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Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Amidst the Bustle

I love decorating for Christmas. When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to "remove" a few of the more interesting ornaments, lie under the tree and play for hours. Every ornament had a backstory.  As a grown-up, I most treasure those decorations with backstory--and if there isn't one then of course  I make one up!

Here's a glimpse of what it looks like around here:
These two trees are gifts from the Grinch.  He'd stolen them from Whoville and had meant to give them back, but forgot when he took a nap after eating all of that Roast Beast.  When he discovered his mistake, he couldn't find a graceful way to return them without having everyone think he was being "Grinchy" again, so he stashed them here. I didn't mind too much.

This is Dude.  He is from Hawaii. He is very cool--though not very happy about the hat. 

Sean gave me the Santa Brothers for Christmas years ago. Now they have a little puppy whose name changes every year.  It's not because I forget what I named him every year...not at all.
Oh, and next to them is Baby Noel.  My daughter got her for her first Christmas.  She used to hang from the tree, but somehow dropped and has a small crack now, so the Santa Brothers watch  over her.  Kind of like Three Men and a Baby, but with two Santas...and a really GIANT baby.

I have many Nativity scenes, but this is one of my favorites. Someone small in the house was playing and lost the Baby Jesus, so they substituted a Fairy Winkle (remember those?) thinking I wouldn't notice.  Well, I noticed, but I rather like it.

Made by my Great-Grandmother on my Dad's side YEARS ago.  It was my favorite thing in her house.  I am so lucky to have it.

LOOK AT THE VINTAGE JEWELRY!

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. I HAVE TWO OF THE VINTAGE JEWELRY CHRISTMAS TREES!! The bottom one was made by my great-uncle on my mom's side.  He must have read the same craft magazine as my great-grandmother did because they BOTH made one of these YEARS before the families were related by the marriage of my parents. SO WEIRD!! But awesome that I have them both.
Oh, and yes, those are my dogs in holiday sweaters.  In California where it is 70 degrees.  What can I say--my 15 year-old did it!



Tree-topper:  A star from a paper shop in Albuquerque and a picture of Trinket. When Noel first saw the cover for The Seven Tales of Trinket, she said it looked a bit like a Byzantine Baby Jesus.  I thought she was right. When I look up at the top of the tree, I am reminded that you can see holiness everywhere, if only you are willing to look.
(Oh, if you look above the tree, you can see a glimpse of a few of the members of my own personal Action League.  They are on the highest shelf and watch over Christmas to make sure things stay on track.  You can see Sun Kachina to the right (Made by my daughter from a tp roll,) and the Good Knight, and to the left, there is a likeness of a stature of Moses by Michealangelo backed up by Robot.  Not pictured:  Lego Indiana Jones, Irish Penguin, Chicken Wizard, Lego Han Solo.)

So, Merry Christmas to all!  May your holiday be filled with stories!

xo--

hrh

Sunday, December 14, 2014

The Illusion of Balance

Probably the question people ask me the most is How do you do it?  How do you balance everything? How can you be both a teacher and a writer?

And even though I've answered this question hundreds (yes) of times, my answer really isn't that good.  I don't actually know how to do it all.  Most of the time, I struggle.

I love being a teacher. There is something so incredible about living a life dedicated to the future of our world. Everyday, I get to see evidence that what I do is making a difference in the lives of children.  It's just...wow.

And I love being a writer.  Being able to conjure something in my imagination, being able to put it into words and having those words be the right words is a puzzle that I can't stop playing with. Knowing that the stories I write are read by children in schools or to children as they lie in bed each night makes my heart soar.

But these two endeavors take time.  And we all get the same amount of time. I don't get more time than anyone else, so I struggle with how to stretch my time to accommodate my two passions. And with that stretching comes the understanding that sometimes (most of the time) I have to let other things go.

I've been deep into drafting a new novel.  I thought the last novel I wrote (SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY in case you were wondering) was HARD, but this new one, this strange sci-fi story that eleven year-old me won't give up on, is HARDER. I started it in 2013. I wrote 10 pages and stopped, then revisited in May of 2014 and have been deep into it since. But pouring so much of my soul into getting these words right means there is less of that soul left for other things. One of those things that I've had to give up a bit is my blog.  Aauugghh. It makes me so sad when I open my blog (which is where I always click onto my twitter) and see that I've not posted in weeks.  And although I really appreciate it when people read my blog (THANK YOU!!), my blog's true purpose is for self-reflection.  It is a web-log of my journey, both as a writer and as a teacher.

