Wonderful Orange County

In the past few weeks, I have visited four elementary schools in Orange County, Virginia, and talked about the Bailey Fish Adventure series with about 1,200 students in grades three to five. The students have been incredible, asking wonderful questions, listening carefully, and sitting very quietly for an hour at a time. They want to know why Justin is in the book, which character or book I like the best, how long I have wanted to write books, and what books I like to read. It is such a happy time for me. In one school, Lightfoot Elementary, the students and teachers prepared a large bulletin board with maps showing where the stories take place and a welcome to me. You can see it by clicking on this link. Thank you Alexis Smith, and all the students in the district. I will return on March 15 to Prospect Heights Middle School, and go to Falmouth Elementary in Stafford County on March 21. http://www.ocss-va.org/

Let it snow

I'm looking out the window and watching the snow start to fall. It's supposed to be a big storm, but doesn't look very threatening at the moment. When I was a young girl, I used to like to make snow angels. My father also helped us make igloos when we had a deep snow in Mahway, New Jersey. If this snow gets deep I will probably make a snowman or snow cat, and maybe a very large snow angel. Bailey said she is glad it is snowing on a Saturday when she doesn't have to be in school. She is still unfamiliar with snow because she was raised in Florida. She told me that she has been outside catching flakes on her tongue.

new book

We had a sneak preview today of the cover for The Thief at Keswick Inn. I like it. Our designer, Lewis Agrell, does a wonderful job. I am also excited about visiting Orange County elementary schools this month. I will be talking to them about researching the history for each story.