Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Plaster masks on the mountain.

As an artist I found it amazing that ninety percent of Mount Rushmore was carved with dynamite, but the other ten percent was chipped, buffed and drilled.

A fact not in the book:  They made plaster casts of the presidents' faces from the models that had been created and used them on top of the mountain to check for the proper likeness. 

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday.

Carmen Nichols is known as "the Rock" by her children and grandchildren for her deep faith in God, undying love of family and a fondness for quarter slot machines.

She instilled a voracious appetite for reading in her children and a family tradition of passing around a good book.

Mom, thanks for bailing me out when I got in trouble with the nuns.  Thanks for buying me that expensive prom dress and for making me take typing in summer school.   Happy Birthday Mom, you are the best!

Larry Dane Brimner

I met Larry Dane Brimner over 10 years ago at the SCBWI National Conference.  He critiqued what I would call a really stinko version of my Rushmore story.  At that time, a bad writing critique would send me crying for days.  But Larry was so kind and encouraging that it gave me great hope to go on.  I ran into him at L.A. Writer's Day this year and I had a chance to thank him for his kindness and generosity.  I also was able to ask this  award-winning author a few questions.

When and why did  you start writing for  children?

I've aways written, even writing a letter to my  brother telling him how much he was missed two weeks BEFORE he left to join  the Air Force.  I was 7 at the time, and he was  17. 

StoryFaire

Last Sunday my friend Marni McGee organized a wonderful charity event, StoryFaire to benefit Storyteller Children's Center.

Storyteller provides quality, tuition-free
early childhood education for homeless and at-risk children as well as support services for their families.

From right to left is Marni, me and the Cat in the Hat, who is a Santa Barbara city councilman.

Kathleen Duey

Kathleen Duey has been an active member of the SCBWI for many years. I have heard her speak on synopsis, novel plotting and query letters.  Kathleen is kind, generous and a prolific series writer.  I am happy that she agreed to the interview.

When and why did you start writing for  children?

     I began by trying (and failing) to write SF and fantasy novels  for YA/adult readers because I so loved reading the genre. I was amazed  at how smart and varied speculative fiction work had become. I  fell sideways into writing for children a couple years later, when a librarian  complimented a comic poem I had written and suggested the premise would make a  middle grade novel. The form was simpler and I loved kids' books, so it  was fun to set about learning it. After many rejections and revisions, I  finally sold my first book, then  another...

5 Star Book Launch

Yesterday, Adventures for Kids book store hosted a Five Star Book Launch for five local children's book authors.

Jody Frickes Shapiro, Barbara Jean Hicks, Greg Trine, Mary Hershey and Robin LaFever made us laugh, made us cry with joy and made us cheer as they presented their newest books.

Peter Tanous - Money Tips

Peter Tanous and his wife Ann have been our traveling buddies for many years. I am grateful for their friendship and continued support of my writing career. 

Beside being an expert money guy, Peter is an author. He has written three novels and three non-fiction investment books.

For some reason creative people and money don't mix, as if we're missing the moola gene.  So I asked my friend Peter, president and CEO of Lynx Investment Advisory to answer a few questions.

What three easy financial tips can you give a regular  person?

The first "tip" is an echo of the old real estate maxim: location, location, location.   When investing in the stock market, the most important rule is: diversification, diversification, diversification, the corollary of which is don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Best Friends

One of the joys and frustrations of childhood is "The best friend."  This year's awards winners are loaded with them.  Catherine longs for her new next door neighbor to be a best friend in Rules, Colin relies on Hassan in Abundance of Katherines and Lucky enjoyed her knot twisting buddy Lincoln in The Higher Power of Lucky.

This is Star and her best friend Ginger.  They usually meet twice a day to romp on the beach together.  Star's favorite toy of the day is any tennis ball she can steal from Ginger.

