ABOUT WRITING, RUNNING, AND BEING OUTDOORS
I just finished the 2018 Nevada Mentor program for children writers. My mentor was author Terri Farley. She was amazing. Two complete reviews of my middle grade novel, The Big Bad Book Club, with sensitive, serious direction and revision guidance. This is an incredible program. I recommend every children's writer apply to a mentor program. The outstanding feedback and advice…
I've worked and traveled to Japan for the video game industry. I probably was the first woman to do that!!! So exciting and fun! My Japanese colleague sent me lots of stunning lacquerware, and I got a little hooked on manga. So getting the assignment for these two articles was a great joy to relive the relationships and thrills. Bento…
For this issue on People of Peace, I focused on two of the areas I love - running and education and submitted queries on two extraordinary people who have changed the world with their efforts towards peace and human dignity. Malala Yousafzai: Youngest Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Malala Yousafzai has been a forthright advocate of a girl's right…
All around the world, people wear plaid. It might be one of the most best-known, well-recognized patterns in the world. The real honor for the pattern goes to Scotland, and the accurate Scottish name is "tartan." The saying goes, " All tartans are plaid, but not all plaids are tartans." Tartan describes the Scottish woven cloth. Read the article here.
It is a gift to have someone help you along a journey to improve, such as a coach or a counselor. But in writing, a published author who takes you under their wing, gives you critical, helpful commentary on your manuscript and provides guidance on revision is invaluable. The SCBWI Nevada Mentorship program does exactly that. 12 published writers and…
I received assignments for two articles for the January 2018 issue of FACES Magazine's Great Cities of the World: Tokyo. The articles are from my heart. I've worked in Tokyo on work assignments in the video game industry. There I met a colleague who became a life-long friend and business partner. He and I introduced Talking Mickey Mouse Watches to…
Sometimes the best thing for your writing is to take a break, give your brain a break, and enjoy something that takes your breath away. That's why I like running. Fresh approach.
My mum and sisters migrated to Australia over 35 years ago, so I've been to Australia several times to visit and tour. When it came time to query FACES magazine for the Sydney issue, I asked my neighbor from Melbourne, Australia with two children what she thought would be a good topic -- and she said, "Why the Taronga Zoo!"…
I've been scaling away from full marathons and just doing a bunch of Half's. So the first Half for 2017 is March 26, 2017 at the Livermore Wine County Marathon - running and wine - works for me. Then onto the Armed Forces Half Marathon in May at the Todos Santos Naval Weapons Station in Concord (Got our red, white…
After writing earlier articles on Cambodia, I learned how the Mekong River is the life and livelihood of millions of Southeast Asians. I received the assignment to write "The Mekong River: Who Owns the Water?" as one of the greatest rivers in the world and examine how the countries along the Mekong all seek to harness its power and resulting…