TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH ALL OF YOU

Wow, it’s been such an extremely busy but exciting time since I last communicated with you.  It’s way too long since I put up a post on WHAT’S NEW.  I don’t even know where to start, but I’ll try to tell you some of the highlights of what’s been going on in life with books, kids, adults and travel.  You’re looking at a photograph of fifth graders from Sierra Vista Elementary School in Las Vegas, New Mexico.  Did you know that there was a Las Vegas in New Mexico.  I didn’t.  I only learned that when I was contacted by Jacqueline Gomez, the teacher of these students. See how much you can learn every day?  We visited three times, all by SKYPE.  They read my books, prepared questions for me and we chatted away.  It was great.  I’m hoping some day to get to this school to meet in person with other students. Look at the photo and you can meet these fifth graders from Sierra Vista.

In October I traveled to France to do research for a new book that I’m working on.  It’s set during World War II.  I can’t tell you much about it now.  No, I’m not superstitious, but sometimes sharing something in embryo takes away from your own internal thinking about the book.  Let’s say it’s historical fiction, centered around a girl, probably around 11 or 12.  When I did my book on Jewish resistance, I found hundreds of people and stories I couldn’t include in the book. There just wasn’t enough room so a new book slowly came into my mind and I went to France to see some of the places the story will take.  It was an interesting trip.  I brushed up on my French. . . . but definitely need to practice more.  I’m working on it.