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(Ha!  Me sitting down on the job.)It was an honor to present to educators at the ESL Institute at Millersville University in Lancaster, PA. this July.  Hard working, engaged, thoughtful and creative, enthusiastic about what they do. These teachers are using their summer to learn more so that they can better help their students succeed. They deserve our respect and support.(No I am not reading texts.  I am checking time on my phone.   This was a timed writing exercise.)  ;-)Here is a shout out to Lancaster, PA, Millersville University and teachers everywhere.

When I first began writing I just wanted to finish the book, a final draft, then I wanted to get it published.  Then I thought about seeing it a bookstore and in the LIBRARY!  Dare I hope to get fan mail?  Reviews?One thing I never even imagined was the gratification that comes with seeing my own grandchildren read my books.   Here is two and a half year old Everett "reading"  A Beach Tail.  I am told he woke of from his nap and quietly picked the book out by himself.  He is having [...]

 Literacy and NCTE See What the NCTE (National Council of Teacher of English) Official Blog has to say about Four Feet Two Sandals: Four Feet, Two Sandalsby Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed 1-5This book is a great way to introduce children to the realities of living in a refugee camp, why people are refugees, and then relate it to their own lives. A ten year old girl named Lina ends up sharing a pair of sandals with a girl named Feroza, since there are not enough sandals for everyone. These two characters [...]

Many people have contacted me to ask about Beatrice now.   Here are some photos of Beatrice with her husband and daughter Ariel.  Wendy Stone is the photographer who took the photos for the illustrations for the book.  You can see her work and learn more about Wendy at http://www.wendystone.comThanks for your interest and keep dreaming!

 So this is the writing Life.   You write and rewrite and rewrite and submit and write and wait and wait and wait to hear from an agent or publisher.  Sometimes you get fan mail.   That keeps you writing.   Sometimes you get rejections.   You keep writing and submitting.  (OK you might cry or scream or rant or threaten to quit).  A royalties check arrives!  You may have forgotten about those because really?  You are deep into the next project(hopefully).  You write some more and wait some more.  Sometimes you sell a book [...]

What a great day at Severn School in Arnold Maryland, outside of Baltimore!  Treated like a celeb by the news media.  A full day left me feeling appreciated.Check it out here in the Capital Gazette. http://www.capitalgazette.com/neighborhoods/ph-ac-cc-around-the-park-0406-20170405-story.html