It was two years ago, to the day, that my silly husband, Keith, tucked our daughter into bed and said, “Now, don’t you worry if you hear the sound of the turkey coming down the chimney…”
Those words inspired what’s become the Who Saved the Holidays series, written by ME, Illustrated by Kaly Quarles, and publishing by HarperCollins! I CANNOT wait for families to have THE TURKEY WHO SAVED THANKSGIVING in their hands! I plan to do a family reading, cozy by the fire, tonight – just to tie us over.
All together, there’s so much to be thankful for!
First, we’ve officially moved in (but are by no means unpacked) to our new home. Boy oh boy was it a journey – but that’s for another conversation. Second, I DID receive GREAT, BIG GOOD NEWS at the end of September that I must keep quiet for a while longer, but IYKYK 😉 And finally, I did a super fun pre-order campaign for THE GHOST WHO SAVED HALLOWEEN during Halloween week, and it was such a joy to practice promoting, reveal some images, and start a little sales buzz ahead of the July 21, 2026 release.
Hooray and thank you, God, for your goodness and blessings on our lives!
Since the end of summer, I’ve written TWO NEW picture books that I’m REALLY excited about and I’ve been market-testing an older story that might go on submission in the new year. Maybe? Meanwhile, I’m supposed to be revising/reworking my special non-fiction project and that’s not gone as well in the hustle and bustle of moving and unpacking (or such is my excuse). Hopefully, things turn around!
All in all, I’m so grateful to just be here – even as unsettled as we are! I’m hoping His peace will settle my heart and mind, preparing me for what He has next. And may the Holy Spirit continue to move and send me all the right words and put me in all the right places – I cannot do this life or my career without Him!
I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope YOU have much to be grateful for, too!
Featured Image: This is our beautiful new backyard – YES – I got my view back! Praise the Lord! The best supporting actor is Bert, our nearly five year-old lab mix.
My Pilgrimage to Publication and Beyond 