My muse is back...

Every once in a while my muse comes and hangs around for a while even if I can't sit down and jot down everything she says. I kinda like that she is working WITH me this time because I have an amazing picture book idea that has even got a thumbs up from a HUGE kids' book legend! WOOHOO! Thank God for Facebook and its networking opportunities.

In fact, this "legend" told me that when my manuscript was tweaked, polished and written in blood he would love to have HIS AGENT take a look at it. *passes out*

So, I am finishing up an article and an illustration for Girlfriendology.com and then I am jumping right into a book dummy about this timid little guy who has an all-too-common little friend.

I may also be speaking/presenting at the BlogHer '09 event. For those of you who are registered with BlogHer.com please go check out the Room of Your Own listings and click on "Giving Back Thru Social Media" then click "I would attend this session." If there is enough interest then MOI could possibly be a presenter during the BlogHer weekend! I was humbled by the gracious outpouring of support and love on this blog for my sweet Julian who passed away in January '08. If you are new to My Semblance go back to my December 3rd '08 post and start reading! Stuff like this should make it on the news. Lives were changed, strangers rallied and miracles made!

Well, I am off to stroke my muse and drain her of her ideas! If you have any tips, connections or ARE an agent or publisher, I welcome your comments and advice here! :) I'm not too proud to beg!

Peace, people!

I got some 'splainin' to do...

Well, I had someone email me to comment on how much she enjoys what I write on my blog (thanks Rebecca) and she was wondering (because my title of my blog is yada-yada-yada-writes 4 kids) if I had ever published anything that she could read. So, I figured if she was wondering, maybe all my great commenters were up at night, tossing and turning, wondering the same thing. I DO write and have been published many times...but mostly for adults. I write a lot for regional parenting magazines like About Families (PA), MetroKids (DE), Parent Magazine (TN), KidsVT, Pittsburg Parent, Family (NJ), Indy's Child, Charlotte Parent (SC), Parenting New Hampshire, San Diego Parent, and a couple big time magazines like Fostering Families Today and Relate Magazine for girls. I have also written crafts for ParentZone.com. Most of what I write is out of my passion for children. I write articles that keep kids healthy, keep families connected and creative in the way they deal with life. I have a pile of rejection slips that I have been collecting for almost two years now from a vast array of children's book manuscripts. Some people say to throw them away b/c they will ultimately bring you down and you will give up the ship. Not me. I actually have a file right in my file cabinet labelled "rejections" so that when I am published and children across the country are giggling at my words, I can encourage other aspiring authors by saying, "I collected 4,937 rejections before getting published!" I truly don't have that many although my ego may argue that depending on how many I pull from the mailbox that day. I recently attended the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Fall Philly Conference and made some great connections! I now am awaiting a response from an editor at HarperCollins in regards to the first in a series of really quirky, fun picture books. Send up some prayers for me if you are the praying type (I am). I dream of touching the lives of as many children as I can before my time on this planet expires. So, there ya go! That's my mission in a nut shell! I am off to get a shower in the remaining minutes of the baby's nap so that I can take the big kids to a book signing with Elizabeth Kann, author of Pinkalicious and Purplicious. Throw those names in at Amazon.com and you will fall in love with her!! Have a creative day!