I hate when I have to let that kind of think-time go. It makes my head jumbly and forgetful.

But, as I said, there is only so much time.

And if you are wondering if my house is messy, it is.  Dinners are MUCH simpler right now. If it weren't for crock-pot Mondays and salad Wednesdays, we'd probably starve.  

This time of year it gets extra tricky because of Christmas (which I love). I have decorated, but with a lighter hand this year. I had to cut myself some slack.

I think that is probably what I am trying to get at here, what I am trying to reflect on more for myself so that I can understand and embrace it.  There is not enough time to do it ALL. There just isn't.

So I have to cut myself slack.

There is so much more I want to say about this, about how I basically get to watch NO TV, how reading is the most luxurious treat--but only if I finish my daily word count, how I have actually hit my head on my desk falling asleep trying to write more (but the next day finding out it was jibberish anyway), but I am running out of time. Again. This post was supposed to be filled with advice about how to manage a life such as this. Obviously I am in no position to give advice. Ha.

I guess all I can say is, when you are trying to balance your life, cut yourself some slack.

That is how I balance my life.  With slack. (How do YOU manage it?)

xo-

hrh


 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thankfulness (and no whining)

 I am thankful that I even get to write books at all.  I mean, it really is an honor to be a part of the world of children's literature, to create stories and books for kids---it's just really the best.

But I do whine about it sometimes.  I whine that I don't have enough time to write.  I whine that what I am working on is "hard" and that revising it is "hard".  I whine that I am too tired sometimes to put a word on the page after a day of teaching school then coming home and being a mom. I whine because my characters decide to do things other than what I'd planned for them, or worse, when my characters do nothing at all and I have to keep throwing things at them to get some kind of authentic action.  Man, I do whine about that a lot.

I whine when I lack inspiration because it feels like the muse is giving me nothing--and then I whine when I am inspired, SO INSPIRED, because the muse has given me a ton but I don't know where to begin.

I whine because it takes me a long time to be satisfied with what I am creating and I wish I was faster. (I whine to myself about this almost daily.)

Whine, whine, whine.

But tonight, the evening before Thanksgiving, I will not whine that the pie crust is not made because my characters cannot decide how they are escaping from an secret library underneath Mont St. Michel. Nope. No whining (even though they are driving me crazy!!)  I am remembering to be thankful.  I am so fortunate that the stories from my heart are finding their way into the lives of children.

It's just really the best thing ever.

xo-

hrh

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Pep Talks I Give Myself



*Who am I kidding?  I cannot write this kind of book. I don’t even know the kind of book I can write, but it is not this. Maybe I should just give it up.  Okay, fine. I give up. BUT THEN WHAT??  What then would I write?

*What story calls from my soul, demanding to be told?  That is tough to find sometimes.  But keep looking. Keep listening.  It will be worth it.

*Do not lose faith.  Each story is its own entity.  It cannot be anything other than itself, just as you cannot be anything other than yourself.  

*Right now, it’s just about continuing.  The ability to make this happen.  The ability to reach the end.  That is all it is about right now. Continuing.


*When I have scenes that I don’t want to write, it is usually because I have lost my voice somehow—I no longer know what/how to say it. Find the voice again and the words will come. 

*Having compassion for ourselves and where we are is one of the most important things. Do not forget.

*It is amazing how 238 little words can bring me such hope and joy.  And it will allow me to write the next bit because I know that this bit exists.


Hoping these words bring you a little encouragement if you find yourself needing it.

xo-

hrh

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Scary Books for October

I don't know what the deal was, but I ended up reading three scary middle-grade novels right in a row this summer.  Each made my spine tingle in a different way.  I started with:
Great cover, yes?
This book puts the creep in creepy.  I remember thinking as I read it in July that is would be a perfect October read--it totally screams Fall.  It's author, J.A. White, also managed several surprises in this book which blew me away.


I adore this cover, too.  Something about the branches...
The first page of this book completely captivated me.  I could NOT put it down.  And yeah, it is best read during the daylight hours if you are a chicken like me. Well done, Aaron Starmer!


