III. ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Undoubtedly, you love many children’s books, both classics and contemporary. Please cite three favorites, including at least two MG/YA. What makes each unforgettable?

I was a Nancy Drew fiend as a young reader. I liked the mood these books evoked in me, that safe/spooky Scooby Doo thing. I also remember devouring the Little House books. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s descriptions were so vivid, I could absolutely see the scenes in my head. (And I knew they were manufactured by my imagination solely, because Michael Landon wasn’t in any of these scenes.) Judy Blume is my YA goddess forever.

How does meeting writers at workshops (or elsewhere in person) affect you, your perspective, your work? What do you enjoy about participating in writers’ events?

I love encouraging people and helping them get a little closer to their goals. If I can do that, that’s good publishing karma! And if I happen to find the next diamond in the rough while sitting among you, well maybe that’s because of the karma.

What would you like writers to know about you, the individual who scrutinizes (and may reject) their literary labor of love?

I hate, hate, hate saying no, but we have to for a variety of reasons—some of which may have nothing to do with the quality of your work! Your style may not be my taste, or I may have three other contemporary realistic novels for the year. Know that I am a person who wants to love what you’ve written and if for some reason I don’t, that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there who will!

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