Stop Dreaming, Start Writing!

That children's book or YA novel you've been dreaming about isn't going to write itself, but we totally get why it feels overwhelming to start! If you're stuck in the "idea phase" and can't seem to make the leap to "typing words," meet your new best friend: Kidlit Quick Bites!

This is our brand-new, super-fun series of 10 ebooks, serving up fast, focused lessons pulled directly from Writing Kidlit 101: A Self-Guided Course. For only 99c, each mini-guide delivers a bite-sized chunk of expert advice you can literally read in minutes and put to work on your manuscript right away - no massive commitment needed! Stop agonizing over the whole book, and start building the skills you need step-by-step to turn that beautiful dream into a finished reality.

Want professional feedback on your writing?

If you’ve written a chapter book or middle grade novel for young readers (or want to), don’t miss this amazing opportunity from The Writers’ Loft to get professional feedback on your story! And if you don’t have pages ready to submit, you can listen and learn from critiques of other writers’ work.

Dec 3, 7pm ET, virtually, plus 2-week replay. $25 for non-members

Submit 5 pages of your work by November 23rd, and TWL volunteers will pick the manuscripts that get critiqued during the virtual session. Even if your pages don’t get chosen, it’ll be a night of incredible learning! 

Before I got my first publishing contract, I would’ve JUMPED at an opportunity like this. I hope you’ll consider taking the leap and joining me on December 3rd!!!

So You Want an Agent (Psst! Do the Research!)

Do you have to know someone to land an agent in the kidlit world? Spoiler: Nope! But having a little insider perspective can make all the difference. In my newest YouTube video, I’m sharing what it really takes to land the right agent for your work.

The secret? There isn’t one. Just good old-fashioned elbow grease, patience, and a stubborn refusal to give up.

Confessions of a Slow Scribbler (Oops, still typing...)

Ever breeze through one of my Fenway and Hattie books and think, Wow, that must have been quick to write? Spoiler: it’s usually the opposite. What looks effortless on the page can take months - sometimes years - of drafting, revising, and polishing.

In my latest YouTube “Behind the Scenes” video, I pull back the curtain on why writing “quick reads” are anything but quick (at least for ME), and why the slow, messy process is worth every minute when the end result connects with young readers.

P.S. This post only took me two hours to write. You’re welcome!

Guest Author Reporting for Duty

When I’m off-stage at a school visit, I can be found in surprising places around the school - where the real connection happens! I LOVE to become part of the community in unusual ways you don’t see from the audience (or in the promo pix)! And I’m spilling the beans in my latest YouTube video.

While every moment with kids is my favorite, I also love rolling up my sleeves and pitching in (and sometimes I discover talents I didn’t know I had)!

The Secret Superhero of Reading

Ever wondered who the real superheroes of the reading world are? In my latest behind-the-scenes YouTube video, I spill a little secret about authors, fangirling, and the unsung champions who make reading magic happen.

Spoiler alert: I may or may not embarrass myself gushing like a middle schooler at a boy band concert.

The Job With No Description: What DOES an author do all day?

Ever wondered what a children’s author really does all day? (Spoiler: there’s no official job description and no two days look the same. 🌟) Take a peek behind the scenes in my latest YouTube video!

Wherever there are books (and especially libraries), I’ll be there… spreading the joy of reading one story at a time.

One Book to Unite Them All: A Peek at the One School, One Book Program

I’m so excited to share one of my favorite literacy programs — Read to Them’s amazing One School, One Book! 📚✨
They’ve just featured me as their back-to-school author and I’m giving you the inside scoop on how this program gets whole schools — students, teachers, and families — reading the same book together.

Why it’s awesome:
💡 Whole-school reads create shared experiences.
📚 Shared stories build connections.
✨ Reading becomes something everyone celebrates.

And guess what? My books Fenway and Hattie and Fenway and the Bone Thieves are part of it! 🐾💖

That’s the magic of a story shared by an entire school!