I had no idea that the new t-shirt I bought–emblazoned with two elephants, a tree, and Better Days Will Come–would become my motto for 2020. I ordered it a few weeks ago with the U.S. presidential election in mind. I wanted to wear it while tabling at zine fests in the fall so that shoppers … Continue reading Better Days Will Come: A Mini Pandemic Survival Guide
Back in 1998, at age 26, I started my first business called, Cool Beans Publishing. The first thing I ever published was a booklet titled, 100 Money-Saving Tips Every College Student Should Know. I was incredibly proud of it and ordered 500 copies from a local printer printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Five … Continue reading A Business Built on an 8-Year-Old’s Dream
I really wasn’t sure when I launched The Contenders illustrated novel Kickstarter that I’d reach the goal of raising $3000. I was nervous every day. But then we raised $3000…in just eight days. And over the next 13 days, the total kept climbing slowly but surely. Last Wednesday, when the campaign closed on the 21st … Continue reading Fish & Chips Celebration!
Here I am asking you to give to my Kickstarter campaign to publish the illustrated version of The Contenders, and I haven’t even told you what it’s about. Geesh. Here’s what the story’s about. Click on the PLAY button below. If this story resonates with you, or someone you know, you still have time to … Continue reading What’s The Contenders About?
WE DID IT!!! The Contenders illustrated novel is fully funded! After only eight days! HUGE THANKS to everyone who retweeted, reposted, and pledged during the first eight days of our Kickstarter campaign. Erin and I are so grateful for all of you. And a very special thanks to Lori Matsumoto whose pledge tipped us over … Continue reading We Did It!
THE CONTENDERS illustrated novel is 92% funded! We’re almost there! Just $230 more to go! Thank you so much to everyone who has pledged so far. Your support means the world to us. Here’s Erin Kubo at work on one of the very last illustrations for THE CONTENDERS. This is one of my favorites from … Continue reading Contenders is 92% Funded & Erin Kubo at Work
I’ve been working all summer on a secret project and I’m finally ready to reveal it. It’s the second edition of THE CONTENDERS…illustrated! THE CONTENDERS is a middle-grade novel that poses the question: can enemies become friends? I never thought when I wrote THE CONTENDERS back in 2010, and then published it in 2015, that … Continue reading Help Publish THE CONTENDERS Illustrated Edition
So many discoveries come to me while I’m doing something mundane. Does that ever happen to you? This discovery happened as Marcus and I were driving to Costco this week. The path is the gift. I said this sentence aloud in the car because Marcus and I had been watching season after season of the … Continue reading The Path Is the Gift
There are some weeks when I have diarrhea every day. There are some days when I have abdominal pain so bad I feel like I’m going to faint…and almost do. If I forget to wear sunscreen and am out in the sun for longer than 20 minutes, my skin breaks out in hives. Sometimes, when … Continue reading I Have 5 Autoimmune Disorders Yet I’m Living My Best Life
When I’m writing alone in my home office, I often wonder if my work has an impact on anyone besides myself. You see, I don’t just write for myself, I write to communicate with people. I think the same thing about the Fear & Writing workshops I teach. I haven’t taught any workshops yet this … Continue reading You Never Know How Your Work Will Impact Others