Again with the branches.  I am a sucker for branches.
This one took me far away--incredibly mysterious circumstances.  And Jonathan Auxier managed to make me care about his characters from the get-go, which them made me want them to GET OUT OF THAT HOUSE NOW!  But of course, they didn't. *cue evil laughter*

Anyway, if you are looking for a book filled with suspense and chills, you can't go wrong with THE THICKETY, THE RIVERMAN, or THE NIGHT GARDENER.

Happy reading!

xo--

hrh

Sunday, September 28, 2014

What I Am Working on Right Now




It is not unusual for me to work on multiple projects at a time.  Right now I am working on FOUR!  But since they are not all in the same genre, it seems to work out okay.

1. Picture Book--This books is about a narwhal.  I love narwhals and have been dying to write one into a picture book.  Right now, I have gone two different directions with the same narwhal character in two separate manuscripts.  I am just not sure which one is better.  Yet.  I will eventually.  That is the thing about picture books--like a fine wine, you have to give them time to breathe.  I have opened the cork on these two attempts, and they smell pretty good right now, but I am only going to use one of them, so I have to wait and see which will end up tasting better.

2. Easy Reader--I am SO excited about this book--well, this is actually a planned series.  It is a book with friendship at the heart of it, kind of like Frog and Toad (which I LOVE!).  But my characters are NOT very Frog and Toad-like, which makes it different in all the right ways.  I have one of the books completed, but after a few conversations, it was decided that they needed an "origin" story, so that is what I am working on now.

3. Chapter Book-If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know that I am dying to write a chapter book.  (It's the kind of books that happens between an easy reader and a middle grade novel.) Seeing as I have written both in the past, it seems logical (to me, anyway) that I should be able to write this type of book, too.  Also, I teach third grade, which is a hotbed of chapter book love.  It would please me so much to write something accessible to the majority of my students (my middle grade novels are a little too hard for some.) Anyway, I have been waiting for the right vehicle, the right idea to come along that I could work with in this format.Finally!!! IT IS HERE!!

4. Middle Grade- I am about half way through a middle-grade sci-fi that is warming my little eleven year-old heart.  Growing up, I was shaped by Lost in Space, Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Gallactica, the X-filess (okay, I watched this as a grown up, but still).  I have been wanting to write something out of the box for myself, take some real chances and write the book that my younger self needed.  But here is the rub:  It has been HARD!  I have struggled with the voice, just recently deciding to change the point of view.  Climbing out of the little, comfortable Celtic box I've built for myself is risky.  But worth it, I think.

So, here are a few pictures that I find inspiring as I work on this stuff. I am not going to tell you which picture inspires which book--you can figure that out on your own!
















hrh



Saturday, September 13, 2014

What's New, Pussycat?

I am slowly crawling out of the craziness that is my life at the beginning of the school year.  I seem to have a mental block against remembering how I manage to get everything in the classroom (and out of the classroom) into the "groove." Daily schedules, packing lunches, dinner time, homework--those kinds of things, always throw me for a loop.  I never seem to recall how long it takes me to be able to sit and take a deep breath again.

But things have calmed down a bit (not really, actually--spent yesterday in the ER with my teen, as it were) and I am finally ready for Fall*.

That being said, I have a few AUTUMNAL ANNOUNCEMENTS (nifty alliteration, I know.)

First off, here is the cover for my latest book, out in March.  Are you ready?  It is so adorable!!  It is a picture book about a very cute but subversive kitten.




Wait for it.....




Wait for it......








Ta Da!!


Oh, Kitten!  I do so love you!
The pictures were done by Lori Nichols.  She is awesome!! Here is her website if you want to check out some more of her stuff: www.lorinichols.com .  Maple, which came out this Spring, was just so sweet.  I am anxiously waiting for her follow-up, Maple and Willow.

Second, I wanted to let you know that if you are interested in booking me for a school visit, my contact information has changed,  Please contact Catherine Balkin at catherine@balkinbuddies.com.  She is taking care of visits for me this year, which will be a great help, believe me. I've only a few spots available during the school year (since I am a teacher, too!), so let Catherine know soon if this is something you are pondering.  She has information regarding the types of performances offered (anything thing from wacky storytelling with puppets to more authorly types of things for older audiences).  Again, my availability during the year is pretty small and my calendar fills up quickly.


That's it for today!  

Hope you are getting into your Fall groove!

hrh

*Hey, SoCal, if you could change the weather a bit, you know, make it a little less hellishly hot, that would be awesome. Thanks!

