Outta’ this world blog

January 14, 2025 — I was invited to present my book at Literacy Night at the St. Fabian Catholic School, Farmington Hills, which was today. If it wasn’t for Tim, my honorary agent, I wouldn’t be able to do events this far from home because of my driving limitations. I’m so appreciative of his support. I began this morning with a stiff neck, who knows why, but I’d made a commitment to them, so I pushed myself to get through it. Thankfully, the weather alert for snow and slippery roads wasn’t too bad. 

I met Nancie Jahshan, the assistant principal, who contacted me about Lit Night at the Northville book event I took part in last year. The contacts and networking at these events is great and it’s evident how they build on each other. An author, Suzann

November 19, 2024 — November is National Picture Book Month! How did I not know this? Anyway, I recently realized that I’ve been blogging for a year. My first post was on Halloween 2023. I’m thinking about blogging less and creating more reels. I started making short reels on Instagram for my picture book this summer. I’d like to focus more on that for now and so I’m considering blogging about once a month. Previously, I aimed for three posts monthly. 

My website doesn’t allow for “likes” or comments on my blog so I don’t receive feedback most of the time. If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate any comments, input, about my blog post(s) that you care to giv

November 5, 2024 — Happy November (already)! This past Saturday was my first time participating in the A2 Community Bookfest. It was a seven-hour event with about 100 authors and other vendors set up on the first floor of the Ann Arbor District Library’s downtown branch. It was formerly called the Kerrytown Bookfest and took place where the farmer’s markets are held. I heard I just missed the “excitement” when the library’s power went out during setup! 

I’d missed the deadline last year and so, this year, I was glad when the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Michigan sent out an email for author members to sign up for the event. 

I shared a table with Heather Shumaker, autho

October 29, 2024 — I asked our son, Trevor, some questions about his favorite childhood books and this exchange is the crux of this week’s blog post. 

October 15, 2024 — I love spooky season! The colors have really started to pop around the Ann Arbor area. We bought small pumpkins to place around our patio wall last weekend and even had our coffee out back with our fire pit lit one morning. So cozy. I haven’t blogged for a couple of weeks — we were on vacation in Italy. Seems a bit unreal now — we had a beautiful time. 

For some of you who have asked where you can purchase my book, aside from being available online through Amazon and Bookshop.org, How Happy Is a Lark has joyfully winged its way into several

September 24, 2024 — Last Thursday, I took part in a local author book sale and signing at Adventure, Ink, Milan as part of their final Third Thursday celebration for the summer. I shared the evening with Don Hicks, coauthor of Frankenwalnut, with his son, Alex. A good book for this spooky Halloween season. Laura Harvey of Adventure, Ink, billed our evening as featuring something scary and something sweet, a great combination. 

Similar to my previous event in Ypsilanti, I sold all of one book BUT I don’t sweat the numbers. Like life, these events are more about the whole experience than about a certain outcome (such as selling stacks of books!) I got to see the very cool owner of the indie bookshop, Laura, again. That’s always a p

Sept. 17, 2024 — I set up an author table for the Rumble of the Bumble in Ypsilanti, Saturday, Sept 7.  I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend, Peggy Brody, and her cavapoo puppy, Astro, waiting for us. They hung out at my table with me the entire three hours, aside from the time they took to pick up her lunch and coffees for us. Astro has his own little stroller. He’s a really sweet little guy, he’s black and white, and gives smooches freely.

August 27, 2024 — My partner in crime drove me to Grosse Pointe Park. As we approached the front door to the charming Coreander’s Children’s Bookshoppe, I saw a flyer for my reading posted on their door with “SOLD OUT” written across it. Their theater is on the small side so they sell out often, but still, it was a great feeling! 

August 13, 2024 — I cried at my recent cardiology follow up — from relief and happiness. The news was all good. Such a difference from three years ago, when I first heard about the possibility of needing surgery, and two years ago when my surgery was quickly approaching. Last week: Vitals, good. On my newer medication, my cholesterol total is half of what it was. My bad cholesterol is about one-third of what it was. My better numbers significantly lower my risk of a cardiac event. 

My new valve is well acclimated within my heart. We know this partly from what’s called ejection fraction of the heart. It’s how much blood is pumped out of the heart when it squeezes with each beat. Nobody’s EF is 100 percent, some blood na

August 6, 2024 — Last Friday, I attended a Northville event called Buy Michigan Now where many different Michigan-based vendors sold local goods. 

I’m a member of a great international/national organization called the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and participated as part of their Michigan group. Five authors shared the SCBWI-Michigan table. The event ran for three days and different authors signed up each day. I was there with Cathy Collison, Shutta Crum, Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw and Heidi Woodward Sheffield. It was a special treat for me to hear some behind the scenes stories abo

July 24, 2024 — For our upcoming book, Into the Thicket, the illustrator and I decided that we’d like to print in hardcover. Our book’s page count isn’t high enough to qualify us for hardcover printing through Amazon so I started to Google research (these two words are synonymous nowadays, right?) other alternatives. 

