Where is Kali?

I love letters in the mail and boxes of books ... but nothing beats getting complimentary copies ...

My rebus: Where is Kali? beautifully illustrated by Kristin Kwan is in the October issue of Ladybug. Of course, it is based upon the real Kali (who is a tortie) but the illustrator chose to depict her as a tuxedo cat (like our kitten Finn) so it is doubly sweet.

I love the rebuses in Ladybug because the surprise comes after the page turn. It never fails to bring a little "ah" of satisfaction.

My magazine work has dwindled considerably, but still those ideas keep popping into my head. Kali alone has inspired several stories and we have two homemade books with photographs and text by yours truly. These were my kids' favorite books, right along with those by Rosemary Wells and Leo Lionni!

I don't think I'll even stop writing short stories. They're a great testing ground, and it supports the novel-writing bug. Just think of all the toner, paper, Internet ... 

We went to the aquarium this weekend and the highlight was the exhibit from Madagascar. Here are some lemurs, one of my all-time favorite critters. Did you know they purr, just like cats? I learned quite a bit about their habits while doing research for my cat purring article ...

Here's a plug for magazine writing. Some of my favorite children's magazines: Highlights for Children, Cricket Group, Clubhouse, Pockets, Ranger Rick, National Geographic Kids. Many are tough nuts to crack, but they all provide great content for children.

I'll be speaking about this very topic at the next Write 2 Ignite conference!

Ready? Set ... Write!

Happy writing all. And don't discount those little ideas that pop up in your head. Write!