PhyllistheAuthor

How could I fail as a writer when I have readers like Agnes King? Agnes has supported me throughout the writing process and she has done her best to publicize my books. Thanks Agnes!

Readers have asked that I say something about my writing.

Kids' book four, Lili's Gift, is at the publisher. I haven't received the galleys yet on it. Each of my books has taken about 18 months to appear after they have been accepted for publication. Usually, each book goes through two galleys before it is ready to be published. During this cooperative process between copy editors and the author, any and all errors in the text are eliminated. At the same time selected readers will be asked for endorsements and I'll work with the illustrator on the cover.

Kids' book five, Between the Lines, is in the umpteenth draft. It still hasn't reached its final form, but it is getting close.

Kids' book six, untitled, is in its first draft.

Finding time for writing is never easy. I enjoy meeting the public at books signings and corresponding with readers and other writers.

This spring I planted impatiens in front of our house and they looked great until deer found them and had a feast. The above photograph is a volunteer impatiens that somehow managed to take root in the crack between the sidewalk and the foundation of our house.

Nature in the form of deer destroyed my plants. The abundance of nature was not to be denied, however, and a tiny seed from last year's impatiens found an unlikely home and flourished to cheer me for the loss of the others.

In the Writer Magazine, August, 2006, Dallas Nicole Woodburn tells how she sold 900 copies of a book she wrote at age ten. She had gotten a $50 grant from her school to publish her stories and poems. Her book was titled, There's Huge Pimple on my Nose. Dallas' initial goal was to sell 25 staple-bound copies of her book to pay back the grant. She began marketing the book and she was so successful that she ordered 750 more copies from a local printer.

There are lots of opportunities for kids to publish their writings. Ask your local children's librarian for help in finding appropriate places to send your poems and stories.

Highlights, that venerable magazine for kids, has two pages each issue devoted to drawings and poems by kids. Art must be on unlined paper and poems are to be 100 words or less. Send your work to Highlights, Your Own Pages, 803 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431

I attended the annual May Hill Arbuthnot lecture in Williamsburg on April 28. The speaker was Russell Freedman, the award-winning children's author. He happened to mention that his favorite author when growing up was Howard Pease. My husband chimed in to stay that he had loved books by Howard Pease too.

Fascinated, I tried to get a Howard Pease book from the Williamsburg Regional Library. However, I had to order one through inter-library loan since Pease's books were published mostly in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Many were availalbe through inter-library loan. I picked The Ship without a Crew for no special reason other than I liked the title.

If you are looking for tales of adventures on the high seas, check out Howard Pease. A little effort on your part could pay big dividends in enjoyment.

For more information:

http://www.aandc.org/research/biblio_pease_h.htm