Alvor

January sometimes seems like the longest month of the year. It's so cold! Well, if you happen to live in the upper part of the northern hemisphere. I am so excited about starting 2009.

Alvor is scheduled to be on the bookshelves this May. I'm really excited about that. I have had some talented people helping me along, and I wanted to thank some of them. First, I just have to tell any children's writers out there, if you don't already belong to SCBWI, you need to join. The Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is incredible. The resources they provide alone is worth it's weight in gold. And another bit of advice, if you write, go to writer's conferences.

Thanks to SCBWI, I have had the honor to work with some really talented people. I don't know how I ever got along without them. If you don't already have a writer's group, and you write, do yourself a favor and find one. It has been such a blessing to me. If you want someone to tell you when you use a word too often, or your character isn't showing enough feeling in a certain part, or you're writing in past tense sometimes, a writer's group does that and so much more. Now I just listed all my most common mistakes as an author, but at least I have really smart people to point that out to me on a regular basis.

Now, about conferences. You need to go. If you are writing and you've never been to one, do some research. The resources available at these are invaluable. Not only will you learn more about writing, but it will open the door to meeting editors and agents. That alone is a boon to anyone trying to break into this tough world of writing.

I know I'm just starting out, and there is still so much I have to learn and even more that I want to do, but I love hearing other people's stories. Their successes and failures. Failure is proof that you tried. If you've never failed at anything, you've never tried. Failure is proof that one of these days, you are going to succeed. So, look forward to that rejection letter in the mail. It's another piece of evidence that someday you are going to make it.

Over Christmas my husband put a wrapper that he got off of a "Dove Promise" candy. I read it every day. "Dont look back and ask why, look forward and ask why not."

And that is my life right now. Why not ask Glenn Beck in person to review my book? You know, he told me yes. I am still waiting for the verdict, but he said yes! It's amazing what we can do when we don't realize how unrealistic our dreams are. When you don't listen to the world telling you that you can't do something, you find there is a lot you can do. And why not?

So go ahead and have a big dream. What's the worst thing that could happen? Oh, yeah, failure. It really doesn't sound that bad, does it? Life is worth taking the risk.