Do you speak American?
Paul McCain posted a link to a fabulous website which showed all sorts of variations of dialects and accents from all over the U.S. I have been trying to find it again, but can't!

Today, I did find this website, though. Take the test and see if you are a Yank or a rebel. Fun!

Merry Christmas, Cheeps! Poster

Go here to find a poster with Merry Christmas, Cheeps! as well as info on reading with children at the holidays. (Thanks, Todd, for your help with this!)

Mid-grade novel writing --
So, lately, I've been working on a mid-grade chapter book. I imagine 8 and 9 year olds reading this. It's been really fun to see it grow and develop. Sometimes these writing projects really do take on a life of their own. I am enjoying "getting to know" the character I've created.

So, thanks to Grant K. for helping me with my title. And thank you, Grant and Pam, for all of your encouragement! It's easy to feel stuck, and that encouragement really helps.

Writing in a different genre is a little bit like starting over and learning the ropes all over again. But I hope to have some material in the next few months for field testers--like Renee and Audrey!

A Nice Review
Here's a nice review of my new Cheeps book. I loved her line about readers being reminded that this is definitely a "chicken Christmas." :)

Merry Christmas, Cheeps!
Illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee

The new cheeps book is out! And I even saw it on a Borders bookshelf last week--so it's really officially out! Check out Carol's blog where she's way too nice about my writing, but also gives some insight into how she created her adorable illustrations.