August is a mad dash of trying to squeeze everything in before the fall calendar lands heavy on my desk, thick with school visits, conferences, book festivals, deadlines, and one major art fair. (Who came up with this schedule, anyway? Off with her head!)

I always go a little blotto at the end of summer, wondering if I’ve gotten enough writing done to justify being alive. Don’t laugh! Words like “rest” and “vacation” are not part of my vocabulary. I'm a person who needs to be productive pretty much all the time. I’ve got my daily list, and I need to check off as many things as humanly possible, or I suffer major bouts of guilt.

This year, my end of summer relay was about envisioning, and writing, a new chapter book series. This is a new genre for me, so wish me luck. Writing it is one thing. Selling it is another! I'll let you know what happens.

Just got some fun news: a Christmas book I have in production will be published complete with a CD in English and Spanish! The book, titled Voices of Christmas, won't be out until 2009, but it is definitely something to look forward to.

Finally, to cap off the summer I'll be the subject of a photo shoot for an author bio series, Meet the Author. My book is titled Out of the Dark, and is geared for middle grade readers. More on that when the book is closer to publication.

Okay! All for now. I've got a Labor Day barbecue to get ready for!