A highly-rated service that got my attention and would allow for hardcover printing is called BookBaby. They offer a wide range of services from editing and design (interior and cover) to printing and marketing. 

July 10, 2024 — I donated a couple copies of my book to the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) book shelf for parents and other caregivers to read to the babies. Families can borrow the books and select two to take home with them, if they wish. One of the volunteer coordinators was excited and interested to learn about my book and mentioned that they have an annual reading event and would I be willing to donate 60 books for their Babies With Books Read-A-Thon? Sixty is the number of babies in a full UM NICU.

June 25, 2024 — It’s been HOT HOT HOT (at the time of this writing, now we’re getting a little reprieve, at least in Michigan). The Reading in the Park event for Brick Elementary School students was moved into the gym at the Lincoln Middle School due to the heat. The temperatures were still in the 90s (or felt like it due to humidity) when the event began at 6 p.m. So that was a good call. 

I left my house early to arrive early, or at least, on time. We have some major construction (who doesn’t?) blocking the main intersection by our home. But, actually, I was going the other direction. The problem was that I didn’t read the email carefully enough (can you relate?) And I’m not familiar enough with what I now realize

June 18, 2024 — This week I’ll share several short and sweet updates. First, I received a wonderful thank you note from the students at Brick Elementary School. They sent it to me with a photo of me reading to children inside the tent on Literacy Night. What a sweet and appreciated gesture! I’ll be back at Brick on Tuesday night this week for their Reading in the Park event, where I’ll read my book aloud. This week is expected to be HOT (in the 90s)  and so I hope (for everyone’s sake) that it’s cooled down enough by the early evening time of this event, but at least there should be some shade, under trees or tents. 

June 11, 2024 — In previous posts, I wrote about the relationship between childhood interests and careers, a topic I find intriguing. My interest in writing started from a very young age. And my writer parents were early role models. My father even “published” my first little picture book before I’d even started kindergarten. He titled it A Jack-O. He cut out parts of pictures and some words I’d drawn in crayon, added to it a bit, and turned them into a little book in a binder. As I’ve blogged before, I still remember the thrill that gave me and clearly, I’ve cherished it, as I still have the booklet to this day. 

I have a folder full of other very early writings, many from the first grade (ages

May 7, 2024 — I was happy to be invited to host an author table at Adventure, Ink on Saturday morning, April 27 — Independent Bookstore Day.

April 30, 2024 — As I was turning into the Brick Elementary School parking lot, I heard a loud rumbling nearby. I looked around but didn’t see a truck or anything that could be making the noise. Then I saw the helicopter hovering overhead getting ready to land in Brick’s field. I thought, this is a pretty big deal. There was someone standing in the lot directing traffic and many, many cars. Brick goes all out for its students. 

Surprisingly (or not in Michigan) April 24 dawned cold and windy with a little drizzle. Happy spring :) Perhaps I’d overlooked something, but I hadn’t realized the event was taking place OUTDOORS! I was dressed for a quick trip from my car to the indoors. Luckily, we don’t live too far away and I have a supportive husband. He

April 16, 2024 — I was nervous and excited about my first in-person author events at a school last month, Literacy Night at Brick Elementary School. I’m what I call a friendly introvert. I’m naturally friendly but I need my quiet time to recharge my batteries. I was a painfully shy child and that shyness is still within me in certain situations. Being introverted, I have to push myself to do certain events (or even get on a phone or a video call). Once I get to places, I tend to relax and do pretty well. It seems that “getting there” is the hard part sometimes. Can anyone else relate? Everything went smoothly at Brick’s Literacy Night and I thoroughly enjoyed the time connecting with children through my first picture book. I have such a love and respect for children a

March 26, 2024 — I was so happy to receive a “real” email through the contact link on my author website. It was from Michelle Cox, a Title I teacher at Brick Elementary School, inviting me to participate in their Literacy Night. We emailed back and forth several times, figuring out details. Her enthusiasm radiated off the computer screen and it was contagious. We were both excited to be in touch and that I was able to attend. 

We decided that I would read my book, How Happy Is a Lark, twice over the course of the evening, which ran from 5 - 6:30 p.m. And that I’d lead the activity from the back of my book with the children. Initially, I was in a small classroom just inside the main school entrance. I had a number of parents, grandparents and st

January 9, 2024 — First, I want to wish my readers a happy, healthy and beautiful new year 2024! How futuristic this year sounds … 

I’ve worked in public relations and communications since I graduated from Michigan State with my bachelor’s in journalism and my master’s degree in advertising and public relations. I’ve been writing about and promoting others’ works for my entire career of over 30 years. So, marketing myself and my own book feels odd and takes some getting used to. It certainly helps to have the background and experience. And since my goal is to get my book noticed so that more people, especially children, can experience, and hopefully have fun and learn from my picture book, I have to forge ahead through a