Jacky Farber series

Being a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian, who wrote a series on the Royal Navy in the early 1800's,  I was delighted when one of my writers group authors, Stephanie Jacob Gordon, shoved a book in my hand to read:  Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Farber, ship's boy.  This is a fabulous four book series about a girl who is mistakenly taken as a boy to serve in the Royal Navy.  Love, love, love these books.   I highly recommend them.  At one time I had all four, but they left the house borrowed never to return.  I will have to either track down the people who have them or hie myself back to the bookstore. I really want to read them all again!

Rhodes- Art for Art sake

This is another travel sketch book, art for art sake.  We were cruising the Greek Isles and stopped in Rhodes for a day. Our traveling buddies, Peter and Ann, sat in a corner cafe of this square with us as we drank wine and the atmosphere of this very cool island. The architecture was very eclectic because it had been around forever and occupied a million times by different countries.   The city has a walled in fortress, but it's big claim to fame is having one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world.  The Colossus of Rhodes was 100 feet high statue of the Greek god Helios that straddled the entrance to the harbor.   Eventually an earthquake  destroyed it, but the foundations where it stood are still there!  We passed it on our way in.

Judy Enderle and Stephanie Jacob Gordon

I have been fortunate enough to know Judy Enderle and Stephanie Jacob Gordon for many years. I have attended their workshops, retreats and classes.  Always ready and willing to lend an ear, read a manuscript or just hold your hand, these two remarkable writers practice the true spirit of the SCBWI: generosity.  Having been writing partners for 30 years these gals have entertained us with many of their books.  I wasn't surprised that when I received their answers to my interview questions, it was as if they were telling a story.

When and why did you both start writing for children?

After reading many many books to her kids, Judy decided she wanted to try writing one.  Her first attempt was when her first son was a baby and she quickly found out she couldn't devote the time she needed to him and writing.

Cinco de Mayo

In Los Angeles, but not in Mexico, "Cinco de Mayo" (the 5th of May) is celebrated.  It is an American version of the Mexican Independence, sort of like an American version of Mexican food.   But basically it's more of an excuse to drink Margaritas, eat tamales and party away.

My grandparents, Francisco and Regina, came over around 1917 to save the life of their 4th child.  The other three children had died at a young age.  My Uncle Carly  thrived and grew.  They  moved down to Los Angeles and had five daughters, Annie, Helen (the nun), Carmen (my mom,) Theresa and Josephine.  We were never taught Spanish or to cook Mexican food.   We are sort of Hispanic lite.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I recommend a great children's book on Mexico: Esperenza's Rising by Pam Munzo Ryan.  A wonderful story of a girl going from a rich rancher's daughter in Mexico to a poor farmer worker in California.

One mountain and a funeral.

People often ask me how I came up with my story about Mount Rushmore.  It started with a funeral.  In the early nineties I took a children's writing class from Alexis O'Neill.  I needed a project for the class and I didn't have a clue what to write about.  The next day I had to attend a funeral service of an elderly neighbor held at Forrest Lawn Memorial in Glendale,  a very old cemetery in Los Angeles known for many fabulous pieces of art.    

Glamour Dog

Star the Wonder Dog has many professions:  guard dog, kitty companion and best friend.  In January she got a casting call from a local photographer. So I dressed her up in her best jammies and pearls for the shoot.

I couldn't think of a dog book to recommend but I did remember a book with Star in the name:  "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli.  It's a great story about an outgoing misfit who secretly wants to belong.

Jay Asher

Talented, fun and generous, those are the words to describe Jay.  Part of the Disco Mermaids, Jay and the girls have brought good laughs to all of us on their blog and at the SCBWI National Costume party.  He has been around for years attending many events, workshop and Writer's Day.  The joke among us was that if Jay had submitted to a writing contest, none of us would win.  That is because Jay won every contest he entered.  We all cheered this past year when our Jay received a humongous advance on his first novel, "13 Reasons Why?"

When and why did you start writing for children?
In the mid-nineties, I took a college course called Children's Literature Appreciation.  I've always loved writing, but until that class, I dabbled in everything but children's lit (from screenplays to comic strips).