Monday, August 18, 2014

The End is Near (the end of Summer, that is)

Sorry the blog has been so quiet!  I meant to post  Story Schools 8 and 9  while I was away, but it didn't work out the way I had planned.  Sometimes Blogger is fun like that.  Oh well.

Anyway, you guys hit it out of the park on the last Story School.  So many different types of superheroes!  I couldn't choose a favorite if I tried.  But I will tell you that Celery Man has a very unusual power and you don't want to meet him if you are chowing down on junk food, and Star Baby is downright adorable, but watch out for the tantrums!  Oh, and the battle between The Pinkie and The Goldfish has to go down in the record books as one of the strangest things ever!!

And there was one piece, a poem, about what it really means to be a hero that tugged at my heart.  This young writer made me think about heroism in a new way.  Well done.

The school year is knocking on the door here, and some of you have already gone back. Can you believe how quickly the summer has gone?  I can't.  I mean, I just can't.  The other day I was in JoAnn Fabrics and they were selling CANDY CORN by the register!!  My first Candy Corn sighting of the season.  It was only August 8!!  (I wonder what Celery Man would have to say about that!!)

But I did manage to accomplish some of my summer goals, which is a good thing.

I did watch a desert sunset:
From the review mirror.  New Mexico sunsets are the best.
And I made it to the Santa Fe Opera:


The view from my seat before sunset.  Just to the left is the stage.  Those folks down there are just enjoying the awesomeness.
 And I rode in the tiny tram car to the top of a mountain:

The mountain was HIGH and Cali and Sean hiked the La Luz trail to meet us at the top.  Yes, they are beasts!
And I ate a cronut but I didn't get a picture because I ate it too fast.

I got to see one of my covers (for NO, NO, KITTEN) and the design but not finished product for SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY. Hopefully I'll have stuff to show you soon.

And...I got to breathe.  Lots of wide open spaces and big skies really helped me out some. 

So, not too bad--didn't get to Catalina yet, but that was mostly due to heat.  It has been HOT here.  It was actually cooler in New Mexico than it was here in SoCal for most of August.  

Now I feel like I can face my WIP draft again.  At least I hope I can.

xo-

hrh 


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Story School #7

First off, I want to thank you for last week's submissions.  The topic of What the Baby Ate brought us to a whole new level of weird.  There were babies eating normal things (like peaches and bananas), babies eating unusual things (like, um, I dunno...TIRES) and then there was also THE BABY THAT ATE THE WORLD!  Naturally, a young writer took it a bit further and had me cracking up with his story, WHAT THE BABY BURPED.  So there you have it.

This week's Story School is inspired by real events.  Well, kind of real.  But first, just in case this is your first week here, let me give you a brief recap of what Story School is all about:

Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

So, on to this week's inspiration:  SUPER HEROES!!


I went to Comic Con last week and all I can think about this week are superheroes!!  I mean, just imagine all of the possibilities!  So many options in terms of superpowers.  Super vision. Super speed.  Flying power.  Invisibility.  And those are just the normal ones.  What about those obscure ones--like super pie eating power?  (And maybe the super pie eating hero could barf out whipped cream at his enemies in a phenomenal cream ray!)  Sorry, that's a little gross.  But you get the idea.  You can do anything with your superhero.


And superheroes don't have to be grown-ups now do they?


So, you  go ahead and get started on your writing about a superhero and I'll go and bake these cookies for us, okay?

And remember, if you want to send me your writing, you can:  storyqueen@gmail.com.

Have fun!

hrh



Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Story School #6

Hi again!  Welcome back to Story School. Last week's stories/poems were mostly funny--actually MY chicken pie story is funny, too.  I guess there's just something about chicken pie that makes people think of silly things.

And if you need to know what Story School is, here is the description:

Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

So, I am teaching a writing workshop for children this week.  We have only been meeting for 2 days so far, but we have already written so much. Such amazing young authors!  I thought it might be fun to base this week's topic for writing on something from the workshop.  We were talking and sharing and then someone said something funny, based on misunderstanding what someone else said, and the next thing we knew, we had some up with a title for what we decided would be a great book.

But first, a little about titles. I love coming up with good titles.  I make lists and lists of possible titles for things.  Sometimes I get an idea for a title for a book and I have NO idea what the book will actually end up being about.  Part of the fun is the mystery--what COULD happen within this story?  


The title we came up with was:  What the Baby Ate.

So, there you go.  Write something with the title of What the Baby Ate.  I have no idea what you might do with this, but have fun, okay?

