I have lost track of the number of times I’ve vowed to be more consistent in my newsletter. I promised readers a monthly post and it has become maybe twice yearly. So, I’m taking a page from a kidlit author Christine Evans, whose blogs I appreciate for their brevity and structure.

I’m just back from two weeks of vacation. The first week in southern Vermont at our old, family house with one of my brothers and his family. (Clockwise from left, my niece’s friend, Ryan; my niece Laurel, my brother John, me) Ryan taught us to play euchre, the posh card game you read about in novels set in the 1950s? 1920s?

The second week I hosted my college roommate, who lives in LA. I showed her how we in rural, coastal NC roll!

Currently Obsessed With

These sticky, green little frogs that are here every summer. They love to die in the house and also in the gaskets of my car doors. I often find them sitting, dried up, on the floor (insert sad face). This morning I found one (alive) on my sliding glass door…I love them and also they make me very sad that they die so often.

Also, Hurricane Idaline, which came our way, raising our creek and the water in our yard higher than we’ve ever had it. No damage, we’re just stuck at home for the day until water recedes because some roads are impassable. It’s the southern version of a snow day!

Getting back in the groove, finding my rhythm again after the discombobulation of August. This involves lots of to-do lists and check marks. Deeply satisfying.

Writing Tip

If you write non-fiction, try to write with a beginner’s mind. I find that once I’ve done enough research to begin to write about someone, I’ve lost sight of what intrigued me in the first place.

For example, right now I’m researching a female scientist who was an expert on algae. I have so many questions, the first one is, WHY? It’s such an esoteric field and she was OB.sessed. Why? Another is that her mother traveled with her on every collecting trip, often to remote, rugged places. True, women couldn’t travel alone at this time (1920s), but her mom must have been a character. Let’s learn more about her mom! I’ve put these questions at the top of my research, to stay there and guide me as I move forward.

News

My middle-grade book, “How to Raise a Rhino” (Bedazzled Ink)” was published last May. It was an exciting June! I was featured in several blogs, including Non-fiction Ninjas, the SCBWI Carolinas blog, Book Fairies and, perhaps most excitingly, Save the Rhino International organized a virtual book launch which I hosted but that had many other rhino experts and people who knew Anna. I loved it! This one is long, so be warned!

Also, we had a fantastically fun book launch and library fundraiser event in my small, coastal NC town of Oriental. I co-hosted it with a book-club friend, Mary Scott, who published a memoir of losing her husband and finding her way afterwards. Between book sales and a silent auction we raised $3,500 for the local library.

My friend and fellow author, Mary Scott, on left, me on the right. That’s prosecco we’re drinking, thanks to our amazing friends, especially Cyndy Little, who thought of every little thing to make this event a smash!

We had a crowd of about 90 people. Big turnout for our town!

That’s all for now! Over and out.

Deb