Florida in March – event and school visits!

*UPDATE 3/1/19: Unfortunately, I’ve had to cancel my trip to Florida for the BAMfest due to illness. I’m so sorry to anyone who was looking forward to attending one of my panels or having a book signed by me. I know it’s not the same, but if you would like a signed and personalized bookmark,… Read more »

Eatin’ and Authorin’ All Over Texas!

Hello, friends! As you may know, I spent last weekend traveling around Texas with my husband and with fellow middle-grade author Rebecca Behrens (whose debut novel, When Audrey Met Alice, is one of my absolute favorite reads this year). We did three author events together and ate a whole lot of very healthy food. Here are some pics! Texas… Read more »

A Quest for the Best Burger in L.A.

When you write books about a made-up restaurant critic, sometimes you get the urge to channel her and do a bit of critiquing yourself. Which is why my husband Andy and I decided to fly to L.A. over Martin Luther King weekend and eat as many different hamburgers as we could. 🙂 This whole crazy idea came… Read more »

There’s a Monster Inside Me!

Or, well, there was in December of 2009. Andy and I had just returned from the first leg of our round-the-world trip, but little did we know that I was carrying an extra-special souvenir from Central America…in my scalp. I’d tell you more, but why read when you can watch? 🙂 That’s right–tonight at 9… Read more »

Interview with Aiken Avery, author of The Disaster Tourist

Ahoy there, blog readers! (Yes, that nautical greeting was deliberate–you’ll understand why in a moment.) If you follow me on Goodreads, you may recently have seen my ecstatic review for a book called The Disaster Tourist, which takes place on a round-the-world cruise and is one of my tippy-top favorite reads of 2013. But I… The Disaster Tourist“>Read more »

Advice for writerly types

Hello, friends! It seems to be time for my monthly blog update. First of all, I have a new post up today at EMU’s Debuts called “Wisdom from the 2013 EMLA Retreat.” The title pretty much says it all: It’s filled with great bits of advice that I picked up from other writers at the… Read more »

Two new blog posts

I know, it seems like I’m blogging everywhere but here these days! I have a new post up today at EMU’s Debuts called “Based on True Events”–it’s about the surprising way that reality sometimes sneaks into fiction. If you’re a fellow writer, I’d love to hear about a scene or aspect of your book that… Read more »