And of course I'll read your stories and poems.  Send them to storyqueen@gmail.com and I'll write back!

hrh

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Story School #5

Wow!  You guys killed it last week.  So many castles.  There were a few castle poems, a castle song, and lots of castles that appeared in stories.  The space castle, submitted by J,  really stays in my mind--floating through the galaxy with an asteroid moat and a galactic dungeon. Oh, the dungeon! Anyway, I am really enjoying reading your writing.  Keep'em coming!

As for me, I wrote a description of the island castle I am planning on sticking in a story--but I am not at the point in the story where the castle comes into play.  Yet. But it is nice to know that when I need it, it will be there, waiting for me.

If you are new here,  let me explain Story School:

Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

Okay, the truth is, sometimes random stuff just gets me going.  So, I am going to give you a random word (actually two words):

Chicken Pie

Don't ask me why I have this word in my brain, or what it has to do with a new project I am working on, because I can't tell you.  What I can tell you is that I spent most of yesterday writing about chicken pie.  Weird, huh?  So, now it is your turn.  Does chicken pie remind you of big meals at your grandma's house?  Does it make you think of a chicken eating a pie?  Does it just make you remember how much YOU LOVE PIE?  ALL KINDS OF PIE? 

Remember the rules: you can write a story, a poem, a song, a letter, a whatever-you-want, just try and use the words chicken and pie in there somewhere. (And if you write about something else, that's okay, too.  There are no Chicken Pie Police that are going to throw you into Chicken Pie Jail if you don't use the words!)

Also, I will be doing a story time the Barnes and Noble and Oceanside this Saturday, July 19th at 5:00 pm. Bring your books and I'll sign them. There will also be books available to purchase. (I MIGHT give you a sneak peak of some new stuff....maybe...) The Carlsbad Educational Foundation is hosting an showcase of their summer programs.  There are only two weeks left!

Have fun writing!

xo--

hrh

P.S. If you want to share your writing with me, my email is storyqueen@gmail.com. No pressure, though.  Only if you want to.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Story School #4

Happy Wednesday!  And welcome to the fourth installment of Story School. Last week's NARWHAL prompt inspired lots of great writing. I received several awesome poems, in lots of different styles--haiku, diamonte, cinquain, and free verse.  We even had a story about an epic narwhal battle.  As for my narwhal story, I polished it up and sent it to my agent, so we will see what she says.

  In case you are new here and are wondering what Story School is, let me tell you:

 Every Wednesday this summer, I'll post a story starter of sorts.  It might be an idea or a prompt.  It might be just a single word.  Who knows!  Story School started as a way for me to continue to connect with the students from my school (about writing) over the summer. But really, Story School is for everyone, young or old.  Writing exercises often get my writing juices flowing so I thought it would be good to share some of the stuff that works for me! 

So, we've talked about writing characters for the last two weeks, today lets talk about setting.  I am going to be honest, if I am reading a book and I can't picture myself in the setting, it is really hard for me to pay attention and stick with the story. Setting isn't just the WHERE and the WHEN of a story, it's the sounds of a place, the smells of a place--the tiny details that  come together and allow me to experience any story I am reading in the best possible way. When I am writing a story myself, I am always thinking about where a scene takes place, why it takes place there, and what I need to tell my audience about that place so that they can see it in their minds like I do.

One of my favorite story settings is Hogwarts. (I didn't write that setting, just so you know!) I love all of the personality that castle has.  So, I thought that today's prompt would be CASTLE.  

Here are a few to get your creative thoughts flowing:
This is quite a fancy castle.  It looks rather happy.  Of course, every place has its secrets, doesn't it?

This one looks like  the hidden castle of the sea-elves.  It only rises from the water at sunset...

A castle on a lake!!  This looks like one where King Arthur would live, very Camelot-like.

RUINS!  I love ruins!!  Of course, it's kind of an awful word, being RUINED and, but you can just imagine what once was here--and what happened to ruin it.

Such a chubby little castle!  This is a fairy tale castle for sure.

Saw this castle in person not too long ago.  Amazingly, we discovered a terrible smell as we went through the towers.  It was awful and there was no escape.  Just goes to show, things are not always as pretty and pink as they seem.

