So excited to share this news!

It was a lot of work but but also fun and educational to write this post for fellow Stormie Lisa Kerr’s blog.

Looking forward to meeting educators and students at nErDCamp 2020 SoCal, in Torrance, CA, on July 17, 2020! Click here for more details and to find out what other authors will be attending.

IMPORTANT: All events are contingent upon the lifting of the current shelter-in-place guidelines. I will update this page as the dates get closer.

Odin: Hero Dog of the Fires come out this June, and we have some events lined up to celebrate!

Sat, June 20, 3 pm: Launch party at Copperfield’s Books in Santa Rosa. Join the author, illustrator, and Odin himself for a reading, slideshow, and book signing! To benefit North Bay Animal Services.

Mon, July 27, 3:30 pm: Mill Valley Library reading, slideshow, and craft for kids of all ages.

Sat, August 30 and Sat, September 13, 11 am: Story time at Books, Inc. in Palo Alto

Sat, October 10, 1-3 pm: “Cartoonist in Residence” event at the Charles Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. Chat with the author and illustrator about the creation of Odin: Dog Hero of the Fires

Pre-order the book through Copperfield’s, Green Apple, Books Inc, Bookshop West Portal, or Amazon.

Thanks to Lisa Amstutz for hosting me on her blog!

ACK!!! This is my 5^th picture book contract—and I am so excited about it!!! CLAUDE tells the surprising back story of the famous white alligator of SF’s Cal Academy. It’s about skin color, rejection, and feeling different, as well as tolerance, inclusion, and finding your place. It’s also going to be ADORABLY illustrated by the amazing Jennifer M. Potter! Yay! Look for it in fall 2020!

Come join the launch party for my second picture book, TO LIVE ON AN ISLAND, about the joys, and challenges, of growing up on one of the San Juan Islands, off Washington State. Details below.

I’m such a slacker! I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve posted here. Well, a quick update. Last week I was finally able to share the following book deal news. This story is close to home. We know so many people affected by the 2017 Northern California fires (and in fact, we drove through them ourselves!). It felt good to be able to take something positive and inspiring out of that tragedy. I can’t wait to see how Carrie Salazar illustrates this!

My husband and I went to chilly Wisconsin this past weekend. On the lovely Northland College campus in Ashland, on Lake Superior, Journey received an award and I gave a keynote address and presented a breakout session. Northland generously bestowed this wonderful award on Journey, and I was so very honored to be able to receive it in person and be part of this fabulous conference.

As part of the experience, Alex and I were fortunate enough to be able to join a small group on a “wolf howl.” At 8 pm, we ventured out into the woods with a professional wolf biologist (or, as we chose to call him, wolf tracker!) and howled at the moon in hopes of hearing a wolf pack howl back at us. We didn’t hear any, and we almost froze our toes off, as it was 12 degrees out, but it was a never-to-be-forgotten experience nonetheless. (And I know they were out there!)

Thank you, Northland College and SONWA awards!