halfway through our morning walk. The slobs are back at throwing trash on our newly cleaned road so we have already been picking up beer and soda cans. What are they thinking. Only knuckleheads litter like that. Planted lots more lilly bulbs. Ah, spring is beautiful, tool.

Forty bags

We are exhausted. Six of us, including Sugar, cleaned Centerville Road this morning. We filled 40 VDOT bags--bright orange like pumpkins. Mostly beer bottles and cans and lots of plastic bags, including fertilizer bags that came off a landscaper's truck. It was disgusting. Sugar thinks that if the county or state passed a bottle and can deposit law, people would take cans and bottles back to the store for a refund, rather than throw them out of a car or truck. She also said that litter breeds litter. When people see trash along the road, they don't care if they make the mess worse. So maybe it won't be as bad for awhile. And she said, "If everyone keeps their own neighborhood clean, things would be better."