HAUNTED CASLTE.  Well, this looks adequately creepy, don't you think?  (I think what makes it look so scary is the fact that the photo is black and white.  Wise choice for a haunted castle.)  So, do ghosts reside here?  A were-wolf perhaps?  or perhaps a creature so terrifying it has yet to be described...

Come inside my sand castle!  This is where stories are born and dreams come true!
Choose any castle to write about--or you can find one of your own!  Google is amazing for that.  I chose the word CASTLE this week because I am writing a scene that happens in a place very much like this:
It is called Mont St. Michel and it is awesome.

So, your task is to use the word CASTLE in your writing.  You might set a story in one of the castles I have shown you, or create a castle of your very own..  You might write a poem about a castle, or perhaps a song.  You might choose to take a story you are working on and set a scene in a castle.  Whatever you do, remember to have fun!

You can email me at storyqueen@gmail.com if you want to share your work!

See you next time!

xo 

hrh

P.S. If you want to come and write with me in person, there are still a few seats open in my summer writing workshop offered through the Carlsbad Education Foundation. CEF offers so many cool summer opportunities for kids.  My workshop runs from July 21-July 25,  from 9 am to 12 pm at Jefferson Elementary School.  You can click here for more information.


Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Story School #3

Hi everyone!

Welcome to week #3 of Story School!

I really enjoyed reading the adventures of the Dog Brothers and Paper Cat last week.  There was even a poem using the word "Cat-tastic" which I found rather marvelous.  Keep them coming!

This week's inspiration for story school is a picture, but a different picture from last week. Sometimes a picture will inspire me because of the subject of the picture, or sometimes it is the feeling the picture portrays, sometimes I can't describe the feeling at all--it is just a little bit of magic that somehow comes through the drawing/photo/whatever and makes my fingers itch to write.

Recently I saw a drawing that I really liked.  It was done by and artist named Jenni Desmond.  She is illustrating my book THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT DRAGONS which comes out in the Fall of 2015.  Anyway, this particular drawing just spoke to me and I knew I had to write about it.


I love the colors, I love the mood, but most of all, I love that it features that often misunderstood sea creature, the NARWHAL.

So, your prompt for today is Narwhal.  Maybe you will write lovely poetry about sea animals or the way the waves flow upon the shore.  Maybe you will write a story about a large family of narwhals going on a summer vacation.  Maybe you will write a letter to the world, urging folks to take care of our oceans so the narwhals will have a home. You can research narwhals and write about how amazing they are. Anything that you want to write is fine, just use the picture for inspiration. (Sometimes writing takes us in a completely different direction that we plan and that is okay, too.)

As for me, when I saw this picture, I immediately knew I had to write a story about the littlest one, the one at the bottom.  Isn't he cute?  I just finished it up the other day. Maybe I'll share it one day soon.

I am so excited to see how the narwhals inspire you.

(And the horn on the narwhal is really a TOOTH!  Seriously.)

If you are interested, you can see Jenni Desmond's books and such at Jennidesmond.com

(And if you want to check Jenni's Etsy shop, it is here. )

Guys, wait until you see how Jenni draws dragons!!!

And if you want to share your writing with me, my email address is storyqueen@gmail.com.  I will write back to you!

hrh

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Summer To Do List 2014: Simple Pleasures Edition




Part donut, part croissant.  Where have you been all my life?

1.  Eat a cronut. Yeah, I know, it's a simple thing to have at the top of a summer list, but I will feel pretty good about this summer if I can accomplish this.

2.  Hike around in Joshua Tree National Park. (Actually, I am hoping to do this tomorrow.) It's so close and I've never been.




Those trees in the background look like DUDES!
3.  See the covers of my new books, NO, NO KITTEN!   and  SECRETS OF SELKIE BAY.  One of them is almost finished, one of them I have no idea what to expect.  But I am excited beyond all reason to have a glimpse of both.
4.  Watch the sunset in the desert.

5.  Watch the sunset over the ocean. (Okay, I am noticing a theme here--where are the sunrises?)
6.  Sleep in sometimes. (Oh, that's where the sunrises are--being missed altogether!  Well done, me! Sleep is good.)
7.  Visit Catalina Island. Again, so close but I have never been!



8.  Eat Mexican food in New Mexico.  Well, why not?

9.  Visit the Santa Fe Opera.
Look at it, all snuggled up against the Sangre de Cristos.  

10.  Oh, and write.  A BUNCH.  Write a bunch of words! Good words, of course.

So, what's on your summer to-do list?

hrh